University of Illinois | 150 Years & Beyond

Jeff Badu

2018 Lester McKeever Award

Chicago CPA

Jim Stone

Chair, Dept. of Astrophysical Sciences

Princeton University

Christine ‘LadyBee’ Kristen

Archivist, art collection manager

Burning Man Project

Jim Vermette

CEO, UI Alumni Association (1967-84)

Executive VP, Cozad Asset Management

Carolyn Primus

Founder, Avalon Biomed

Owns 13 patents

David Prosperi

Senior VP, communications

The Options Clearing Corp. (OCC)

Reilly O’Toole

Former Illini quarterback

No. 8 all-time in pass efficiency

Bayo Ojikutu

Award-winning author

‘47th Street Black,’ ‘Free Burning’

Tom Dowling

UI’s 10th Rhodes scholar

Lightfoot for Chicago advisor

Jerry Elliott

Portland law firm president

Elliott, Ostrander & Preston

Sarah Vargo

Artist, life coach, author

‘Life Is Your Party ... With A Little Pixie Dust’

Bryan Freres

Assistant U.S. attorney

Degrees in history, law

Alice B. McGinty

Children’s book author

Urbana Adult Ed instructor

Ed Perkins

Canada research chair in probability

University of British Columbia

Sarah Catt

Director of choral activities/assistant professor

Elmhurst College

Kim Vandenbroucke

Game inventor/developer

Brainy Chick Inc.

Karen Thole

Engineering professor, department head

Penn State

James Holzhauer

Professional sports gambler

Won $2,464,216 on 'Jeopardy!'

Bob Gibson

Associate judge

DuPage County

Warren Stippich

Partner

Grant Thornton LLP

Jeffrey Lieber

TV/film screenwriter/producer

‘Lost’ co-creator

Cheryl W. Thompson

NPR investigative reporter

Shared 2002 Pulitzer at Washington Post

Heather (Foley) Hiltzik

Digital content & PR manager

David Leadbetter Golf

Ed Krol

Internet Hall of Famer

‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Internet’ author