One of the things I value most about Bradley is that it has always been more than a campus. It is a community shaped by people who care deeply about one another and about the impact of a Bradley education. That spirit is at the heart of our “One Bradley” mission, and alumni are an essential part of this.
So what does One Bradley look like in action today? It begins with alignment between academics and experiential learning, when coursework is intentionally connected to internships, undergraduate research, study abroad, and community engagement. This approach attracts independent, industrious students who want learning that is practical, purposeful, and transformative.
One Bradley is also reflected in coordinated advising and student support. When academic departments, advisors, and career services work together, students see a clear pathway from enrollment to graduation, and from graduation to meaningful careers or graduate study. That clarity reinforces the value of a Bradley degree—something alumni know firsthand and proudly share.
We are also investing in the places where students live, gather, and learn. From improvements to the Student Center atrium and University Hall to outdoor recreation spaces, our campus continues to evolve.
On April 22, I invite you to stay connected through Day of Giving. Your support helps fund scholarships, unlock grants, and advance projects that elevate today’s student experience. As you’ll read on page 6, alumnus Jerry Kolb ’83 has stepped up with a generous gift to create a new outdoor concert venue honoring his parents, Ken and Doris Kolb—an inviting destination for students, alumni, and the entire community. The Kolb Family is also matching gifts, up to $250,000 on Day of Giving, doubling the impact of each donor.
I hope you will consider supporting Bradley as we deliver on our promise to students, and continue building Bradley’s future together.
With gratitude,
James E. Shadid ’79 President, Bradley University
Groundbreaking & Pickleball Tourney
Bradley University hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking on Feb. 6, celebrating the launch of the Zaleski Recreation Complex (ZRC). The donor-funded ZRC, located next to the Markin Family Recreation Center, will include pickleball courts, a sand volleyball court, and an outdoor activity space designed for yard games and recreation. The project will also feature the Ken and Doris Kolb Pavilion (see page 6) with the Jim Rasmussen Stage. Construction on the ZRC is scheduled to begin in March, with an anticipated completion by September.
Pictured above: Sarah Zaleski Degarmo ’12, Steve Zaleski ’75, President Shadid, and Laura ’80 and Jerry ’83 Kolb.
Following the groundbreaking, Bradley hosted its first-ever pickleball tournament at Renaissance Coliseum. Sixty-four teams representing Bradley students, faculty, staff, and community members played while being cheered on by spectators. Students Doug Yoo and Maria Bezmenova secured the top spot in the tournament.
ICC Transfer Partnership Announced
Bradley University and Illinois Central College (ICC) formalized a new transfer partnership that will create a seamless, studentcentered pathway from ICC to Bradley bachelor’s degree programs. The agreement, known as Path2BU, establishes a clear and supportive transfer process for ICC students who complete an associate degree
and continue their education at Bradley. Eligible students will enter Bradley with junior standing, benefit from streamlined transfer credit evaluation, and access to dedicated advising and support. In addition, the Gilmore Foundation is providing a $1 million grant for last-dollar scholarships for qualifying Path2BU students.
Dan Moon
Selected Permanent Provost
Following a comprehensive national search, Bradley University has appointed Dr. Dan Moon as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Moon has served in the role on an interim basis since 2024 and previously as Dean of Bradley’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The appointment follows a national search process that included broad input from faculty and staff through surveys, listening sessions, and open forums with four finalists.
Turner Center Secures $1.75M State Grant
The Turner Center for Entrepreneurship at Bradley University has secured $1.75 million in state funding through a newly approved three-year grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). This funding allows Bradley University to continue operations of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the Illinois SBDC International Trade Center (ITC) through Dec. 31, 2028, and builds on a strong track record of measurable impact across the region.
In 2025, the SBDC and ITC supported more than 500 entrepreneurs and businesses through over 10,000 hours of staff- and student-led advising. That work contributed to the creation of 43 new businesses, 66 new jobs, the retention of nearly 600 existing jobs, and more than $18 million in additional exports.
