College of Arts and Sciences

Julia Edwards, M.S. '08 

Julia Edwards earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Springfield in 2005 and a Master of Science in chemistry from Illinois State University in 2008. She then completed a yearlong training program in forensic drug chemistry at the Illinois State Police Forensic Science Center in Chicago before working in Chicago for seven years and transferring to the Springfield Forensic Science Laboratory in 2015.

In spring 2020, Edwards volunteered with the Illinois Department of Health to assist with COVID-19 testing. That same year, she was appointed to the statewide Drug Chemistry Command Advisory Board, which writes and revises policies used in casework. Over her 18-year career, Edwards has analyzed more than 16,000 cases and testified more than 60 times as an expert witness.

Phil Bedella '88 

Phil Bedella is a media executive with decades of experience in television, radio, and professional sports. His career began in retail marketing with Blockbuster Video and Chicago Cubs sales and marketing before shifting to sports media in 1996, leading NFL and NHL radio sales for CBS Sports Radio.

In 1999, Bedella joined FOX Sports Net Chicago as local sales manager, advancing to vice president and general sales manager in 2003 and general manager of Comcast Sports Net Chicago in 2011, overseeing the Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs, and White Sox network. In 2018, he became vice president and media strategist for three Chicago sports franchises and helped launch Chicago Sports Network in 2024. Cablefax named him a Top 100 Cable Television Executive in 2015 and 2016.

Bedella earned a Bachelor of Science in mass communication from Illinois State University and actively serves on the School of Communication Advisory Board. He lives in Wilmette, Illinois.

Steve Berger, '76, M.S. '77

Steve Berger is an advertising and marketing executive with more than 40 years of experience in management, business development, acquisitions, and mergers. He is president of Patriot Media Group, which he launched for WorldLink Ventures, a leading U.S. agency in direct response advertising, planning and placing 10-second sponsorships with distributors including ABC*Disney, NBC Universal, and CBS/Paramount.

Prior to this role, Berger was president and CEO of PIC TV, working with content providers, Fortune 500 advertisers, and challenger brands.

Berger earned bachelor's and master's degrees in communication from Illinois State University. He serves on the School of Communication Advisory Board, supports communication students through the Steve Berger Scholarship, and is a member of the 1857 Society. In 2024, he was inducted into Illinois State's Broadcast Hall of Fame and President's Circle. He views his greatest accomplishments as his daughter Jenna and son Sam.

Amy Parlette '10

Amy Parlette has spent more than 15 years helping people feel informed, connected, and heard inside the organizations they work for, including McDonald's, ALDI, ADT, and Ace Hardware. She currently serves as director of internal communications for The Aspen Group. Among her proudest work: building ALDI's first employee intranet and mobile app and leading crisis communications for McDonald's largest U.S. field office through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Outside her corporate career, Parlette founded The Suburban Homestead, where she teaches home food preservation skills — canning, fermenting, and more — to learners of all ages. She holds a Bachelor of Science in journalism from Illinois State University and a Master Food Preserver Certification from Utah State University. She lives in Woodstock, Illinois, with her husband, son, and a dog who considers himself quality control.

Kaitie Ries '13

Kaitie Ries is a senior vice president and central regional lead of influencer strategy at Weber Shandwick, a global public relations agency and winner of AdAge A-List's PR Agency of the Year. During her nearly 15-year career, she has built integrated strategies to help brands thrive in the ever-changing influencer marketing landscape by leveraging influential voices in culture to tell their stories. She has led award-winning campaigns for brands including Pop-Tarts, Pringles, GoPro, TRESemmé, Gerber, McDonald's, Airbnb, Temptations Cat Treats, Visit New Orleans, and Torrid Fashion across the CPG, travel, tech, and fashion sectors.

A 2013 graduate of Illinois State University, Ries majored in public relations and immersed herself in the field, serving as president of PRSSA and as a teaching assistant for COM 178 and COM 165, and completing internships with COUNTRY Financial and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois.

Mike Williams '04, M.S. '07 

Mike Williams serves as the associate athletics director for communications at Illinois State University, overseeing publicity, promotion, and information support for the University's 18 sports. He is the primary media contact for football, women's basketball, women's tennis, and gymnastics, and manages a communications staff that includes two full-time staff members, two graduate assistants, and student interns.

