Alumni Inducted into Bradley Centurion Society

For the university's annual Founder's Day, two alumni were virtually inducted into the Bradley Centurion Society. To watch the video announcement, released on Oct. 2 at 10 a.m., click here. Continue below if you wish to read about both of the award winners.

Cheryl Corley (pictured left). Cheryl is an award-winning journalist with National Public Radio. In her remarkable career, she has covered some of America’s most important news: Hurricane Katrina, the shooting of Trayvon Martin and the campaign and re-election of President Barack Obama, to name a few. Her current work largely deals with how women and young people are affected by the criminal justice system, what reforms are being proposed and the real and potential consequences to the public. Cheryl’s peers have recognized the high caliber of her reporting. She’s received the Herman Kogan Media Award from the Chicago Bar Association, the Studs Terkel Community Media Award and has been recognized twice for Best Business Reporting by the Chicago Headline Club. In addition, Cheryl has been named Best Reporter in Chicago by the Illinois Associated Press Broadcaster’s Association.

Access to opportunity is often the key to future success. Cheryl has worked with several programs to introduce young people to work in journalism. She co-created the Cindy Bandle Young Critics Program, which introduces young women in the 11th grade to the art of theater production and professional writing. Cheryl has served as a board member and president of Community Television Network, an organization that trains Chicago youth in video and multimedia production.

Cheryl graduated from Bradley cum laude in 1976. As an undergrad, she was a member of the speech team and Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She received the award for Outstanding Young Graduate in 1994, served on Bradley’s Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2017 and is also this year's Distinguished Alumna.

Doug Stewart (pictured right). Doug is a leader in his profession and in his community. After retiring as regional president of PNC bank in 2017, Doug and his wife, Vicky, have given back to the people of Central Illinois by serving organizations that educate young people, cultivate leadership skills and meet basic human needs. Doug lives out his belief that education changes life trajectories and the importance of giving back. He began serving on Bradley’s Board of Trustees in 2003 and was president of the board from 2014 to 2017. He was also president of the board at Illinois Central College. Doug and Vicky also chaired the record-breaking 2013 Heart of Illinois United Way campaign. OSF Healthcare, the Peoria Riverfront Museum and the Salvation Army have all benefitted from his drive to make his community stronger.

For their more than 40 years supporting nonprofits throughout the region, in 2019 he and Vicky were named McCord Philanthropists of the Year; that same year he received the Creve Coeur Club’s Robert H. Michel Lifetime Achievement Award. “Change occurs,” Doug said. “The communities that are going to grow and thrive learn to deal with change. Peoria is an outstanding place to work and raise a family. We ought to let the rest of the world know about it.”

A magna cum laude graduate from Illinois Wesleyan in 1973, Doug completed his MBA at Bradley in 1979. The scholarship that bears his name for excellence in leadership and service goes to junior and senior Bradley Fellows who are also leaders in another organization. It’s one more way he manifests a brighter future by creating opportunities for young people today.

In 1982, during the University’s 85th-anniversary celebration, the Board of Trustees formed the Centurion Society as a way to honor exceptional Bradley alumni. Today, Bradley has more than 70,000 living alumni, but only a select few have received this prestigious honor. Members of the Centurion Society have brought national and international credit to the University. The society includes those who received Bradley’s highest alumni honor, the Distinguished Alumnus Award, as well as other alumni who have achieved great honor in their fields and therefore serve as examples of commitment and excellence for all Bradley alumni and students.