Get an MA in English
Bradley University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is expanding its graduate offerings with the launch of a fully online, asynchronous Master of Arts in English, beginning in the Fall 2026 semester. The 30-credit hour program is designed for working professionals, educators, writers, and lifelong learners looking to advance their careers.
Direct Admit to DePaul
DePaul University College of Law in Chicago partnered with Bradley to offer guaranteed admission and scholarship support to qualifying seniors and recent graduates who are pursuing legal careers. Dean of DePaul Law School Geoffrey Rapp shakes hands with President Shadid after signing the direct admission agreement.
A LIFE BUILT ON MUSIC & MASTERY
At 98, Bradley Polytechnic Institute alumnus Jim Phipps embodies a life of curiosity and craft—shaped by Navy service, a railroad career, music, and model building—bringing joy through lifelong creativity.
THE LONG ROAD FROM PAKISTAN
From Islamabad to Bradley University, senior political science major Arushay Awan has embraced academic exploration, leadership, and global experience, turning a bold leap of faith into a path toward law school and international impact.
BRIDGING THE BUSINESS OF MUSIC & MARKETING
Music business senior Patrick Sheeley is making the most of his BU experience. With his senior recital a success and his Hollywood Semester internship ahead, he will graduate prepared for a career in music.
HER DOUBLE MAJOR LED TO A LIFE-CHANGING INTERNSHIP
Senior Clara Bush maximized her Bradley experience serving as one of the first social media interns for Bradley Athletics. Through long hours, mentorship, and real-world storytelling, she turned her passion for photography into career-ready preparation.
BY EMILY POTTS
When One Gift Becomes Many
THE KOLB FAMILY CHALLENGE TO ALUMNI TO SHAPE BRADLEY’S FUTURE
For Jerry Kolb ’83, giving back to Bradley University isn’t about a single moment. It’s about honoring a lifetime of influence, inspiration, and belief in what a university can mean to a community. That belief is now taking tangible form through a generous gift to support the Ken and Doris Kolb Pavilion (named after Jerry’s parents), a new outdoor concert venue that will anchor Bradley’s developing outdoor recreation complex.
The Kolb name is deeply woven into Bradley University’s academic and cultural fabric through the remarkable lives of Jerry’s parents, both PhD chemists. The family moved to Peoria in 1965 when his father, Ken, joined Bradley’s chemistry faculty. His mother, Doris, became the first chemistry professor at Illinois Central College (ICC) and its first Teacher of the Year. Beyond the classroom, she was a trailblazer helping launch Planned Parenthood of Greater Peoria and advocating for smoke-free public spaces, including hospital rooms, decades ahead of their time.
Education, advocacy, and creativity defined her life. Doris secured federal grants to train teachers, co-authored multiple editions of a chemistry textbook, and later taught at Bradley after retiring from ICC. A prolific poet, she also shared her love of humorous verse through Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) courses, teaching her final class in October 2005 before passing away that December. Together, Ken and Doris believed deeply in expanding access
to knowledge, establishing the Kolb Chemistry Lecture Series that brought notable chemists—including three Nobel Prize winners—to Bradley’s campus.
As a student, Jerry charted his own path, majoring in accounting, in part because the business program was housed in Baker Hall, about as far from Olin Hall (where his father taught) as possible. “It’s a little intimidating to go to school where your father works,” he laughed. Still, Olin Hall was familiar territory. He grew up spending time in the chemistry department and knew exactly where to find the coffee pot between classes, as did his two brothers, who also graduated from Bradley.
BUILDING ON HIS FAMILY’S LEGACY
Jerry also found ways to connect community, creativity, and inclusion. As COO at WTVP, he launched a music series designed to feel more like a club than a studio, bringing artists and audiences together in an intimate setting. Over time, he noticed how difficult the music industry could be for women and shifted the show to feature predominantly female artists.
