[MUSIC] >> Coming up on the impact report.

>> On the count of three, I want to hear some go.

Dawgs 123.

>> The Salukis take over Champaign, Illinois for a historic game against the Fighting Illini.

SIU Chancellor Austin Lane connects with alumni and nearly a thousand Salukis.

Attend the SIU Alumni Association tailgate.

Plus a philanthropic first, the Southern Illinois Builders Association establishes the first ever endowed professorship at the College of Engineering, computing, Technology and Mathematics.

More on how this impacts future students.

And this month in the lab.

>> Hey, I'm Jeff Gleim and I'm getting ready to take off with SIU aviation.

Come fly with me.

>> Now, wait a minute, Jeff.

Maybe we should take this one step at a time and try the simulator first.

Oh.

>> But first.

>> We're playing football in Carbondale.

We've got a great tailgate atmosphere in Carbondale.

We've got live music in Carbondale again.

You can't beat homecoming weekend at SIU.

>> The Marquee Saluki event of the fall season is almost here.

We'll have a breakdown of SIU homecoming fun and where to find it.

The impact report starts right now.

Hello and welcome to another exciting episode of the Impact Report brought to you from inside the Tedrick Welcome Center, home of the SIU Foundation at Southern Illinois University.

I'm your host, Anna Twomey.

We have so many incredible stories on the show today, starting with the excitement and anticipation ahead of homecoming weekend.

Thousands of Saluki will soon descend on Carbondale for a weekend filled with football tailgates, concerts, a parade, and so much more.

This year, Saluki are celebrating 75 years of the Saluki mascot.

The homecoming theme is decades of the dog.

SIU Foundation chief marketing Officer Britni Bateman is out at Saluki Rowe with an inside look at all the homecoming fun we can expect this year.

Britni.

>> Homecoming is going to be a blast.

The fun starts at the strip on Friday night.

Spreads all the way to Saluki Rowe over the weekend.

We are so excited to welcome all the alumni back on campus.

>> We've got a great group of 70s 80s 90s alums that love to come back to Carbondale.

>> SIU Alumni Association Executive Director Molly Hudgins is part of the SIU team leading homecoming planning.

This is the third year in a row she's worked with the city of Carbondale to shut down the strip for live music.

Last year, more than 8000 Saluki came out, and this year, Hudgins hopes for 10,000.

>> This is where I think we've really grown.

Homecoming.

We're going from having some local regional talent to huge national talent as well.

That national talent is the spin doctors.

Little miss, little miss can't be wrong.

>> For the first time this year, students are getting involved with live music on the strip.

Dillon Stem is the director of homecoming for the Student Programming Council.

Dillon and her team have spent months organizing a late night concert featuring songwriter and rapper Kyle.

In addition to many other events.

>> We organize all the homecoming events.

We organize the parade, homecoming royalty, any events that happen during the week, alumni and everybody should come out because not only do students make homecoming alumni makes homecoming as well.

Um, getting to see those different generations celebrating SIU homecoming with each other, it's just, it's a beautiful thing to see.

>> Dena Hahn with the City of Carbondale says the partnership between SIU and the city to shut down the strip creates an opportunity for local businesses to sell food, drinks and more.

>> You know, it really just highlights the best of everything.

It brings our culture.

It showcases the students that may be here for a short period of time, but knowing that once you're Saluki, you are always a Saluki, and Carbondale is a big part of that story as well.

>> Following a night of fun on the strip, the homecoming parade will happen Saturday morning, followed by tailgates and a Saluki football game that will be broadcast live on ESPN.

We hope you'll join us for what's going to be an incredible homecoming weekend.

For more information, you can visit homecoming.SIU.edu.

Reporting from Saluki ro.

I'm Britni Bateman.

>> Saluki are celebrating a historic increase in student enrollment this fall as the student population rises above 12,000 for the first time in eight years.

Fall semester 2026 enrollment grew to 12,066 students, representing a 2.4% increase over fall 2025.

Within the undergraduate student population, there was a 24% increase in students from Southern Illinois.

That's a reflection of a successful effort by SIU Chancellor Austin Lane and his admissions team to boost recruiting efforts locally by visiting dozens of Southern Illinois high schools every year.

Chancellor Lane also highlighted the SIU Foundation's Saluki takeover tour across the country as providing pathways for the enrollment team to recruit nationally.

This is big news for SIU.

We're so proud that students and supporters across the country are recognizing how transformative an SIU education can be.

Thank you to our alumni and donors, because your support is what makes this success possible.

>> It is truly a Saluki takeover.

So Champaign get out of the way.

Illinois.

I know we've got some Illinois folks in here, but they are Salukis at heart.

The Salukis are everywhere.

They're everywhere.

Right?

They're everywhere.

>> But Salukis take over Champaign, Illinois.

The SIU Foundation hosted its second takeover tour of the fall season, welcoming more than 175 SIU alumni and supporters for a chancellor's reception at the venue.

See you in downtown Champaign.

As part of this takeover tour stop, Chancellor Lane and his team also visited high schools in the area to recruit future Salukis at the Chancellor's reception.

SIU administrators had the chance to welcome high school seniors who have committed to attending SIUe Chancellor Lane highlighted SIU's Carnegie designation as both a research one and Opportunity University, a distinction given to only 21 universities in the entire country.

Alumni and supporters were glad for the opportunity to connect.

>> I am so happy we are here in Champaign.

You know, I grew up as a Fighting Illini and I come back and I'm just like, go dawgs!

I do not care what people think.

Southern Illinois is also my home.

>> Well, see, you changed the trajectory of our lives.

Uh, I came from a family that was a very good family.

Uh, didn't have a lot of money.

Uh, had an opportunity to not only play baseball to get my two degrees.

I cherish my times in Carbondale.

Uh, would never change anything that we did leading up to where we are today.

>> The football team was also in town for a historic showdown against the Illini.

The SIU Alumni Association hosted roughly a thousand alumni for an epic tailgate experience.

Ahead of the game, Saluki enjoyed food, drinks and had a really fun chance to cheer on the Dawgs.

The energy was electric.

The SIU Foundation will make two more takeover tour stops this fall in late October.

We're headed out to Chicago and in mid November we're headed to Texas.

We'd love to see you there.

Exact dates, times and locations can be found on our website.

SIUF.ORG.

Christy Solverson takeover.

>> We are proud to be women.

>> The fifth annual Saluki Women's Weekend, hosted inside the Tedrick Welcome Center, was a huge hit.

The event saw record breaking attendance with nearly 400 Saluki gathering to network and celebrate the groundbreaking achievements of fellow Saluki women.

The event this year included a special shout out to women in agriculture in honor of the International Year of the Woman Farmer.

Several major awards were given out during the conference, including woman of the year, which went to Judge Christy Solverson.

Judge Solverson is a two time Saluki who recently retired after serving on the bench for more than 20 years as a circuit judge and presiding judge of Jackson County.

>> I am one of those first gen Saluki, and my mom and dad worked hard so that my brother and I could have the opportunities that they did not have.

And SIU gave me the foundation that I needed to excel, and also provided me with the mentors to give me guidance and encouragement along the way.

I am so proud to accept this award.

I'm so proud to be a Saluki.

Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.

>> Judge Solverson inspires us all.

We're so proud of her success.

We had the chance to speak with several other Saluki women who attended the event and encouraged fellow Saluki women to get involved.

>> I am so excited to be back here to celebrate the impact that women have on every industry, and it's very near and dear to my heart this year that we're celebrating the International Year of the Woman Farmer.

>> I love connecting with other women, and just the amount of support here that people are giving, women are giving to each other and receiving.

It's just really inspiring.

And I'm really excited to see SIU growing again.

And we're the fruits.

>> Of the labor of what SIU Carbondale does for women.

And we we are paying it forward.

>> Saluki Women's Weekend was such a fun event.

Joining me on set now is Sherrica Hunt.

She's our chief diversity officer here at the Foundation and was the one who organized this event.

Thanks for coming on.

>> Thank you so much for having me, Anna.

>> I loved attending.

Was there a special moment during Saluki Women's weekend that stood out to you?

>> I would say the welcome reception.

We did something completely new this year.

We had Urban Line dancing and it was just a fun event, intergenerational.

So we had alumni, students and the community coming together, dancing, eating good food from Saint Nick's and just having a really great time.

So that was a good start of the weekend.

>> And I want to make sure we give Sherrica a special call out You were just named one of the 2026 Women to Know in Illinois, which is a very elite designation given out by a global media organization.

We're so proud to have you on our team.

What does it mean to you to get this designation?

>> It means to me just about the legacy of giving back.

And so, um, I'm just proud of where I came from and the women and the mentors who have poured into me that allows me to do the work that I do now.

So to be honored is really great, but I hope to be an inspiration to other women, to do whatever their hearts desire for them.

