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| This Month in CAS | ||||||
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| Wednesday, April 28, 2021 | ||||||
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Dear Colleagues, A most unusual academic year is drawing to a close. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most instruction at SIUE in the 2020-2021 academic year occurred in online courses. In both semesters, however, some courses in many different disciplines were offered in face-to-face modality. Facial coverings and social distancing were required in classrooms and labs, and faculty and students worked together to develop creative new ways to present safe musical, theatrical and dance performances. The end of the pandemic is in sight due to the success of the vaccination campaign. As of April 27, nearly 100 million people have been fully vaccinated in the United States, and nearly 150 million people have received at least one dose of a vaccine. SIUE is doing its part in the vaccination effort. |
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Being a consummate worker, who functions as a leader while illustrating teamwork and showing respect, consideration and kindness, is what earned Amanda Morgan the title of SIUE Student Employee of the Year 2021. Morgan, a junior double majoring in political science and sociology, has worked for the past two years in the SIUE STEM Resource Center, which lends STEM education materials and provides outreach experiences to educators and students throughout the region. “I am motivated to do my best work,” said Morgan. “The most important attribute of a good worker is to receive tasks and complete the work with positivity and cheerfulness, with hopes that what you do will be impactful and purposeful.”
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Brittany Peterson, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, was a recipient of the spring 2021 Vaughn Vandegrift URCA Research Mentor of the Semester Award. URCA student Kaitlin Goodbrake described Peterson as a reliable advocate for student researchers in her nomination letter. “Dr. Peterson believed in my capabilities in the lab once I proved to her that I could handle the project she had in mind for me, and I have not been disappointed with my time in her research space,” wrote Goodbrake. “I’m always excited to work in her lab, wondering what new objectives will be directed to me, as well as what data I will be able to collect for my project in the coming weeks. Dr. Peterson is the reason why her lab is one of the busiest with URCA and graduate projects.” |
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Take the electrifying, rhythmic sounds of rock, fuse it with impassioned, operatic singing and cutting-edge projections, add in the message about a life re-created after experiencing the horrors of a concentration camp, and the result is an experience that is captivating and heartfelt. SIUE’s Arts & Issues presents a free virtual production of “Iron & Coal,” written and performed by critically acclaimed composer and performer Jeremy Schonfeld, at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 29. Following the presentation will be a virtual, live panel discussion. In the fully-staged production, which was filmed at the Music Center at Strathmore in Maryland, audience goers will be treated to original animation, a rock band with an orchestra, and a youth chorus and orchestra. Read more here. |
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The SIUE Department of Political Science encouraged by a campus-wide anti-racism initiative, started on the road to affect positive change with a series of conversations about race and racism. A year later on Wednesday, April 7, the department presented its final discussion, “Are We There Yet?: A Conversation of Anti-Racism at SIUE,” a virtual dialogue moderated by Timothy Lewis, PhD, assistant professor of political science. Panel members included Lakesha Butler, PharmD, BCPS, director of diversity, equity and inclusion for the SIUE School of Pharmacy (SOP); Dominic Dorsey, director of the Office for Accessible Campus Community and Equitable Student Support (ACCESS); and Kevin Leonard, PhD, CAS dean. Providing opening and closing remarks was Kenneth Moffett, PhD, chair and political science professor. |
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The SIUE Graduate School announce the spring 2021 Research Grants for Graduate Students (RGGS) award recipients, which are valued at up to $500 each. These awards will support the research and creative activities of 28 graduate students studying in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Schools of Engineering; Pharmacy; and Education, Health and Human Behavior. A few of the CAS graduate students include (full list of projects here):
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