Dr. Janice Spears served as a school administrator for 16 years and an elementary school teacher. She received UIS' Loyalty Award for Exceptional Alumni Service in 2010 for service that includes providing volunteer leadership to the CEHS Alumni Council and the UIS Alumni SAGE Society. Her endowed scholarship, the Gary E. and Janice M. Spears Scholarship provides support for any qualified UIS undergraduate with financial need. The scholarship honors Janice's husband Gary E. Spears who died in 2005. She says, “The education I received at UIS changed my life for the better, forever. I am delighted to have the opportunity to help students achieve their dreams and encourage other alumni to donate to a scholarship fund too.” She has a bachelor's and master's degree in English ('73 and '74) and a master's degree in Educational Administration ('81), all from UIS. Her doctorate is from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.