>> Well, I can say you definitely are.

You inspire us every day.

Thank you.

Thanks for coming on and thanks for all you do.

>> Thank you.

>> So to me, the.

>> Gower SympoSIUm is a way for us to all kind of show off our research to the Gowers and all the support that they've provided to SIU.

So all the grad students, we get a chance to kind of present what we're working on.

>> 20 years of insightful science, innovation and Discovery SIU Gower Research Award SympoSIUm celebrates its 20th anniversary this year honoring both current and past Gower fellows.

The Gower fellowship is made possible by doctor Bob and Beth Gower to Saluki, who met on campus and have given back to SIU for decades.

The Gower Translational Research Center is named in their honor.

The Gower fellowship is a very competitive award given to 2 or 3 graduate students in the chemistry or biomolecular fields each year.

It provides full support for summer research and a monetary award.

Since its creation in 2006, the Gower fellowship has supported more than 50 PhD candidates.

Several past honorees attended the research sympoSIUm held on campus in late September.

They had the chance to learn about the research current fellows are working on, and reflect on the impact the Gower family has had on their careers.

>> My experience here at SIU, especially with the Gower fellowship.

Help me become a trailblazer in the field.

The fellowship allowed me to conduct my own research and Gary Kinsey's lab and essentially, you know, start something new that nobody's done before.

And that is translated into Alzheimer's diagnostics, where there wasn't many, many much research out there before.

>> Several members of the Gower family were able to return to campus for this 20th anniversary.

It was wonderful to have them back, and we're so grateful for their continued support of research at SIU.

A historic gift to the College of Engineering, Computing, Technology and Mathematics will provide permanent support for recruiting and retaining top tier faculty.

The Southern Illinois Builders Association and the Southern Illinois Construction Advancement Program have donated $500,000 to establish the first ever endowed professorship at the College of Engineering, Computing, Technology and Mathematics.

Both organizations have been valued SIU partners for years, supporting students, staff, faculty and programs.

Leaders at the Southern Illinois Builders Association say many of their clients hire Saluki and consider SIU a crucial talent pipeline.

A huge thank you to the Southern Illinois Builders Association and the Southern Illinois Construction Advancement Program.

Their belief in SIU will have a permanent impact on current and future Saluki.

This major gift announcement happened during the week of philanthropy, a new initiative launched by the SIU Foundation that includes an annual day of giving to the University.

The SIU Credit Union kicked off the Day of Giving with a $35,000 gift that will support new student programs and the Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center.

This year, the theme was Paint the Map maroon.

Our goal was to receive a donation from at least one Saluki supporter in every state, and we made it happen.

Chancellor Lane thanked supporters during a celebratory event at the end of the week.

>> This is the start of my seventh year, and I will tell you that I can feel the momentum year after year after year.

Everything that you give, you can bet that we are good stewards of the financial resources of this institution, and that you give us to go out and recruit or support students.

>> As part of the Week of Philanthropy celebration, students stop by the Tedrick Welcome Center to write postcards thanking donors for their generosity.

All of the students who wrote postcards were SIU Foundation scholarship recipients.

We had the chance to ask them about the impact that that financial assistance has had on their education.

>> Without your donations, I wouldn't be able to be standing here doing what I'm doing, and just knowing that you're able to thank somebody else by just even writing a postcard to send them at Christmas or something like that, It's special.

It really is.

>> A huge thank you to all of the Salukis who stepped up and supported the future at SIU.

Your belief in SIU inspires us and motivates us to push for the best.

You can learn more about the week of philanthropy by heading over to SIUF.ORG dot org.

Coming up.

>> Bring the throttle back.

[MUSIC] >> SIU Foundation Chief Operating Officer Jeff Gleim is winging it with Saluki pilots discovering what makes our students and flight instructors at the School of Aviation the best in the nation.

Stay tuned.

[MUSIC] Welcome back and thanks for watching the Impact Report.

SIU School of Aviation is home to a nationally recognized comprehensive aviation program with multiple degree programs, a state of the art industry facility, and more than 600 students.

Earlier this year, the School of Aviation's Collegiate Competition Team captured its 10th national title, taking the top spot at the 2026 National Collegiate Aviation Championship.

The School of Aviation is based at the Southern Illinois Airport inside the Glenn Poshard Transportation Education Center.

We wanted to learn more about the training that makes Saluki Pilots national champions.

