News

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students spent their summer around the globe, studying, relaxing, working, serving others, and making a positive difference in their communities through high impact internship opportunities.

Summer graduate Graeme Huntley, of Edwardsville, did that and more, gaining valuable hands-on experience and making his positive mark in East St. Louis through an internship at SIUE’s WE CARE Clinic, located at the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus.

As...

The Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is collaborating for the third year with the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC of the Women’s Business Development Center Wisconsin) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to host the Veterans Road Show. The complimentary event takes place in three cities across Illinois and brings local business resources to support veteran entrepreneurs and small business owners.

The ...

With the looks of surprise, bewilderment, shyness and pleasure, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS) students walked down a red carpet on their first day of school, Monday, Aug. 13, to the cheers and high fives of CHS and SIUE administrators, faculty and staff. 

“It’s an exciting day, and we wanted to begin the school year on a celebratory note,” said School of Education, Health and Human Behavior Interim Dean Paul Rose, PhD. ...

U.S. Army veteran Patricia Jackson came to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Veterans Upward Bound VetMATCH College and Career Fair on Thursday, Aug. 9, with the hopes of finishing what she started years ago.

“I came to find out about re-enrolling at SIUE to complete my bachelor’s in psychology,” said Jackson, of East St. Louis, who served from Oct. 1978-July 1985. “I also want to find out about new avenues and opportunities available for veterans. Someti...

Fourteen investors, led by SIUE alumnus Travis Liebig, have purchased St. Louis Bank for $30 million. Liebig will be St. Louis Bank’s chief executive officer.

He earned a bachelor’s in business in 2002 and an MBA in 2008, both from SIUE.

The St. Louis Business Journal detailed the purchase in an article posted Thursday, Aug. 9.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumna Tiffany Eickhoff, who has cerebral palsy, works out in her CrossFit class with a car tire strapped to her back. 

Eickhoff, who said her goal is to take the “dis” out of disability, posted her physical achievement on social media. 

Read more about Eickhoff’s efforts, and view her viral video on Fox 2 News.

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering’s Solar Car Team had its best showing yet in the 2018 Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP) and American Solar Challenge (ASC) this summer. Twenty-four teams participated in the annual FSGP beginning July 6, and then the qualifying teams raced in the biannual ASC from Omaha, Nebraska to Bend, Oregon from July 14-22, covering 1,700 miles.

The competitions involve three phases:

• Scrutineering: The competing teams underwent a thre...

What began as therapeutic self-reflection and expression has transpired into a beautiful compilation of poetry that now fills Corinthia Jordan’s self-published book entitled “Bloom.”

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville senior is pursuing a bachelor’s in mass communications and works for the campus news outlet, The Alestle. But, her poetry was not part of a class project or work assignment. Her prose derived from a personal, sacred place.

“When I wrote ...

SIUE senior art major Allena Brazier, of East St. Louis, is the recipient of the fall 2018 Katherine Dunham Fellowship.

According to the Arts and Education Council, the program “promotes diversity in arts leadership by giving African-American students an opportunity to explore, gain experience and be mentored in arts administration.”

Brazier’s accomplishment was highlighted in an article posted Wednesday, Aug. 8 on BroadwayWorld.com.

The Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is collaborating with the City of Fairview Heights for its inaugural Encore Entrepreneur Roundtable. 

This complimentary event includes AARP and the Small Business Administration (SBA) along with other resources to support the curious entrepreneur or business owner age 50 and older. Attendees will learn about business development, legal issues, financial advice, funding, plus progr...

Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) Director for Continuing Education and Alumni Services Keith W. Dickey, DDS, MBA, has been presented the Indiana University (IU) School of Dental Medicine 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award.

Dickey accepted the award in May during the Indiana Dental Association/IU School of Dentistry Alumni Weekend in French Lick, Ind.

“I never expected to receive this tremendous honor,” Dickey said. “I received this award exactly 4...

Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) students received a warm, upbeat welcome to campus for the fall semester during the School’s inaugural Resource Fair held Tuesday, Aug. 7.

SIU SDM students, faculty, staff and administrators were treated to free pizza, live DJ entertainment and massages. They also had the opportunity to visit with campus representatives who provided helpful information about resources available to them, such as Campus Recreation, the Caree...

The Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation has given $1 million to the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) to annually serve hundreds of additional southern Illinois children.

“Delta Dental of Illinois and Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation believe every Illinois child deserves a healthy smile and good oral health,” said Bernie Glossy, president and chief executive officer of Delta Dental of Illinois and Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation. “Oral hea...

Innovative ways to envision, practice and teach sustainability will be a few things that workshop participants will learn at The Mississippi Project Workshop VIII on Wednesday, Aug. 15 at the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

“The Value of the Humanities in Teaching and Learning about Sustainability” will be the topic of the free conference for educators in the region, according to co-facilitators Connie Frey Spurl...

Using the personal notes of some of the greatest scientific minds in history, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Research, Education and Outreach has collaborated once again with the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Resources program at SIUE to offer a unique workshop for educators from around the region.

During the two-day workshop, “STEM Notebooks: Understanding History through a STEM Lens,” tea...

After eight weeks of archaeological field and laboratory research and fish-monitoring in the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, 10 undergraduates from around the United States shared their research findings during the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Symposium held Thursday, July 26, on campus.

Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Carol Colaninno, PhD, assistant research professor in the SIUE STEM Center, alongside co-PI John Chic...

Passersby can’t help but notice the 12-foot tall corn growing in front of The NCERC at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s University Park. SIUE students are working the “Feedstock Diversity Showcase” that features not only corn, but also grain sorghum and sweet sorghum. These three feedstocks represent conventional biofuels production, advanced biofuels production and cellulosic biofuels production.

“This is the only ‘Feedstock Diversity Showcase&#82...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center’s Veterans Upward Bound Program will host a fair for career and training opportunities for veterans in the region. 

VetMATCH Career Fair will be held from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9 at the SIUE East St. Louis Center (ESLC), 601 James R. Thompson Blvd., Building D in East St. Louis. 

“Veterans will be able to explore career options for higher wages, look into additional free eligible resources and lea...

For six Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center Upward Bound (UB) East St. Louis and Cahokia (EC) program alumni, their means of “paying it forward” involves cashing in on past opportunities afforded to them. 

