News

Students Say Goodbye to Preschool; Parents Thanked for Support

It was a day to look ahead. A day to celebrate. A day of moving up! More than 100 preschoolers experienced their first graduation during Moving Up Days on Tuesday, May 20-Wednesday, May 21 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Head Start/Early Head Start (HS/EHS) Centers throughout the Metro East.&#16...

Here are some of the stories recently published featuring Southern Illinois University Edwardsville faculty and students:

1. WalletHub: Best Credit Cards to Build Credit
   
   WalletHub featured Riza Demirer, PhD, Graduate Program Director and professor at SIUE, in a guide to credit-building. Demirer emphasized the value of responsible credit card use, smart budgeting, and util...

Dr. Denn Receives the 2025 Faculty Award from the St. Louis Chapter of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics  

From a young age, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Michael Denn, PhD, has loved aviation and rocketry. Denn, instructor in the SIUE School of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical Mechatronics Engineering, has taken his p...

SIUE graduate guard Ray'Sean Taylor, the most successful and most decorated player in SIUE men's basketball program history is adding another honor. Taylor was selected as the Ohio Valley Conference Male Athlete of the Year, announced Thursday by the Conference.

Taylor becomes SIUE's first-ever OVC Athlete of the Year selection and is the 50th selection since the first ...

Seven SIUE baseball players earned All-Ohio Valley Conference honors, including an OVC-best four first team selections.

Chase Bloomer, Daniel Gierer, Mack Mitchell and Ryan Niedzwiedz were named to the first team while pitchers Liam McKillop and Spencer Stearns were each named to the second team. Tim Teixeira earned selection to the All-Freshman team.

Bloomer is tied f...

“I wouldn’t be where I am right now if it wasn’t for SIU,” said Major Elester Latham (’75). “SIU was everything to me.” Latham, who graduated 50 years ago with a degree in theatre  was one of more than 40 Golden Graduates at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s 2025 spring commencement exercises on Saturday, May 1...

Situated quite fittingly in the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability, Fuller Dome at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, energy specialists convened for a “Energy Water Food Nexus” during an afternoon symposium on April 24. The SIUE School of Engineering’s Serdar Celik, PhD, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics...

SIUE baseball has earned the No. 2 seed in the 2025 Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Championship presented by SERVPRO. The event will be held May 21-24 at Mtn Dew Park in Marion, Illinois. This year marks the 46th OVC Baseball Tournament (the first elimination style event was held in 1979).

The venue opened in 2007 and was previously known as Rent One Park. It is now...

SIUE sophomore Daniel Gierer (Glen Carbon, Illinois) has been named the OVC co-Player of the Week Monday following an outstanding final week of the regular season. Gierer shared the award with Tennessee Tech's Jackson Green.

Gierer was the driving force behind an SIUE offense that hit .355 over the final three games of the regular season, hitting .615 (8-13) with four h...

Messages of girl power, positive self-esteem, healthy body image, community activism and more were packaged in sparkly, eye-catching motion and decorative costuming during the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center for the Performing Arts’ (ESLCPA) 2025 Spring Dance Recital. 

Students took to the stage at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 15 in...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has been nationally recognized by Money.com, with its School of Engineering (SOE) ranking among the top 50 master’s programs in the country. Highlighted for its academic excellence and exceptional value, SIUE’s SOE stands out for providing students with strong career outcomes and affordability. This recognition reflec...

Burgess Interested in Majoring in Mechanical Engineering at SIUE

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center’s Building Futures Program student Keshon Burgess graduated from high school this month and wants to eventually attend SIUE. Burgess lives in East St. Louis and has an interest in obtaining a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from...

The Illinois Invent2Prevent statewide partnership between Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, EdVenture Partners, and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency-Office of Homeland Security will convene to establish the Invent2Prevent program in Illinois. This inaugural Illinois Invent2Prevent statewide symposium and competition that highlights interventions by hi...

 Parents and Friends of Collinsville High School Students Applaud Successes   

“This was the best decision of my life,” said 16-year-old Collinsville High School (CHS) sophomore Lillian O’Donnell. O’Donnell won medals and trophies at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Upward Bound Scholars Academy’s (UBSA) annual A...

Friends and Family Cheer for Graduating Students During the School’s Commencement Ceremony   

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS) provided pomp, circumstance and a chance for graduating seniors to revel, strut and shine during the school’s 2025 Commencement Ceremony. 

CHS graduated 28 seniors on ...

 
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Universidad Central del Ecuador (UCE) have formalized a strategic academic partnership aimed at expanding international collaboration and advancing global graduate education. The signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishes the foundation for a dual Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, enabling stude...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville conferred degrees upon 2292 eligible graduates during May 2025 commencement exercises, held Friday and Saturday, May 9-10 in the First Community Arena at the Vadalabene Center. The SIUE spring commencement weekend included six graduation ceremonies, led by Denise Cobb, PhD, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and res...