SIU Foundation Chief Operating Officer Jeff Gleim heads into the lab to find out.

>> I'm out here at Southern Illinois Airport, home of the Flying Salukis, ten time national champs.

With me is Dean Bob Morgan from College of Health and Human Sciences.

Also with me is Brian Harrison, director of School of Aviation.

All right, Bob, you hear me say ten time national champion.

You and I are sports guys, but ten time national champion, you don't.

What does that mean to you?

>> You know, when I when I got here, we had consistently finished in the top five.

And I was like, we got to we got to make that next step.

And I tell you what, the team came together, the coaches pulled together and they pulled out not just a victory.

We blew them out.

It's putting our money where our mouth is.

We have the championship banner that's going to go up right over here.

And students, prospective students will walk in and see that and know that we're not just in the game, we're winning the game.

>> But the flying Saluki just like our aviation programs that have been going on for over 60 years, we've been trained mechanics, pilots and aviation managers.

We're just built on our past and our alumni, on our outreach and staying current with modern technology.

>> Can I fly an airplane?

>> Well, maybe we should start with the Sims.

>> SIM.

Okay, so you're going to show me what flying an airplane is like, right?

All right, let's go see if I can do it.

>> So this is a Frasca 141 true flight.

And this represents a Cessna 172 S model.

So the same type of airplane we'd be flying outdoors.

>> So when would a student actually get to do what I'm about to do.

>> So to fly an airplane, we like to have them flying within 2 to 3 weeks of starting the program.

>> I feel like I'm that person now.

So what are we what are we going to do?

>> So what we're going to do is we're going to take off here.

I've got a setup to where we're on runway one eight right at Carbondale.

And we're going to simulate that.

We'll climb to maybe 2 or 3000ft, do a couple turns, get you a little bit comfortable with the airplane, and then we'll come back and try to land.

>> Okay.

>> And now start easing that nose back a little bit.

So pull it back a little bit, a little bit more.

And there you go.

Try to hold it like that.

That's a little much.

Let's lower that nose some or it's going to start squirting honking at us.

So unlike a car just because you're in a turn and you hold the control level, it doesn't mean you're going to stop turning.

You got to kind of direct which way you want it to go.

So I'm going to lower the nose.

We'll bring the throttle back.

This also has autopilot.

Did I mention that?

>> Now you tell.

>> Me.

All right.

So maybe flying isn't for you.

But I want to introduce you to someone else here.

This is Elliott Benton, our air traffic control.

>> Definitely.

Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet.

>> You.

And this is the air traffic control simulator.

>> So this is your your chance here.

You get to tell pilots where to go, and everyone has to listen to you.

And if they don't listen to you, it's under penalty of law.

Oh, you got terminals, you got the main ramp, you got like fbos where private planes go out.

So we'll put you in a headset.

The other thing is, so you are the king of the airfield now.

Oh, so you have to wear the crown so everyone knows that you're in charge.

>> Ground control to major Tom.

All right.

Yeah yeah yeah.

Good good good good.

Get Jeff one.

Proceed two eight right taxi via India, India Alpha.

>> Jeff 128, right.

Taxi via India Alpha.

>> My hands are sweating.

I think I can feel my heart just just pounding.

>> Like if you feel nervous, the pilot's gonna know you feel nervous.

So you just fake confidence out until you actually get it.

>> Well, I tell you, this was incredible.

>> I'm so happy you're here.

>> I know we just tip of the iceberg here with this, but Elliot, thank you so much.

Thank you.

>> Appreciate it.

Yeah, it was great meeting you.

>> I'm still feeling a little queasy from the landing and getting past the fact that I crashed this, uh.

But what an education these kids are getting.

>> Yeah, well, I'm very grateful for you coming out here, showcasing this program, letting the community know what CEO aviation has to offer.

>> Well, thank you.

And, uh, back to you in the studio, Anna.

[MUSIC] >> Welcome back and we hope you're enjoying the show.

This fall season is an exciting time for Saluki Athletics with multiple opportunities to celebrate Saluki athletic excellence.

The homecoming football game this year will be broadcast on ESPN, and the Salukis will honor legendary teams of decades past in football, baseball, softball and basketball.

SIU Foundation CEO Matt Kupec is in our East lobby studio with Athletics Director Tim Leonard to break it all down.

>> Thank you Anna, and we are so excited to have with us today our Director of Athletics, Tim Leonard.

Great things are going on with Saluki Athletics.

And Tim, let's talk about we got a big game coming up.