Williams serves as chair of the College Sports Communicators Advocacy Committee and was honored as the 2016 Bud Nangle Award recipient. In 2026, he was presented with the President's Award from CSC President Patrick Crawford.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in public relations and a Master of Science in sports management from Illinois State. Williams lives in Lexington, Illinois, with his wife, Amanda, and their daughters, Adalynn and Kennedy.

Carrie Kerr '96, M.S. '97

Carrie Kerr, CCC-SLP/L, is a speech-language pathologist and advocate in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). She serves as a regional manager at PRC-Saltillo, supporting clinicians, educators, and families across the Northeast United States in helping individuals with complex communication needs find AAC solutions.

Kerr is actively engaged in professional advocacy, serving as the Illinois State Advocate for Reimbursement (STAR) for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and contributing to the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ISHA). She also holds a Certificate in Special Education Advocacy from William & Mary Law School. Kerr is an ISHA Fellow and a recipient of both the Illinois and ASHA clinical achievement awards.

A graduate of Illinois State University, Kerr enjoys returning to campus as a guest presenter, sharing her passion for advocacy and leadership with future clinicians.

Destiny Dungey '22

Destiny Dungey is a first-generation college graduate who earned a Bachelor of Science in secondary English education from Illinois State University in 2022 and recently completed a master's degree in communication and leadership from Eastern Illinois University.

Now in her fifth year teaching English and AVID at Woodstock North High School, Dungey has helped develop the school's growing AVID program and supported student engagement, leadership, and school spirit initiatives. She has contributed to the National Council of Teachers of English's "Future is Now" column through collaboration with Illinois State faculty and alumni, and received her district's Difference Maker Award in 2023.

As a former AVID student and educator of color in a rural district, Dungey is passionate about supporting first-generation college students, creating inclusive classroom spaces, and encouraging student autonomy and accountability.

James Knecht '68

Justice James Knecht is a graduate of Illinois State University and the University of Illinois College of Law. With more than 51 years on the bench, he is the longest-serving active judge in Illinois.

Knecht was named a Distinguished Alumni of Illinois State in 2000 and inducted into the College of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 2005. He has served on the Illinois State University Foundation Board of Directors for 48 years and was an adjunct professor of politics, government, and criminal justice at Illinois State for 27 years.

A teacher, author, and lecturer, Knecht has received numerous awards for civic service, including the Lincoln Award of Excellence, the Florence Fifer Bohrer Award from the League of Women Voters, the Hero for Justice Award from Prairie State Legal Services, and the Appellate Lawyers of Illinois Recognition Award.

Lee Nickoson, Ph.D. '03

Dr. Lee Nickoson is a member of the Rhetoric and Writing Studies Program at Bowling Green State University, where she studies and teaches composition, writing research, community-based writing, and assessment. A graduate of Illinois State University, she earned her doctorate in 2003 working with faculty including Dr. Bob Broad, who served as her dissertation director.

Nickoson serves as associate publisher at the WAC Clearinghouse and co-editor of the Repository with Dr. Lindsey Harding. She is co-founding chair of the Conference on College Composition and Communication's annual Teacher to Teacher teaching network forum. She is co-editor of the forthcoming collection Writing Pedagogy Education in Practice with Drs. Kelly Moreland, Caleb James, and Soha Youssef, and is drafting a chapter on public-facing writing pedagogy with Dr. Mary P. Sheridan.

Jace Walsh '15

Jace Walsh is a graduate of Illinois State University, where he earned a degree in geography and secondary education with a minor and endorsement in history. His passion for human geography was fostered through his experiences in the Geography Department, including a field study to Japan with Dr. Rowley.

Walsh earned a master's degree in geography from Marshall University, specializing in geographic literacy. He is a social science educator at Seneca High School, where he teaches AP Human Geography and World History. In 2024, Walsh was honored by colleagues and the Regional Office of Education with the Excellence in Education Award and demonstrated his commitment to the profession by founding a Future Educators Club for students interested in teaching.

