Alumni

2010 Hall of Fame Inductees

School of Business

Milton Wharton earned his law degree from DePaul University in 1975 and was appointed an associate judge in St. Clair County Circuit Court in 1976. In 1988, he was elected a circuit judge in the 20th Judicial Circuit of Illinois. Judge Wharton has been on the bench for more than 33 years and could have retired several years ago, but continues to handle a full caseload at no pay. Milton currently serves as the president of the St. Clair County Bar Association and has been widely recognized for his community service, with awards including the Kimmel Community Service Award, the Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award, Whitney E. Young Jr. Service Award of the Boy Scouts of America, and Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice from the late Pope John Paul II. Judge Wharton was named a “Legend in the Legal Community” by the St. Louis Argus Newspaper.

He served as a member of the SIUE Foundation Board of Directors, is a past-president of the SIUE Alumni Association Board of Directors, was named the SIUE Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 1998, and is a Lifetime member of the SIUE Alumni Association. He is also a member of the 2010 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame.

Mitch Meyers began her career in brand management with the 7-Up Company. She was then recruited by Anheuser-Busch to launch Bud Light using the “Spuds McKenzie” concept, which was her brainchild. Mitch then became the Director of Marketing for a new Anheuser-Busch Beverage Division, making her, at the time, the highest-ranking woman in Anheuser-Busch corporate marketing. In 1987, Ms. Meyers was named AdWeek Woman of the Year. After leaving Anheuser-Busch, Mitch formed Zipatoni Company, growing the firm to 350 employees, with offices in five states and billings exceeding $40 million a year. She attracted such clients as Motorola, e-Bay, Miller Brewing Company, Bacardi, and Snapple before retiring in 2003. Since her retirement, she became a vested partner in two additional businesses, Maison de Chanticleer and CasaMima.

Ms. Meyers is a member of the SIUE Foundation Board of Directors having served as Treasurer. She currently serves as the Board president. Mitch was named the SIUE Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 1992 and is a Lifetime member of the SIUE Alumni Association. She is also a member of the 2010 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame.

Al Hagemann graduated from SIUE to work for Arthur Anderson, LLP. He progressed to partner level in 1974, a position he held until his retirement in 1998. He has since made investments in several small businesses and was one of the founding members of Heartland Capitol Investments. Al is currently owner of Alfred C. Hagemann, CPA and serves on the board of several not-for-profit and financial boards, including Financial Counselors, Inc. Al served on the SIUE Foundation Board of Directors and was a founding member and chair of the Board’s Planned Giving Committee.

Mr. Hagemann has played a critical role in the SIUE School of Business, creating the Hagemann Tax Learning Center in the SIUE School of Business Department of Accounting. He created the Hagemann Leadership Center and the Hagemann Endowed Scholarship Fund in the SIUE School of Business. Mr. Hagemann is a member of the SIUE School of Business Dean’s Society, was named the SIUE Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 1982, and is a Lifetime member of the SIUE Alumni Association. He is also a member the 2010 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame.

College of Arts & Sciences

Dee Joyner is senior vice president of Commerce Bank, responsible for organizational development and community relations. Joyner was previously responsible for managing sales and marketing activities and for strategic planning for Commerce Trust Company, a division of Commerce Bank. Prior to joining Commerce, Dee served as chief of staff to former St. Louis County Executive H.C. Milford. Ms. Joyner has served as executive director of the St. Louis County Economic Council, as planning director of the County, executive director of the Midwestern Center of the Coro Foundation, and director of community and public affairs for the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council.

Joyner has been active in a number of community organizations, and currently chairs the boards of the Aquinas Institute of Theology and Forest Park Forever. She also serves as on the Board of Delta Dental of Missouri, and is a member of the Executive Advisory Council for the School of Business at St. Louis University where she earned her MBA. Dee has been recognized with awards from numerous organizations including Leadership St. Louis and the St. Louis Business Journal. Ms. Joyner was named Distinguished SIUE Alumnus of the Year in 1984 and is a Lifetime member of the SIUE Alumni Association. She is also a member of the 2010 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame.

