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Southern Illinois University System President Dan Mahony, PhD, will make his permanent work space and home in Springfield, where he will be near the Illinois State Capitol and the SIU School of Medicine. However, in order to better understand and have first-hand experiences of the Carbondale and Edwardsville campuses, Mahony has chosen first to live and work at each location. 

Mahony arrived on the Edwardsville campus in January, after previously working and living in Carbondale. He will move to Springfield in May. 

“It was during the second round of interviews, where we came and visited campuses, that I had the idea to work at both Carbondale and Edwardsville,” explained Mahony. “I realized that Springfield was the best place for me to be on a permanent basis, but I was concerned that if I went there right away, I wouldn’t have the chance to connect and understand the campuses.” 

Also, being on campus would afford the former sport management professor the ability to do what he loves – teach. Mahony is currently co-teaching the course, “History and Current Issues in College Athletics” with SIUE School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB) Dean Robin Hughes, PhD. While on the Carbondale campus, he taught a similar course in the Honors program with Bobbi Knapp, PhD, that was open to students on both campuses. 

When he’s not teaching, Mahony takes opportunities to interact with others as much as possible. “One of the nice things about being on the Edwardsville campus is being in Rendleman,” he acknowledged. “I’m in the center of everything. I can go to the Morris University Center anytime, and I do so almost every day. Occasionally, I wander around and stop in someone’s office. Seeing people in person is much better than talking to them on Zoom.” 

After getting to better know the campus and the University community, Mahony lists a few of SIUE’s strengths:

• The faculty are extremely dedicated to undergraduate students. “SIUE offers an excellent undergraduate education. If my children went here, I’d feel good about them getting an undergraduate degree from SIUE.”
• The professional programs (the Schools of Dental Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy, and the allied healthcare areas) are exceptional.
• Being close to St. Louis and the SIUE East St. Louis Center provides students with a wealth of opportunities to learn, conduct outreach projects and have an impact on the community. 

“During the next several weeks, I will be touring different professional schools at SIUE,” said Mahony. “Before COVID, we did a brief, partial tour of the Edwardsville campus. I also toured the East St. Louis Center and the SIU School of Dental Medicine in Alton in the fall. Still, I haven’t seen what normal looks like on either the Edwardsville or the Carbondale campus.” 

In learning more about the various elements that make up the SIU System, Mahony is first and foremost working on ways to make the whole better and stronger. In doing so, he has organized a systemwide strategic planning process and committee. Some of the committee’s concerns include:

• How to create efficiencies and capitalize on strengths
• How to take advantage of collaborations
• How to better impact the community
• How to use collaborations to provide more educational opportunities for students
• How to work together to address anti-racism and systemic racism 

“Edwardsville and Carbondale have beautiful campuses, with great chancellors and dedicated faculty and staff,” Mahony appraised. “I’m excited about our future and what we can all accomplish together.”

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Southern Illinois University System President Dan Mahony, PhD.