Donating a scholarship of $500 each to Kalay Lucas and Edgar Williams were UB alumni Eric Cooper, Brandon Jackson, Donnell Johnson, Donald Roberson, Jeremy Sanders and Craig Slaughter. Cooper, Jackson, Roberson and Sanders made the presentatio...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center (ESLC) for the Performing Arts Program made their audience feel as if they were at a Broadway show instead of sitting in the East St. Louis Senior High School’s Performing Arts Auditorium. 

Performing Arts concluded its summer program with “Salute to Broadway 2018” on Friday, July 27. The students, ages 6-17, danced, sang, acted and played instruments to various Broadway tunes as Disney’s The Little...

Lack of resources, negative cultural attitudes and slow physician responses can impede the healthy management of mental health conditions facing African Americans, according to Kim McClellan, National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwestern Illinois (NAMI SWI) project coordinator. 

McClellan gave three presentations at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center (ESLC) during July, which is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. 

“The African ...

Interactive learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is happening around every corner at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville during Odyssey Science Camp, being held Monday-Friday, July 16-27 and coordinated by the SIUE STEM Center.

More than 90 youth, ages 7-14, are engaging in hands-on learning activities that stimulate and build interest in STEM.

“Science is about discovery and curiosity,” said Dawn Olive with the SIUE STEM Center. “STEM exp...

Be careful what you share online. Work to be secure within yourself. Practice being a leader. These and other messages were illustrated through ethnodramas that dealt with bullying, and were written and performed by students from the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center (ESLC) Upward Bound Math and Science Cahokia Madison (CM) Program. 

“Ethnodrama was used to help students improve their writing abilities to write for change,” said Sarah Hobson, PhD, ...

Two Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering students are among eight in the country participating in Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc.’s (LRS) competitive internship program this summer.

Located in Springfield, LRS is a global company offering a wide range of computer software products to customers around the globe. Through the company’s internship program, SIUE senior computer science majors Lyric Boone, of Rochester, and Spencer Lemay, of Belleville, are gaining hand...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy (SOP) paid tribute to the extraordinary impact of retiring Director of Student Services Connie Stamper-Carr and honored former Dean Gireesh Gupchup, PhD, at the first Special All-Alumni & Friends Anniversary Gala held Saturday, July 14 at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark.

The gala’s approximately 130 attendees included alumni, current students, faculty, staff, members of the Pharmacy Advisory Board and friends.

“W...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will honor eight remarkable graduates at the 2018 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame ceremony, “A Night Among the Stars,” on Friday, Sept. 28 in the Morris University Center. The impressive alumni have made exceptional contributions in their chosen fields, in their communities and at SIUE through their leadership, character and hard work.

A cocktail reception in the Meridian Ballroom will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and an awards presentati...

The Riverbend Growth Association invites local business owners and entrepreneurs throughout the region to meet the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Metro East Small Business Development Center (SBDC) staff from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 28 at the Riverbend Growth Association (RBGA) Office, located at 6722 Godfrey Rd., in Godfrey.

Metro East SBDC staff will be available for one-on-one confidential counseling sessions with business owners and entrepreneurs. Topics will include...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Police Department continues to be a strong, involved supporter of the Team Illinois Youth Police Camp.

Coordinated by Illinois State Police (ISP) and hosted in partnership with SIUE Police and other Metro East agencies, the 14^th annual residency program was held from Sunday, July 15-Saturday, July 21. Nearly 60 cadets from across the region participated.

According to the ISP, “Team Illinois Youth Police Camp is a highly structured weeklong re...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center for the Performing Arts will present its free summer concert, Salute to Broadway 2018, at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 27 at East St. Louis Senior High School, 4901 State St. 

“Our students and instructors have worked hard all summer to bring a show that is in keeping with our tradition of excellence in the performing arts,” said Program Director Jack Williams. “The Broadway theme will showcase the wide talents...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Philosophy Instructor Michelle Catalano’s students take their critical thinking lessons outside the classroom to address important and controversial topics in caring and creative ways. 

Read more about Catalano’s critical thinking courses in Engaged Philosophy: Civic Engagement in Philosophy Classes. 

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is thrilled to announce a creative community partnership backed by external support that will bring the new Harry Gallatin SIUE Golf Practice Facility to Sunset Hills Country Club (SHCC) in Edwardsville.

The indoor practice facility and driving range is being named in honor of legendary SIUE coach and supporter, the late Harry Gallatin, who envisioned such a first-class facility that would increase student-athlete training opportunities.

“I belie...

Accessible Campus Community & Equitable Student Support (ACCESS) is the new name for the former Disability Support Services at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

“We changed the name to better reflect the services we provide,” said Dominic Dorsey, ACCESS director. “Our mission is to provide reasonable accommodations to ensure that diverse learners have access to the University and its programs through proactive and intentional interventions, resources and programming d...

City of Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton provided the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Intercollegiate Athletics with a certificate of commendation at the July 17 city council meeting to honor the Cougars’ consistent academic excellence and community service.

In the certificate, Patton commended SIUE’s student-athletes and coaches for their “outstanding abilities and contributions to SIUE and our community.”

SIUE Director of Athletics Brad Hewitt, NC...

With handmade, colorful masks of a brown bear, a red bird, a yellow duck and more, preschoolers from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Head Start/Early Head Start Helen Davis Center participated in an activity to observe the birthday of famous children’s designer, illustrator and writer Eric Carle. 

Carle is best known for designing, illustrating and writing The Very Hungry Caterpillar and for illustrating Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Carle has written/and or illu...

While some of them may have heard it before, a group of high school students in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center’s Upward Bound East St. Louis and Cahokia (EC) program listened to one of their own tell how planning, persistence and positive support can result in college success. 

Upward Bound EC alumnus Eric Cooper spoke to the students Thursday, July 12 about how the program made higher education accessible for him and paved a pathway to success.&#...

During the life-changing pursuit of higher education, great opportunities, challenges and personal and professional development are inevitable.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students who are now alumni have enjoyed personal growth under the mentorship of School of Education, Health and Human Behavior Psychology Professor Eva Dreikurs Ferguson, PhD. According to these alumni, much of that growth occurred from their experiences learning about Adlerian Psychology and attending the Inte...

Madison County youth are designing, building and testing rovers, or space exploration vehicles, through the collaborative STEM Meets Humanities robotics program, presented in partnership by the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville STEM Center, Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities (MJCH) and Madison County Housing Authority (MCHA).

Students ranging in age from five to 14 are participating in the robotics program being offered once a week for four-weeks this summer as part of the MCHA Su...

For trans college students, Rex Lee Jackson, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville associate director of Residence Life, wants to start with the basics – human dignity and a safe place to call home. 

Jackson, one of four editors of the book, Trans* Policies & Experiences in Housing & Residence Life, hopes it will be used as a practical tool to create environments in which trans students can live, survive and thrive. 

“How can a student be academically successful when ...

There was a time when Radricka Olden could not imagine watching a cadaver being medically probed on an examination table. But that was before the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center Upward Bound Math and Science (UBMS) student signed up for the Saint Louis University Scholars Program and learned of the research significance behind such work. 

Olden was one of four UBMS (East St. Louis, Cahokia and Madison high schools-ECM) students who participated in SLU Schola...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Office of Admissions is hosting 50 high school students on campus through the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC) Camp College program July 10-13.

Camp College provides rising seniors from across the state the opportunity to learn about the college search and application process firsthand from college admissions professionals and high school counselors. Participants learn how to navigate a college fair, write an essay and i...

William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream continues on stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, July 13-14 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 15 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Metcalf Theater. 

The play, adapted and directed by Department of Theater and Dance Chair Chuck Harper, will close out SIUE’s 2018 Summer Theater season. 

General admission is $15 for adults and $12 for others. SIUE students attending summer classes, receive free admission with ...

William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream continues on stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, July 13-14 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 15 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Metcalf Theater. 

The play, adapted and directed by Department of Theater and Dance Chair Chuck Harper, will close out SIUE’s 2018 Summer Theater season. 

General admission is $15 for adults and $12 for others. SIUE students attending summer classes, receive free admission with ...

William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream continues on stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, July 13-14 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 15 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Metcalf Theater. 

The play, adapted and directed by Department of Theater and Dance Chair Chuck Harper, will close out SIUE’s 2018 Summer Theater season. 

General admission is $15 for adults and $12 for others. SIUE students attending summer classes, receive free admission with ...

The historic discoveries of SIUE’s Julie Zimmermann, PhD, professor of anthropology, and students in her archaeological field school were highlighted on St. Louis Public Radio.

Zimmermann’s interview with St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh aired Tuesday, July 10. The full story, entitled SIUE Students Spearhead Archaeological Dig on Campus; Ancient House Found Among Remains, is available at stlpublicradio.org.

Two Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnae have been honored by the St. Louis Business Journal as being among the most successful female business leaders in the St. Louis region.

Receiving recognition on the Most Influential Business Women Class of 2018 list are Vicki LaRose and Catherine Taylor Yank. The female leaders are among 25 honorees selected out of more than 250 nominees.

LaRose completed a bachelor’s in civil engineering from the SIUE School of Engineering in 1990. S...

While some have a passion for archaeology and others are more focused on ecology, 10 undergraduates from across the nation are gaining hands-on experience in both fields by participating in an interdisciplinary field study hosted at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in collaboration with the Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

This is the second summer of a three-year program funded by a $287,690 National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Andy Theising, PhD, professor of political science in the College of Arts and Sciences, is the author of The Rise and Fall of an Industrial River Town – Made in U.S.A. Theising took time on Thursday, June 21 for an “Across the Years” presentation during the SIUE East St. Louis Learning Resource Center’s Success and Continuing Knowledge (S.A.C.K.) Lunch and Learn program to discuss East St. Louis history that is detailed in...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has named Steve Huffstutler as Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (CIO). Huffstutler has served in that role in an interim capacity since 2015. His appointment is subject to SIU Board of Trustees approval.

As interim, Huffstutler has led a dedicated staff of more than 100 professionals in support of the University’s technology service, systems, and infrastructure, including academic and administrativ...

Wishing you and yours a very Happy 4th of July from SIUE.

The offices of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will be closed Wednesday, July 4, 2018. Offices will re-open Thursday, July 5, 2018. 

SIUE alumnus Nick Mance has been named president of Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC). He previously served as chairman of the SWIC Board of Trustees.

Mance earned a bachelor’s in accountancy from the SIUE School of Business in 1986.

Details on his new role and professional history were posted in the Belleville News-Democrat on Monday, July 2.

The Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) has honored four distinguished students with its annual Dean’s Scholarship.

Recipients include Tanner Brown, of Bethalto, Brandon Cesario, of Naperville, Jordan Ha, of Bloomington, and Kelsie Vandergriff, of Granite City. Each has been awarded $5,000 for the 2018-19 academic year.

The Dean’s Scholarship was created with the goal of rewarding academic merit, assisting with financial need and increasing student dive...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville College Student Personnel Administration (CSPA) graduate students are refining their leadership and organizational skills, building professional networks and developing personally as they take a step outside their comfort zones and complete competitive field placements in seven states across the nation.

“The CSPA program’s increased reach and reputation is related to a greater emphasis on professional preparation and the competitiveness of o...

Healthcare is an expansive and continuously evolving industry, which benefits from a diverse workforce. That’s why Southern Illinois University Edwardsville hosted 32 high school students from Illinois and Missouri during its collaborative Healthcare Diversity Camp held June 18-22.

Campers explored career possibilities in a variety of healthcare fields through hands-on activities and mentorship sessions hosted by the SIUE Schools of Pharmacy (SOP) and Nursing (SON), the SIU School of Dent...

“We got pride, yes we do. We got pride, how about you?” sang the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville delegation as they marched on Saturday, June 23 in PrideFest 2018, PrideSTL’s annual parade in support of the LGBT community and its causes. 

More than 20 SIUE faculty, staff, students and supporters participated in the two-day festival, Friday-Saturday, June 23-24, funded and supported by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Students Affairs. Heading up the delegat...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will welcome alumnus Timothy Staples, EdD, back to campus as director of its new Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion. Staples will assume his new role on Monday, July 16.

SIUE’s Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion will serve as a support and advocacy center for underrepresented students through programming, services, student retention initiatives and professional advocacy. The new center will raise awareness for the SIUE Community ab...

A class project involving a quilt made of hands has brought outbursts of creativity, a time of excitement and a sense of community for the students of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center’s Project Success Program. 

Bringing the quilting class to Project Success students for the third time is The Hands of Children, a project conducted by volunteer quilters to share the art of quilting with youth in the region, according to Pamela Coaxum, project coordinator...

A subscription box filled with snacks and sensory items for individuals with special needs, a showerhead that dispenses soap with the water, a technologically advanced mattress and an online platform for generating gift ideas were among the creative business ideas developed during the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business’s Summer Entrepreneurship Academy (SEA).

Seven high school students from Belleville, Edwardsville and St. Louis participated in the augural offeri...