Matthew Jacquot from Bloomington is graduating from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville this spring with degrees in both PharmD and Master of Public Health. He describes himself as “passionate about helping people live healthier lives.” During his training while at SIUE, he focused on providing patient-centered care, especially for vulnerable populat...

Faculty and Staff on all SIUE Campuses Enjoy Good Fellowship, Good Food, Good Times  

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville honored faculty and staff members on all its campuses during its annual observance. Employees on the Edwardsville, East St. Louis and Alton campuses embraced the occasion and enjoyed one another.

Each celebration offered food, games and g...

There’s no better way to get to know Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) than by seeing it for yourself, and summer is the perfect time to do just that. Prospective students and their guests are invited to schedule a relaxed, personalized campus visit that will give them a real feel for life as a Cougar.  

“Summer is a great time to vi...

Bruce Holland, founder and CEO of Holland Construction Services (HCS), has been named the 2025 recipient of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering Distinguished Service Award. Holland will receive this prestigious award for decades of dedication to the Metro East region and the SIUE community.

Holland’s leadership in construction, local ...

 
The three-day symposium of the Ruth Slenczynska Centennial Celebration came to a close on Sunday, on Sunday, May 4, with a signature concert at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Dunham Hall Theater. Preceding the closing event were retrospective lectures, a piano masterclass and an exhibit, “Ruth Slenczynska: Her 100 Musical Years,” whic...

Originally from Ghana, Akosua Cobbina, is graduating with a Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering this spring. She describes herself as an engineer motivated by "innovation, strategy, and making ideas happen." Cobbina has led award-winning research, built AI tools to detect brain injuries, and developed marketing skills expanding upon her technical prowes...

Last Thursday evening, as the calendar flipped to May 1, our athletics staff and coaches convened in the Cougar Pavilion to celebrate the 62 student-athletes that are graduating from SIUE in 2024-25. Our inaugural Student-Athlete Graduation Ceremony provided an opportunity to celebrate both our legacy of student-athlete graduation success and the individual and collectiv...

SIUE student-athletes continue to progress academically according to the NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores released Tuesday.

SIUE programs combined for an average APR score of 987, which is higher than the national average of 984.

"Our student-athletes continue to achieve excellent results in the classroom and in competition," SIUE Director of Athletics Andrew G...

 It's finals week! The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Sunday night tradition of late-night breakfast continues! You've got this, Cougars!

Photos by Howard Ash

SIUE junior shortstop Chase Bloomer (Ottawa, Kansas) has been named the Ohio Valley Conference baseball Player of the Week for the second time this season.

In a week in which the Cougars went 3-1 and moved into sole possession of first place in the OVC, Bloomer led SIUE with eight hits and eight RBIs.

He started the week going 3-6 with an RBI and three runs in a blowou...

SIUE Students Reflect on Good Times at SIUE and Look Toward the Future  

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville was a place of refuge that made for a tremendous experience, with warm faculty, interdisciplinary coursework and a beautiful campus, according to several graduating seniors. 

Students reminisced about their experiences and academic careers at the...

SIUE softball will be the No. 2 seed for the upcoming Ohio Valley Conference Championships after a Sunday sweep over UT Martin.

The Cougars improved to 29-20 overall and 19-6 in the OVC after a 4-0 win in game one and a 6-5 victory in 11 innings in the nightcap. UT Martin, which is the No. 8 seed for the OVC Championships, fell to 16-30 and 8-17 in the OVC.

SIUE's Emma...

Three standout students from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Public Health program have received national recognition from Eta Sigma Gamma (ESG) and the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). Abigale Kambarian, Maryam Musa, and Glory Omole's contributions to public health education and leadership exemplify Cougar excelle...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Kashish Tandon will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with Specializations in Cybersecurity and Management during spring commencement exercises. The international student is originally from Punjab, India and plans to apply her SIUE experience toward “Building Tomorrow’s Digital Defen...

SIUE redshirt sophomore Bradley Gillum has been named a 2025 NCAA Division I Men's Scholar All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

As a team, SIUE finished 29th nationally this past season with a 3.388 grade point average. It was SIUE's best finish nationally since placing 27th in 2018.

Gillum, a geography education major from DeKalb, Illinois, was ...

SIUE Athletics is accepting nominations for the 2026 Hall of Fame class of inductees.

Anyone can nominate former student-athletes, teams, coaches, administrators, and friends of the program for induction. All nominations received by May 31st will be considered for the 2026 class.

SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame bylaws state a student-athlete becomes eligible for considerat...