That insight led directly to one of Kolb’s most personal contributions to Bradley: the Doris Kolb Women in Music Series, created to honor his mother’s innovative spirit. The series brings female-led musical acts to campus each
Rendering of the Ken and Doris Kolb Pavilion and its namesakes.
semester. This spring, it will feature Scottish singer and songwriter, KT Tunstall, performing at Dingeldine Music Center on March 26.
The new Ken and Doris Kolb Pavilion builds on that vision creating a welcoming, park-like space where music and community can flourish. “Music knows no bounds,” Jerry said. “You don’t have to be an athlete or a musician to appreciate it. You can just sit on a blanket and let the music pour over you.”
Just as important as the venue itself is the way Jerry hopes others will engage with it. In a powerful call to action, the Kolb Family is matching every Day of Giving donation, up to $250,000, doubling the impact of every gift and inviting the entire Bradley community to be part of something lasting.
Having seen the power of matching challenges firsthand, Jerry and his family wanted to create a moment where every donor could feel their participation mattered more. “It inspires people to know that their gift is doing something more than the gift itself,” he explained.
The pavilion is part of a broader effort to make Bradley’s campus more beautiful, welcoming, and usable. Jerry explained, “I want people to feel like this is a place they want to be.”
For him, Bradley and Peoria are inseparable. He jokes that he and his wife, Laura ’80, never migrated south for the winter because they didn’t want to miss basketball season. “I want Peoria to be the best it can be,” Jerry said. “And one of the ways Peoria can be the best is if Bradley is the best it can be.”
That belief in Bradley’s impact is what drives the Kolb family’s support, and this Day of Giving on April 22, they’re encouraging others to be part of it. Every gift counts. Every gift is doubled. And every donor becomes part of a legacy that will be heard, felt, and enjoyed for generations to come.
APRIL 22
Thanks to the Kolb Family, every gift made will be doubled and new donor or recurring gifts will be tripled! Check your email and texts for more information.
Jerry and Laura Kolb at a Bradley Basketball game.
1980s
Brigadier General Peter J. Whalen ’87 recently retired from the U.S. Army Reserve after completing over 36 years of honorable service.
1990s
David Askuvich ’99, an English Learner Teacher at Lawson Elementary School in Florissant, Mo., has been named The Hazelwood School District’s 2025 recipient of the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award.
2000s
April Steffeck-Manos ’03 graduated with her PhD in Education on Nov. 26, 2025 from the University of Edinburgh. She teaches secondary education at Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh.
Jeevan Bandharapu MS ’18 was granted a patent related to machine-learning-based anomaly detection systems used in large-scale enterprise infrastructure that he co-invented.
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Bradley Magazine
Bradley University 1501 W. Bradley Ave. Peoria, IL 61625
Kerri Hall ’85
Michael Myers ’89, Oct. 23, 2025, pictured en route to their honeymoon
Kayla Lippincott ’21 and Bryant Boynton, Oct. 2, 2025
Nicole DeLiberis and Jaylyn Cook ’15, Sept. 13, 2025
PASSAGES
1940s
