President’s Report 2018-19
We empower students for success
A worker guides one of the final beams into place during the Topping Off ceremony for the 270,000-square foot, $100M-plus business and engineering complex in December. In the days before the ceremony, students, faculty and staff signed and wrote messages on the beam.
President’s Report 2018-19 Most of you know and appreciate what a great university Bradley is, with a great faculty, great programs, great traditions, and a great reputation. And as great as Bradley has been for the past 121 years, when I look at all we have going for us here (including that magnificent $100 millionplus business and engineering complex that will open this summer), I am convinced that despite the challenges that higher education and society, in general, are facing these days, Bradley’s greatest days are still ahead of us. At the heart of the new building is the idea of convergence, an innovative, creative, and collaborative approach to learning and a key element of our strategic plan that we are implementing throughout campus and Peoria. This concept will differentiate us from our competitors and expand our students’ opportunities for success. Convergence goes beyond the business and engineering projects that will be found in the new complex to pair unexpected disciplines like international studies and environmental science or dietetics and biology. In addition, our students will continue to partner with local businesses on projects with the potential to impact our region significantly. Higher education sits on a continually evolving landscape, but Bradley is moving forward and adapting for the future. On the following pages, you’ll see stories of convergence and academic excellence, as well as of students and young alumni giving back. I hope these examples demonstrate to you as they have me the transformative power of a Bradley education. This past year has seen its share of triumph and tragedy, but through it all our Bradley family has remained strong. I’ve never been more impressed with the care and consideration our faculty and staff give to the students and what the students give to them in return. I would also be remiss if I failed to thank you, our alumni, for your unwavering support as well. Without your generosity, Bradley University would not have achieved all it has. I hope you will continue to support her well into the future.
Gary R. Roberts ’70, President and Professor
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very 65 seconds someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s disease, while anywhere from 7 million to 10 million Americans suffer from Parkinson’s disease. Drug resistance, particularly to antibiotics,is another health crisis that according to the World Health Organization is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security and development today. Junior Jennifer Houser has looked at both these issues during her time at Bradley. Beginning in her first year, the Dunlap, Ill., resident spent 18 months guided by biology professor Craig Cady determining if the drug Simvastatin, commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol, could prevent those diseases at the cellular level. “Dr. Cady mentored me by helping me design the project,” said Houser. “He taught me a lot of the techniques (needed) to do that research and continued to give me advice.” The experiment involved pre-treating adult mouse neurons with the drug to see if it would shield the cells from substances used to mimic the diseases’ effects. The drug proved ineffective, which Houser explained by noting the physiological differences
between someone taking a drug versus adding it to a cell in the controlled lab environment but that didn’t stop her from winning second place in the cellular and molecular biology division at the Illinois State Academy of Science Conference last spring. Her current project, with Brad Andersh, chemistry chair, and Naomi Stover, biology professor, looks at drug resistance as it relates to gene expression. This happens, for example, with antibiotics when they are overprescribed or when patients fail to take the necessary amount. Houser said the bacteria might flush the drug out of the cell, change how the cell reacts or break down the drug so it’s no longer toxic. When that occurs, it’s up to the pharmaceutical world to come up with new drugs that will kill that bacteria without harming the patient. Whatever the outcome of this research, Houser believes it’s important for people to support such efforts. “Research like this is so relevant,” she said. “It helps train future medical professionals in an important way (so we can) treat members of our communities. It also prepares us for our careers by giving us the groundwork we need.”
A fighting chance As a program coordinator in Chicago for the national nonprofit America Needs You (ANY), Char Figueroa ’16 fights for the economic mobility of ambitious firstgeneration college students. It’s a challenge she understands well, as someone whose parents did not complete college. ANY is an intensive career development and mentorship program that provides the holistic support necessary for students to successfully navigate the college-to-career transition. This includes professional and academic skill-building, financial support, access to robust networks and a 1-1 young professional volunteer. “We believe it’s not enough (for firstgen students) to graduate from college,” she said. “They need the professional development skills to be successful in their careers.” Prospective Fellows apply for the program during their freshman year of college. After being matched with a Mentor Coach, both attend 28 full-day workshops over the course of two years. Fellows receive support in securing at least two internships and a financial grant for their professional development. Grateful for her own mentors at Bradley, Figueroa recalled how they supported her. She remembered that feeling when she speaks to ANY’s Fellows. “I used to ask myself, ‘How is it I don’t know how to navigate this, how to even fill out the FAFSA?’” she said. “Getting involved with America Needs You has legitimized my experiences.”
Game time College is a time for growth, exploration and discovery. For sophomore Donnell Stone, that meant video games. Not playing them — creating them. “I came (to Bradley) wanting to do strictly drawing,” he said. “I love 2-D animation, I just love animation in general.” But his first day of classes Stone learned he would have to make a game. While he looked forward to the experience initially, the animation major/marketing-creative writing minor had a few problems. “A week and a half before the due date, I scrapped the entire game and started fresh because what I had was unacceptable,” Stone said. “I don’t like to be considered subpar … I wanted to show what I could do.”
That led to “Let’s Go Hero,” where players move through a cityscape, hurdling trash cans and dodging vermin to collect chocolate bars. Once a certain number of bars are obtained, players can transform, making the game faster, more complex and difficult. In his first year Stone also created a poker game, two versions of a collecting game and another with a friend about the head of the interactive media department. A liberal arts background, like Bradley’s Core Curriculum, has been beneficial to the process. “You can make sure your dialog sounds smoother with an English course,” he said. “With creative writing, you can make more interesting stories. You can make a game that has hints and tidbits of another language and culture.”
