President’s Report 2017-18
Earlier this year, Bradley’s Board of Trustees adopted a new strategic plan that sets the vision for the university for the next five years. During the plan’s creation, I was reminded, yet again, of the talent, dedication, and loyalty of our faculty, staff, and students. People often remark that being at Bradley is like being part of a family, and indeed it is. The feeling of good will and common purpose here is all part of our DNA, which is a commitment to give students the best educational experience possible through intellectual rigor, care, and support. One of the initiatives we started this year is the Academic Success Center, which helps students stay on track and graduate on time. Along with such personalized attention, student engagement is one of the top reasons Bradley students and alumni achieve immediate and sustained success once they graduate. Whether it is through internships like at the Olympics in South Korea, studying abroad at any of several venues around the world, having field experiences during their first year, or performing research with a professor, Bradley students are active participants in their education. All of this would not be possible without the generosity and support of our alumni and friends. While our freshman enrollment numbers look strong again for next year, there is no doubt that higher education is at a crossroads. As the cost of educating the next generation continues to climb (e.g., large cost increases for technology, health insurance, unfunded mandates, security, academic support, student recruiting, etc.), we at Bradley are proud we’ve been able to remain more affordable than our peers. We have done this in part because of a decent endowment and capital investments that were possible only because of your gifts. As you review the following pages, I hope you will share my belief that Bradley University — and our students — deserve your support. From everyone here at Bradley — students, faculty, and staff — we thank you all very much. None of this would be possible without you and your generosity.
Gary R. Roberts ’70, President and Professor
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Officers
Trustees
Mr. Calvin G. Butler Jr. ’91, Chairman CEO, Vice Chairman Baltimore Gas and Electric Company
Mr. David P. Bozeman ’91 Vice President, Amazon
Mr. Michael N. Cullinan Chairman, United Contractors Midwest, Inc.
Mr. Stephen E. Gorman, MBA ’78 Mr. Gary A. Burk ’74 CEO, Borden Dairy Company Retired COO/Vice Chairman Duke Realty Corporation The Honorable Robin L. Kelly ’78, MA ’82, HON ’14 The Honorable James E. Shadid Ms. Inga Carus U.S. House of ’79, Vice Chairman Chairman, Carus Group Inc. Representatives Chief U.S. District Judge, Mr. Robert J. Clark ’67 Central District of Illinois Dr. Sharon DesmoulinChairman/CEO, 3Bear Kherat ’86, MS ’89 Ms. Kathleen M.B. Holst ’79, Energy, LLC Superintendent, Peoria Secretary Ms. Anne Edwards-Cotter ’77 Public Schools President, RCMS Inc. President, Cotter Mr. Wayne G. Klasing ’64 Consulting, Inc. Retired President/CEO, Klasing Industries, Inc.
Mr. Jonathan E. Michael Chairman and CEO, RLI Corp. Mr. Gary M. Peplow ’62 Attorney and Retired Managing Partner, Heyl Royster Voelker & Allen
Mr. Kevin Schoeplein Retired CEO, OSF Healthcare System/ Vice Chairman of the Boards of OSF Healthcare Ms. Debbie Simon ’89 Regional CEO, UnityPoint Health
Mr. Gary R. Roberts, ’70 President, Bradley University Mr. Douglas S. Stewart, MBA ’79 Retired Regional Dr. Lindsey R. Rolston ’85 President, PNC Bank Orthopedic Surgeon, Henry County Memorial Hospital Mr. George E. Ruebenson ’70 Retired President, Allstate Property Liability Co.
How students Engage Internships
Clockwise from top: Nathaly Trujillo ’17 in a “Game of Thrones” chair in PyeongChang; Danielle Snyder ’18 with a fellow intern in PyeongChang; Snyder and Collin.
As surely as the Olympics continue to thrill us, Bradley students will be part of the magic. This winter, NBC chose 12 Bradley students for internships, both in PyeongChang, South Korea, and network headquarters in Stamford, Conn. John Collin ’20, a sports communication and professional selling double major who spent three weeks in PyeongChang, was moved by the experience. “Watching the U.S. women win gold in hockey was amazing. I still get chills thinking about it. If not for Bradley’s education and the sports communication major, I could never have even dreamed of witnessing that moment.”
