Advisory Board
About the Advisory Board
The Eastern Illinois University College of Sciences Advisory Board provides advice and support for development, fundraising, and alumni relations to the College. The Board suggests sources of support for major College/COS department gifts, assists the Dean and Development Officer with donor cultivation, promotes development activities among professional associates, friends, and EIU alumni, and participates in EIU alumni events. The Board also promotes positive public relations for the College of Sciences by promoting awareness of faculty and student accomplishments and contributions to the academic, research, and service activities and missions of the College and Eastern Illinois University.
Membership of the Board is composed of alumni, friends, and supporters who have demonstrated a personal and financial commitment to Eastern Illinois University and the College and who can contribute in meaningful ways to the work of the Board.
Board Members
Ben Bermingham (PLS)
Police Officer
Parkland College Police Department
Champaign, IL
Mr. Ben Bermingham is a member of the Parkland College Police Department. He graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 2006 and from the University of Illinois Police Training Institute in 2007. Mr. Bermingham is a member of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association and often administers advanced training of new police officers. He is also a certified EMT and licensed aviation pilot. In his spare time, he enjoys the outdoors and is an avid hunter. Mr. Bermingham currently resides in Champaign, IL.
Stanley Brunn, Ph.D. (GEG)
Professor
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY
Jean Galovich (PLS)
HealthMax, Inc.
Downers Grove, IL
Ms. Jean Galovich is President and Founder of HealthMax, Inc., a healthcare intermediary services firm located in Downers Grove, Illinois. She has worked in and consulted with the healthcare industry for over twenty years. In her role with HealthMax, Ms. Galovich draws on her knowledge of both health benefits and the structure and function of the healthcare industry to help clients with managing health benefit claims and resolving problems with claims processing, incorrect bills, negotiating uninsured charges and access to providers. Ms. Galovich has a B.A. in Political Science from Eastern Illinois University and an M.P.A. from Michigan State University.
Chris Harms (CDS)
Litchfield, IL
Brian Hurst (PLS)
Attorney
Beutel Hurst Boleky, LLC
Chicago, IL
Email: bhurst@bhbtriallaw.com
Mr. Hurst obtained his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude (with highest honors) from Eastern Illinois University in 1992. He then attended the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he obtained his law degree in 1995. As an attorney, Mr. Hurst has had extensive civil trial experience, litigating cases on behalf of injured people and the families of wrongfully deceased people. In his career as a civil litigator, he has tried numerous medical malpractice cases before civil juries in Cook County, Illinois, as well as, Will County, Illinois, Sangamon County, Illinois and Burlington County, New Jersey. Mr. Hurst has lectured on the area of health care law, including liability of managed care providers. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice. He has been named a "Top Illinois Lawyer" by SuperLawyers.com.
Tricia Johnson (MATH/CS)
Program Support and Implementation Manager
State Farm
Bloomington, IL
Brent Manning (BIO)
Exective Director (Retired)
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Wheaton, IL
With more than 30 years of public and private experience in natural resources management and administration, Brent Manning served as the Executive Director of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Mr. Manning has served as the Director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources [IDNR] and its predecessor, the Illinois Department of Conservation. In addition, Mr. Manning directed field operations for Ducks Unlimited and worked as an environmental chemist with I.C. Industries. Recently, IDNR inducted Mr. Manning into the Illinois Conservation Foundation’s Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame. In addition, was a Past President of the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies from 2002-2003. The International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies presented Mr. Manning with an Honorary Life Membership Award for his service to the Association and to the country’s natural resources. A lifelong outdoor enthusiast, Mr. Manning promotes and initiates outdoor sports’ ethics, nature education for all ages and sporting opportunities for people with disabilities.
Rita McCollum (PSY)
School Psychologist
Charleston Community Unit #1
Charleston, IL
Mrs. Rita McCollum has worked as a school psychologist for 30 years and is currently employed by the Charleston School District. As a school psychologist, she is part of a multi-disciplinary team that focuses on meeting the educational needs of all students. Her husband, Tim, also has a career in education and is a science teacher at Charleston Middle School. Mrs. McCollum takes pride in having earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Eastern Illinois University. Her husband and children - Monica, age 29 and Kyle, age 23 - also earned their degrees at EIU.
Paul Mugerditchian (ECN)
President
Dot Transportation Inc.
Mt. Sterling, IL
Mr. Paul Mugerditchian is President of Dot Transportation Inc. located in Mt. Sterling Illinois. He has served on the Advisory Board since 2006. Mr. Mugerditchian received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from EIU in Economics. He is married with 3 daughters. Mr. Mugerditchian and his family live in Quincy Illinois.
