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Their current positions are even more varied than our programs. This is because each of us goes down a unique path. Each of us experiences different events and opportunities that shape us in unique ways. So although we have neither a law school nor a medical school within the College of Liberal Arts, nevertheless, we count lawyers and doctors among our graduates in Liberal Arts. Indeed, the variety of paths and professions chosen by our alumni speaks directly to the value of the liberal education in which we believe so deeply.
(Pictured Above: 2004 College of Liberal Arts Alumni Recognition Day)
2006 Distinguished Alumni Awards The Southern Illinois University Alumni Association recognized five prominent graduates as Distinguished Alumni during the University's homecoming activities Friday and Saturday, October 6 and 7. Their framed photos will become part of the University's Distinguished Alumni wall in the Student Recreation Center .Three of the recipients of the 2006 SIU Distinguished Alumni Award are graduates from the SIU College of Liberal Arts.
2005 Distinguished Alumni Awards
The Southern Illinois University Alumni Association recognized five prominent graduates as Distinguished Alumni during the University's homecoming activities Friday and Saturday, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Their framed photos will become part of the University's Distinguished Alumni wall in the Student Recreation Center .Three of the recipients of the 2005 SIU Distinguished Alumni Award are graduates from the SIU College of Liberal Arts.
Endowed Chairs & Professorships
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We're Proud of our Alumni!
His Excellency Hedayat Amin-Arsala was president of the General Assembly and later secretary-general of the SIU Model United Nations as an undergraduate. Today, he is deeply committed to his native country, serving as senior minister to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, with the majority of the cabinet ministers reporting to him. Amin-Arsala, devoted to serving his home country since 1987, initially joined the Afghan Interim Government as the minister of finance in the early 1990s. After serving a stint as vice chairman and minister of finance in 2001, Amin-Arsala was appointed vice president of Afghanistan in 2002. He served in this capacity over two years during the creation of this new government. Senior Minister Amin-Arsala formerly worked in the World Bank in various economic and senior operational positions between 1969 and 1987. Amin-Arsala earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from Southern in 1968 and 1969, respectively. He, and his wife, Betsy, also an SIUC graduate, are life members of the SIU Alumni Association.
Music is a way of life for Glen Daum. The Centralia native worked his way through SIUC by leading his own orchestra and performing as a pianist in others. He was the music director and arranger of the "Revue In Blue' variety shows and the chief arranger for the Marching Salukis. Since 1978, Daum has been a composer, arranger and producer in New York and has written music for commercials, television, films and recordings. His arrangements have been played by ensembles ranging from the Count Basie Orchestra to the Boston Pops Orchestra. His television credits include news programs ("ABC World News Tonight," "CNN Headline News" and "Face the Nation"), daytime dramas ("All My Children" and "General Hospital") and Turner Classic Movies. He also specializes in film and animation assignments, having won two Emmy Awards for his work on "Sesame Street," an acclaimed children's program. Daum's son and daughter both live in Los Angeles. Daum, who received his bachelor's and master's degrees in music from Southern in 1962 and 1964, respectively, is a member of the SIU Alumni Association.
Making a difference in the lives of others is a passion for Nancy Van Milligen. As the President/CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, Van Milligen strives to support and nurture happy and healthy families and children. She coordinates the resources of nonprofit organizations, businesses and volunteers to increase awareness of the importance of philanthropy and making the community a better place to live. Van Milligen's primary goal is serving the needs of children. Nancy, and her husband, Mike, a fellow SIUC graduate who is Dubuque's city manager, have five children of their own. The Van Milligens have also been foster parents for 14 children over nine years and host foreign exchange students. In Nancy's words, "Children are our future and we have a responsibility to raise them to be happy, healthy, and ethical citizens. Children learn what they live…kids need adults who are committed to them and can help shape their lives." Van Milligen has extensive community, state, and national leadership experience and has served on numerous boards and commissions statewide. Her service includes being past chair of the Iowa State Empowerment Board, which focuses on children, and past chair of the Iowa Council on Foundations. Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Van Milligen was the vice president of institutional advancement at Clarke College. Van Milligen received her bachelor's degree in political science from SIUC in 1977, and a master's in public affairs from the University in 1990.