Thomas H. Browning ’47, 11/18/25
Patricia Lynn Johnson ’48, 11/28/25
1950s
Mary Barnett Crang ’51, 10/24/25
Raymond L. Picl ’51, 10/5/25
Nancy Knuppel Grieve ’52, 10/18/25
Mary Agrue Huth ’52, 10/15/25
Joan Severns. Roeder ’53, 12/25/25
Roger D. Bastian ’54, MA ’57, 12/3/25
Joseph R. Lipsky ’55, 12/10/25
Linneaus C. Dorman ’56, 10/10/25
Ronald C. Erickson ’56, 10/30/25
Yulah Brink Sisler ’56, 12/30/25
James A. Stone ’58, 12/24/25
1960s
Kenneth W. Aupperle ’60, 10/14/25
Richard Bray ’60, 2/1/25
Charles H. Ludolph ’60, 12/12/25
Frederick A. Marcussen ’60, 12/02/25
Donald E. McCluckie ’60, 11/26/25
Kenneth E. Mills ’60, 11/13/25
Leroy F. Buss ’61, 11/18/25
Raymond R. Karabin ’61, 10/1/25
Stuart A. Gresham ’62, 11/10/25
Ronald W. Pepin ’62, 10/12/25
William F. Vierow ’63, 11/23/25
Gayle Siemund Wehr ’63, 12/24/25
James P. Farnsworth ’64, 10/13/25
Calvin S. Martin ’64, 10/30/25
Ralph G. Schroeder ’64, 10/16/25
James E. Threlkel ’64, 11/21/25
David E. Prescott ’65, 10/4/25
Richard C. Carlson ’66, 10/17/25
Robert A. Dewire ’66, 11/15/25
Roger L. Christiansen ’67, 11/10/25
Roger Kolvitz ’67, 10/17/25
Donald H. Connor ’68, 10/25/25
Rosalie Maier Morey ’68, 11/23/25
Dennis C. Shaner ’68, 12/10/25
Richard D. Bourland ’69, 10/5/25
1970s
Harold E. Garrels ’70, 10/20/25
Leon F. Hall ’70, 11/28/25
Wilford L. Maddox ’70, 10/13/25
Martin J. Calmer ’71, 10/20/25
John M. Hoeman ’71, 12/2/25
Lawrence R. Keach ’71, ’73, 10/5/25
Kurt P. Rostetter ’71, 10/15/25
Carolyn A. Sabadosh ’71, 12/4/25
James V. Wright ’71, 11/4/25
Kent R. Collins ’72, 11/24/25
Bruce B. Pafume, ’72, 12/13/25
Dennis J. Irwin ’73, 11/4/25
Joan Duncan Glaser ’74, 10/27/25
Dwight L. Morris ’74, 10/5/25
Frank J. Kotre ’75, 11/9/25
Joy Erlichman Miller ’76, ’96, 12/6/25
Rochelle Owens Riddick ’76, 8/31/25
James J. Massura ’77, 7/28/23
Gene K. Price ’77, 11/19/25
Gloria Ertle Monier ’78, 10/10/25
Jean Davis Schlesinger ’78, 12/7/25
1980s
Gregory A. Olson ’80, 10/30/25
Diane Smith West ’82, 12/21/25
Carol A. Treasure ’85, 9/15/20
John R. Tokarz ’88, 12/26/25
Thomas F. McDonald ’89, 7/28/2023
1990s
Terry L. Larrabee ’92, 10/9/25
2000s
Elizabeth Fritsch Kollai ’01, 11/23/25
Erin Loughran ’06, 4/21/25
Jeffrey J. Deeds ’17, 11/1/25
Faculty & Staff
Dr. Elmo “Joe” Roach, 12/25/25, Professor Emeritus of History, 1968-2005
Save the Date
The Scholarship Connection, April 16. Bradley is bringing back a meaningful tradition in a new way. Coming this spring: The Scholarship Connection, a dinner bringing scholarship donors and student recipients together in one room to celebrate impact, gratitude, and student success. If you have generously established a scholarship or if you currently serve as the contact for an existing scholarship, please keep an eye out for an invitation this spring. Learn more about funding a scholarship at bradley.edu/giving.
2026 Homecoming, Oct. 2
& 3
The annual Lighting of the B along with the Homecoming Court Student Talent Show occurs Friday evening, and the homecoming tailgate and soccer game at Shea Stadium will be on Saturday.
Milestone Reunions—50th, 25th, and 10th, Oct. 2 & 3
We’re welcoming the classes of 1976, 2001, and 2016 back to campus as they celebrate their milestone reunions at this year’s homecoming!
Founder’s Day Weekend, Oct. 16 & 17
The annual Founder’s Day Convocation, Luncheon, and Centurion Society Dinner will be on Friday, and on Saturday there will be a Red and White Basketball Scrimmage.
