Each year, the NIU Alumni Association rewards the accomplishments of incredible alumni who have achieved outstanding professional and personal successes while pursuing civic, cultural or charitable activities.

"This group's remarkable accomplishments exemplify the spirit and excellence of our NIU community," said Reggie Bustinza, Executive Director of Operations and Alumni Engagement at the NIU Foundation. "Their dedication and leadership impact us all, and they stand as shining examples of what it means to be part of our Huskie alumni family."

The seven 2024 award winners embody many important characteristics that so many Huskies share, including integrity, innovation, empathy and grit.

•    Joan Bottarini, '93 (COB) – Distinguished Alumna Award
Joan Bottarini has been Hyatt’s chief financial officer since November 2018, leading the company's global finance function, including financial reporting, planning, treasury, tax, investor relations, internal audit, asset management and procurement. Bottarini is also the executive sponsor of the Hyatt HyPride Diversity Business Resource Group. During Bottarini’s 24-year Hyatt tenure, she has served as the company’s senior vice president, finance, Americas; vice president, hotel finance, Asia Pacific (Hong Kong); and vice president, strategic financial planning and analysis, Americas. Prior to joining Hyatt, Bottarini served as an assurance manager at KPMG LLP. As an alumna, she currently serves as co-chair on the NIU College of Business Dean’s Board of Executive Advisors. She also serves as a co-chair of the No Room for Trafficking Council of the American Hotel and Lodging Association Foundation and as an advisory board member of the Salt and Light Coalition in Chicago.

•    Eric J. Lindsay, '80 (CHHS) – F.R. Geigle Service Award 
Eric J. Lindsay is the principal owner and agent of Westside Insurance Agency, LLC., which he opened in 2015. Prior to establishing his own agency, Eric was the agency owner of the Eric J. Lindsay Agency of American Family Mutual Insurance Company. Lindsay has been heavily involved in his alma mater as a member of the Black Alumni Council and a fundraising ambassador. Developing a friendly fundraising competition with more than 20 Black organizations, he has been an important relationship builder between the university and its alumni. For the last three years of the alumni competition, these organizations have raised over $67,000 in total. As a student, Lindsay was part of the CHANCE program and a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He remains active as a member of the Evergreen Park Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, where he has served in many leadership positions. In addition to his philanthropic engagement with NIU, Lindsay is a member of the Young Men’s Educational Network Board of Directors and a deacon at Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago where he also serves on its Parking Ministry. He has supported the Neighborhood Housing Service as a board member, participated in Real Men Read and mentored high school males.

•    Tertia "Abby" Jeppson, '15, M.A. '17 (CHHS) – Outstanding Young Alumna Award
Tertia “Abby” Jeppson is a research speech-language pathologist who has been recognized for being an advocate and leader in the field of speech-language pathology early on in her career. She is involved in professional, civic, and volunteer organizations, in addition to serving as a co-leader of the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Action (I.D.E.A.) Council’s Health Equity Subcommittee at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, where she began working as a clinical fellow and speech-language pathologist (SLP) in 2018. Jeppson worked her way up to senior SLP in 2021 before transitioning to the Center for Aphasia Research and Treatment as a research SLP in 2022. She earned a graduate certificate in health disparities research from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2022 and quickly identified practical ways to translate her knowledge from the classroom to her organization. Since graduating, Jeppson has volunteered to speak to undergraduate students in courses and at student organizations’ events. Jeppson has been involved in research with and published an article in the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology with NIU associate professor Jamie Mayer. She has been the presenting author of oral presentations at several national conferences and symposiums in her field. 

•    Catherine Lang-Cline, '88 (CVPA) – Alumni Achievement in the Arts 
Catherine Lang-Cline is the award-winning CEO and entrepreneur of Portfolio Creative, a niche recruiting and staffing company exclusive to roles in marketing. Lang-Cline started Portfolio Creative after 15 years in marketing and seeing a need in the creative community. She has since received numerous awards, including “Most Admired CEO” from Columbus Business First for three consecutive years. Portfolio Creative was also recognized as an Inc 500/5000 Fastest-Growing Privately-Owned Company from 2010 to 2014. In addition to Portfolio Creative, she is the principal owner of Catherine Lang-Cline, LLC, where she helps business owners and leaders integrate their creative left brains more prominently into the fold. Lang-Cline is a recipient of the Deloitte Board Ready Women certification and has shared her expertise as a spokesperson for the American Staffing Association, advisory board member to the American Red Cross, and board member and president to the National Association of Women Business Owners – Columbus, where she worked to create better opportunities and connections for other women in business. With art always in her heart, she has also served on the board of the Greater Columbus Arts Council to help many community small businesses and solopreneurs.

•    Byoung-chul Min, M.S.Ed. '91, Ed.D. '98 (COE) – Alumni Achievement in Business and Industry 
Dr. Byoung-chul Min is the founder and chairman of the BCM Educational Group. Min started BCM in 1980, and he has grown the business from a publishing business to one of the largest language educational companies in Korea. Currently, BCM is most widely known for its flagship online English learning service called UPhone. As an endowed chair professor at Global MBA, Chung-Ang University, Min developed an AI - Metaverse Business Creativity course teaching students how to create their own business from the ground up using AI tools in the Metaverse and their own creativity. In addition to his work as a university professor, Min had his own English instructional TV programs on major Korean television networks for more than 10 years. He is also the founder and chairman of the Sunfull Movement, a non-profit international campaign that fights against cyber-bullying, hate speech and human rights violations on the internet. 

•    Charles Rice, '77 (CLAS) – Alumni Achievement in the Sciences
Charles Rice currently serves as distinguished university professor at Kansas State University, specializing in soil microbiology, carbon cycling, and climate change. Following his graduation from NIU, Rice earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in agronomy from the University of Kentucky. He joined the agronomy faculty at Kansas State in 1988. Rice was co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. His research has been supported by more than $90 million in grants from the USDA, U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, and others. Rice has advised more than 30 graduate students and has more than 100 publications. In addition to his research and teaching, he has been active with the Soil Science Society of America, where he served as president in 2011. He currently serves on the National Academies Board on Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Air Quality Task Force. Rice also chairs the Commission on Soils, Food Security and Public Health of the International Union of Soil Sciences, and is a Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.