Wade F. Horn has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to the well-being of children as a husband, father, child psychologist, college professor, public policy expert and federal official. Horn serves as assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Children and Families, a position for which he was nominated by President George W. Bush in 2001 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He oversees 65 social programs and a $46 billion annual budget. Horn plays a key role in implementing President Bush's initiatives to enhance the well-being of children, including efforts to increase the effectiveness of the Head Start program, promote positive youth development and encourage responsible fatherhood and healthy marriage. Horn formerly served as president of the National Fatherhood Initiative, whose mission is to increase the number of children growing up with responsible fathers in their lives. In addition to having published numerous articles, essays and books, Horn has served on the National Commission on Children, the National Commission on Childhood Disability and the U.S. Advisory Board on Welfare Indicators. He has previously served as a psychology professor at Michigan State University and George Washington University, and adjunct professor of public policy at Georgetown University. He earned a master's degree in psychology from SIUC in 1979 and a doctorate, also in psychology, in 1981. Horn and his wife, Claudia, are proud parents of two grown daughters, Christen and Caroline. 
David Lee Murphy, a premier country music recording artist, does not make a big fuss over his stardom. In a Southern Alumni magazine feature entitled "A Common Man," the Herrin native said: "I took many trips down I-24 to Nashville and came back too many times with my tail between my legs. You develop a strong sense of humility. I have always tried to keep things in perspective." After some initial struggles, his blue-collar approach paid off. Murphy's first album, Out With A Bang, included the hit songs, "Party Crowd," which was the most-played country music song of 1995, and "Dust On the Bottle," which became Murphy's first No. 1 single. Out With A Bang became the best-selling album by any new male artist in 1995, and was certified as a gold record by the RIAA. He was nominated by the Academy of Country Music as Top New Male Vocalist for 1996. Murphy's second album, Gettin' Out the Good Stuff, spawned the Top 5 singles "Every Time I Get Around You" and "The Road You Leave Behind," a song dedicated to his late father, Jack. The country music star has released four albums during the last 10 years. His most recent, Tryin' To Get There, features the hit single, "Loco", which climbed to No. 5 on the national country music charts and the title track which Murphy wrote with the late Waylon Jennings. Murphy wrote or co-wrote all the songs on his four albums. His compositions have also been recorded by superstar country artists Reba McEntire, Hank Williams, Jr., Brooks & Dunn, and Kenny Chesney to name a few. Murphy's first taste of Nashville came through a music business class at SIUC; he earned his bachelor's degree in speech communications in 1983. The class traveled to Nashville four times a semester, where Murphy says he made crucial connections in the industry. Murphy lives with his wife, Donna, and their three sons in Franklin, Tenn.
After earning a bachelor's degree in history in 1962 and a master's in history in 1964 from SIUC, Walter C. Rodgers enrolled at the University of Washington in Seattle to work on his doctorate in history and serve as a teaching assistant. He soon decided, however, to move to Washington, D.C., to "try to live some history instead of writing about it." Influenced by his stepfather's experiences as a longtime staff member at CBS, he began pursuing a career in broadcast news. Rodgers, who attained almost 40 years as a respected broadcast journalist, retired in September of 2005 as the senior international correspondent for CNN based in London. In London, he's covered the war against Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan, the buildup of U.S. military forces in Kuwait, and terrorist threats. Rodgers, named to his London post in September 2000, previously served as the CNN bureau chief in Jerusalem and ABC News bureau chief in Moscow. He covered major stories for CNN, including war in the former Yugoslavia. During his 12 years at ABC, Rodgers appeared regularly on ABC's World News Tonight. He witnessed combat in Lebanon in the 1980s. As the network's Moscow bureau chief and correspondent, he covered an array of stories originating from the Soviet Union, including programs instituted by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and the Soviet war in Afghanistan. In the U.S., Rodgers has covered U.S.-Soviet presidential summits, Iranian hostage stories, and Watergate court proceedings in 1974. He was a White House Correspondent for Associated Press Radio from 1974 to 1981, covering the Ford, Carter and Reagan Administrations. Rodgers has written a book, "Sleeping with Custer and the 7th Cavalry: An Embedded Reporter in Iraq," depicting his account of the war from the Kuwaiti border to the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. Rodgers and his wife, Eleanor, live in Vienna, Va.