Message from the Chair

Hello alumni! Greetings from the CMIS department at SIUE.

A year has passed since the last newsletter, and there are numerous changes occurring in the CMIS department. Throughout this newsletter, you can read about faculty and curriculum changes we are making to continually improve the educational opportunities for our students.

But first, think back to being a CMIS student at SIUE. Remember downloading free Microsoft software and VMWARE software? What about using SAP or Oracle databases? Maybe you were in one of the lucky years where all CMIS majors received a t-shirt to proudly proclaim their major. You received this because of alumni donations. Donations from alumni allow us to continue being a member of the Microsoft Academic Alliance so undergraduates and graduate students can download needed software for their education. We’d like to extend software offerings to cover needed lab activities for additional cybersecurity and business analytics courses. Please consider donating to the CMIS department so that we can continue offering our students the same tools (and a t-shirt!) you received. The CMIS faculty and current students thank you for your continued support.

Continue reading to learn more about recent news in the department, activities undertaken by current students, and what faculty and alumni are doing now. Please visit the CMIS department (1^st floor Vadalabene beginning fall 2018), if you are ever in the area.

Anne Powell

Chair, Computer Management and Information Systems Department

Defining Your Alma Mater

As the years go by, most of us will become nostalgic about the time we spent in college, often calling it “the best days of our lives.” Of course, that’s not to say your current life is not the best, but it proves that the time when you had fewer responsibilities, were focused on making good grades, and were getting ready to start your professional journey made a great impression on you. We gain so much from our college experiences, and it’s important to give back to support that same experience for others behind you. We hope this is reason enough to support the School of Business, but here are some other great reasons to give back:

Support of your alma mater plays a big role in determining the future and continued development of the School.
Scholarship donation goes a long way to support students who need financial help to offset their educational costs.
Investing your time and money in your alma mater helps current students gain a valuable asset—an excellent education
Alumni giving opens up more giving opportunities for outsiders, organizations and philanthropists.
When your alma mater continues to grow in prestige, the value of YOUR degree increases.

For those of you who support your alma mater already, thank you for investing in the School of Business! Others can start giving back today!

Department News

Senior Portfolio Fair

Every semester, our seniors enrolled in CMIS 470-Structured Systems Design, participate in a Senior Portfolio Fair. During the Portfolio Fair, seniors have the chance to showcase what they have learned and what they hope to do with their degree to both faculty and industry partners. This event helps our students put together their resume and focus on what they want to do post-graduation, and it gives our industry partners a chance to get a sneak peek at our soon-to-be graduates. Many industry partners use this event as a recruiting tool for their company.

The fall Senior Portfolio Fair took place September 26, 2017, with 39 seniors participating. The spring Senior Portfolio Fair took place February 21, 2018, with 48 seniors participating.

We appreciate the industry partners who participate in the portfolio fair and assist our seniors as they prepare to enter the job market. Industry partners participating in the 2017-2018 academic year included: Advanced Technology Group, Ameren, Centene, Concero Technology Group, Edward Jones, Electromek Diagnostic Systems, Enterprise Holdings, Falcon Technologies, Monsanto, Permobil, Sumner Group, Potter Electric, Transwestern Property Management, True Manufacturing Corp., US Bank and Xclusive Web Solutions.

If your company is interested in participating in the Senior Portfolio Fair, please contact Department Chair Anne Powell at apowell@siue.edu.

Read more about what's going on in the CMIS department here.

Spotlight on Students

Scholarship Luncheon

Patrick Calvin Scholarship in CMIS: Shauna Yeager
Robert S. Hoeke Scholarship: Aaron Hampton & Ethan Trekell
Hortica Scholarship: John Thomas
Marian and Boulton Miller Award: Aaron Hampton
MIS Society for Information Management Scholarship Award: Jacob Bacon & Andrew Miller
Outstanding CMIS Senior Award: John Thomas
John F. & Diane L. Schrage Scholarship: Ethan Trekell
Robert A. and Margaret K. Schultheis Scholarship: Michael James
Jerry Frances Sitek Information Systems Award: Regina Baldwin
Mary R. Sumner Information Systems Scholarship: Michael James
SyllogisTeks Scholarship: Shauna Yeager
TheBANK of Edwardsville Scholarship: Sofia Garland

2018 Outstanding CMIS Senior Award

John Thomas was raised near Springfield, Ill., the youngest of four children. He became an Eagle Scout at age 16 and enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard as a computer systems analyst at age 18. Upon his return home from training, John chose SIUE and the CMIS program after talking with an advisor about his background with the Army. John knew that the program was for him because, as he says, "CMIS is the perfect combination of my love for information technology, coupled with my appreciation for the order and efficiency of the business world." John speaks highly of the School of Business and appreciates the well-rounded training that has prepared him for the beginning of his professional career. In December, John will graduate and commission as a cyber security officer for the Illinois Army National Guard. "It can be hard, at times, to balance ROTC with school, but the time management skills acquired from both the Army and the School of Business have made my experience here at SIUE very smooth," John said. He looks forward to completing his degree, finishing his training with the Army and transitioning into a professional career in the civilian sector as a network security engineer.

Past Outstanding CMIS Seniors
2017 - Katie Finnigan

2016 - Renae Scheeler

2015 - Joshua House

2014 - Jeremy Mintun

2013 - Joseph Randazzo

Alumni in the News

Currently an Edwardsville resident, Joseph Smith is familiar with the Edwardsville campus, considering he chose SIUE for his undergraduate and graduate coursework. Joseph graduated with a BS in CMIS in 2005 and an MBA in 2013.

Focus on Faculty

Welcome New Faculty!

Dr. Joe Vithayathil received his PhD from the University of California Irvine. SIUE CMIS was able to “steal” him away from Washington State University (WSU) where he had taught for the past three years. Academia is a second career for Dr. V, and he has over 20 years of industry experience including: founder and CEO of an Enterprise Software Products and Service company, VP of marketing and sales for communications corporations, senior VP of Applied Micro Circuits Corporation, and director at Global Power Technology Group. While at WSU, Dr. V taught undergraduate classes in e-commerce and IT infrastructure/security. He also taught IT for management courses at the graduate level. Dr. V will bring his wealth of industry experience and knowledge to the graduate-level classes he will teach at SIUE, as well as to undergraduate classes.

Dr. Laurie Giddens comes to use from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she completed her PhD in 2017. Dr. Giddens has 10 years experience in the IT industry. She was database administrator for a company in Louisiana for four years. She then took over the role of director of information technology for six years at the same company. She left the company to pursue her doctorate at Baylor, where she taught classes in intro to IS and business intelligence. Her research interests include understanding how individuals use technology to improve their well-being and the well-being of others. More specifically, she has investigated the impact of wearable technology and consumer apps on individual well-being.

As excited as we are about having Joe and Laurie join us, we did have to say good-bye to two outstanding faculty members. Read more faculty news here.