Redbird Buzz

Elisabeth Reed, the director of Illinois State University's Office of Sustainability, joins Redbird Buzz to share the story of her journey—from a background in architecture and fashion, to her current role leading the University's sustainability efforts. Reed shares tips for listeners wanting to reduce their carbon footprint and discusses campus sustainability initiatives, including Fix-It Friday, the Share Shop, and the Pass It On program. Tune in to learn more about the steps Reed and her team are taking to promote sustainability and protect the Illinois State campus—and the earth—for future generations of Redbirds.

For more information, visit: Sustainability.IllinoisState.edu.

Dr. George Pruitt ’68, M.S. ’70, L.H.D. ’94, one of the longest serving collegiate presidents in the United States, joins Redbird Buzz to discuss how Illinois State launched his journey into higher education, historical moments he experienced on campus during the Civil Rights Movement, challenges he faced and accomplishments he achieved leading a university for 35 years, and how having resources, support, and close friends can help individuals find their true talents.

Dr. Sarah Gerson ’06 is a developmental psychologist at Cardiff University in Cardiff, Wales. In the fall of 2020, she was lead author for an internationally publicized study, published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, which used neuroscience for the first time to investigate the impact of doll play on children. Gerson earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Illinois State University in 2006 and later received a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. She’s now in her seventh year researching and teaching at Cardiff, and she is featured in the spring 2023 State alumni magazine.

University Archivist April Anderson-Zorn joins Redbird Buzz to discuss three women who made history at Illinois State University: Dr. June Rose Colby, Anna Ropp, and Dr. Patricia Chesebro.

Dr. June Rose Colby (1856-1941) was the first female faculty member and third woman hired as an instructor at Illinois State Normal University. After becoming the first woman to earn a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1886, Colby served as a professor of English at Illinois State Normal from 1892-1931. Colby was also a writer who contributed to professional journals, and she was a supporter of the Suffragist movement.

Anna Ropp (1904-2005) graduated from the Mennonite Hospital School of Nursing in 1931 and spent 22 years as a relief day supervisor at Mennonite Hospital. Ropp was known for her eye for detail, her ability to run many parts of the hospital operations, and her high level of energy. She also worked tirelessly on her family farm, and she wrote daily in diaries that are available to view in the Dr. Jo Ann Rayfield Archives.

Dr. Patricia Chesebro (1924-1992) was a professor of psychology at Illinois State University from 1963 until her retirement in 1988. During her time at Illinois State, Chesebro was heavily involved with the women's studies program. She was also a member of the Women Faculty Association, a group which evaluated the status of women faculty at Illinois State and worked to ensure equal treatment for women.

Regina Smith '06 joins Redbird Buzz to discuss her new role as the inaugural head coach of the Morgan State University women's acrobatics and tumbling team. Smith and her team at Morgan State will make history during the 2023-24 season as the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) NCAA Division I program.

Smith started her coaching career in 2006, and since then, she has captured more than 30 national championship college and high school titles and more then 50 top-three finishes for cheerleading, dance, gymnastics, and mascots at the collegiate level. Smith shares how she got her start in college athletics at Illinois State University as an Athletics Department intern and cheerleader. She also shares the history of women's acrobatics and tumbling as an emerging NCAA sport along with her approach to building a program from the ground up at Morgan State.

Dr. Thomas Keyser, founding dean of Illinois State University's College of Engineering, shares his vision for the new college, set to launch with its first class of students in the fall of 2025. Keyser discusses his plans for educating "career ready" graduates and engaging with local industry leaders to provide College of Engineering students with invaluable real-world experience.

Keyser will begin his tenure at Illinois State on April 1, focused on bringing the University's newest academic college into being with three critical goals: workforce development, student success, and diversifying the engineering field. To learn more about the College of Engineering, visit IllinoisState.edu/College-Engineering.

David Kirk, M.S. '16, sat down with Redbird Buzz to discuss his role as the director of Redbird Esports at Illinois State University and the program's success. Kirk shares his approach to growing engagement with current and future Redbirds through four pillars of the program: competitive, club, casual, and career.

Author and educational consultant Dr. Mary Manz Simon ’69 joins Redbird Buzz to share her unique path from kindergarten teacher to children’s author and educational consultant for companies like Crayola, DreamWorks, Sony, and more. Simon shares what is truly important when it comes to passion, shaping the lives of children as educators, and how learning each day ourselves makes us a better person. She also gives a brief insight into her friendship with beloved television host Mr. Fred Rogers.

Illinois State women’s basketball assistant coach Katrina Beck ’19, M.S. ’21, joins Redbird Buzz to discuss her journey from Redbird player to coach. A four-year letterwinner and starter for the Illinois State women’s basketball team from 2015-2019, Beck is in her first season as a Redbird assistant coach.

Beck, who originally planned to pursue a career in broadcast journalism, talks about why she shifted her plans to focus on coaching. She also discusses playing for, and now, coaching alongside Redbird head coach Kristen Gillespie. And she offers her insight into the 2022-2023 season.

NBA sportscaster Katy Winge '15 reminisces about her days as a Redbird women's basketball player and busy student-athlete in this episode of Redbird Buzz. Winge reflects on how double-majoring in marketing and broadcast journalism, being a Division I athlete, and participating in extracurriculars set her up for career success.

Winge is currently a host, reporter, and analyst for Altitude TV and the NBA's Denver Nuggets. In her role, Winge gets to tell the story of Nuggets players and coaches while interacting with Nuggets fans on social media. Tune in to this episode of Redbird Buzz for more information on Winge's fast-paced life and how she got her start in sports journalism at Illinois State.