Walsh is active with the Illinois Education Association, advocating for reforms to Tier II pensions, paid student teaching, and other early-career educator initiatives.

Meghan Hawkins, M.A. '16

Dr. Meghan Hawkins is a social studies teacher and department chair at Normal Community High School. A National Board Certified Teacher, Hawkins currently teaches U.S. History for English learners, AP Comparative Government, and Western Civilization. She earned her doctorate in 2026 at the University of Kentucky, where she focused on making inquiry accessible for all students.

Hawkins mentors Illinois State University students, collaborating with faculty to create meaningful clinical experiences for future teachers. Through her work with C3 Teachers, she delivers professional development to teachers nationwide and designs inquiry-based curriculum.

Fred Walk '78

Fred Walk taught history and social science at Normal Community High School for 34 years before transitioning to the Illinois State University Department of History. From 2005 to 2020, Walk taught methodology classes, served as an academic advisor, and coordinated the student teaching program for the department.

During his 50-year educational career, Walk served as a teacher consultant, developing engaging teaching materials and conducting workshops and presentations nationwide for the National Geographic Society, the Population Reference Bureau, and the Teacher Curriculum Institute.

In 1998, Walk created the Towanda, Illinois Route 66 Parkway with his high school students and later engaged his Illinois State history students in preserving a 4.1-mile stretch of abandoned Old Route 66 — connecting students to service-learning and the communities in which they live.

Walk enjoys traveling, reading, hiking, and spending time with his family.

Karl Goeke, M.A. '09

IEA President Karl Goeke has worked as a paraprofessional, worked in higher education, and taught for more than two decades in Illinois K-12 schools, teaching Spanish. He has worked in elementary, junior and high schools, all while serving his union. He served as a local union president for two terms, represented his region on the IEA Board of Directors, served as a National Education Association director for six years, and served as IEA vice president.

Goeke attended Highland Community College before transferring to Western Illinois University, where he earned his bachelor's degree. He also earned a master's degree in Spanish literature from Illinois State University. He and his wife, Stacy, also a teacher, live in Normal, Illinois, with their two daughters.

Goeke is passionate about public education and advocates for fixing Illinois' inequitable two-tier pension system, strengthening unions, and ensuring those working in schools are represented in IEA leadership.

Tyler Malone '15

Dr. Tyler Malone is director of the Bassett Research Institute (BRI), part of the Bassett Healthcare Network in upstate New York. He oversees research to understand and improve the health of rural populations, developing strategies to improve health care delivery, prevent illness, and manage chronic disease in support of the network's mission.

Prior to joining the BRI, Malone was deputy director of the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, analyzing state and national policy to improve health outcomes for rural populations nationwide.

Malone earned a Ph.D. in health policy and management from the University of North Carolina in 2023, a Master of Science in biostatistics from the University of Michigan in 2017, and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and biological sciences from Illinois State University in 2015.

Cristian Casanova '17

Cristian Casanova is a data and AI strategy advisor working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, policy, and social impact. He helps organizations modernize data ecosystems, lead strategic assessments, and adopt responsible AI to create measurable impact across global health, sustainability, and international development.

Previously at Accenture's Data and AI Strategy team and Accenture Development Partnerships, Casanova worked with commercial clients, NGOs, multilateral agencies, and philanthropic foundations to apply data and AI to complex global challenges — spanning healthcare, clean energy, sustainability, and responsible AI frameworks.

Casanova serves as the San Francisco lead for Young AI Leaders, an initiative of the United Nations International Telecommunication Union AI for Good Initiative. He has spoken at the United Nations General Assembly and the AI for Good and World Summit of Information Society Forum, contributing to global conversations on inclusive, responsible AI.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in sociology and political science from Illinois State University and dual master's degrees in health informatics and public policy from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor.

Kimberly N. Gooding '97

Kimberly N. Gooding is a public-sector executive and nationally recognized authority in grants management with more than 25 years of leadership and public service. A graduate of Illinois State University, Gooding earned a bachelor's degree in political science and a Master of Public Administration and Policy Analysis from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

As director of grants management and oversight at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Gooding led department-wide reforms strengthening accountability and stewardship of billions in federal funding. Her career also includes roles with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of State, and National Science Foundation. She later served as the inaugural director of grants management and compliance for the DC Housing Authority and has trained hundreds of professionals worldwide through the U.S. Foreign Service Institute.

