Distinguished Alumni

Colonel Niki J. Lindhorst has served nearly three decades in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force, culminating in her current leadership position as Director of Operations, Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She oversees joint and command-level wargames and exercises, weapon system operational test and evaluations, doctrine development, basic military training and education programs for the U.S. Space Force.

Lindhorst’s career includes top-level assignments at the Joint Staff, Headquarters Air Force, and the National Reconnaissance Office, as well as deployed service as Operations Officer to NATO Training Mission Afghanistan. She has also served as a faculty member at the USAF Air War College and Air University Commandant’s Senior Service Representative. Her leadership has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Bronze Star Medal for distinguished service in Afghanistan and two Legion of Merit Medals for exceptional conduct as Space Delta 13 Commander and the Director of Operations at STARCOM.

Beyond her professional achievements, Lindhorst is a dedicated supporter of SIU through scholarship donations, campus visits to mentor students and ROTC cadets, and participation in the University’s oral history project. She also contributes extensively to public service as a Girl Scout leader, church volunteer, and STEM advocate, inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and space.

“My foundation for a career in service began at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, where my studies in psychology and the leadership training I received through Air Force ROTC Detachment 205 instilled in me the critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a deep sense of duty that have been instrumental throughout my journey from second lieutenant as a nuclear launch officer to colonel as the Director of Operations at Space Training and Readiness Command.”

Lindhorst graduated from SIU with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

Blake Noland, ‘10

Young Alumni Achievement

Born and raised in Blue Mound, Illinois, Blake Noland represents the eighth generation of his family to work their row crop farm.

In addition to farming, he is the founder of Birddog Workforce Scouting, a recruitment consulting firm that specializes in connecting companies in the skilled trades and agricultural industries with young talent. Through Birddog, he develops feeder systems, training programs, career-focused content, and headhunting services.

Driven by a passion for guiding young people toward purposeful careers, Noland also established the Rural Workforce Development NFP, a faith-based nonprofit that offers hands-on skills camps, scholarship resources, resume tools, and internship opportunities for 16- to 21-year-olds. His work continues to equip the next generation with the tools and direction needed to thrive in the workforce.

Noland graduated with a degree in agricultural systems.

Jeff Lawber, '03

Innovation Award

Jeff Lawber is an award-winning product designer and founder of The Office of Design and Development, a Portland, Oregon-based studio serving clients such as Nike, Adidas, Jeep, and Warner Bros. He describes his work as a blend of form, function, and storytelling, creating compelling user experiences in areas from retail to education. 

In 2020, Lawber applied his passion into the toy industry and introduced Marmals, a line of modular, magnetic art toys that merge creativity, storytelling, and mindful play. Originally developed as a toy for his children, Marmals have since earned national recognition, including appearances at Toy Fair Dallas and New York Toy Fair, multiple TAGIE Award finalist honors, and accolades such as “Best in Show” at ToyFest.

Today, Marmals are used as both playthings and educational tools in shows, museums, and classrooms nationwide, reflecting Lawber’s commitment to design that sparks imagination for all ages.

Lawber graduated from SIU with a bachelor of fine arts in industrial design.

Teresa McCarthy, '87 and Tim McCarthy, '87

Mark Jennings, '90

Volunteer Excellence

Teresa and Tim McCarthy describe their connection to SIU as generational. Teresa’s parents both worked for the University, her mother, Gloria, an executive assistant to Clarence “Doc” Dougherty, director of vice president of campus services, and her father, Robert “Rip” Stokes, was the university photographer.

Teresa and Tim met at SIU in 1982. Later, their children, Jack and Megan, attended SIU. The family remains steadfast supporters of the Salukis. The McCarthy’s have also dedicated time to supporting alumni chapter activity for the Association in the Springfield, Illinois area, as part of the Prairie Capital Alumni Networking Group. Services include hosting events that seek to gather alumni throughout the region and fundraising for scholarships to help new generations of local students attend SIU Carbondale. They are life members of the SIU Alumni Association.

Teresa serves as Youth Service Coordinator for Springfield Public Schools, where she supports high school students with disabilities in planning for life after graduation. She graduated from SIU with a bachelor’s degree in clothing and textiles.

Tim has spent 35 years with Midland Paper and Packaging, providing consulting and expertise in printing and product packaging to clients across Central and Southern Illinois. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

Mark “Matt” Jennings is a longtime friend of the McCarthy’s and has been instrumental in helping coordinate activities and area gatherings among alumni. Teresa and Tim said they couldn’t have done as much as they have done for the local group without Jennings.

Jennings is the Deputy Director, Division of Banking for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Previously, he served as the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Program Manager for the EDGE Tax Credit Program, as well as the Downstate Coordinator for the Advantage Illinois Loan Participation Program. He has more than 20 years of experience in commercial lending and banking.

