August 26, 2026
SIU Alumni Association to honor 2026 distinguished alumni Sept. 11
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The SIU Alumni Association will honor six Southern Illinois University Carbondale alumni at ceremonies next month for achievements that advanced scientific research, entrepreneurship, public health, documentary filmmaking and alumni engagement.
They will each be honored during the association’s 2026 Distinguished Alumni Awards at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, in Morris Library’s John C. Guyon Auditorium. Doors open at 3 p.m. A reception will follow in the Hall of Chancellors and Presidents.
The Distinguished Alumni Awards are the highest honors presented by the SIU Alumni Association. The annual awards recognize alumni whose professional accomplishments, leadership and service reflect the values of SIU Carbondale and its alumni community, as well as demonstrate significant impact.
“Our Distinguished Alumni Award recipients demonstrate the many ways an SIU education can shape lives, strengthen communities and make a difference around the world,” said Molly Hudgins, executive director of the SIU Alumni Association. “They're advancing medical research, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs, telling stories that inspire global audiences, or volunteering their time to support a university program. Each of these alumni represents the very best of what it means to be a Saluki. We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments and the impacts they’ve made.”
Nominations are solicited from fellow alumni, colleagues and community members, and those chosen are selected by a committee of members on the association’s national board of directors. Awards will be presented for Distinguished Alumni, Innovation, Young Alumni Achievement, Diversity and Inclusion, Volunteer Service and Saluki Spirit categories.
Through the years, the association has recognized hundreds of alumni whose professional achievements, personal integrity and community service reflect the best of former SIU Carbondale students.
Honorees and their awards are:
Catherine Roe (Distinguished Alumni)
Roe, who earned a master’s and Ph.D in psychology in 1990 and 1992, respectively, built a distinguished career researching Alzheimer's disease, with a particular focus on detecting the disease before symptoms of memory loss and cognitive decline appear. She earned her doctorate studying clinical and experimental psychology with an emphasis on learning, memory and cognition, before spending more than 21 years in the departments of neurology and biostatistics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
At Washington University, Roe studied biomarkers — measurable biological indicators that can reveal the presence of Alzheimer's disease in the brain and body. Her research focused particularly on preclinical Alzheimer's, a stage in which biological evidence of the disease is present even though an individual has not yet developed noticeable problems with memory, thinking or everyday cognitive function.
A major focus of Roe's research examined whether changes in driving behavior could provide early clues to the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Her research team installed monitoring equipment in the vehicles of more than 350 participants, allowing researchers to continuously study how cognitively healthy individuals drove their own vehicles during their normal daily routines. The research found that subtle changes in everyday driving behavior could indicate the presence of preclinical Alzheimer's disease and help predict which participants would later develop symptoms. The findings offered researchers another potential way to recognize the progression of Alzheimer's before traditional symptoms become apparent.
She has published more than 125 peer-reviewed scientific articles and received numerous federal and foundation grants supporting her research. She has served on scientific editorial boards and reviewed research for more than 40 journals, including JAMA, Neurology and Nature Aging.
Roe is co-inventor of Assessing Dementia 8 (AD8) — a brief screening tool widely used around the world that is designed to identify early changes in memory, orientation, judgment and everyday functioning associated with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. Roe has also worked as a research manager for Express Scripts and director of research at Masters and Johnson.
Renée J. Johnson (Innovation Award)
Johnson, who earned a degree in political science and government in 2019, is a nationally recognized leader in entrepreneurial ecosystem development — whose career has focused on expanding opportunity for small businesses, particularly women and underserved entrepreneurs. She has spent more than two decades bridging public policy, nonprofit leadership and national strategy to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems and drive inclusive economic growth.
Johnson is vice president of ecosystems and strategic partnerships for the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, the nation's leading organization dedicated to advancing economic opportunity for small and microbusinesses. She develops national strategies that connect entrepreneurs with capital, policymakers and support organizations while strengthening opportunities for rural, veteran and underserved business owners.
Johnson began her career on Capitol Hill and in government, serving with members of Illinois’ congressional delegation — including Sens. Richard J. “Dick” Durbin and Roland Burris and Rep. Bobby Rush — and later with Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. She later served as national training director for former First Lady Michelle Obama's “The United State of Women,” where she designed and led the Galvanize Program. The initiative provided leadership, entrepreneurship and civic engagement training to more than 10,000 women across 10 states, equipping them with the skills and networks needed to lead in business, public service and their communities.
She remains committed to mentoring future leaders through civic engagement and board service, including her role with The Campaign School at Yale Law School.
Heather Tillewein (Young Alumni Achievement)
Tillewein is an assistant professor of public health at Austin Peay State University. She earned her doctorate in health education in 2019.
Tillewein’s research focuses on sexual and reproductive health, LGBTQ+ health disparities, sexual violence prevention, substance use and rural health inequities. Her work has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Archives of Sexual Behavior, Journal of Homosexuality, American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse and AIDS Care.