“I was able to give my opinions and pitch ideas to directors and producers who actually listened — and later used those ideas for highlights, replays, videos or social media.” – Nathaly Trujillo ’17 • • • “Being positioned at the NBC Sports Desk at the International Broadcast Center (IBC) was a real coup for a sports comm. major like myself … It placed me in the epicenter of NBC’s coverage for the games. Let’s face it: Every day I had to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming !!” – Danielle Snyder ’18
Latest Lincoln laureate a leader
A host of activities — including Speaker of the Assembly for student government, honorary groups, Greek life, student admissions representative (STAR) and Financial Management Association — plus a 3.96 GPA helped Kelsey Vogt ’18 become the university’s latest Lincoln Student Laureate. Participating in groups and activities led to other opportunities, allowing Vogt a learning environment outside the classroom.
“Being involved allows people to be more well-rounded,” she said. “I can’t learn how to get along with people or resolve conflict while sitting in a classroom. It’s the extracurriculars or co-curriculars that teach you those skills.”
MORE THAN JUST A NUMBER
Having a clinical experience during her first year helped Taylor Redshaw Vipond ’07 become comfortable with a future in nursing. “The diverse experiences and exposure really helped prepare me for just about any healthcare environment after graduation,” she said. “Of course, I enjoyed some experiences more than others, but each one gave me knowledge and understanding that could be applied in my nursing career.” Vipond returned to her alma mater for Bradley’s online doctorate in nursing practice/family nurse practitioner program. She called the university a “unique environment where every person has an identity.” “Whenever I had a problem or concern, I could reach out to an instructor or adviser and receive sincere support. I think this is where healthcare needs to be. We need to be willing to help each other and build collaborative relationships. Nursing can be emotionally challenging, and learning to seek support early on is invaluable.” Professors like Molly Drew Cluskey ’77 — Vipond’s undergraduate adviser — made a big difference to her Bradley Experience. “She was fantastic,” said Vipond. “During a serious personal obstacle that could have ended my college career, Dr. Cluskey reinforced the resilience and persistence I needed to keep going. I ended up graduating with honors and left Bradley gaining more than just basic nursing knowledge; I gained skills to enhance my nursing career.”
Engagement begins in the classroom
Having a classroom experience — especially student teaching — is a key component for future educators. It’s an environment where they learn to be approachable, well prepared and sensitive to their students’ needs. It’s vital that students who are interested in entering the teaching profession have experiences in the field in their first year,” said Cecile Arquette, associate professor of teacher education. “Not only does this help pre-service teachers know for sure teaching is what they want to do, such early experiences help them become actively engaged as young professionals. Additionally, because all teacher education majors at Bradley are required to have multiple field experiences, our graduates are engaged in their learning throughout their time here as they are able to practice their craft before graduation.”
95%
Study abroad is a unique experience
One of the best experiences students can have during their collegiate career is studying abroad. Besides trying a different style of education, exploring a new country allows them to take in a new (or multiple) cultures, hone their language skills and increase their career opportunities.
“Studying abroad in London, England, was a unique experience,” said senior nursing major Aaron Rapp. “I could have easily taken my English course in Peoria. However, because I was in a foreign country, I was able to apply the information I learned in the classroom by going out and exploring the city. This enhanced my education by experiencing real-life situations, in a culture that was unfamiliar to me.”