Dr. John Q. Walker is an inventor and entrepreneur who uses computer technology and recordings of legends like Rachmaninoff, to create extraordinary re-performances that sound as if you were in the room where they were originally played. The holder of five patents, John is co-founder of Zenph Sound Innovations, and was co-founder of Ganymede Software. Zenph builds technology to describe precisely how musicians perform, along with data and software which has implications that span the entertainment industry. The company’s breakthrough first recording with Sony Masterworks was in the Billboard’s Classical Top Ten for months. Stereophile magazine wrote this of Zenph’s recording of jazz great Art Tatum: “This is a crucially-important release in musical history.”

John is the author of dozens of technical articles, one book, and co-author of another. He frequently provides expert talks on networking, software engineering, and musicological topics. Walker was influential in the creation of the IEEE 802 local-area network (LAN), and the 802.11 wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) standards. In his five years as vice president of product development at Ganymede, their products won numerous “Best Products” and “Product of the Year” awards. In 2009, John was named a Computer Science Distinguished Lecturer in the Research Triangle region. He is also a member of the 2010 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame.

After graduation from SIUE, Gib Singleton was accepted by the Art Institute of Chicago to study on a full scholarship. Gib’s work there earned him a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, Italy. He later worked at the Vatican art studio where one of his many achievements was assisting with the restoration of Michelangelo’s Pieta. It was in Italy he studied the Renaissance masters: Michelangelo, Bronzino and Giovani Bologna, among others. The bronze crucifix which sits atop the crosier which was carried by Pope John Paul the Second, and now by Pope Benedict XVI, was designed and created by Gib. Another of his crosses rests next to the Shroud of Turin. At the request of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Gib assisted with the restoration of the centuries-old flood damaged art in Florence, Italy.

He returned to the U.S. to assimilate what he had learned into the creation of Western imagery. His western, religious, and contemporary work is exhibited in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Vatican Museum, and the State of Israel, whose large collection of his art was a bequest of Prime Minister Golda Meir.

Gib is a member of the 2010 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) named veteran public television executive Ted A. Garcia Senior Vice President for television content. In this capacity, he will oversee and manage CPB’s national public television programming initiatives. Ted Garcia is currently the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of KNME-TV, licensed to the University of New Mexico and Albuquerque Public Schools, serving northern and central New Mexico. His career spans more that 37 years in non-commercial and commercial broadcasting.

“Ted is a proven leader, manager, and an innovative executive who is very highly regarded in the public broadcasting system,” said Patricia Harrison, CPB president and CEO. “He is well versed in the evolving media technologies and how public television can take advantage of new platforms to connect with audiences of all backgrounds. Ted’s comprehensive knowledge of public broadcasting will be an asset at a time of transformational change.”

Garcia has served as the Chair of the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) and the Pacific Mountain Network (PMN), as a representative to the Affinity Group Coalition and is currently a member of the Board of National Datacasting, Inc., where he serves on the Compensation Committee, Customer Relations & Business Committee and is Chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee. Elected to the PBS Board of directors in 2004 and to a second term in 2007, Garcia served on the PBS President/CEO Search Committee and currently serves on the Station Services Committee, the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee and is Chair of the Interconnection Committee and the PBS Enterprises Board of Directors.

Prior to joining KNME in 2001, Garcia was the Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of KETC in St. Louis, Missouri. He initially came to KETC in 1981 as Director of Operations. He was promoted Vice President of Operations in 1983 and Senior Vice President in 1992. Earlier in his career, Garcia held creative and management positions with the Television Stations Division of CBS at KMOX-TV. In addition, he maintained a sports production career working in NFL, NHL, MLB and Big 8, Big 10 & PAC 10 sports television. He has received numerous regional EMMY and other industry awards for his work in both commercial and non-commercial broadcasting.

Garcia holds a Bachelor of Science degree from SIUE. He has served as an adjunct faculty member or guest lecturer at Southern Illinois University, University of Missouri, University of New Mexico and the Institute of American Indian Arts. Garcia has also has served as a consultant for Ana G. Mendez University, Puerto Rico, assisting that institution in the implementation of digital broadcasting and distance learning. Garcia’s community engagements include the Albuquerque Museum Foundation Board, the Heart Hospital of New Mexico Foundation Board, New Mexico Commission for Public Broadcasting, New Mexico Tourism Commission, New Mexico Broadcasters Association Board and numerous local, regional and national governance assignments with the American Red Cross.