Lois Kay Wissmann, '62 and John Wissmann, '69

Saluki Spirit

Since they both retired in 2011, life for Lois Kay and John “Jack” Wissmann has centered around the SIU and Carbondale scene, particularly local live music and Saluki Athletics. The Wissmanns are season ticket holders for SIU football, as well as men’s and women’s basketball. However, it’s also common to find them enjoying other women’s sports, such as soccer, volleyball, and softball, proudly wearing their Saluki maroon in the stands.

They call SIU a “Wissmann Family Tradition;” between them, their two sons, Chris and Aaron, daughter-in-law, and other family members, they claim 10 degrees from the university.

Kay graduated with a degree in Elementary Education in 1962 and began her career in teaching. She met Jack in the Chicago suburbs, and the two returned to Carbondale so he could complete his SIU degree in marketing in 1969. Jack went on to a five-decade career in sales, marketing, and logistics in the consumer products industry, while Kay worked in business administration and later became a national advocate for breast cancer research following her own bouts with the disease.

It was the second of three diagnoses that led Kay to work as a hotline counselor and eventually as the government relations manager for the Y-ME National Breast Cancer organization, advocating regularly for research dollars with entities like the National Health Council, Cancer Leadership Council, and National Patient Advocacy Foundation.

The Wissmanns say SIU has been and continues to be an important and integral part of their lives. They are life members of the SIU Alumni Association.

Dr. Terrence Roberts, '77

Minnijean Brown Trickey, '07 Honorary Degree

Thelma Mothershed-Wair, '64 Posthumous

Diversity and Inclusion

Before Dr. Terrence Roberts, Minnijean Brown Trickey, and Thelma Mothershed-Wair became Salukis, they were members of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who desegregated Little Rock Central High School in 1957, a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.

The U.S. Supreme Court issued its historic Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, declaring all laws establishing segregated schools unconstitutional and calling for all the desegregation of all schools throughout the nation. By 1957, the NAACP had registered nine black students to attend the previously all-white Little Rock Central High. When integration began, the Arkansas National Guard was called in to "preserve the peace". Originally, at orders of the governor, they were meant to prevent the black students from entering. However, President Eisenhower federalized the Guardsmen and ordered them to support the integration.

Terrence Roberts’ family moved to Los Angeles, where he attended UCLA. He followed a former professor from UCLA to SIU, joining the faculty and earning his Ph.D. in Education in 1977. Roberts described his time on campus as “three profitable, educational, and enjoyable years.” Dr. Roberts spent his career as a clinical psychologist and has held academic posts at Pacific Union College, the UCLA School of Social Welfare, and Antioch University. Now retired, he continues to lead dialogues about race as the CEO of Terrence Roberts Consulting, a management consulting firm. His wife, Dr. Rita Roberts, a 1975 SIU graduate in journalism, is currently a professor of History and Africana Studies at Scripps College. They are partners in Roberts & Roberts, LLC, providing consulting services to organizations wanting to engage in discussions about race. Dr. Terrence Roberts is the author of “Simple Not Easy, Reflections on Community, Social Responsibility, and Tolerance.”

Minnijean Brown Trickey was the first of the Little Rock Nine to be suspended after retaliating against some of her tormentors. She moved to New York and lived with a pair of social scientists who had played a role in the Brown v. Board of Education case, graduating from New Lincoln School in 1959. She studied journalism at SIU and later received a bachelor's of social work in native human services from Laurentian University and a master's of social work at Carleton University, both in Ontario. She worked in President Bill Clinton's administration as deputy assistant secretary for workforce diversity at the Department of the Interior.

Thelma Mothershed-Wair completed her junior year at Central High, despite daily confrontations with some of the white students. She went on to earn the necessary credits for graduation through correspondence courses and by attending summer school in St. Louis, receiving her diploma from Central High by mail. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southern Illinois University, along with an administrative certificate in education. Mothershed-Wair taught home economics in the East St. Louis school system for 28 years before retiring in 1994. She also worked at the Juvenile Detention Center of the St. Clair County Jail in Illinois, and as an instructor of survival skills for women at the American Red Cross Shelter for the homeless, according to the encyclopedia. Mothershed-Wair passed away in October 2024 at 83.

All members of the Little Rock Nine were presented with the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian award, by President Bill Clinton in 1999.

Alek Abell, '26

Outstanding Student Achievement

Alek Abell is a proud Saluki and senior at SIU, majoring in Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry on the Pre-Health Professions track. An active member of the Student Alumni Council, Alek participates in a variety of initiatives designed to strengthen connections between students, alumni, and the community. He is also involved in Timmy Global Health and the Pre-Health Professions Association.

Beyond campus, Alek is deeply engaged in both healthcare and research. He works as a Student Certified Medical Assistant at the Center for Medical Arts in Carbondale and conducts research in the Jadavji Lab, studying how genetics and nutrition influence the brain’s response to low oxygen using fruit flies as a model. This research aims to advance understanding of conditions such as stroke and neurodegeneration.

Alek is also dedicated to service in the broader community, volunteering with St. Francis Xavier Church, the Murphysboro Knights of Columbus, and various local outreach events.