ESPN is going to be here.

Tell us about it.

>> Yeah.

Well, homecoming this year, ESPN singled out some of the best games in the Missouri Valley Conference, and they felt like the Illinois State game at SIU is going to be one of the the bigger games, not just in our league, but nationally.

And so we're going to have a national TV audience for that.

And what an opportunity to showcase our whole university as well as the entire region down here.

So we're really looking forward to it and hope that we have a great crowd in the stadium to really show off what Saluki spirit is all about.

>> I think Alabama is playing Tennessee.

Penn State's playing Indiana.

Games like that and the Salukis are playing Illinois State.

>> Yeah.

And those are the secondary games right there featuring, uh, Illinois State at SIU.

But no, it's it's I think it says a lot for our program where we're at.

>> Yeah.

It's just I think it's also an example of the great reputation and history of Saluki athletics.

And this year we're doing a lot to celebrate, a lot of great success over the years, aren't we?

>> Yeah, it's just kind of funny how that that worked out.

We're looking at it as 2027, and then you start looking at some of these things, right?

We've got the 1976 football team that's, uh, celebrating an anniversary and some of the success they've done.

But then you look at the 196667NIT basketball team that is so historic around here.

You've got the 19761977 basketball team, which was the first ever to win a Missouri Valley championship.

Um, and go on to play in a sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament.

Uh, you look at the, uh, what is it, 2006 2007 men's basketball team that also had a valid championship and played in the NCAA tournament.

The women's teams and was 8687.

A great run and NCAA appearances.

So, um, a 1977 baseball team that that appeared in the College World Series.

I mean, so many important milestones and anniversaries that we get to celebrate this year.

So it's, it's a lot of fun.

>> So many memories come back.

You and I watched a lot of those games knew about them.

So it's got to be a great honor for you to be director of athletics here.

The program is storied.

SIU.

>> Absolutely.

And I say that all the time.

It's an awesome responsibility to be the ad here because of the tradition and the responsibility.

And you feel that weight every day because you know how much the Salukis mean to the people of Southern Illinois, but also to the alums.

>> Great, great coaches, great student athletes.

You know, we're here in the front porch of the University of Tedrick Welcome Center.

But athletics is often considered the front porch, isn't it?

>> Yeah, it's just such a great way to engage the community.

I mean, there's just a few other things that you can do in American culture, like you have on a college campus on a football Saturday or at a basketball game.

Right?

I mean, it's just such a big part of our culture.

>> Well, we're glad you're leading the program, excited about where we are, where we're going.

I know we need another interview to talk about all the exciting initiatives you have in store.

But thank you, Tim, for joining us today.

Great job.

>> Yeah.

>> Thank you.

Good luck for the whole year.

>> Thank you.

Thanks for having me.

>> Go, dawgs.

Go, dawgs.

Anna will take it back to you.

>> Thanks, Matt.

I love hearing about all the awesome things going on at Saluki Athletics and think it's so special to see some of our legendary athletes be recognized.

We'll be right back after this short break.

>> Southern Illinois University has a rich history and much more Renowned for cutting edge research, ranking among the top 4% in the country.

Saluki has achieved pride and glory competing at the highest level.

World famous alumni across the globe united in our mission with unstoppable momentum igniting a bright future.

This is a university ascending.

We are southern.

>> Welcome back.

This year, SIU is celebrating 75 years of having the Saluki as our official mascot.

Gray Dog and Brown Dog have taken many forms over the decades, and the team over at Morse Library Special Collections has archived each and every phase in honor of this big anniversary.

We thought we'd share more about how SIU became the Salukis.

Students voted for the Saluki as the team mascot back in 1951.

Prior to that, SIU teams were known as the Maroons.

According to the daily, Egyptian students voted for the Saluki mascot, with an overwhelming majority winning over other options that included the rebels or the Knights.

Staff with SIU Athletics eventually purchased the university's first real Saluki mascot, King Tut.

Several different departments cared for King Tut, and he was often the star attraction at McAndrew Stadium.

The Saluki is an Egyptian hunting dog, and many felt it was a fitting symbol for the southern Illinois region, often referred to as Little Egypt.

Thank you for watching the impact report hosted inside the Tedrick Welcome Center.

You can find all the stories we covered and more at SIUF.ORG.

We'll air a new report once a month and if you miss it, you can find it on the SIU Foundation's YouTube channel.

Take care and we'll see you next month.

Go, dawgs!

[MUSIC]