Dewayne Staats has been the television announcer of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays since the team was founded in 1998. He anchors Fox Sports Florida and Sun Sports Emmy Award winning Rays television broadcasts as the play-by-play voice. Before joining the Rays, Dewayne spent three years calling play-by-play for ESPN in a variety of sports, including MLB and NCAA baseball, basketball, and football. Staats began his Major League career as the radio and TV voice of the Houston Astros, then called radio and TV action for the Chicago Cubs. He was lead play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees carried by the MSG-TV network, and spent two seasons calling the action for The Baseball Network (ABC/NBC). He has also handled MLB play-by-play assignments for Fox Sports National.

Staats was nominated for the Ford C. Frick Award, which is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame to recognize excellence in baseball broadcasting. Dewayne was recently listed among baseball’s top 101 all-time announcers by author Curt Smith. He was named recipient of the SIUE Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award in 1987 and is a Lifetime member of the SIUE Alumni Association. He is also a member of the 2010 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame.

School of Dental Medicine

Dr. Markarian is the founder of Associated Pediatric Dentistry, LTD, where he currently practices. Dr. Markarian has maintained a private pediatric dental practice in Southern Illinois for more than 30 years, with a nearly three-decades-long affiliation with Belleville Memorial Hospital and Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis. John completed his postgraduate program in Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Missouri and Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City in 1979. In 2008, Dr. Markarian completed his board certification with the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and is now a Diplomat of the Board.

John has served as a Delegate to the American Dental Association House of Delegates, the Southern District Trustee to the Illinois State Dental Society, President of the St. Clair District Dental Society, and multiple times as Chairman of the National Children’s Dental Health Month for the St. Clair District Dental Society. John also served on the Board of Directors of the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasia and the SIU School of Dental Medicine Dean’s Advisory Board. He has maintained professional memberships in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the Illinois Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Society of Dentistry for Children, the Illinois Society of Dentistry for Children, and Xi Psi Dental Fraternity. John has served on the SIU School of Dental Medicine Faculty for 23 years. He is a Lifetime member of the SIUE Alumni Association. He is also a member of the 2010 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame.

School of Education

Bev George is President of Bev George and Associates, the oldest independent real estate firm in the Edwardsville area. As the author of five published real estate courses, Ms. George has lectured at real estate seminars internationally. She serves as the chair of the Illinois Association of Realtors Professional Standards and Education committees. Bev serves on the National Board of the Certified Residential Brokerage Council, and is former chair of the Real Estate Education Foundation. The Greater Gateway Association of Realtors has named her “Realtor of the Year” and “Outstanding Educator.”

Ms. George is a member of the Edwardsville Chamber of Commerce and has served on the Edwardsville School District Citizen’s Advisory Council. While teaching at Highland High School and later in SIUE’s Upward Bound program, Bev implemented a delinquency prevention program for the City of Edwardsville. She serves as the chair of the SIUE School of Education, Health and Human Behavior Advisory Board, a member of the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior Academy of Fellows, a mentor for Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow (STAT), and as the current president of the SIUE Alumni Association Board of Directors. Bev is a Lifetime member of the SIUE Alumni Association. She is also a member of the 2010 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame.

Gary Swalley, a teacher, educator, and community leader, is an Educational Consultant for the Madison County Regional Office of Education. With more than thirty years in education, Mr. Swalley serves as a national voice in education as a board member on the National Council for the Social Studies and inductee to the National Teachers Hall of Fame. Mr. Swalley has been recognized at the local, state, and national levels for his excellence in teaching, and his active involvement in creating drug-free and enrichment programs that serve the youth of the community.

Gary has received numerous awards including the Kimmel Leadership Award for Service to Youth, Reader’s Digest American Hero in Education, Maxwell House’s Real American Hero Award for Drug-Free Programs, among many Teacher of the Year awards. Mr. Swalley is an educational ambassador, representing our state and country, by being selected as a Fulbright Scholar to China, Rotary Exchange Team member to Belgium, U.S. Excellence in Teaching English in Russia, Holocaust Seminar participant in Germany, and Summer Teaching Fellowship in Japan. He is also a member of the 2010 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame.

