A Message from the Dean - November 2021
As November 2021 ends, we should pause to reflect on the fall 2021 semester, which is rapidly drawing to a close. The SIUE campus buzzed with activity in a way it had not since before the pandemic began. For the first time in more than a year, students, staff, faculty, and community members attended lectures and musical and theatrical performances in the Dunham Hall Theater. Even as these events returned to campus, SIUE continued to prioritize safety. Classroom capacity remains limited, and masks are required inside all campus buildings.
Faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences contributed their talents and knowledge to important public events in November. Marta Simidtchieva, professor in the Department of Music, introduced the audience in the Dunham Hall Theater to Bulgarian classical music, including the world premiere of “Irminden,” a piano trio by the Bulgarian composer Lora Al-Ahmad.
The research of Lisa Matino-Taylor, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Sociology, was featured in a documentary film, “Target: St. Louis Vol. 1.” The film was screened as part of the St. Louis International Film Festival.
CAS students also received recognition and support. Tammy Zanker, who earned a master’s degree in biological sciences in May 2021, received a 2021 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. Alexys Williams, a junior art major, received an SIUE Staff Senate Scholarship.
Today is #GivingTuesday. Please consider a contribution to the College or a scholarship fund. In early December, be on the lookout for the 2021 Dean’s Report.
Other notable news from CAS includes:
- Taylor Ewing, a biological sciences major, was named the September SIUE Rotary Student Leader of the Month.
- Adriana E. Martinez, PhD, an associate professor in the departments of Geography and Geographic Information Sciences and Environmental Sciences, was selected to participate in a leadership academy for diversity and inclusion in the Geosciences.
- Members of SIUE’s College Readiness: Transition, Engage, Achieve and Mentor (CORE T.E.A.M.) spoke to students at East St. Louis Charter High School about academic majors and career opportunities. Speakers included Kimberly Carter, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Social Work, and Musonda Kapatamoyo, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Mass Communications.
- Jocelyn DeGroot, PhD, professor and assistant chair of the Department of Applied Communication Studies, and Emily Petrucelli, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, received 2021 Visualizing Research Impacts (VRI) awards from the SIUE Graduate School.
- John Shimkus, who served for 24 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, spoke with SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook about his life in public service on November 15. Since his retirement from Congress in 2021, Rep. Shimkus has taught courses in the Department of Political Science.
Please read more about these people and their accomplishments in This Month in CAS, and tune in to Segue on WSIE 88.7FM at 9 a.m. on Sundays to learn about people and events on the SIUE campus.
Kevin Leonard, PhD
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
