News

As part of its yearlong 50th anniversary celebration, the Department of Theater and Dance has established a Hall of Fame honoring alumni whose achievements and contributions have helped shape the department's legacy at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

During the annual Encore Awards ceremony on Tuesday, May 5, Theater and Dance formally recognized the inaugural Hall of Fame class as part of "A Season of Gold," a historic season celebrating five decades of artistic excellence, creati...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville continues to foster future leaders through outstanding academic programs and dedicated faculty. Each semester, undergraduate students who achieve exceptional academic performance are recognized on the Dean’s List.

To qualify, students must complete at least 12 graded credit hours and earn a semester grade point average of 3.5 or higher. (An A is valued at 4.0, and a B at 3.0.)

The full list of honorees for spring 2026 is available on the SIUE New...

When best-selling author and cultural commentator Ta-Nehisi Coates was closing his run on the comic book “Black Panther” in May 2021, Howard Rambsy II, PhD, Distinguished Research Professor in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of English Language and Literature, was already thinking about the larger significance of Coates’s contributions to comics and Black literary culture.

“Writing Black Panther: Ta-Nehisi Coates and Representation Struggles,&#8221...

Carole Collier Frick, PhD, has been named a recipient of the 2026 Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Outstanding Faculty Award for Commitment to Student Success.

The awards were established in 2023 by the Provosts from each OVC member institution to recognize outstanding faculty at each OVC member institution, who make a lasting impact on students both inside and outside the classroom. Frick was honored alongside fellow recipients during the recent OVC&#...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville music professor emerita and world-renowned pianist, Ruth Slenczynska, died on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. She was 101.  Slenczynska was the last surviving pupil of composer-pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Slenczynska began her SIUE career 61 years ago in 1964 when she accepted a full-time position as Artist-in-Residence. In 1967 Slenczynska married James Kerr, PhD, an SIUE professor of political science.&#16...

Students from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville stepped beyond the classroom this April to test ideas, take risks and build ventures with real potential. Through The Other 40 Business Fair on April 2 and The Other 40 Pitch Competition on April 9, the SIUE School of Business created an environment where innovation met execution.

“At its core, progress begins with curiosity. It starts with the willingness to see opportunity where others see ...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville hosted its spring career fair series, connecting students and alumni with employers across multiple industries. 

Hosted by the SIUE Career Development Center, the events are held at the Morris University Center and are designed to support students in their job search and professional development. The fairs are open to SIUE students and alumni, as well as those from partner schools. 

Recent events include the Education Care...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Theater and Dance premiered their production of Tennessee Williams’ classic play “The Glass Menagerie,” directed by Tress Kurzym, MFA, on Wednesday, March 18. The production brings audiences into the fragile, bittersweet world of the Wingfield family as memory, longing and hope shape their lives.

Known for its poetic storytelling and emotional depth, “The Glass Menagerie” ...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Mass Communications hosts its annual Mass Comm Week, March 23 to March 26. Media professionals visiting the Edwardsville campus will focus on the integration of artificial intelligence in today’s media landscape.  
 
Each year, the Department organizes a week of opportunities for students to learn from professionals in the field, and to gain valuable professional...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville faculty, students and programs continue to gain regional and national media coverage for their expertise, innovation and community engagement. Recent coverage highlights faculty thought leadership, alumni achievement, student opportunity and the University’s growing role as a civic and cultural anchor across the region.

1. East St. Louis Alumni Panel Inspires Class of 2026
   
   Riverbender highlighted an SIUE alumni panel held at East St. Louis Seni...

On Feb.19, members of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville faculty joined Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker for the ribbon-cutting of Teklab’s newly expanded laboratory facility in Collinsville. Teklab is a veteran-owned laboratory established in 1982, renowned for its analytical services in terms of air, wastewater, groundwater, drinking water and waste samples.

The celebrations included the Tek...

Two distinguished faculty members have been honored by the Southern Illinois University System for their longtime efforts to advance antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion (ADEI).

Marc E. Morris, PhD, JD, and Howard Rambsy II, PhD, each received the prestigious Dr. Wesley G. Robinson-McNeese ADEI Lifetime Achievement Award during the SIU Board of Trustees meeting Feb. 5, on the SIU Edwardsville campus.

Rambsy is a faculty member in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's College of ...

Tremolos flared brilliantly at the Annual Jazz Alumni Concert performance in Dunham Hall Theater, Feb. 4. The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Concert Jazz Band welcomed back star alumni bassist Carlos Henderson (’96), and trombonist Chris Leach (’96), to fill the theater with lively performances of reworked favorites and a touching tribute to former Professor Emeritus Rick Haydon.

Garrett Schmidt, conductor of the Concert Jazz Band and Jason Swagler, director of Jazz Stu...

 
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s presentation of “DANCE BREAK: Fancy Footwork” on Wednesday, Jan. 28, was a collaboration between University Dance Company and Chamber Project Saint Louis. The vibrant stage show celebrated the powerful partnership between live music and dance.

Inviting audiences to “shake your tail feathers,” the evening offered a global journey through dance-infused music, blendin...

A signature event of SIUE’s 50th Anniversary Golden Season, the concert showcases the department’s legacy of innovation in dance.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Department of Theater and Dance continues its 50th Anniversary Golden Season with “Timeless Reflections: Performances in Dance,” a concert that transforms memory into motion and celebrates five decades of artistry through original choreography and vibrant student performance. Under the artist...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Department of Mass Communications is lighting up new opportunities in the state’s growing film and television industry. With a supporting grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), the Department of Mass Communications is launching a Film and TV Workforce Training Program to prepare the next generation of Illinois media professionals.

The program offers paid, hands-on training inside SIUE’s newl...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Department of Mass Communications wrapped up another successful Mass Comm Week this spring, with a full schedule of speakers and sessions focused on the changing media landscape.

“The twentieth annual Mass Comm Week continues to connect the classroom with the communications industry,” said Mass Communications Department Chair Suman Mishra, PhD. “It gives students real-world context and motivation.”

This year’s ke...

Tells of a College Journey that was Informative, Interesting and Inspiring

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville mass communications major Oliver Brammeier is receiving his bachelor’s degree during SIUE’s spring commencement exercises. Originally from St. Louis, Mo., Brammeier now lives in Edwardsville. As he is interested in creating content of his own and telling stories that resonate with people, Brammeier is looking forward to a career in radio broadcasting, film making or a...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Opera Theatre presents Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic operetta The Pirates of Penzance for their spring production. Producers promise "a night of swashbuckling fun and delightful mischief” in a lively evening of family entertainment. Performances will be held on Friday, March 28 and Saturday March 29 at 7:30 p.m. in Dunham Hall Theater. 

The operetta, which premiered in 1879, follows the story of Frederic, a young man mistakenly appr...

Explore the Spectrum of Dance: A Celebration of Choreographic Expression

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Theater and Dance is thrilled to announce its upcoming production, "Dance in Concert," under the artistic direction of Kristin Best Kinscherff, associate professor and head of dance. Performances will take place in Dunham Hall on the SIUE campus from Thursday, Nov. 14-Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m., with a special matinee performance at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, t...