EIU to acknowledge scholarship recipients, applaud donors at annual recognition event
Oct-12-2026Stephens, Gardella, Tran, Metzger White earn EIU’s 2026 Outstanding Philanthropist awards
(Charleston, IL) — Homecoming week is an enjoyable annual event at Eastern Illinois University for its students, alums, and community. But for some deeply devoted friends of the University, Homecoming at EIU is an opportunity to celebrate their connection to Eastern’s legacy of student success, personal relationships, and career opportunities.
The recognition event, which will be held in tandem with EIU’s celebration of its Alumni Association Award recipients October 23, will honor some of the student and donor connections that make the EIU experience welcoming, engaging, and dynamic one for current and future Panthers. Notable donors being celebrated as Outstanding Philanthropists in 2026 include:
Carol Stephens
Carol grew up in Charleston, Illinois. She earned a B.A. and M.A. in English from the University of Illinois—Champaign-Urbana, and a Ph.D. in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Carol retired from a career in regulatory and project management at Eli Lilly and Company, where she built a distinguished career supporting collaborative initiatives that advanced the development of new medicines and patient care. Throughout her career, she demonstrated a commitment to innovation, partnership, and improved health outcomes.
Carol has extended those deep commitments to higher education through her generous philanthropy at Eastern Illinois University. In honor of the legacy of her father, Dr. Lavern Hamand, EIU's first Dean of the Graduate School, she established two endowed funds that strengthen graduate education and recognize academic excellence.
The Hamand Society of Graduate Scholars Fund recognizes outstanding degree-seeking graduate students who are nominated from the current year's class of Distinguished Graduate Students for their exceptional academic achievement and promise. The Hamand Fund for Innovation in Graduate Studies supports graduate faculty leaders who play a vital role in advancing EIU’s graduate programs.
Through her thoughtful generosity, Carol Stephens has created a legacy that honors Dr. Hamand's vision while inspiring excellence among graduate faculty and students for generations to come.
Joe Gardella '89
Joe Gardella, a 1989 graduate of Eastern Illinois University, is the Chief Executive Officer of Sweetener Supply Corporation, a family owned business founded by his father and a close friend in 1990. Under Joe's leadership, the company has achieved significant organic and geographic growth, becoming one of North America's premier food ingredient suppliers. Joe is also the founder and managing partner of Spy Glass Properties, LLC, a property management company with roots in Charleston and Brookfield, Illinois.
A dedicated alumnus and visionary philanthropist, Joe has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to Eastern Illinois University through transformational investments that continue to enhance opportunities for students and strengthen the campus community. In 2024, he established Sonny's Scholarship in honor of his late father, creating a full-tuition MBA scholarship for a student in the Lumpkin College of Business who is actively involved in Greek Life. The scholarship reflects Joe's belief in rewarding academic excellence, leadership, and campus engagement. Joe's passion for Panther Athletics also inspired one of the most significant athletic facility gifts in recent University history—the renovation and modernization of McAfee Gymnasium into a premier volleyball-centered arena, creating an enhanced home for Panther Volleyball while elevating student-athlete and fan involvement. He has pledged further support to improve athletic travel amenities, emphasizing quality facilities, team travel, nutrition, and the overall student-athlete experience.
Beyond campus, Joe continues to invest in the Charleston community. Through Spy Glass Properties, he has purchased and renovated local properties, including University Village, while attracting new businesses that contribute to the community's economic vitality. He has also played a leading role in re-establishing a permanent home for EIU's Sigma Pi fraternity chapter, helping relocate the organization to a newly renovated chapter house and strengthening the future of Greek Life at Eastern.
Joe's family shares his deep connection to Eastern Illinois University. His daughter, Paige, joined the EIU Family as an MBA student and graduate assistant coach for the Panther volleyball program, while her twin sister, Jessica, joined Spy Glass Properties LLC, helping oversee the renovation of the Sigma Pi house and University Village.
A lifelong supporter of his alma mater, Joe believes in investing where he can make the greatest impact—creating opportunities for students, enhancing the student experience, strengthening athletics, and contributing to the allied growth of Eastern Illinois University and the Charleston community. When not working, Joe enjoys golfing, boating, and spending time with his wife, Leta, and their family.
