‘I found everything at Illinois.’

Before social media, before podcasts, before streaming television — it was 1993, and Eboo Patel was a freshman hoping to find his way while living on West Gregory Drive in Allen Hall.

And that made all the difference.

The eclectic, diverse residence hall community became a rich environment where Patel (BA, ’96, sociology) could debate the issues of the day or learn from others with different identities and ideologies.

The James Scholar completed four independent studies with professors, served as an RA, and led a volunteer organization on his way to graduating with his bachelor’s degree in three years.

“I just loved the fact that so many of the faculty in the Department of Sociology and beyond were open to one-on-one work with a student, even at a large university,” Patel said.

“I found everything at Illinois,” he added, “and I really want to say that loud and proud. I found a place where I got the big school environment, whether that’s from sports, diversity, or big concerts, but I also got a lot of personal attention from faculty and staff who care. All that has played a significant role in the work that I do now.”

Today, Patel is a civic leader who believes religious diversity is an essential and inspiring dimension of American democracy. In 2002, he founded the organization Interfaith Youth Core followed in 2022 by the founding of Interfaith America, which is based on the idea “that religion should be a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division.” Since then, Patel has partnered with governments, non-profit organizations, colleges, and other groups to promote dialogue and cooperation among different faiths and communities. In recent years, Patel and the organization have launched initiatives in the areas of public health, technology, media, policy, and racial equity.

For this work, he was named as the honoree for the 2024 LAS Alumni Humanitarian Award, given to alumni whose outstanding leadership or service significantly improve the lives of others.

“Receiving the recognition is very meaningful to me, because of the role that the college and LAS played in my own life,” he said. “I visit Illinois once or twice every year. I like to pay my respects to the College of LAS and peek into Lincoln Hall and where the sociology lectures were held.”

Back in 1993, Patel had an interest in the patterns of people’s lives, so sociology seemed like a great fit for his undergraduate studies.

“I was very interested in the institutions of our society,” he explained. “I’m interested in what holds a society together and what tears it apart. I’m interested in issues of identity and diversity. Those are all questions that sociology majors focus on.”

At Illinois, Patel learned about Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement and spent time volunteering at the Catholic Worker House. Through volunteer programs at the university, Patel connected with a variety of faith-based groups, including the Salvation Army and the Men’s Emergency Shelter.

“I very much learned about the connection between religious identity and social action when I was at the University of Illinois,” he explained.

“I became interested in identity, diversity, civic institution, and American society because of my college experience,” Patel said. “Those leadership opportunities that I had in college prepared me to lead an organization now. I’m deeply grateful to the University of Illinois for the experience and the learning. I very much tie what I am doing now back to my college experience.”

Today, Patel travels to campuses across the country for speaking engagements, hosts guests for his podcast “Interfaith America,” writes columns for the The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Deseret Magazine, and leads his staff of 55 individuals.

“I think the connection between faith and social action is really important,” Patel said. “To preserve democracy, we have to have respect for different identities and relationships between people of different backgrounds and cooperation on group projects that serve the common good. I was in the early stages of thinking through those issues when I was at the University of Illinois.”

Patel compares the power of a religiously diverse democracy to a potluck dinner. At a potluck guests bring their best dish, a dish that is inspired by their identity, he explained.

“It’s where everyone can bring their contribution to the table,” he said. “That contribution is connected to their identity, and we want to create a space for those contributions to include creative combinations. In my mind, identity is viewed as a source of pride and a catalyst for contribution.”

2024 College of LAS Alumni Award Honorees

Including Eboo Patel, eight alumni of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences received recognition during the college’s 2024 alumni awards at a celebration in April. They are researchers and entrepreneurs who have made incredible impacts in their fields and communities.

LAS Dean’s Quadrangle Award

Susan Morisato (BS, ’75, mathematics and education; MS, ’77, mathematics) and Tom Remec (BS, ’74, chemistry; MS ’83, metallurgical engineering)

Susan Morisato and Tom Remec have found many avenues to give back to the College of LAS and university since graduating. Susan Morisato retired as the president of the Medicare Supplement Business for United Healthcare and AARP, and Tom retired as the president of Beta Instruments and Display Process Consulting. They have served on advisory boards and leadership councils for various departments around campus and provide funding for the Susan C. Morisato Mathematics Scholarship and the Thomas Remec and Susan Morisato Fund for Data Science in the Chemical Sciences.

LAS Alumni Achievement Award

John Anderson (MS, ’69; PhD, ’71, chemical engineering)

While his research program was active, John Anderson was one of the world’s leading experts in understanding how small colloidal particles in liquids interact with membranes in the presence of liquid flow and electric fields. Today he serves as the president of the National Academy of Engineering following his retirement from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2015 and his service from 2014-2019 on the National Science Board, which sets policy for the U.S. National Science Foundation. Anderson has been a member of the faculties of Cornell University, Carnegie Mellon University, Case Western Reserve University, and ITT.

Ruben Mesa (BS, ’91, physiology and nuclear engineering)

Ruben Mesa is an international expert on myeloproliferative neoplasms, a group of bone marrow disorders that often lead to leukemia. He holds several leadership roles with Atrium Health, serving as president of Atrium Health Levine Cancer Center, executive director of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, and enterprise senior vice president. He also is the Charles L. Spurr MD Professor of Medicine and vice dean for cancer programs at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He led the development of the first U.S. guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of a variety
of bone-marrow malignancies. Mesa has been the principal investigator or co-principal investigator of more than 70 clinical trials and is currently leading the investigation of
several other drugs. Read more at go.las.illinois.edu/Mesa-F24

Lisa Monteggia (BS, ‘89, microbiology; MS, ’91, biology)

Lisa Monteggia is an internationally recognized leader in the field of neurobiology and psychiatry and serves as the director of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute and professor of pharmacology at Vanderbilt University. Her research focus is understanding psychiatric disorders and their treatments with an emphasis in the field of depression and antidepressant action. She has an extensive track record of service to national and international neuroscience and mental health organizations. Read more at go.las.illinois.edu/Monteggia-F24

LAS Outstanding Young Alumni Award

Ernest Crim III (BA, ’09, history)

Ernest Crim III uses Black historical narratives to empower and educate. A former high school educator, he now uses social media to teach Black history to millions of people around the world. He is an advocate for cultural awareness, social justice, and political and economic equity. He is the founder and CEO of Crim’s Cultural Consulting, an international speaker, and the author of two books. Read more at go.las.illinois.edu/Crim-F24 and scan the code to watch a video.

Daniel Heller (PhD, ’10, chemistry)

Daniel Heller is the head of the Cancer Nanomedicine Laboratory at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he has rapidly become one of the preeminent young scientists in cancer science. In 2023, Heller and colleagues reported a new nanotherapeutic approach targeting blood vessels to deliver medicines to brain cancers. This work could open the doors to new treatments for brain cancer.
Read more at go.las.illinois.edu/Heller-F24 and scan the code to watch a video.

Editor's note: This story first appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of The Quadrangle.