College of Arts and Sciences

Kevin Eckerle, Ph.D. ’01

Kevin is a sustainability strategist with more than 15 years’ commercial experience integrating sustainability across an organization and currently serves as the head of environmental affairs for Bayer’s Consumer Health division. In his current role, Kevin is responsible for integrating Bayer’s strategies for decarbonization, water conservation, and plastic waste reductions across all parts of the consumer health division, interpreting the scientific and more technical components of global environmental policies, and advising divisional functional and advocacy teams on what may be needed to deliver compliance and mitigate financial risk, and monitoring the environmental conditions across the planet and advise on the business risks and opportunities it creates. Kevin has authored or co-authored 15+ peer-reviewed papers on the financial value of sustainability, the impacts of climate change on global biodiversity, the life-cycle economics of coal-generated electricity, and, in collaboration with Dr. Charles Thompson and other members of the Avian Ecology Lab here at ISU, the breeding behavior of house wrens and the life history of the yellow-breasted chat. Kevin earned his doctorate from Illinois State and his MBA from The George Washington University, and lives with his wife and son in New York City.

Beth Esler ’10

Beth begins her 12th season with the Chicago Bulls as executive director of basketball communications. She leads the team’s basketball communications strategy and is the primary media contact for all basketball-related matters. She facilitates interviews, appearances, and media events for all basketball executives, head coaches, staff, and players, while also overseeing day-to-day and game night media operations. After getting her start in sports communication as a student intern with Illinois State University Athletics, Beth first worked with the Bulls in 2013-14 as the manager of corporate communications and later joined the basketball communications team in July 2016. A native of LaGrange Park, Illinois, she is a 2010 graduate of ISU with a bachelor's degree in public relations. 

Susie Knoblauch ’87, M.S. ’98

Susie became the 28th member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) administrative team—and only the 11th woman to do so—when she joined the staff in 2004. She served the IHSA for a decade before moving to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) as director of performing arts and sports from 2014–2016, then returned to the IHSA, where she now works as assistant executive director.

During her tenure, Susie launched the IHSA Competitive Cheerleading State Series, expanding participation from 226 to 352 schools, and created the Journalism State Series in 2006. She introduced online scoring systems, built the first adjudicators’ database, and formed the inaugural advisory committee for activity directors. On the national level, Susie chaired the NFHS Spirit Rules Committee and contributed to several other NFHS committees. Before her administrative career, she spent 20 years teaching and coaching, building her reputation as a passionate advocate for fine arts programs. Today, Susie continues to lead as a respected voice and speaker in high school activities.

Jim Reed ’94

With over 30 years in television and 25 years at ESPN, Jim has built a career leading some of the most prominent live sports productions. Starting as a studio director, Jim now oversees event coverage for college football, college basketball, the NBA, NHL, and NCAA championships in volleyball, softball, baseball, and gymnastics. His experience spans major sporting events, including multiple Super Bowls, Final Fours, and College Football Championships. Beyond sports, he has directed concerts for top artists like Zac Brown Band, Big & Rich, Eric Church, and Luke Bryan, and managed all production coverage from Louisville during Muhammad Ali’s memorial and procession.

Melda Beaty, M.A. ’96

Melda, a passionate playwright, claimed the prestigious 2022 National Black Theatre Festival's Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin Rolling World Premiere Award for her outstanding work, Coconut Cake. The play is enjoying a two-year rolling world premiere across the country. Her theatrical journey began with the debut of her first play, Front Porch Society, at The Ensemble Theatre in Houston, followed by a notable mainstage production at the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Further adding to her repertoire, her one-act stage play, Thirty, clinched the 2025 winning play for the Fade to Black Festival and the 2022 win in Definition Theatre's Amplify II Series while also earning finalist positions in the Blackboard Play Festival and WayWard Sisters Third Annual Workshopping Women's Voices. Notably, her venture into the realm of musical theater resulted in The Lawsons: A Civil Rights Love Story, commissioned by The Ensemble Theatre for their 2021-2022 season. In 2022, she was a Confluence Fellow with the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, where she honed her latest creation, Feebleminded. Today, Melda is The Fire This Time New Works Lab fellow (NY) and the Spring 2025 The Play Development Lab finalist (D.C.)