Kim Tran ‘75
Kim graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business before earning an MBA from Columbia University. Kim, though officially retired, occasionally works as a freelance consultant specializing in finance projects. Throughout her distinguished career, she has held several executive leadership positions, including serving as Chief Financial Officer for the American Osteopathic Association from 2022 to 2023. Prior, she served as Chief Financial Officer for Inteleos, a medical diagnostic and sonography testing organization, as well as for Goodwill Industries International. Her extensive experience in financial management, strategic planning, and organizational leadership has made her a respected leader in the healthcare and nonprofit sectors.
It was the early 1970s when Kim and her family found themselves in a unique situation. Navigating the complications of the ongoing conflict in Vietnam, Kim was unsure how her future might unfold until she and her family decided that Kim would benefit from the kind of opportunity only America and EIU could provide. She says the student scholarship she received at EIU allowed her to focus on her studies as a double major in Production Management and Marketing. She graduated with Cum Laude honors in May of 1975.
Over time, Kim says EIU became her home away from home. The relationships she built with the University’s faculty, staff and students provided a sound launching pad for both improving her spoken English skills and furthering her academic pursuits, including an Ivy League MBA from Columbia. After moving to New York, she missed the small-town atmosphere of Charleston and the kindness of her professors. She created the Kim Tran Scholarship for International Students to support an international student attending EIU to benefit deserving students in similar circumstances.
Sherry Metzger White '74 '75
Sherry began her career as a Speech and Language Pathologist with the Kaskaskia Special Education District, located in Centralia, Illinois, where she served from 1975 through August 1990. For the next twenty-two years, she was speech pathologist for the Carlyle Community Unit School District. Throughout her thirty-seven year career, she provided comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, and therapeutic services for children with speech and language disorders. By working closely with her fellow educators, families, and multidisciplinary teams, she developed and implemented individual intervention plans that helped her students strengthen their communication skills and achieve greater academic success. Throughout her career, Sherry demonstrated a deep commitment to improving the lives of individuals with communication disorders. This passion continues through her philanthropy at Eastern Illinois University.
In recognition of the transformative impact that speech-language pathologists have on individuals and families, Sherry has made a significant philanthropic investment in EIU's School of Communication Disorders and Sciences. Her generous support has provided resources that improve clinical testing, expand student learning opportunities, and strengthen services for individuals receiving care through the program.
Beyond her financial contributions, Sherry remains actively engaged in supporting the School of Communication Disorders and Sciences (CSD). Her dedication to EIU has played an integral role in enhancing CSD’s clinical spaces and expanding its capacity to provide high-quality assessment, intervention, and support services to clients and priming EIU’s next generation of speech-language pathologists. Through both her distinguished professional career and her generosity, Sherry has made a lasting impact on the field of communication disorders, including the local and international communities served by Eastern Illinois University.
“We are delighted to celebrate the amazing contributions of these valued EIU advocates and friends,” said \ EIU Foundation Executive Officer Michael Hutchinson. “As it has in the past, the leadership and generosity of these and other EIU supporters continues to propel the success of EIU students today, tomorrow, and in the future. Their commitment to EIU enhances the success of our students while reinforcing their own personal legacies as powerful agents of progress at EIU.”
Currently, EIU offers more than 600 endowed scholarships to students on an annual basis, the majority of which are administered by the EIU Foundation. The mission of the EIU Foundation is to encourage and provide private support to Eastern Illinois University, to promote the ideals of volunteerism and philanthropy among alumni, friends, and employees of the University, and to assist and support Eastern Illinois University’s educational and cultural mission by providing a supporting academic and artistic environment through scholarships and grants.
“Donors continue to be an essential part of EIU’s ability to attract and retain successful students, renovate facilities, and create an atmosphere of impactful and intentional outcomes,” Hutchinson added. “Anyone interested in supporting EIU can reach out to the EIU Foundation to explore all available opportunities for advancing student achievement and helping to fulfill EIU’s critical mission.”
To connect, interested friends of the University can email Director of Board and Donor Relations Nancy Murray at nrmurray@eiu.edu, or call (217) 581-7388.
EIU prepares students to accomplish their life goals through a combination of quality academics, personal relationships, and both on-campus and online learning opportunities. For more information about Eastern Illinois University, including its broad array of academic and career readiness programs, community-based services and opportunities, visit eiu.edu or call EIU's Public Information Office at (217) 581-7400.
MEDIA QUICKLINKS
Eastern Illinois University — eiu.edu
EIU Alumni Association — eiu.edu/alumniassociation
EIU Foundation — eiu.edu/found
