Chicago Illini of the Year Award (Est. 1997)

Co-sponsored by the University of Illinois Alumni Association and the Chicago Illini Club, this award recognizes the accomplishments of Chicago-area graduates of the University. Up to three distinguished alumni who live and work in Chicago or a Chicago suburb are honored each year.

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  Maj. Gen. James H. Mukoyama Jr, ’65 LAS, MA’66 LAS

  Maj. Gen. James H. Mukoyama Jr. retired from the U.S. Army in 1995, after more than 30 years of total active and reserve service, including combat tours where he served in the demilitarized zone in the Republic of Korea and commanded the 9th Infantry Company Division in Vietnam.

  Mukoyama holds the distinctions of being the youngest general officer in the Army in 1987 and subsequently the youngest major general three years later. In 1989, he became the first Asian-American in U.S. history to command an Army division. Among his decorations and badges are the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, three Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart.

  Since his retirement, Mukoyama has volunteered and participated in numerous governmental and non-profit charitable organizations. He recently published his first book, Faith, Family & Flag: Memoirs of an Unlikely American Samurai Crusader (Jocko Publishing, 2023).—DAVID A. SCOTT

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  Paul Lisnek, ’80 LAS, MA’80 LAS, JD ’83, PHD ’86 LAS

  Paul Lisnek is a multi-Emmy, Cablefax, Telly, Communicator, and Beacon Award winning television host and analyst who has served as a political and legal analyst for Chicago’s WGN-TV since 2008. He is the host of “WGN-TV Political Report” seen every Sunday morning at 9 a.m., on which he interviews the leading political figures in the city, state and country. On wgnradio.com, he hosts the popular podcast “Paul Lisnek Behind the Curtain,” addressing theater and the arts along with politics and law.

  During his 35-year career in broadcast journalism, Lisnek also worked for Comcast Network, CNN and NBC. He has interviewed presidents, governors, senators, congressmen, local representatives and mayors too numerous to count.

  While practicing law in the 1980s and ’90s, Lisnek served as assistant dean at Loyola Law School Chicago, and taught at DePaul, Pepperdine and the U. of I. Lisnek is the author of 15 books, including Assume Guilt (Written Dreams Publishing, 2018) and Assume Treason (Written Dreams Publishing, 2021).

• 2010s
• 2000s
• 1990s