The SIUE School of Business Executive Education program has announced its upcoming professional development courses and workshops.

Fall 2018 Foundations of Project Management - PMP Prep

Five Fridays, Sept. 14, 21 and October 5, 12 and 19

8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., SIUE Main Campus – Morris University Center

Learn the basics and best practices of project management and prepare for the PMP® certification.  Successful completion awards the 35 educational hours required for the PMP® ...

An Alton native has turned his passion for plants, soil science and agriculture into a growing business with Heritage Farm & Fruit Trees based in Godfrey.

Owner Patrick Gibson is pursuing his dream while feeding the community and supporting other local businesses with his high-quality fruit trees. He has received invaluable assistance with his venture from the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

SBDC Director Jo Ann DiMaggio May&#8217...

Five-year-old Taylor Hopkins gasped and her face brightened when, upon the sixth or seventh attempt, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center (ESLC) Kindergarten Readiness Program student accomplished her task and got the right answer to her teacher’s persistent questioning of how to spin a small wooden top. 

Taylor is one of 32 students in the Kindergarten Readiness Program that is offering STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities...

On the west side of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s campus, near Ralph Korte Stadium at the Gehring site (11MS99), 16 undergraduate students and several faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Anthropology have uncovered a 1,000-year-old home from the Mississippian period.

The students are participating in an eight-week archaeological field school led by Julie Zimmermann, PhD, professor of anthropology, which began May 14. They’ve spent...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Office of Admissions welcomed 20 area students from the High School Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI) on Thursday, June 14 for a day of activities and workshops on campus.

“Program Manager Vanessa Garcia and the entire group of HLI students were a joy to work with,” said Assistant Director for Campus Visits and Outreach Kelley Brooks. “I could see the excitement on the students’ faces as they arrived on campus.”

&#82...

The St. Louis Business Journal has recognized Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumna Cynthia Chapple among its coveted 30 Under 30 Class of 2018. The annual list features the region’s next generation of high-level decision makers and societal influencers.

Chapple, a Chicago native, is a research and development chemist at ELANTAS PDG in St. Louis, who focuses on the development of new coating technologies for the electronics and electrical markets. She earned a master’s in...

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees today approved contracts for the renovation of SIUE’s Founders Hall. It also approved purchasing agreements with JP Morgan Chase and Mailing Methods, Inc.

The Founders Hall Renovation is part of the University’s 21^st Century Buildings Plan, a program that will renovate six core campus buildings in sequential order, beginning with Founders. SIUE’s core campus buildings were constructed in the 1960s and ‘70s. While they ha...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has named Robert “Bob” Thumith as its new director of Human Resources. Thumith will assume his responsibilities on Friday, July 6.

Thumith brings more than three decades of professional, managerial and leadership experience in the field of human resource management. His experience spans private and public, multi-state and international sectors, as he has worked for organizations such as Honeywell International, Rexam PLC, GKN Aerospace, Patr...

In an effort to reach more students and secure ways to make intense and accelerated learning experiences more equitable, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Office of the Provost sent an interdisciplinary, cross-divisional team to the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) 2018 Institute on High-Impact Practices and Student Success. 

 A five-member team, chaired by Interim Assistant Provost Jessica Harris, PhD, went to the University of Utah in Salt Lake Cit...

An award for doing the right thing? This response, in part, came from Dominic Dorsey II, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville director of Disability Support Services, after receiving the Champions of Community Engagement Award. 

The award was presented by Empower Indy Inc. and Powerhouse Church of Deliverance in Indianapolis at the Second Annual EmPOWERment Gala held May 18 at the Sheraton in Indianapolis. 

“It’s humbling, but a little sad,” Dorsey said of...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Denise Cobb, PhD, has named Tim Schoenecker, PhD, as dean of the School of Business. Schoenecker has served as interim dean since May 2016. The appointment is subject to SIU Board of Trustees approval.

Schoenecker has provided significant service to the School as a collaborative leader. He, in close partnership with faculty and staff, has contributed to the School’s growth and celebrated its account...

SIUE alumna Kristin Tanzyus has been named chair of the Riverbend Head Start and Family Services Board of Directors.

Tanzyus earned a master’s in business administration from SIUE in 1995. AdvantageNEWS detailed Tanzyus’ history with the board and her new appointment in an article posted Monday, June 18.

Entrepreneurs and new business startups are invited to compete in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s fifth annual regional business plan competition – the 2018 Metro East Start-Up Challenge (MESC).

The MESC is organized by the Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at SIUE and facilitated with the help of the SIUE School of Business. The purpose of the Challenge is to identify, encourage and support entrepreneurs and business startups across the S...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering’s (SOE) state-of-the-art Student Design Center was buzzing with drone activity on Wednesday, June 13, as students from across the nation engaged in hands-on learning during the School’s 2018 Engineering Camp.

The dynamic camp, sponsored by Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery, and supported by MiTek, exposes high school students to the world of engineering. The SOE welcomed 52 students from across the country for two wee...

SIUE alumna Sara McMahan has been named executive director of Eden Village Retirement Center, Inc. in Glen Carbon.

McMahan earned a bachelor’s in nursing from SIUE in 1997. Details on her new position were posted Wednesday, June 13 on RiverBender.com.

SIUE alumnus Damon Harbison has been named president of SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital-Centralia. He has served as interim president since February.

Harbison earned a master’s in business administration from SIUE in 2004. Details on his leadership role were posted Sunday, June 10 on KFVS12.com.

Professor Lisa Colbert was the first to bring an African American play – Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun – to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Dunham Hall Theater. Before this, Colbert was the creative force and originator of SIUE’s Black Theatre Workshop (BTW). Now, 20 years later, the scholarship that bears the name of the late assistant professor in the SIUE Department of Theater and Dance, will continue in perpetuity. 

“The Profes...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jeffrey Waple, PhD, has named Miriam Roccia as associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs. Roccia will assume her new role on Monday, July 2.

Roccia brings more than 18 years of professional experience in higher education to SIUE. Since 2012, she has been serving as assistant dean of students at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She oversaw UMSL’s residential life and housing, recreation and wellness, Mil...

Sara Atwood, a student at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Environmental Resources Training Center (ERTC), received the Sylvanus Jackson Memorial Scholarship Award at the Illinois Water Environment Association (IWEA) Awards banquet in Springfield in mid-April.