of Bradley students benefit from
experiential learning
Guidance
for success How does Bradley remove barriers to student achievement and on-time graduation? With its new Academic Success Center (ASC), the university is using every tool at its disposal. In a bright, renovated space on the third floor of the CullomDavis Library, the center includes a Math Success Center, Writing Center and the Turning Point Program, which helps students get on track should they land on academic probation for the first time. Gregory Haines, director of the center, said his charge is to strengthen undergraduate student success initiatives. Top priorities for the ASC are providing extensive peer tutoring in five core subjects and developing academic adviser competency. A collaboration between Student Affairs and Academic Affairs, the center also hosts student-led workshops on practical topics like time management, test taking, note taking, goal setting and motivation, concentration and memory. The center’s most technically sophisticated tool is a database called Student Success Collaborative, which identifies at-risk students and allows faculty members, administrators and advisers to offer help. In addition, Haines is committed to helping the university increase its emphasis on the importance of advising — first, to guide students to the right major, and second, to make sure they’re on track to graduate. “We need to think of advising as teaching,” he said. “At Bradley, professors advise students in their own discipline. There
are many advantages to that. But we have to realize our student body is changing. “For better or worse, our entering freshmen have been exceptional students. When they get to Bradley and face challenges or fail for the first time, it can be difficult for them. We need to be ready to help.” Haines believes a renewed focus on advising is good for the university as a whole. He’s eager to provide more resources to busy faculty members to enrich their interactions with advisees. Haines said the initiative, scheduled to roll out this fall, will bolster Bradley’s long history of faculty commitment to students. “I hear things from students like, ‘My adviser spent three hours with me last week, helping me with a cover letter.’ That’s not something (students) put on Facebook, but it’s happening.”
“
We need to think of advising as teaching. And we have to realize our student body is changing. – Gregory Haines
”
Meeting the price of
student success Gifts to Bradley University help provide the things that allow our students to get an outstanding education at one of the best schools in the U.S. With the rising cost of a college education, many students find critical assistance from scholarships and grants, often through the generosity of our donors. This type of aid not only makes their Bradley experience possible, it also makes it meaningful and can bring a lifetime of success.
n For Allie Hoffman ’18, one stage of her education is wrapping n As a first-generation student, Mariela Jasso ’19 admitted her up but another is waiting in the wings. The criminal justicefamily was limited in how it could help. “From the beginning, sociology double major is applying to law schools with hopes of my parents supported me going to college but their biggest practicing family law on her own and possibly teaching at a law worry was the financial aspect,” she said. “I wouldn’t have school. For her, receiving assistance went beyond the financial. come to Bradley without the scholarships given to me.” “It’s been nice getting something, being recognized for Jasso received a university scholarship when she arrived my studies and being involved on campus,” she said. While at Bradley and one from the Hersher Family Foundation. Hoffman received a university scholarship She also received a scholarship aimed at as a freshman, she noted two named students living in the dorms. A psychology scholarships came later in her college major minoring in women’s and gender career. “When I got the emails saying studies, she envisions graduate school and I’d gotten those scholarships, I flipped. a doctorate in her future. Jasso’s eventual It helped so much and was like, ‘Hey, goal is her own mental health clinic in an my hard work is paying off.’” underserved area. One of Hoffman’s awards allowed her “Bradley is my foundation for that. of Bradley family to re-allocate funds, making it It’s where I learned to be successful.” undergraduates possible for her to take an online course to Her on-campus activities center on receive some form prepare for law school admissions tests. the Association of Latin American “My parents and I were really struggling Students (ALAS), where she has been of financial aid. with how to get the thousand dollars (for an officer and board member. She also the class). That was not something my served as a peer mentor after being parents could pull together,” she said. “A mentored, is an officer in Sigma Lambda week before the test I got the scholarship.” Gamma National Sorority Inc. and an Active in several campus organizations Admission Office STAR. — including Gamma Phi Beta, Panhellenic Council and LINCS “It’s been very busy but very good,” she said. “I knew from the (a leadership capstone project) — Hoffman has been involved get-go that coming into college, I wanted to take full advantage of in student government since her freshman year. As a STAR every opportunity, and Bradley offers so much to students.” She anticipates applying for a scholarship funded by the Bradley ambassador in Admission, “I tell every family it’s inexcusable not to get involved. There are so many different opportunities.” Association of International and Latino Alumni (BAILA) affinity Her residence in the Quad Cities allowed for in-state tuition group. Jasso appreciates having additional support available from at Illinois State University, but she told her parents Bradley such groups, especially for first-generation students. was the best fit. Hoffman noted private scholarships often have “We (first-generation students) go into college not knowing rigid requirements, such as specific majors or backgrounds, but even how to look up scholarships. Maybe we could have applied Bradley’s are more generalized. She didn’t seek out the university for more or done more to get more money,” she said. “Being able scholarships – they came to her. to come to Bradley and find we have a second chance at more “At a private institution, those scholarships are helping me.” scholarships, that we have options on campus, is amazing.”
