As families flocked to the Illinois State Fair for deep-fried delicacies and dizzying rides, an essential team worked quietly behind the scenes to ensure their safety.

As families flocked to the Illinois State Fair for deep-fried delicacies and dizzying rides, an essential team worked quietly behind the scenes to ensure their safety.

As families flocked to the Illinois State Fair for deep-fried delicacies and dizzying rides, an essential team worked quietly behind the scenes to ensure their safety.

As families flocked to the Illinois State Fair for deep-fried delicacies and dizzying rides, an essential team worked quietly behind the scenes to ensure their safety.

2025 Adams, K. (April 2025). Factors Associated with Failure of Response to Acetaminophen Therapy in Preterm Infant with PDA. 35th Annual Trainee Research Symposium. Springfield, IL: SIU School of Medicine. Alarouri, D. (April 2025). Neonatal Parotitis Following Maternal Mastitis: An Overlooked Transmission Pathway. 35th Annual Trainee Research Symposium . Springfield, IL: SIU School of Medicine. Fix, K., Combs, B., & Woods, K. (April 2025). Implementation of PICU Delirium Scoring. Graduate Medical Education (GME) Quality Improvement Symposium and Competition 2025 . Springfield, IL: SIU School

When Mandy Hagen stepped onstage to accept the Rising Star Award in addiction services, it marked a full-circle moment. Once unsure whether she deserved a seat at the table, today she’s leading recovery efforts across four counties in southern Illinois and inspiring others to find their way forward.

When Mandy Hagen stepped onstage to accept the Rising Star Award in addiction services, it marked a full-circle moment. Once unsure whether she deserved a seat at the table, today she’s leading recovery efforts across four counties in southern Illinois and inspiring others to find their way forward.

When Mandy Hagen stepped onstage to accept the Rising Star Award in addiction services, it marked a full-circle moment. Once unsure whether she deserved a seat at the table, today she’s leading recovery efforts across four counties in southern Illinois and inspiring others to find their way forward.

For Annie Kowalis DMSc, PA-C, the path to becoming a physician assistant began in childhood. The daughter of first-generation immigrants, she spent countless hours in medical offices acting as a translator for her family. “It was evident to me at a young age that medical professionals embodied a skillful balance of compassion, confidence, brilliance, and courage,” she recalls. That early experience set the foundation for a lifelong commitment to medicine and patient care. As a 2024 graduate of the SIU Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) program, Dr. Kowalis brings her extensive clinical