The scholarship was established to assist professionals in furthering their education and training in the field of water pollution prevention and control. The fund was created in memory of Sylvanus Jackson, super...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Vice Chancellor for Advancement and CEO of the SIUE Foundation Rachel Stack has named Jenell Wright, CPA, as director of financial affairs in the SIUE Foundation. Wright will assume her new role on Monday, June 18.

Wright, of Edwardsville, has previously served as vice president of accounting at Jones Pharma and audit manager for Ernst & Young, LLP. She is co-founder of Coldwater Creek-Just the Facts Community Group and volunteer treasurer for the St. L...

Al Holliday and the East Side Rhythm Band is the featured artist for Lovejoy Library’s “Night in the Stacks” annual fundraiser at 6 p.m. Saturday, August 11 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Lovejoy Library.

The event is on the main level of the library and free parking is available in Lot A.

“We are excited to have Al Holliday performing, whose band has built its reputation for its world class R&B and distinct brand of soul music,” said Library...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Staff Senate has awarded its annual University Staff Senate Summer Scholarship to three students pursuing summer coursework to advance their academic career. Each of the students have a parent who works at the University.

Sophomore psychology major Maggie Haas, of Roxana, was awarded $1,000. Mascoutah native Taylor Hansen, a senior majoring in social work, earned $500. Senior biological sciences major Alexis Acoff, of O’Fallon, was presented $...

Sweating from the heat, stimulated from the run and exhilarated about the cause, eight Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Police personnel ended their three-mile run Monday, June 11 at the University’s Cougar statue on campus, marking their annual Law Enforcement Torch Run® to benefit Special Olympics Illinois. 

The annual intrastate relay’s purpose is to raise money and gain awareness for athletes who participate in Special Olympics Illinois. 

“For more...

Everyone is an artist and all are welcomed with radical hospitality in Art Hives. Now, the community art studios are popping up in the St. Louis metropolitan area thanks to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and community partners.

“With SIUE/STL Art Hives, we are empowering people to come up with their own way of expressing themselves by providing materials and tying art therapy into a community model,” said SIUE art therapy counseling graduate student Theresa Hitchcock.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville teacher candidates are gaining hands-on experience while boosting reading fluency and comprehension in East. St. Louis elementary school students in kindergarten, first and second grades through the Everybody Reads and Writes Project at Gordon Bush Elementary School.

Spring and summer 2018 mark the first time the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s (SEHHB) teacher education program and Gordon Bush Elementary’s partnership has in...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering’s Ahmed Abdelaty, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Construction, has partnered with The Korte Company to gain field experience and construction insights that will advance his teaching and scholarship.

Now through July 13, Abdelaty is participating in the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) Education and Research Foundation’s Robert L. Bowen Industry Residency Initiative. The program provides &#8...

Twenty-year radio broadcast veteran Jason Church has been named director of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s WSIE-FM 88.7 The Sound. 

“I have long been a loyal fan of SIUE’s WSIE station and have always hoped for the opportunity to lend my experience to its operation,” said Church, of Eureka, Mo. “My experience in both commercial and non-commercial radio will play a crucial role in the continued success and development of WSIE.” 

“...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center for the Performing Arts plans to bring Broadway to the Metro East with its summer enrichment program, beginning Monday, June 11. 

Broadway is the theme of the seven-week summer enrichment program. “I am thrilled to do music, dance and theatrical numbers from Broadway,” said Jack Williams, director of the SIUE East St. Louis Center for the Performing Arts. “Our students are going to enjoy learning the perf...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing (SON) Dean Laura Bernaix, PhD, RN, has selected Roberta Harrison, PhD, RN as associate dean for academic programs and community/global partnerships.

Harrison, who assumed her new responsibilities on June 1, has served as assistant dean for undergraduate programs since 2012 and as a member of the nursing faculty since 2006. She is an associate professor in the Department of Primary Care and Health Systems Nursing.

“Roberta’...

When Italian students Pietro Beimer and Gabriele Fancelli arrived at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in August 2017, they expected to complete a one-year partnership program and receive their bachelor’s degrees in business from the American institution.

While they fulfilled that expectation, they graduated in May 2018 with not only expanded knowledge, but also hands-on experience that has given them a competitive edge in the business world.

Beimer and Fancelli took part in the ...

The landscape service All Seasons Outdoor Solutions (ASOS) in O’Fallon has grown quickly since owner Sean Jentsch launched the new business in April. Aiding in his success has been the Metro East Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Jentsch is a Marine Corps veteran who was looking to give back to the community by offering his landscaping services, after gaining many years of experience working at golf courses and lawn care busine...

Tunes from Chaka Khan, James Brown, Hezekiah Walker and more will help set the stage for a rhythmic, soulful and enlightening evening at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School’s (CHS) LOVE of Music event, where CHS students will perform. 

The Legacy Opportunity Versed Empowerment (LOVE) event will begin at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, June 30 in the Multipurpose Room on the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus, 601 James R. Thompson Blvd. in East St. Lo...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Eva Dreikurs Ferguson, PhD, professor and distinguished scholar in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB), is traveling globally this summer to share her knowledge on the pioneering concepts of Adlerian Psychology, specifically as it relates to raising children.

The psychological approach, which places strong focus on counseling and social dynamics, is named for its founder, psychiatrist Alfred Adler. Upon Adler’s passi...

Following a comprehensive national search led by search committee chairs Phyleccia Cole and Kim Durr and involving numerous constituency groups, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Randy Pembrook is pleased to announce the appointment of Jamie Ball, JD, as director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, Access and Title IX Coordination (EOA). Ball assumes her new duties effective Monday, June 18.

Ball arrives on campus after serving as the first institutional compliance officer/Ti...

The Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) celebrated the achievements of 52 students with the bestowal of doctor of dental medicine degrees during its commencement ceremony held Saturday, June 2 in SIUE’s Morris University Center’s Meridian Ballroom.

The SIU SDM’s 43^rd class of graduates received their doctoral hoods, including six students who completed the School’s inaugural International Advanced Placement Program, which began in 2016.

&#82...

SIUE’s Jeffrey Manuel, PhD, associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Historical Studies, shared his expertise in a St. Louis Public Radio story on U.S. Steel’s Granite City plant.

The story, written by Mary Delach Leonard, was posted Tuesday, June 5.

When it comes to sustainability at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Vice Chancellor for Administration Rich Walker believes it takes “a village” to raise awareness and improve and expand outcomes as it relates to what he sees as one of the world’s critical issues of the day. That is why he incorporated action into the group focused on the topic – literally. 