As a member of the board of directors for the August Wilson Society, Dramatists Guild, and a contributing editor for Black Masks magazine, she actively contributes to the literary community. She resides in Chicago with her three gifted daughters and fulfills her role as an assistant professor of English at Olive-Harvey Community College.

Mike Cadden, Ph.D. ’96

Mike is Professor Emeritus at Missouri Western State University (MWSU), where he taught for twenty-five years. He was awarded for his teaching and scholarship at MWSU, including the Governor’s Award for Teaching Excellence. For seven years, he served as chair for the Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Journalism. He also served on the board of directors and as treasurer, vice-president, and president of the Children’s Literature Association.

Mike published dozens of articles and four books on the subjects of children’s and young adult literature, including two edited volumes and two monographs (Ursula K. Le Guin Beyond Genre: Fiction for Children and Adults and At Arm’s Length: A Rhetoric of Character in Children’s and Young Adult Literature).

Mike lives in St. Joseph, Missouri, with his wife and fellow English grad LuAnn '93 and daughters Rose and Lillian.

Brianna Kaleel ’19

Brianna continues to be an arts advocate and a researcher who pursues the unique. She has earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees, English and studio arts, from Illinois State University and a master's in leadership for creative enterprises from Northwestern University. 

Brianna has worked for National Geographic, Arts Alliance Illinois, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Previously, she has volunteered for several organizations, including an arts nonprofit where she was elected vice president on the board of directors. She currently lives in Crown Point, Indiana, where she collaborates as a grant panelist for the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Chicago, and continues to expand her scholastic knowledge by obtaining her teacher's licensure in English for Secondary Education.

Daniel Moore ’14

Daniel is a proud graduate of Illinois State University, where he earned a degree in geography with a minor in history. His passion for maps, places, and people grew at ISU and has turned into a meaningful career in public service. Today, Daniel works as a visual information specialist (Geospatial) with the U.S. Secret Service, using GIS and cartography to support national security, field operations, and investigations. From building mapping tools to visualizing real-time data, his work helps protect people and inform decision-making at the highest levels.

Daniel is passionate about innovation, problem-solving, and creating tools that make complex information clear and accessible. Being recognized as an alumni honoree is both humbling and exciting—a chance to reflect on the journey, give back to the Redbird community, and celebrate the impact of a strong education and the mentors who helped shape it.

Gordon Duguid ’78

Gordon is the Donald F. McHenry Visiting Professor in Diplomacy and International Relations at Illinois State University. He is a retired foreign service officer who held the rank of Minister-Counselor. He has taught at the George Washington University, the United States National Intelligence University, and the United States Foreign Service Institute.

From 1990-2020, Gordon served in diplomatic postings as chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy to Montenegro, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy to Serbia, deputy spokesman of the Department of State, as well as senior advisor on Bosnia. Earlier, he served in public diplomacy positions at the U.S. Mission to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and U.S. Embassies in India, Burundi, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was also seconded to the Organization of American States to work on counter-terrorism initiatives.

He received a master’s degree in American Studies from the University of London and a Bachelor of Science degree in history from Illinois State University.

Erica Senffner ’08

Erica proudly represents Illinois State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in social science education in 2008. Since then, she has built a distinguished career at Joliet Central High School, where she is now in her 18th year of teaching. For the past 13 years, she has specialized in AP Human Geography, helping to strengthen the school’s Advanced Placement program and contributing to the district’s recognition as the College Board’s Advanced Placement District of the Year in 2017.

In addition to her classroom achievements, Erica has continually advanced her own education. She earned a Master of Arts in literacy from Benedictine University in 2015, a Master of Arts in curriculum and instruction from the American College of Education in 2021, and an English as a Second Language endorsement from the University of Saint Francis in 2022.

Hannah Meece ’12

Hannah is a seasoned actuarial professional with over 13 years of experience at State Farm, where she currently leads a team focused on life insurance product development and implementation. She earned her Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) designation and is a member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA). Hannah remains connected to Illinois State University as an advisory board member for the Actuarial Club, where she was a four-year member and served as president in her senior year.