97%
Figuring out falls
W earable motion detector could save lives and dollars
“
The clock starts ticking when an elderly person falls, so I wanted to find a way to minimize the time it takes to get help. – Mohammad Imitiaz
”
Every 11 seconds, emergency rooms around the U.S. treat older adults for injuries related to falling, according to the National Council on Aging. Sadly, every 19 minutes someone dies as a result. And the total price tag for this leading cause of fatal and non-fatal trauma costs Americans in the tens of billions of dollars. Mohammad Imtiaz and a group of business and engineering students hope to reduce the number, severity and costs from falling. Their project is a low-maintenance, wearable motion detector that not only detects a fall, it automatically alerts a list of caregivers and responders for assistance. “The clock starts ticking when an elderly person falls, so I wanted to find a way to minimize the time it takes to get help,” said the electrical engineering professor, who was inspired to develop a device after his mother fell and couldn’t quickly call for help. “This puts families and caretakers at ease because they will know about an emergency as soon as it happens.” Unlike similar devices, a person wouldn’t need to push a button to activate the Bradley team’s alarm, making it useful for those with dementia or other issues. The data then goes to a central station — up to 100 meters (about 109 yards) away — before transmitting for aid.
Imtiaz and his student-team with a prototype. Front (l-r): Kelsey Vogt ‘18 and Miller. Back (l-r): Imtiaz and Ethan Supler ‘18.
“You can’t press a button if you don’t remember the button exists,” said Sean Miller ’18, an electrical engineering major who is working on the algorithms and coding needed to utilize the vast amounts of data the devices will generate in real time. “The advantage of this device is once a person can set it up, we can make it so there’s no monthly subscription or anything like that,” Imtiaz said. The team is also determining the ideal frequency and adapting power options, such as a sleep mode, to eliminate the need for frequent charging. “That’s very critical because if a person has dementia or any other incapacity, you don’t want them to be looking after one more gadget,” he said. Imtiaz noted a motion-detection function is included, which could alert help if a person has passed out or suffered a sudden medical emergency. With relatively inexpensive parts — a microcontroller, accelerometer and gyroscope, for instance — the hope is the device can be incorporated into a piece of jewelry or attached to clothing for easy daily use. Students surveyed care facilities and nursing homes around Peoria and found a potential market. “There is interest out there,”
Imtiaz said. “Because once an elderly person falls, the danger clock starts ticking. The longer they’re left unattended, the worse their outcomes are.” The interdisciplinary aspect of the research also appeals to Imtiaz, who noted it’s the norm in business and industry. He said electrical engineers typically didn’t deal with the vast amounts of data generated from such research, and he wants students to utilize machine learning and artificial intelligence for that. “In a project like this, it’s not a purely engineering study. At some point, of course, we have to talk to nursing and physical therapy and get their input on how to address some of the aspects of this device,” Imtiaz said. “We’re hoping it’s not only going to help people, but within the Bradley academic community it will bring different departments together.” “It’s great to learn how to work together and give customers what they want with the best technology available,” added Miller. Imtiaz hopes Bradley eventually would house a dedicated server to collect data which could also be used by other researchers. “Data like this can really help find new solutions.”
CLASS OF
10,232
63%
APPLICATIONS
Miss the
45%
2021
Admitted to naming a Bradley squirrel
Gender breakdown
48% male 52% female
Family pet
25%
FIRST-
178
generation students
LEGACY students
Consider % 17 themselves the messy one in their DORM ROOM
countries represented 14 27 U.S. states represented
1,265
55 athletes STUDENT
38%
Believe A DANCE PARTY is the answer to stress
New first-year students
Most ethnically diverse first-year class in Bradley history
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