SPRINGFIELD – SIU System President Dan Mahony commends SIU Edwardsville Chancellor James T. Minor and SIU Carbondale Chancellor Austin A. Lane for being awarded the KAPAL Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award on June 22.
The KAPAL Foundation empowers young men through mentorship, leadership development, and educational support. KAPAL is the nonprofit organization of the East Saint Louis Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. With over 250,000 initiated members nationally, Kappa Alpha Psi is a historically African American fraternity that was founded in 1911. KAPAL hosted the awards reception in East St. Louis on Saturday to honor the hard work, dedication and success of Minor and Lane.
“SIU is very fortunate to have two wonderful chancellors in Minor and Lane,” said Mahony. “They make a significant impact in the SIU System, on campus and in their local communities.”
James T. Minor, PhD, became chancellor at SIU Edwardsville on March 1, 2022. Minor previously served as assistant vice chancellor and senior strategist in the Office of the Chancellor at California State University. He has successfully advocated for hundreds of millions of dollars in support of graduation initiatives and served as principal investigator for $7.5 million in funded programs and research. Prior to his post at California State University, Minor served as deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, where he administered more than $7 billion in federal higher education programming.
Originally from Detroit, Minor holds a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as a bachelor’s in sociology from Jackson State University and a master’s in sociology from the University of Nebraska.
Minor’s community involvement includes being a member of several St. Louis area boards: United Way of Greater St. Louis, Southwestern Illinois Leadership Council, Greater St. Louis, Inc., and Anderson Hospital. He is also currently serving as chair of the Ohio Valley Conference Board of Presidents.
Austin A. Lane, EdD, became chancellor of SIU Carbondale on July 1, 2020. Lane’s career in higher education spans more than 29 years as an administrator and faculty member. He served as president of Texas Southern University, executive vice chancellor of academic and student affairs at Lone Star College System, president of Lone Star College-Montgomery, vice president for student affairs at Tyler Junior College and dean of students at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Lane is originally from New Jersey. He attended Odessa Junior College in West Texas on a basketball scholarship and holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Langston University, a master’s in human relations from the University of Oklahoma and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Alabama.
In the local community, Lane serves on the Southern Illinois Healthcare Board of Directors (SIH), chair of Southern Illinois Now’s Education and Workforce Committee, and is an active member of the Carbondale and Carterville chambers of commerce. Lane is also a member of the NCAA Honors Committee and was awarded the 100 Black Men of America Rising Star Award in 2022.