SIUE’s new Sustainability Action Group (SAG) is focused on updating self-reporting tools that...

High school students exiting grades 9-12 can boost their technical and interpersonal skills, learn from local entrepreneurs and engage with business experts during Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s new Summer Entrepreneurship Academy (SEA).

The SEA will take place from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, June 18-22. Registration is available at siue.edu/summer/camps/summer-entrepreneurship-academy.

“There is a lot of excitement for the Summer Entrepreneurship Academy,” sai...

Rick Lallish, program director of Water Pollution Control at the Environmental Resources Training Center (ERTC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, has been named by the Illinois Association of Water Pollution Control Operators (IAWPCO) as its Outstanding Operator of the Year. Lallish received the honor during the IAWPCO’s annual conference in mid-April, where he also was named the new IAWPCO President.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s (IEPA) Division of Wate...

The 2018 Summer Theater season at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville begins Friday, June 15 with Disney’s Academy Award-winning animated feature, Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” 

The Summer Theater production of the Broadway musical hit will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, June 15-16 and June 22-23, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 17 and June 24 in the Katherine Dunham Hall Theater on the SIUE campus. Some of the classic songs to be featured include &#...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Mark Luer, PharmD, FCCP, has been named interim dean of the School of Pharmacy (SOP). Luer replaces Gireesh Gupchup, PhD, who has completed a successful term as dean of the SOP and will now be serving the School and the University in other strategic roles.

Luer, who will officially begin his duties on July 1, has served as the SOP’s associate dean for professional and student affairs since 2012. He is a professor of pharmacy practice and p...

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville has helped another entrepreneur transform her dream into reality.

Jamie Nixon, owner of Strait Laced Boutique, is a passionate entrepreneur who successfully launched her e-commerce women’s fashion store in March 2018, with the help of the SBDC.

SBDC Director and Small Business Specialist Jo Ann May offered expertise on creating a viable business plan and provided addit...

Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) female faculty, staff and students were encouraged to build confidence, pursue their desired work-life balance, negotiate and network to achieve professional success during a women’s empowerment presentation held Tuesday, May 29 on the SIU SDM campus.

“Getting Prepared to Succeed in the Market” was sponsored by Monsanto and featured speakers Elzandi Oosthuizen, vice president of Global Strategy at Monsanto and pr...

Students’ colorful handprints are artfully displayed in paintings at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Head Start/Early Head Start Centers at Lovejoy and Helen Davis. 

The handprints are part of an original mural created by Theresa Hitchcock, SIUE art enrichment graduate student at the Lovejoy Head Start Center in Brooklyn, according to Kay Robertson, center coordinator. The mural’s message reads: “Rooted in love, joy will grow!” 

“Theresa wanted...

The Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) will celebrate its 43^rd class of graduates during its commencement ceremony being held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 2 in the SIUE Morris University Center (MUC) Meridian Ballroom.

Leo E. Rouse, DDS, will deliver the commencement address to 52 students receiving their doctor of dental medicine degrees. Rouse serves as a senior scholar-in-residence of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) in Washington, District of Colum...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Vicki Van Tuyle, EdD, associate professor in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s Department of Educational Leadership, has been selected to serve a two-year term on the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Professional Review Panel. She was recommended for the panel by SIU President Randy Dunn, PhD.

“For over a decade in Illinois there have been many attempts to pass legislation that would provide equity in fundi...

The National Association of County Engineers has named SIUE alumnus Tom Klasner the 2017 Rural County Engineer of the Year.

Klasner earned a bachelor’s in civil engineering from the SIUE School of Engineering in 1988. Details on his award were posted Tuesday, May 29 in The Telegraph.

The Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will host a Spanish language workshop on Starting a Small Business in Illinois from 3-4:30 p.m. Thursday, June 28. The workshop will be held at the Fairmont City Library, located at 4444 Collinsville Rd. in Fairmont City.  

It is free and open to all Latino entrepreneurs in the Metro East. Registration is open at https://conta.cc/2HRdxVq.

The workshop will focus on a variety of to...

Bethalto high school students explored their parents and grandparents’ history in Madison County, creating oral histories and documenting personal artifacts, as part of a three-day history lesson presented by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville graduate students involved in Madison Historical: The Online Encyclopedia and Digital Archive for Madison County, Ill.

The lesson complimented the vision of Robert Daiber, EdD, superintendent of the Madison County Regional Office of Education...

For Jessica Harris, PhD, associate professor of historical studies and interim assistant provost at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, it is all about payback. The education, mentorship and love Harris received at Dillard University in New Orleans, is what has prepared and propelled her to be an educator and administrator at SIUE who pours into the lives of students and positions them for success. 

Harris’s achievements and outlook won her the attention of her alma mater, ear...

In his trademark gripping, combustible and yet reverential way, Dr. Cornel West, well-known political and social activist, Harvard University professor, best-selling author and theologian, called on people to continue in the tradition of the great African Americans who fought for justice and equality by becoming “love warriors.” West was the main attraction at West Fest 2018, a daylong multidisciplinary approach to art and “conch-us-nest” at the Southern Illinois Universi...

SIUE alumnus Clayton Hinton has been named a partner of West & Company, LLC. He will be the partner-in-charge of the firm’s Employee Benefits Department.

Hinton earned a bachelor’s in accountancy from the SIUE School of Business in 2007.

Details on his new role were posted in the Journal Gazette & Times Courier on Thursday, May 17.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Amanda Couch and Kevin West Jr. have been appointed to the Edwardsville YMCA Board of Directors for three-year terms.

Couch has served as a fitness coordinator in SIUE Campus Recreation since 2013. In her current role, the Rochester native has many opportunities to be involved in fitness programming, student development, fitness facility operations, and facility renovations and new construction. She has served as a captain in the U.S. Army, both...

A five-week trip to Uganda will offer the first passport stamp for many of the 11 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students participating in the University’s first student travel study in Eastern Africa from May 30 to July 4.

The international service experience is the finale of some of the students’ academic journeys, as they complete a bachelor’s in public health from the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB) in August. Others are pursuing a bachelo...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS) 2018 Graduating Class made history with its cumulative earning power of nearly $4 million in scholarships. The 28 seniors were lauded for their scholastic accomplishments during CHS’s commencement ceremony Friday, May 18 at Morris University Center’s Meridian Ballroom. 

“This Charter High School graduating class is an amazing one. The students have some staggering numbers,” said S...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy (SOP) dedicated its new Clinical Training Center in late April. The SOP hosted a dedication reception and demonstration after a meeting of the Pharmacy Advisory Board with board members, faculty and staff in attendance. 