A Certified Grants Management Specialist and Economic Development Finance Professional, Gooding exemplifies leadership, integrity, and commitment to public service.

Drew Abney '08, M.S. '10, M.S. '12

Drew Abney is a third-generation Illinois State University alumnus — his grandmother graduated in 1968 and his father in 1971. He earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in technology education from Illinois State in 2008 and 2010, respectively, and a Master of Science degree in cognitive and behavioral sciences and quantitative psychology in 2012. He received his Ph.D. in cognitive and information sciences from the University of California, Merced in 2016 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychology at Indiana University from 2016 to 2019.

Since 2020, Abney has been associate professor and associate department head in the Department of Psychology at the University of Georgia. He serves as associate editor for two leading journals in developmental psychology, has more than 60 publications, and has secured more than $2 million in grants and contracts.

Melissa Curran, M.S. '00

Dr. Melissa Curran is a professor of human development and family science at the University of Arizona. She earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Ball State University in 1998, a Master of Science in lifespan developmental psychology from Illinois State University in 2000, and a Ph.D. in human development and family science from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas at Austin from 2004 to 2006.

Curran joined the University of Arizona as an assistant professor in 2006, was promoted to associate professor in 2012, and to full professor in 2021.

Desiree Silva '95

Desiree (Desi) Silva has more than 28 years of experience in child welfare, spanning residential care, community-based services, intact family services, foster care, adoption, licensing, hotline administration, child protective services, public policy, and services to individuals with disabilities.

Silva specializes in administration, policy, project management, and executive-level leadership. She has served as executive director of child welfare programming in the private sector and as chief deputy director of operations at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, overseeing the Permanency Division, the Intact Family Services Division, and the Division of Child Protection. She currently serves as bureau chief of the Department of Human Services OIG Hotline.

A long-time adjunct faculty member of the Illinois State University School of Social Work, Silva teaches an undergraduate practice skills course and a graduate policy course.

Mendy Smith, M.S.W. '15

Mendy Smith earned a Master of Social Work in the child and family practice specialization from Illinois State University in 2015. As central region vice president for Brightpoint, she all aspects of the region, including program development and program management. Prior to this role, Smith held various positions at Brightpoint, including infant childcare teacher, Parents Care & Share Illinois regional coordinator, and program manager over home visiting services. She works to establish community collaborative networks and partnerships that reduce gaps in service and expand access to additional populations.

As an adjunct instructor for the Illinois State University School of Social Work, Smith shares her experience in child and family services with social work majors in her human behavior and practice courses.

Radiance Campbell, '20

Radiance Campbell is a Bloomington-Normal native who lives and practices law in Washington, D.C. Their work has consistently focused on expanding access to critical resources for marginalized communities — an interest shaped through participation in World Vision's 30 Hour Famine, service as a community health volunteer in Nicaragua, and studies in Illinois State University's Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

Campbell attended Georgetown University Law Center as one of ten Blume Public Interest Scholars, working with housing rights nonprofits and government agencies. Today, Campbell is an attorney at Akin in the Supreme Court and Appellate and American Indian Law and Policy practices, where their litigation in federal and state courts focuses on water, land, and other resource rights for Native American tribes.

Nancy Ouedraogo, M.S. '13

Nancy Ouedraogo is a state specialist in community and economic development with Illinois Extension, where she manages the Local Government Education and County/Community Survey program, providing technical assistance and outreach to local governments across Illinois. She specializes in facilitative leadership, guiding strategic planning and organizational development, and conducts cultural competency workshops drawing on her global experiences and research. At Extension, she co-leads the strategic initiative on technology and discovery and has earned five service awards over 10 years.

Nancy's background includes data management in public safety, immigration, telecommunications, and education. A Peace Corps and AmeriCorps alumna, she serves on the advisory board of the Illinois Certified Public Managers program. She holds a Master of Science degree from Illinois State (Coverdell/Stevenson Fellowship in Applied Community and Economic Development, Politics and Government Sequence, concentration in Public Administration) and a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.