Advisory Committee
Jessica DeSpain - CODES Curriculum Director
Jessica DeSpain, PhD, is a professor of English and co-director of SIUE’s IRIS Center. She collaborated with the STEM Center on the Digital East St. Louis Project, in which middle school students built a website about the culture of their city. She also directed the Conversation Toward a Brighter Future 2.0 program, which uses digital storytelling to study intergenerational relationships.
Earleen Patterson - CODES Director of Advising
Earleen Patterson, PhD, is associate vice chancellor for Student Opportunities, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at SIUE. Patterson served SIUE since 1994 as director of Student Opportunities for Academic Results (SOAR). In this capacity, she has always taken a holistic approach to promoting the engagement, retention and graduation of underrepresented students, based on a foundation of research, leadership and vision.
Maurina Aranda
Maurina Aranda, PhD, is an assistant professor of biological sciences and a first-generation college-going Latina from rural Michigan. She came to SIUE in 2019 and teaches biology and science education courses. Her research interests are largely focused in identifying ways to improve student knowledge of biology through creating inclusive spaces – both in and out of the classroom.
Margaret Smith
Margaret Smith, PhD, is a research assistant professor of digital humanities in the IRIS Center and a historian of medieval and early modern Ireland. She contributes to the Center’s projects in a number of capacities, including digital humanities teaching and training, project development, grant-writing, and community engagement.
Sade Shepherd
Sade Shepherd works in the Student Opportunities for Academic Results (SOAR) office. Sade, originally of Galesburg, IL, earned a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences in 2011 from SIUE. She went on to earn an MBA in 2013, also from SIUE. Sade is passionate about mentoring and motivating young people.
Sarah Stover
Sarah Stover works in the Student Opportunities for Academic Results (SOAR) program. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Blackburn College and her master's degree in Human Development Counseling from University of Illinois Springfield. During her graduate studies she worked for the UIS Department of Service-Learning and found her passion for working in higher education.
