The University of Illinois Springfield will present its 2025 alumni and service awards during the annual Alumni Gala at the Student Union on Feb. 21. The event will recognize four distinguished individuals for their professional achievements, service to the university and contributions to society.

The 2025 Alumni Achievement Award, honoring outstanding success and distinction in one’s profession or life’s work, will be presented to former U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos. A graduate of the Public Affairs Reporting program, Bustos will be recognized as the first UIS graduate to serve in the U.S. Congress. Representing Illinois’ 17th Congressional District from 2013 to 2023, she was the first woman elected to Congress from her district and served in House leadership for most of her tenure. Bustos was a member of the influential Appropriations Committee, including its Defense, Energy and Water and Health and Human Services subcommittees.

Before her time in Congress, Bustos was an award-winning journalist for nearly two decades and later served as vice president of corporate communications for UnityPoint Health. She is now a partner and co-chair at Mercury, a public strategy firm, and leads the firm’s Illinois operations. Bustos also completed the Illinois Legislative Staff Internship Program (ILSIP), is a member of the ILSIP Hall of Fame and has held fellowship positions at Harvard Kennedy School and the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics. She and her husband, Gerry, a former sheriff, have three sons and three grandchildren.

The 2025 Distinguished Service Award, recognizing extraordinary service to the University of Illinois, will be awarded to Professor Emeritus Charles N. Wheeler III. Wheeler, who led the Public Affairs Reporting program for over 26 years, will be celebrated for mentoring more than 500 students who have gone on to distinguished careers in journalism, including Pulitzer and Emmy Award winners. A prominent figure in Illinois politics and journalism, Wheeler served 16 consecutive terms as president of the Illinois Legislative Correspondents Association and is a member of The Lincoln League of Journalists, an Associated Press honor.

The 2025 Alumni Humanitarian Award, recognizing significant contributions in leadership or service that improve or enrich the lives of others, will be presented to Julie Pryde, administrator of the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. A UIS Master of Public Health graduate, Pryde is a leader in public health, grant writing and research, with a career dedicated to improving community health and welfare. Her education includes degrees from all three University of Illinois campuses. She is a Certified Public Health Administrator and a former member of the Illinois State Board of Health.

The inaugural UIS Rising Star Alumni Award, recognizing young alumni for innovation and early career success, will be awarded to Molly Berendt, a 2019 Master of Public Administration graduate. Berendt is the founder and CEO of Compass for Kids, a nonprofit organization providing academic and social-emotional support to underserved youth in Springfield. Under her leadership, the organization has expanded its programs, serving over 1,000 K-12 students annually. Berendt has received numerous awards, including recognition as a “Forty Under 40” honoree by the Springfield Business Journal.

Registration for the gala is underway. The event will include live music, a photo booth, dinner and the presentation of awards. Alumni can register online.