School of Engineering

William “Hal” Gentry has more than 25 years experience building global software start-up companies. In his most recent role, he was co-founder and CEO of GridLogix, a software company that focused on energy savings applications for the building automation industry. GridLogix was purchased by Johnson Controls in 2008. Prior to GridLogix, Mr. Gentry was founder and CEO of Gentry Systems, a global software company that provided Geographic Information Systems and Outage Management software to more than 400 electric utilities world-wide. Gentry Systems was acquired by Autodesk in 2001 where Hal served as Director of Utility Strategies. During his career, Mr. Gentry has served as chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee and Industry Trends Analysis Group for the Geospatial Information Technology Association.

He was a founding member of the GridWise Alliance Council and has presented at numerous industry conferences and published several articles in industry trade publications. Hal is currently an angel investor, board member, and mentor for several early stage businesses. He currently serves on the Advisory Board for the SIUE School of Engineering and Computer Science Department. He is also a member of the 2010 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame.

Bruce Schopp – 1982 BSE Civil Engineering

Bruce Schopp is a licensed Professional Engineer and Structural Engineer who has been with Oates Associates in Collinsville, Ill., for 25 years. During his career at Oates Associates, he was named to the position of Chief Structural Engineer with responsibility for all structural engineering, and the firm’s major transportation projects. Mr. Schopp was recently promoted to the position of President and Chief operating Officer. He now oversees all operations including project selection and management, technical production, quality assurance, technical/professional staff development, and client development.

Bruce has been active in the National Society of Professional Engineers for several years. He is currently State President of the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers, previously holding officer and committee chair positions including president of the St. Clair Chapter of ISPE. In addition to his involvement with ISPE, Bruce sits on the Advisory Board for the SIUE School of Engineering, and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for the American Council of Engineering Companies. He is also involved in various community organizations, including his church, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Freeburg, Ill. He is also a member of the 2010 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame.

School of Nursing

Carole is the Clinical Coordinator of the Living in the Future (LIFE) Cancer Survivorship Program for NorthShore University HealthSystem in Highland Park, Ill. Since graduating from SIUE, Carole has dedicated her nursing career to the care of people with cancer. Carole has worked in a variety of oncology practice settings around the country, including medical, surgical and radiation oncology, hospice and survivorship care. Ms. Martz received her Master’s of Science degree in Adult Oncology Nursing from Northern Illinois University in 1990 and has since practiced as Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). She has also acquired specialized certification in Advanced Oncology Nursing (AOCN) and Breast Cancer Nursing (CBCN).

Carole is an active volunteer with the American Cancer Society, having held a number of local and regional Illinois leadership positions. She has been active in the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS), served as the Coordinator for the Breast Care Special Interest Group from 2006-2009, and was presented the ONS Excellence in Survivor Advocacy Award in 2008. She is an experienced author and speaker, sought out as a clinical resource in breast and survivorship care. Carole is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau National Nursing Honor Society and a committed lifelong learner. She is also a member of the 2010 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame.

After graduating from SIUE, Dr. Cato went on to achieve a Master of Science in Nursing, a Master of Health Science, a graduate degree in nurse anesthesia, and a Doctor of Education degree from other outstanding institutions. He also became a Certified Professional in Electronic Health Records (CPEHR). Dr. Cato’s additional professional accomplishments include: Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow; Fellow of the Wharton School of Executive Nurse Management; and Scientific Writer Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Jim Cato is Chief Nursing Officer for Eclipsys Corporation, where he supports the strategic planning and development of nursing solutions. He also serves as adjunct faculty at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.

He has published numerous articles and is an international speaker on a variety of informatics and nurse leadership topics. Dr. Cato serves on the Advisory Board of Nurse Leader and has lent his expertise to numerous other boards in the healthcare field. With more than 30 years in clinical practice, nursing administration, and academia, he is among the most respected nursing executives in the nation.

Dr. Cato is a member of the 2010 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame.