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Southern Illinois University President Randy Dunn surprised a group of high school students Monday on their first day of the 2014 SIUE Healthcare Diversity Summer Camp. Dunn also toured and met with officials at SIUE’s NCERC, the SIUE School of Pharmacy, and the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability.

Dunn welcomed the 16 junior and senior high school students and encouraged them to seriously consider the SIUE School of Pharmacy.

“Anytime we get an opportunity to recruit talented students and talk about the wonderful things they’re doing at the School of Pharmacy, we see that as a plus,” Dunn said.

Also greeting the summer camp students was SIUE Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe, who encouraged students to take advantage of the campus’ wonderful recreational facilities.

“The brief visit by the president and the chancellor provided great exposure for our camp participants to our University’s administration, said Dr. Lakesha Butler, clinical associate professor in the School of Pharmacy.

The following is a schedule for the Healthcare Diversity Summer Camp for the remainder of the week:

• Tuesday – students will hear from SIUE nursing faculty and students regarding a future career in nursing and spend time in the Nursing Simulation Lab

• Wednesday – students will travel to the SIU School of Dental Medicine in Alton to explore the career opportunities in the field of dentistry

• Thursday – camp participants will learn about prospective careers in the field of pharmacy and students will receive hands-on CPR training

• Friday – campers will take an ACT Preparatory Crash Course in the morning, followed by a closing ceremony sponsored by Express Scripts to culminate the camp

SIUE School of Pharmacy: Today’s pharmacists improve patients’ lives through the medication and education they provide. Dedicated to developing a community of caring pharmacists, the SIUE School of Pharmacy curriculum is nationally recognized as a model that offers students a unique combination of classroom education, research, community service and patient care. The School of Pharmacy’s areas of excellence include the Center for Drug Discover and Design; chronic pain research and practice; and diabetes research and practice. As the only downstate Illinois pharmacy doctorate program, the SIUE School of Pharmacy is addressing the growing need for highly trained pharmacists in a rapidly growing field.

SIUE School of Nursing:  The SIUE School of Nursing’s fully accredited programs are committed to creating excellence in nursing leadership through innovative teaching, evidence-based practice, quality research, patient advocacy and community service. Enrolling nearly 1,000 students in its baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders in pursuit of shaping the nursing profession and impacting the health care environment. Through expanded programs located on the SIU Carbondale campus and SIU School of Medicine campus, the SIUE School of Nursing is helping to solve the region’s shortage of baccalaureate-prepared nurses and enhance the quality of nursing practice within hospitals and medical centers.

SIU School of Dental Medicine: School of Dental Medicine students manage approximately 35,000 patient visits each year at its patient clinics in Alton and East St. Louis. In addition, students offer oral health treatment, screenings and education to more than 10,000 people annually through a wide variety of off-campus community outreach events. These opportunities provide students the training they need to graduate and become highly skilled dentists. As the only dental school within 200 miles of the St. Louis metropolitan area, the region depends on the School of Dental Medicine as a vital oral healthcare provider.

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SIU President Randy Dunn talks with students at the 2014 SIUE Healthcare Diversity Summer Camp.