Earl A. Boykins (’98), guard for the Charlotte Bobcats, began his professional basketball career when he joined the NBA in 1999. At EMU, Boykins played four seasons with the men's basketball team and still holds Eastern Michigan’s career record for assists with 624 and ranks second on the scoring list with 2,211 points. Boykins has continued to debunk preconceived notions about height requirements for basketball players while developing a reputation based solely on his abilities on the court. At 5’5”, Boykins is the shortest player in the history of the NBA to score over 30 points in a game—twice reaching his career high of 36 points. He finished in the top five in voting three straight seasons for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award; competed twice in NBA All-Star Weekend, finishing third in the Skills Challenge in 2003-04 and second in 2004-05; and Jan. 18, 2005, set a then-NBA record for scoring in overtime when he tallied 15 points against the Seattle SuperSonics. Boykins’ record-breaking accomplishments make him a well-recognized and respected player in the Association and an inspiration to a multitude of fans.

Marie J. Webber (’04) began her career in healthcare administration while a student at EMU and currently is a consultant with Stockamp & Associates. At EMU, Webber was the recipient of the Regents Scholarship; team manager for the 2003 MAC Championship women’s soccer team; and graduated magna cum laude. Webber, morally challenged by the catastrophic events of
Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, postponed the pursuit of her graduate degree and traveled to Louisiana as an American Red Cross volunteer. There she assumed the awesome responsibility and hardship of running a shelter for nearly 200 evacuees that had been forgotten in the confusion and chaos in the wake of the second storm. Webber later documented her life-changing experiences serving the storm victims in Louisiana. Her article “Stormy Weather and Personal Choices: Hurricanes Katrina-Rita” was later published in California State University’s Reflections Magazine. She completed her graduate education in April 2008, earning her master’s degree in health service administration from the U-M School of Public Health.

Susan R. Bodary (’86) is the executive director of EDvention, a Dayton, Ohio-based consortium dedicated to accelerating development in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to grow the region. She also serves as a senior policy associate with Achieve, Inc., a national education policy reform organization in Washington, D.C. Bodary honed her exceptional communication and dynamic speaking skills during her four years with the EMU forensics team and played an intricate role in the team winning the national championship title in 1986. After graduation, Bodary served as conference planner for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, fundraiser for the Cranbrook Institute, and executive director of Project READ. As the executive assistant for education and workforce appointed by former Governor of Ohio, Robert Taft, her work included coordinating efforts to bridge the gaps between educational systems and working to create a single educational technology agency for the state. She also managed Ohio’s commitment to the American Diploma Project Action Network, an effort to ensure that more high school students graduate fully prepared for success in college and in work. Additionally, Bodary spearheaded the development and enactment of Ohio Core, a rigorous high school curriculum to better prepare students for work, college and life. She also launched and guided the Partnership for Continued Learning.

George Eason (’88) has over 19 years of experience in human service and child welfare advocacy. After receiving his EMU degree, Eason began his career as a regulation agent for Wayne County Family Independence Agency and then joined Detroit Public Schools (DPS), where he has served as an attendance officer since 1994 and developed the Truancy Reduction Incentive Program (T.R.I.P.). Eason’s enthusiasm and talents have been applied in great measure at EMU. He served six years on the EMU Alumni Association Board of Directors and currently serves as president of the Black Alumni Chapter. Under his leadership, the chapter has won two of its four “Chapter of the Year” awards. A dedicated community volunteer, Eason has regularly donated his time to many organizations in the Detroit area. For over seven years, he coordinated the Detroit Public Schools “Coats for Kids” program. He currently serves as a member of the Wayne County Foster Care Review Board and Vanguard Community Development Corporation Board; is vice president of Student Assistance Services Incorporated (S.A.S.I); and remains involved with Successful Alliance for Educating Talented Youth (S.A.F.E.T.Y.). Additionally, Eason developed the Master’s Men Ministry Mentoring Program at Second Ebenezer Church in Detroit.

Daniel L. Raglin (’84) attended EMU during his successful career with General Motors Corporation, where he retired as an associate administrator of industrial relations in 2005 after 34 years of service. Upon graduation, Raglin began his involvement with EMU fundraising with a vaudeville-style review that raised funds for Sponberg Theatre. During the 1990s, he volunteered with the “Campaign for Scholars,” and has remained heavily involved with the Undergraduate Symposium for more than a decade. With the help of EMU friends in 1999, Raglin and wife, Lynne, created the Al Townsend Endowed Scholarship in honor of Lynne’s father, a former big band musician. To promote the scholarship, his numerous efforts have included a series of successful fundraising concerts and benefit dinners over the past nine years. Thanks in part to contributions like those of Raglin, EMU was proud to officially announce a Jazz Studies Program in 2003. Since 2000, he has been a member of the College of Arts and Sciences Resource Development Board, and recently served as chair. His passion for volunteering at EMU was recognized in 1996 when he received the National Philanthropy Day Volunteer Award, and again in 2006 when he was honored as a Distinguished Volunteer by the Association for Fundraising Professionals. After retiring from GM, Raglin embarked on a second career in commercial insurance with the Goss Group in Detroit and is a career management consultant for Right Management in Southfield, Mich. A lover of Jazz music, he and the other nine members of his band, The Couriers, continue to perform and actively support WEMU.