EIU Alumni Association to honor nine alumni for service, leadership and lasting impact, including President Kimberly Holllingsworth

(Charleston, IL) - Eastern Illinois University will recognize nine alumni whose careers and lives reflect the many ways an EIU education can extend well beyond graduation during the 2026 University Awards Reception & Dinner on Friday, October 23. The honorees will be recognized from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union, located at 600 Lincoln Ave. in Charleston, as part of EIU's Homecoming celebration.

This year's Alumni Association honorees include seven recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award, one recipient of the Louis V. Hencken Alumni Service Award, and one recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.

Dr. Kimberly Hollingsworth '94, '98.

Dr. Kimberly Hollingsworth began her higher education career at EIU as an admissions counselor and has spent more than 30 years working in the field. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Eastern in management and College Student Personnel, respectively, and later held leadership positions at DePaul University and City Colleges of Chicago, including dean of students, dean of faculty and vice president of academic and student affairs. She earned her Ph.D. in higher education administration from Northern Illinois University in 2022. Hollingsworth now serves as president of Olive-Harvey College, continuing a career focused on service, access and leadership in higher education. She remembers Dr. Mona Davenport, her EIU sorority advisor, as someone whose approach to students left a lasting impression. "She was kind, patient, solution-focused, and cared about each and every student!" Hollingsworth said. At Eastern, Hollingsworth participated in ROTC, served as president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., was a member of the Black Greek Council and worked for the Daily Eastern News.

Read the full press release here.

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