In 2025, Tillewein received the Outstanding Theoretical Paper Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality for her research on sexual violence and revictimization among rural LGBTQ+ communities. In 2024, she was honored with the Ayman El-Mohandes Young Professional Public Health Innovation Award from the American Public Health Association. She has been recognized as a 40 Under 40 Public Health Catalyst Award recipient and named a Health Innovator to Watch by the Boston Congress of Public Health.
Tillewein has led and contributed to several significant public health initiatives. As principal investigator on a $375,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Health, she led healthcare-associated infection data validation efforts while supervising and training six student researchers in CDC-aligned protocols. She has served as project leader on an NIH/NIDA supplement focused on transgender engagement in rural harm reduction initiatives.
Hilla Medalia (Diversity and Inclusion)
Medalia is an internationally acclaimed Israeli contemporary documentary filmmaker, producer and writer whose award-winning films have brought global attention to stories of conflict, resilience and the human experience. A 2001 radio and television graduate, Medalia earned a master’s degree in professional media practice in 2004, where she transformed a student thesis project into her first feature-length documentary, “To Die in Jerusalem.” The film premiered at the Jerusalem Film Festival, aired on HBO and marked the beginning of a distinguished international documentary filmmaking career.
Medalia is one of Israel's most respected documentary filmmakers. Her work has been featured by HBO, Netflix, PBS, BBC, ARTE and other major broadcasters, while screening at premier film festivals including Sundance, Tribeca, Toronto, Hot Docs, IDFA and the Cannes Film Festival. Through her films, she explores complex issues ranging from war and peace to identity, justice, and human rights, always centering the personal stories that illuminate larger global events.
Her recent documentary credits include six Oscar-nominated films, including the 2026 Academy Award nominee “Children No More: Were and Are Gone,” in addition to numerous international honors and a Peabody Award and six Emmy Award nominations. She often credits her time at SIU as a pivotal step in her development as a filmmaker.
The university's emphasis on independent storytelling and documentary filmmaking provided the creative foundation that launched a career spanning more than two decades. Through Medalia Productions, she continues to create films that foster dialogue, challenge assumptions, and demonstrate the power of documentary storytelling to connect people across cultures and perspectives.
Leslie (Tepin) Patterson (Volunteer Service)
Patterson graduated in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. During her time at SIU, she gained valuable hands-on experience as a staff member of the Daily Egyptian, the university’s student-run newspaper, developing the writing, editing and storytelling skills that have shaped her professional career.
For more than two decades, Patterson has built a successful career in copy editing and proofreading, helping organizations communicate clearly and effectively through marketing, advertising and public relations materials. Her professional experience spans a variety of industries, including agriculture, architecture and higher education. As the owner of a freelance editorial business, she partners with advertising agencies, marketing professionals, and organizations to provide expert copy editing and proofreading services that strengthen their messaging and ensure polished, professional communications.
Patterson’s passion for SIU and commitment to supporting students have been a defining part of her service to the university community. In 2004, she joined the association’s St. Louis chapter, where she quickly became an active and dedicated volunteer. She helped launch the chapter’s annual Trivia Night fundraiser — an event that has become a signature gathering for St. Louis-area Salukis — and played an instrumental role in establishing the chapter’s scholarship program. The St. Louis Chapter Scholarship recently reached its endowment goal, creating a lasting legacy of support for future generations of SIU students.
Beyond her professional and alumni service, Patterson is dedicated to her local community. She volunteers at her daughter’s school, serving on the school board and supporting a variety of fundraising initiatives throughout the year.
Danny "Red Dog" Abbott (Saluki Spirit)
Abbott is a proud 2001 Saluki alumnus whose years of unwavering support for Saluki baseball have made him one of the most recognizable and beloved figures at Itchy Jones Stadium. A fixture on “The Hill” since the early 2010s, Abbott, along with the rest of The Hill Gang, has transformed baseball games into a tradition that embodies the spirit of Saluki pride, hospitality and community.
As one of The Hill Gang’s founding members, Abbott has helped cultivate one of the most distinctive fan experiences in college baseball. The group is composed of devoted alumni and community supporters who gather in a green space just outside the third base line at every home game where the aroma of charcoal grill fills the air — along with the ringing of the gang’s bell. Abbott and the group are equally supportive of all Saluki athletics programs and are regularly in the stands or bleachers at both home and away football and basketball games. The group's philosophy has always been simple: support the players, grow the fan base, and preserve one of SIU Athletics' most cherished traditions.
Abbott is especially well known for serving complimentary hot dogs to fellow Saluki fans, students, visiting families and anyone who stops by to share in the experience. His generosity has created countless friendships among alumni, current students, parents of players and opposing fans alike, turning strangers into members of the extended Saluki family. Parents have often remarked that Abbott makes them feel at home.
Abbott's welcoming personality and steadfast enthusiasm began all the way back in his high school days in Carbondale, when he was known as “Footwork” for his center court dances during halftime. He has been an enthusiastic ambassador for Saluki baseball and all athletics for decades. His volunteerism and generosity exemplify what it means to foster the Saluki spirit.