A dedicated student-athlete, Hannah played on the Redbirds women’s tennis team for four years, serving as a three-year captain and president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Outside of work, she co-founded and serves on the board of the Landon Meece Memorial Scholarship Fund and coached tennis at Bloomington Central Catholic High School from 2013–2024. She also completed the LIMRA/LOMA Strategic Leadership Experience Program (2023–2025).

Christian Trujillo ’18

Christian currently serves as an associate attorney at Pretzel & Stouffer, Chartered, where he focuses on general tort defense, commercial litigation, premises liability, and various contract and consumer fraud claims.

He graduated from Illinois State University in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in political science, Spanish, and legal studies. He was a member of the Student Government Association, studied abroad in Granada, Spain, and participated in intramural ultimate frisbee.

After graduating from ISU, Christian attended Chicago-Kent College of Law from 2019-2021, where he participated in the Criminal Litigation Program and various student organizations such as the Hispanic Latinx Law Student Association (HLLSA) and the Federalist Society. He also completed an internship at the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office as a qualified law student under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 711. Christian began working as an assistant state’s attorney after graduating and passing the bar exam. There, he earned regular hands-on courtroom experience with a wide variety of cases, including those relating to minor and major traffic violations, DUI, domestic battery offenses, and felony probation violations.

He joined Pretzel & Stouffer, Chartered in January 2024.

Thomas Carroll ’84, M.S. ’89

Thomas (Tom) received his bachelor's in psychology at Illinois State University in 1984 and his master's in clinical psychology at Illinois State in 1989. While an ISU student and after his graduation, Tom held clinical positions in the Bloomington-Normal area at both The Baby Fold and BroMenn Healthcare, and then from 1995 to 2017, he served in various positions at R.R. Donnelley, a global Fortune 500 company based in Chicago.

Since 2018, Tom has served as an instructional assistant professor in the Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University. Throughout his career, he has been actively involved in a wide range of both professional and public service activities and received recognition for numerous achievements and contributions to the fields of clinical psychology, human resources, and nursing in the areas of leadership, training, community/public service, and direct clinical service.

Daniel Gadke ’06, M.S. ’09, Ph.D. ’12  

Daniel is a triple-graduate of the Illinois State University Department of Psychology, receiving his bachelor’s degree in 2006, master’s degree in 2009, and doctorate's in 2012. He completed an internship and a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Afterward, he was employed as an assistant professor at Mississippi State University and then promoted to professor, where he currently serves as both department head and associate dean for research.

Dan also served as the president of BAAMS (Behavior Analysis Association of Mississippi), where he was instrumental in helping grow the organization, and he worked closely with the Disability Support Services at MSU, providing autism liaison services to college students. Dan has over 60 publications, he has been successful in obtaining over 13 million dollars in grants/contracts, and shows leadership, dedication, and service to the field of school psychology.

Verneice Prince ’17, M.S. ’20

In 2017, Verneice, a single mother of four, earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from Illinois State University and earned her master’s degree in social work in 2020. Verneice works as a part-time counselor at INtegRIty Counseling in Bloomington, as well as a substitute teacher and Uber driver. In addition, she is the founder and CEO of Cruisin’ Outta Poverty Services (COPS), a homeless outreach program addressing poverty and homelessness in Bloomington-Normal. COPS provides a wide range of services, including emergency shelter, clothing, transportation, food, and educational and job search services. Verneice is dedicated to uplifting, empowering, and supporting individuals experiencing poverty and homeless in the community. 

Cecilia Montes De Oca ’13, M.S. ’17

Cecilia was raised in Bloomington-Normal and has called San Antonio, Texas, home for the last six years. She currently works at MOVE Texas, a statewide nonprofit that builds political power and civic leadership for young Texans. She has always been called to community-driven work and found her passion in movement spaces. Her work has taken her from leading earthquake relief projects in Peru, to traveling the Southwest as team leader with AmeriCorps NCCC, to organizing with tribal communities around the Dakota Access Pipeline, supporting student organization leaders at ISU, and organizing for a better democracy in Texas.

Cecilia has 15 years of experience in community engagement, program and organizational development, and developing the next generation of leaders through service, education, and advocacy. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in foster care, traveling, training for half marathons, pole dancing, reading, and hustling to be debt-free (again).