“It is important for our pharmacy students to have the skills for daily operations in the pharmacies,” said Jing Fan, PharmD, SOP assistant dean for academic affairs and clinical associate profess...

The Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) prides itself on providing a high-quality, service-focused education that is built on a foundation of research and clinical experiences that form the basis for professional practice.

Two SIU SDM students have gained national attention for their research excellence. Second year student Luke Revelt, of Edwardsville, earned the 2018 American Association for Dental Research (AADR) Student Research Fellowship.

Third year student V...

The International Trade Center (ITC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville welcomed consuls and trade commissioners of the Chicago International Trade Commissioners’ Association (CITCA) representing countries worldwide for a luncheon and special introduction to the economically flourishing development hot spot that is southwestern Illinois.

The visit to SIUE was the welcoming stop along the “Discover Southwest Illinois” tour held May 15-16. The Southwest Illinois Trade ...

SIUE alumna Christina Stamps has been recognized by the Illinois Education Association as an Outstanding Teacher. Stamps teaches sixth grade in Medora.

She earned a bachelor’s in elementary education from the SIUE School of Education, Health and Human Behavior in 1986.

Details on her recognition are available in The Alton Telegraph.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Research, Education and Outreach shared its Star Lab Inflatable Planetarium and astronomy expertise with 8^th grade students participating in the Edwardsville School District 7’s NASA Day on Friday, May 18.

NASA Day began with the special opportunity to host a NASA International Space Station Inflight Education Downlink at the ECUSD’s Liberty Middle School. Eighth grad...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Director of Retention and Student Success Kevin Thomas, EdD, has been selected as an Outstanding Advising Administrator Award winner by the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA): The Global Community for Academic Advising.

The organization also selected Thomas as a mentor for its 2018-20 Emerging Leaders Class. He is one of 10 selected internationally for this role in “engaging and inspiring diverse NACADA leaders.”

The Outstandin...

As a recently selected member of the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois (DFI) board, Venessa A. Brown, PhD, associate chancellor for the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, and chief diversity officer at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, will work to improve minority representation at colleges and universities in the state. 

Specifically, the mission of the DFI board is to “increase the number of minority ...

Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, Edwardsville High School (EHS) students solved complex spatial problems and presented their findings to the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Geography and other interested faculty, students and administrators on Friday, May 4. 

From September 2017 through April 2018, approximately 30 students from EHS teacher Kevin Paur’s Advanced Placement Human Geography classes worked ...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Police Chief Kevin Schmoll will be honored for his minority hiring practices at the Edwardsville NAACP annual banquet at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 3 in the Morris University Center’s Meridian Ballroom.

Schmoll has implemented the University’s commitment to a diverse work force and an inclusive community by adding four officers of color to the department during the past two years. Schmoll started a mentoring program where he advises African America...

Lore’al Perkins, a senior at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS), has packed celery, carrots, broccoli and peppers, in an array of yellow, red and orange, into her glass mason jar. 

She is waiting patiently in line for the cucumbers, cranberries, sunflower seeds and spinach. “I think salad in a jar is a cool way to eat vegetables on the run,” said Perkins. 

Of the 25 participants, Perkins was one of 11 CHS students from...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville College of Arts and Sciences senior Sydni Rubio’s ultimate goal is to achieve a PhD and join a pediatric oncology research team. But, the Troy native knows she needs to take her academic journey one step at a time, gaining knowledge and research experience along the way, beginning as an undergraduate.

Rubio has received $3,000 from the Microscopy Society of America (MSA)’s Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program in support of her lab work...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering senior Eli Ball is strengthening his entrepreneurial skills and making important professional connections through his involvement in local business pitch competitions.

In April, Ball earned second place in SIUE’s “TheOther40” Business Plan Competition, earning $3,000. That same month, he competed in Saint Louis University’s Pitch & Catch Investor Pitch Deck Competition held at Busch Stadium.

“I am alw...

For the 24th consecutive semester, SIUE student-athletes recorded a cumulative grade point average higher than a 3.0.

“What began 12 years ago as a measure of future excellence has now become a standard of performance expectation,” said SIUE Director of Athletics Brad Hewitt, PhD.

The recently completed 2018 spring semester saw 71.6 percent of SIUE student-athletes finishing the semester with a GPA above 3.0. Forty-one student-athletes achieved a perfect 4.0. Seven of those were fr...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville community is mourning the loss of junior School of Education, Health and Human Behavior student Kendall Douglas, who passed away early Monday, May 14 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. She was 20.

An O’Fallon, Mo. native, Douglas was an elementary education major in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior, and a member of Delta Phi Epsilon sorority.

Visitation is 3-8 p.m. Saturday, May 19 at Hutchens-Stygar Funeral ...

SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook will deliver the Lewis and Clark Community College (L&C) commencement address at 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 16, on its Godfrey Campus.

Pembrook earned an associate’s degree from L&C in the ‘70s, and later earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education and piano performance at SIUE. He achieved a doctorate in music education from Florida State University.

“As a first-generation college student from a small rural community, Lewi...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Graduate School and School of Nursing (SON) celebrated the graduation of nearly 45 doctoral students on Friday, May 4. The healthcare professionals completed the University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program with specializations in nurse anesthesia, family nurse practitioner or post-master’s.

Just before graduating, the doctoral candidates presented their final practice projects on campus to a crowd of students, faculty, administ...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Dominic Dorsey, director of Disability Support Services, is being honored by The Empower Indy Inc. in conjunction with the Powerhouse Church of Indianapolis Inc., as one of its Champions of Community Engagement at the 2nd Annual EmPOWERment Black Tie Gala on Friday, May 18 at The Sheraton Hotel in Indianapolis.

The organization annually honors those who have committed their life’s mission to justice and the empowerment of the community. In...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Jessica DeSpain, PhD, associate professor and co-director of the IRIS Center, and Matt Johnson, STEM Center Instructional Designer will be featured in the 2018 STEM for All Video Showcase funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Now in its fourth year, the annual showcase will feature more than 200 innovative projects aimed at improving STEM learning and teaching, which have been funded by the NSF. DeSpain and Johnson will highlight the ...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has reached an academic partnership agreement with the University of Costa Rica (UCR). The new five-year partnership with UCR, coupled with the current faculty-led travel study programs through Central American Mission Programs (CAMP), provide new opportunities for collaborative engagement in fields like pharmacy, dental medicine, nursing and public health, among others.