Creating awareness With high-profile assaults and the #meToo movement in the national media, increasing sexual assault awareness on Bradley’s campus has become a mission for junior Tanner Ryan. The marketing major enlisted his fellow Sigma Phi Epsilon brothers to sign “I Took An Oath” placards, part of the national fraternity’s accountability program to end college sexual assaults. Sig Ep partnered with Kappa Delta sorority, posing for a group photo with the placards, which they posted on social media with the hashtag #liveyouroath. “I think it’s a nice way to hold people accountable for their actions,” said Ryan. “It’s a small step that will (hopefully) make a larger impact and a good way for us to have unity between two different organizations.”
Knowing your worth:
The whys and hows of salary negotiations
Don’t leave money on the table. New college graduates hear this often when beginning a job search, but negotiating over salary, especially in a first job, can be daunting. That’s why Amy Scott, director of the Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) Program and associate professor of history, has worked with colleagues to assemble a team of experts to coach students in this essential skill. In 2014, using materials from AAUW’s “Start Smart” Salary Negotiation program, WGS partnered with the Smith Career Center (SCC) to host workshops. Since then, 750 students — women and men representing all five colleges — have completed Start Smart. “Our certified facilitators explain the gender wage gap, introduce tools for researching salary benchmarks and ranges, coach students on persuasive responses to use in salary negotiation, and provide opportunities to role play and practice newly learned salary negotiation skills,” Scott said. Kate Mendham ’18 took the workshop twice: once as a sophomore and once closer to graduation. She used the techniques not only to negotiate salaries in two internships, but in making a case for scholarships from law schools. “I learned
not to undervalue myself. That I am qualified and deserve the job. That it’s OK to negotiate — and how to do it.” Nine facilitators from three colleges and the SCC teach the 2.5-hour workshops in teams of three. Hampton InnHilton Hotels, also facilitate. The program has allowed students to collaborate with employees from Caterpillar Inc. and the United Way. Scott said the SCC is “an equal partner” in Start Smart, providing funds and administrative support to market and run it. “They also secured corporate sponsorship from leaders at Auto-Owners Insurance, who provide food and send a manager to every workshop to offer a corporate perspective on the nuances of the interviewing and negotiation process.” An example of the interdepartmental collaboration the Women’s and Gender Studies program has always championed, the salary negotiation training has been an unqualified success. “Ninety percent of our participants say they’re more confident they’ll be able to negotiate a fair salary and benefits package,” Scott said. “We just renewed the university’s threeyear license with the AAUW, and plan to deliver Start Smart to 250 more Bradley students by 2020.”
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To our faithful donors: At Bradley, one of our priorities is ensuring your generous gifts provide the maximum impact on our students; another is showing our appreciation for your thoughtful contributions. This academic year, we are making several needed improvements to our internal processes and database tools by re-distributing current resources. These updates will improve how we manage our records and will allow us to be more responsive to your interests.
As we focus our time and resources on this conversion, we hope you will understand the need to exclude our traditional printed donor list from your class year in this year’s President’s Report. We know the list is important to many of you, and we apologize for this onetime exclusion. In the meantime, you can still find this information online at donor.bradley.edu. We look forward to bringing back the printed list in 2020 and using our new system to assist you better. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of Bradley students.
Board of Trustees Officers Mr. Calvin G. Butler Jr. ’91, Chairman CEO, Baltimore Gas and Electric, an Exelon Company The Honorable James E. Shadid ’79, Vice Chairman Chief U.S. District Judge, Central District of Illinois Ms. Kathleen M.B. Holst ’79, Secretary President, RCMS Inc. Trustees Mr. David P. Bozeman ’91 Vice President, Amazon Mr. Gary A. Burk ’74 Retired COO/Vice Chairman, Duke Realty Corporation
Mr. Michael N. Cullinan Chairman, United Contractors Midwest, Inc.
Mr. Gary R. Roberts ’70 President, Bradley University
Mr. Melvin Flowers ’90 Attorney, Accenture
Dr. Lindsey R. Rolston ’85 Orthopedic Surgeon, Henry County Memorial Hospital
Mr. Stephen E. Gorman MBA ’78 CEO, Borden Dairy Company The Honorable Robin L. Kelly ’78 MA ’82 HON ’14 U.S. House of Representatives Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat ’86 Superintendent, Peoria Public Schools Mr. Wayne G. Klasing ’64 Retired President/CEO, Klasing Industries, Inc.
Ms. Inga Carus Chairman, Carus Group Inc.
The Honorable Ray LaHood, ’71, HON ’11 Senior Policy Advisor, DLA Piper Former Member of Congress Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Mr. Robert J. Clark ’67 Chairman/CEO, 3Bear Energy, LLC
Mr. Jonathan E. Michael Chairman and CEO, RLI Corp.
Ms. Michelle Mills Clement ’03 CEO, Chicago Association of Realtors
Mr. Gary M. Peplow ’62 Attorney and Retired Managing Partner, Heyl Royster Voelker & Allen
Ms. Anne Edwards-Cotter ’77 President, Cotter Consulting, Inc.
Mr. George E. Ruebenson ’70 Retired President, Allstate Property Liability Co. Mr. Kevin Schoeplein Retired CEO, OSF Healthcare System Vice Chairman of the Boards of OSF Healthcare Mr. Michael Scimo ’85 Retired Global Managing Director, Accenture Ms. Debbie Simon MBA ’89 Regional CEO, UnityPoint Health Mr. Douglas S. Stewart MBA ’79 Retired Regional President, PNC Bank Ms. Tana Utley ’86 Vice President, Caterpillar Inc.
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