In this episode of Office Hours, SIU System President Dan Mahony explores one of the biggest questions facing students and families today: How do you pay for college? Many people believe college is becoming less affordable, but the reality is more complex. National data shows that net tuition and fees at public universities have declined in recent years, and most students receive some form of financial assistance. In fact, across the Southern Illinois University System, over 90% of first time undergraduate students receive support to help cover the cost of college.
President Mahony is joined by higher education leaders and financial aid experts who share practical insights about scholarships, financial aid, student loans and programs that make college more accessible. The conversation also features an inspiring SIU student who explains how she has found creative ways to cover her college costs without taking on loans. Whether you are a student, parent, educator, or advisor, this episode offers helpful guidance, real-world strategies, and encouragement for navigating the college financial planning process.

In this episode of Office Hours, SIU System President Dan Mahony explores how leadership, service and involvement outside the classroom help students develop the skills employers value most — including communication, teamwork, problem-solving and leadership. Joining the conversation are student affairs leaders from SIU Edwardsville and SIU Carbondale, along with student trustees from both campuses. Together, they share powerful stories about experiential learning, stepping outside comfort zones and turning student involvement into lifelong skills.

In this episode of Office Hours, SIU System President Dan Mahony explores the deep and evolving connection between agriculture and higher education and why it matters to every Illinoisan.

From economic impact to cutting-edge science, this episode reveals how agriculture fuels innovation, resilience and opportunities across the SIU System and beyond. You’ll hear from:

• Illinois Department of Agriculture Director and SIU alum Jerry Costello on why agriculture is Illinois’ #1 industry • SIU researchers engineering microbes that convert plastic into edible protein and caffeine into affordable medicine • Leaders supporting the mental health of farm families through the Farm Family Resource Initiative • Students and faculty shaping the next generation of agricultural leadership

This conversation goes far beyond traditional farming and into global sustainability, workforce development and the future of food and biomanufacturing.

Listen and learn how SIU is leading in fields both expected and unexpected. 

 International students are a vital part of the SIU System — enriching our classrooms, driving research and innovation, and strengthening our regional workforce and communities. In this episode, President Dan Mahony sits down with SIU faculty who once began their journeys in the U.S. as international students themselves. 

Hear firsthand stories from: 

· Dr. Elza Ibroscheva (SIUE) — Associate Provost for Accreditation, Assessment and Academic Planning at SIUE who came to the U.S. from Bulgaria and discovered a passion for research, teaching, and academic leadership. 

· Dr. Jeb Asirvatham (SIUC) — Associate Professor in Agribusiness Economics at SIUC whose journey from India to SIU shaped his career, research, and family life. 

· Cheryl Borowiak (SIUE) — Director of International Affairs, sharing insights on admissions, visas, student support and creating welcoming spaces for global learners. 

Subscribe and listen for more conversations from across the SIU System! 

 In this episode of Office Hours, SIU System President Dan Mahony talks with Dr. Chris McDowell and Dr. Jayna Patel from the SIU School of Medicine about how medical schools train the next generation of doctors, expand access to care across Illinois and drive innovative research that’s improving lives locally and beyond. 

👩‍⚕️ Learn how SIU Medicine serves 66 counties in Illinois
 🏥 Explore the impact of its FQHC clinics and hospital partnerships
 🔬 Hear about research shaping the future of healthcare 

🎧 Subscribe and listen for more conversations from across the SIU System! 

 Have you ever had a professor who doesn’t say a word during class or participated in a chat storm? In Episode 8 of Office Hours with SIU System President Dan Mahony, we step inside today’s classrooms with award-winning collaborators Dr. Jyotsna Kapur (SIUC) and Dr. Eric Ruckh (SIUE). From moving beyond the “sage on the stage” to sparking engagement, navigating silence, teaching online, using AI responsibly, and making group projects work, they share what’s changing, what works, and why. Tune in for practical insights and stories shaping how students learn best. Listen now and join the conversation. 

As students come back into the classrooms for the semester, we know the university also has a significant impact on the communities where the universities are located beyond the education of students. In addition to the large economic impact on the state, there are many ways that the university helps support growth in the region.  In this episode of Office Hours with SIU System President Dan Mahony, we hear from Michael Jessup, Jo Ann DiMaggio May, and Dr. Connie Frey-Spurlock as they reveal how SIU helps entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses, builds powerful community partnerships and creates opportunities for students that help shape both careers and communities.

College athletics is undergoing one of the most dramatic transformations in its history, from athlete compensation to transfer rules and the impacts of the House v. NCAA settlement. In this episode, SIU System President Dan Mahony, a longtime sport management professor, sits down with athletic directors Tim Leonard (SIU Carbondale), Andrew Gavin (SIU Edwardsville), and Dr. Ken Halpin (Purdue University) to discuss how these changes are reshaping the student-athlete experience, university operations, and the future of college sports.

In this episode we dive into a topic that’s reshaping higher education and the world at lightning speed: artificial intelligence (AI).

Whether it’s ChatGPT in the classroom, AI-powered medical simulations or new interdisciplinary courses, AI is already transforming how we teach, learn, research and operate across the SIU System. In this episode, I talk with two academic leaders who are heading up our system-wide AI taskforce:

• Dr. Mario Hayek, SIU Edwardsville Dean of the Business School 

• Dr. Xiaoqing “Frank” Liu, SIU Carbondale Dean of the College of Engineering, Computing, Technology and Mathematics. 

We explore how AI is showing up on our campuses, what opportunities it presents and what challenges we still need to tackle—like equitable access, faculty development and ethical use.

Towards the end of the episode, we’re also joined by a self-proclaimed AI geek, Pinckney Benedict. He is a professor at SIU School of Medicine and a longtime creative writing faculty member at SIUC who brings a unique perspective at the intersection of humanities, medicine and emerging technology. Benedict is one of the top innovative leaders who really took the lead on getting the AI conversation started in the SIU System. His work in AI-driven medical simulation and storytelling adds a whole new dimension to the conversation.

This is a fast-moving and sometimes complicated topic, but one we can’t afford to ignore. Now it's time for you to listen, reflect and think about how AI may impact your life, your work and how we as a university system can lead thoughtfully and responsibly in this new AI era! 

In this episode, we explore how students prepare for life after graduation through reflections from both spring 2025 graduates and accomplished SIU alumni. The episode opens with interviews from this year’s graduates, sharing their thoughts, hopes, and questions just before crossing the stage. President Mahony is then joined by three distinguished SIU alumni: Bill Luan (SIUE, class of 1984 & 1985), a senior program manager at Google; Terita M. Walker (SIU Carbondale class of 2001), principal of Denver East High School and 2025 Colorado High School Principal of the Year; and Dr. Kevin M. Simon (SIU School of Medicine, Class of 2015), chief behavioral health officer for the City of Boston and assistant professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Each guest shares how their student experiences at SIU shaped their careers, offering meaningful advice to this year’s graduating class.