SIUE will collaborate with UCR in research, teaching, short-term travel study, stud...

More than 50 Brownies, Juniors and parents from the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSOFSI) learned about the benefits of biofuels, fermentation and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) during the “Fueling Fun” biofuels workshop at the NCERC at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

From fermentation in Amish Friendship Bread to a tour of the Center’s 24,000 pilot plant and a Shark Tank-style badging session, all of the workshops had a commo...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumna Tiffany Flint is being honored for her outstanding work as an educator who teaches, supports and empowers middle school students in Belleville.

Flint has received the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Outstanding Early Career Educator Merit Award and the Illinois Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (IACTE) Outstanding Beginning Teacher Award.

“It doesn’t feel like work if you love what you are doing every day,”...

Collin Van Meter, Informational Technological Services support associate at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, was elected to serve on the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) Board of Trustees by the System’s active members. 

Also elected was Steven Rock, current member of the SURS Board of Trustees and economics professor at Western Illinois University (WIU). John Engstrom, retired from Northern Illinois University, was elected to serve as an annuitant trustee. ...

Cubans’ strong sense of pride and resilience captivated Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Venessa A. Brown, PhD, associate chancellor for the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, and chief diversity officer. 

A trip to Cuba enthralled Brown so much that when she returned home, she documented her perspectives and experiences in A Promising Reality: Reflections on Race, Gender and Culture in Cuba. The book, co-edited by Brown and Menah Pratt-Clarke, was publ...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Meridian Society’s annual Meridian Derby featured a beautiful spectacle of large, glamorous hats and fascinators as the philanthropic organization celebrated women’s leadership and investment in SIUE community-based projects.

The 7^th annual Meridian Derby was held Tuesday, May 8 at Fairmount Park Racetrack’s Top of the Turf in Collinsville. Approximately 250 attendees decked in derby attire enjoyed fellowship and a picturesque view...

Added to a growing list of poetry awards and accolades, incoming Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Assistant Professor Tiana Clark has won the prestigious Agnes Lynch Starett Prize for Poetry. 

The University of Pittsburgh Press (UPP) annually awards the prize to a gifted, burgeoning poet for his or her first full-length book of poetry.  

Clark, who will be part of SIUE’s new Master of Fine Arts program, won the award for her book, I Can’t Talk About the Tr...

An Alton team won the National Flagway Tournament sponsored by the Young People’s Project (YPP) for the second straight year Saturday, April 28 at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Student Fitness Center. The SIUE College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) hosted the second annual mathematics competition.  

The Alton Alge-bruhs had to go to sudden death overtime to defeat the Alton Taco Cats 25-24 for the title. The seven-team field included two Chicago entries along with teams f...

SIUE alumna Sherry Hausmann has been named president and chief executive officer of SolutionHealth.

Hausmann earned a bachelor’s in nursing from the SIUE School of Nursing in 1997. MarketWatch detailed her new leadership role in a press release posted Monday, May 7.

The nation is celebrating educators during Teacher Appreciation Week May 6-12. Among those applauding the wonderful, inspiring work of teachers are Spring 2018 graduates of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB), who achieved a bachelor’s in early childhood, elementary, secondary or special education.

They each had a teacher growing up, or a cooperating teacher during their studies, who inspired them to be their best, offered a...

SIUE School of Engineering student Diego Piña will gain hands-on experience as a mechanical engineer through a competitive co-op position he secured at the Peoria Ameren gas plant. He will work at the plant from May through December.

The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis featured Piña’s academic journey and student involvement at SIUE, and detailed his co-op position in this article.

SIUE alumnus Mark Skertich has been named the 2018 Superintendent of Distinction by Kaskaskia Region of the Illinois Association of School Administrators.

Skertich is superintendent of Southwestern CUSD #9. He earned a master’s in education administration from SIUE in 2001.

Details on his notable achievement were posted Tuesday, May 1 in The RiverBender.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is participating in the Summer Food Service Program.

Meals will be provided to all SIUE East St. Louis Center Summer Program enrolled children 18 years of age and under free of charge. Acceptance and participation requirements for the program and all activities are the same for all regardless to race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service. 

Any person who believes that...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville geography major Charles “Chuck” L. Pelo received the Illinois Geographical Society (IGS) Four-Year College Outstanding Senior Geographer Award at the IGS Annual Meeting, hosted by SIUE Friday-Saturday, April 27-28.

Pelo turned to SIUE after being displaced from his job as a steelmaking production supervisor in 2016. He had worked at Granite City Steel for 19 years.

He returned to SIUE with federal funding from the Trade Adjustment Assi...

It is a Facebook following that Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students worked hard for and are proud of, because they educated and aroused interest in recycling among many Godfrey residents. 

“Facebook is a great way to reach a large amount of people,” said Abbigayle Riedisser, a senior public health major. “We had initially wanted to reach 50 people, but when our project ended, we had 151 Facebook followers on the Greener Godfrey page. 

The students&#82...

2018 Spring Commencement Ceremony Videos 

May 4 - 10 am | 2 pm | 6:30 pm
May 5 - 8:30 am | 12:30 pm | 2:30 pm | 5 pm

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Randy Pembrook oversaw the 2018 Spring Commencement exercises Friday and Saturday, May 4-5 for 2,091 eligible graduates. All the ceremonies are available on siue.edu/tv.

Pembrook saluted the graduates for their community service and commitment to shaping a c...

The positive impact that Southern Illinois University Edwardsville enjoys in the region and, in increasing measure, across the country, is due to its esteemed alumni. This weekend, SIUE hosts its second annual Golden Graduation Reunion to celebrate and welcome back to campus those who graduated 50 years or more years ago from the University. 

Approximately 33 Golden Graduates and their guests will take part in the weekend that includes an honoree reception, campus bus tour and commencement...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Department of Teaching and Learning is offering a new three-credit online summer course “Teaching Lincoln, K-12,” in collaboration with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. Teachers and graduate students from across the country can plan their own trip anytime this summer and enroll in the course that spans July 2-August 4.

“Teachers or other individuals at the graduate level interested in teaching...

The unique academic backgrounds of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students Laura Quinonez-Lara and Lindsey Loyd will surely set them apart from others in the ever-evolving job market, upon achieving their degrees on Friday, May 4.

Quinonez-Lara and Loyd are the first to achieve a master’s in integrative studies through the SIUE Graduate School, the only such interdisciplinary program in the St. Louis metropolitan region. Through the program, they each blended their interests to...