Stephen Wilson, D.M.D., M.A. Ph.D. (PSY)
Professor and Directory of Dentistry
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, OH
Dr. Stephen Wilson is Professor and Chair of the Division of Dentistry in the Department of Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a board certified pediatric dentist. He has served as President of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. He was recently honored by his peers and received “The Pediatric Dentist of the Year” award of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (2007). Dr. Wilson earned his bachelor’s (1968) and master’s (1972) degrees from Eastern Illinois University and followed with his PhD (1978), DMD (1982), and residency certificate in pediatric dentistry (1984) at the University of Louisville in Louisville, KY. He has served on the Advisory Board since 2008. Dr. Wilson is married to Julia and they reside in Mason, OH. They have a son, Jeffrey, who lives in Louisville.
Honorary Board Members
Dr. James Allen (PHY)
The Boeing Company (Retired)
International Space Station Program
Houston, TX
Email: jlallen57@comcast.net
Recently retired from The Boeing Company in Houston, Texas, and a recipient of one of the 2009 Eastern Illinois University Distinguished Alumnus Awards, Dr. James Allen spent most of his professional career working on the space program, first at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California (1981-1988), then Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN (1988-1994), and finally with Boeing (1998-2009). Dr. Allen grew up in Eldorado, Illinois and earned his bachelor’s degree from EIU (1979), master’s from UCLA (1981), and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt (1994), all in physics. Prior to joining Boeing, he taught in the EIU physics department for four years. Dr. Allen and his wife, Anne (EIU Music ’78 and ’79), currently live in Seabrook, Texas, and have three children, Jeremy, Greg, and Jaymie.
Tammy Corzine Ashby (CDS)
Director of Therapy Services
Health Services Consultants, Inc.
Treasure Island, FL
Michael W. Conlin (BIO)
Director, Resource Conservation (Retired)
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Springfield, IL
Email: mikeconlin34@royell.org
Mr. Conlin has retired on July 31, 2009 after spending 38 years with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 2004 -2009 Director of Resource Conservation; 1975-2004 Chief, Division of Fisheries; 1971-1975 District Fisheries Biologist. He grew up on a farm near Arthur, Illinois and earned his bachelor's (1970) and master's (1971 degrees in Zoology from Eastern Illinois University. Mr. Colin currently lives in Auburn, Illinois with his wife, Sonya and has three grown children, Rod, Sean, Kelly and four grandchildren. Quote: "Somebody once said epoxy greases the wheel of progress in government and sometimes I think that’s true."
Robert Glover (PLS)
Vice-President
Cardinal Health
McGaw Park, IL
Mr. Robert Glover is Vice President at Cardinal Health located in McGaw Park, IL. He is responsible for managing relationships and contract negotiations with national hospital groups. Mr. Glover graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1982 with a BA in Political Science. While at Eastern, he served two terms as Student Body President. Since then, he has established two scholarships for the university. In 2005, he was awarded an EIU Distinguished Alumnus Award and, in 2007, he received the inaugural Political Science Alumnus Award. Mr. Glover also serves on Eastern Illinois University’s Capital Campaign Steering Committee.
Steven Jasinski (SOC/ANT)
Vice-President - Community Lending Officer
F.N.B.C. of LaGrange, Inc.
LaGrange, IL
Email: sjasinski@fnblagrange.com
Mr. Jasinski brings over fourteen years of experience in the business and banking field to the COS Advisory Board. Mr. Jasinski is one of the founders of The H Foundation in La Grange, Illinois, which raises money for cancer research. He is also the appointed Treasurer of the city of Countryside. He is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University and served in the Illinois Army National Guard for six years. Mr. Jasinski and his wife have two children, Nicholas and Avery. Everyone in the family is a Cubs and Blackhawks Fan!
Matt Madigan (CHM)
Chairman, Math-Science Division
Lakeland College
Mattoon, IL
David Murphy, Ph.D. (PSY)
Geneva, IL
Dr. David R. Murphy is an Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Waubonsee College in Sugar Grove, IL, having retired in 2005 after 32 years of teaching. He graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a BS in 1972 and a MA in Psychology in 1974. Dr. Murphy received his doctorate from Northern Illinois University in 1981. In 2005, he received the Outstanding Graduate Alumnus Award in Psychology from the Graduate School at EIU. In 2006, he and his wife Lynn established the David R. and S. Lynn Murphy Psychology Scholarship for community college transfer students. Dr. Murphy and his wife live in Geneva, IL and are the parents of three adult sons. Work these days consists mainly of traveling!
Matthew Piescinski (EVB, CHM)
Mars Pet Care USA
Charleston, IL
Bill Standerfer (MATH/CS)
Owner
Standerfer Construction, Inc.
Mattoon, IL
Randall P. Wright (PHY)
Vice-President
Texas Children's Hospital
Houston, TX
