A Message from the Dean - April 2021
A most unusual academic year is drawing to a close. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most instruction at SIUE in the 2020-2021 academic year occurred in online courses. In both semesters, however, some courses in many different disciplines were offered in face-to-face modality. Facial coverings and social distancing were required in classrooms and labs, and faculty and students worked together to develop creative new ways to present safe musical, theatrical and dance performances.
The end of the pandemic is in sight due to the success of the vaccination campaign. As of April 27, nearly 100 million people have been fully vaccinated in the United States, and nearly 150 million people have received at least one dose of a vaccine. SIUE is doing its part in the vaccination effort. The campus hosted a vaccine clinic on April 21, and SIUE students who are members of the National Guard continue to assist in the vaccination effort. Audrey Stark, a sophomore pursuing a bachelor’s degree in political science assisted in registering patients in Tinley Park, a Chicago suburb.
Members of the SIUE community continue to face the issue of police violence against Black people. Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of killing George Floyd. Even as many people are relieved by the verdict, we confront the news of other killings. Daunte Wright was shot and killed by a police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minn., and Ma’Khia Bryant was shot and killed by a police officer in Columbus, Ohio. SIUE faculty and staff, including members of CAS, participated in a panel discussion following the verdict in the Chauvin trial.
Students who are struggling with the pandemics of racism and COVID-19 can turn to SIUE Counseling Services for assistance. Black LGBTQI+ students should be assured that they will be heard and receive empathy.
SIUE honored 14 leaders as the University’s 2021 Phenomenal Women, who embrace and promote diversity, equity and inclusion in their own lives and the lives of others. Among the nominees were Alicia Alexander, PhD, a professor in the Department of Applied Communication Studies; Kathryn Bentley, an associate professor in the Department of Theater and Dance and director of the Black Studies program; Edna Patterson-Petty, a celebrated artist and member of the Alumni Hall of Fame; and Kylea Perkins, a senior studio art major and Undergraduate Research and Create Activities (URCA) associate.
Madison Historical: The Online Encyclopedia and Digital Archive for Madison County, Illinois, a digital history project run by SIUE’s Department of History, recently added oral history interviews that highlight the university’s history.
CAS students, staff and faculty continue to receive recognition for their research and service activities. Amanda Morgan, a junior double majoring in political science and sociology, was named the SIUE Student Employee of the Year for 2021. Morgan has worked for two years in the SIUE STEM Resource Center, which lends STEM education materials and provides outreach experiences to educators and students in the region.
Fifteen graduate students in CAS departments—art and design, biological sciences, chemistry and environmental sciences—were awarded Research Grants for Graduate Students for spring 2021. The awards are valued up to $500 each and will support research and creative activities.
Brittany Peterson, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, was honored as a recipient of the spring 2021 Vaughn Vandegrift URCA Research Mentor of the Semester Award. Dr. Peterson was nominated by URCA student Kaitlin Goodbrake.
The Arts & Issues series will feature a virtual performance of Iron & Coal, a rock opera, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 29. Iron & Coal was written by songwriter and composer Jeremy Schonfeld, whose father, Gustav Schonfeld, was a Holocaust survivor.
Please read more about these people and their accomplishments in This Month in CAS.
Kevin Leonard, PhD
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences