SIU Carbondale student elected to national honors council

    kim.rendfeld@siu.edu
    • April 25, 2025

    An aspiring forensic anthropologist at Southern Illinois University Carbondale has been chosen to serve on the National Collegiate Honors Council Board of Directors, a spot reserved for only five students in the country.

    Sophomore Natalie Eves of Bloomington, Illinois, is majoring in anthropology with a minor in forensic science and is a student in the University Honors Program. She became interested in joining the 17-member NCHC board after attending a conference a few months before, where she presented her research about mental health. Another student in the SIU System, Aman Pai, a sophomore at SIU Edwardsville, also is one of five student members. Eves and Pai will serve on the board through 2027.

    In addition to serving as co-president of the Honors Assembly at SIU Carbondale, Eves conducted research using ground-penetrating radar, thanks to a Research-Enriched Academic Challenge (REACH) award, and received the 2025-2026 Susan C. Thrasher Award to continue her project. She presented “The Osteobiography of Life in Medieval Hungary: The Case of Individual 823” at the American Association of Biological Anthropologists over spring break. It was based on her research of what bones in a medieval grave reveal about a person’s life in the culturally Hungarian part of Romania.

    Her ultimate career goal is to become a professor and work with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to help identify and honor missing service members.

    Eves, a 2023 graduate of Tri-Valley High School, said the University Honors Program has played a key role in her success.

    “I’m truly passionate about contributing to the honors community and helping others feel empowered to get involved,” she said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent SIU Carbondale and to work alongside other amazing students and leaders.

    “I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible support and opportunities the honors program has provided me. Without honors, I wouldn’t be where I am today — or maybe even at SIU. This program truly cares for its students, offering guidance, motivation and a community that inspires growth. I’m especially grateful for the encouragement to apply for opportunities like the NCHC Board of Directors. Without honors, I wouldn’t have been aware of or able to take on this role.”

    Eves’ goals as an NCHC director include creating a platform for honors students and honors organizations to connect and share ideas, developing a long-term volunteer initiative that encourages community engagement and advocating for inclusivity by showing that honors is for everyone.

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