Dear Colleagues,

Spring has arrived in Edwardsville! The freezing temperatures and snow of February are now a distant memory. The deciduous trees on the campus are leafing out. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to influence instruction, research and other activities on the campus, but the end of the pandemic appears on the horizon. On March 27 Madison County announced that all people who are 16 or older and live or work in Illinois are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Many faculty, staff and students have already been vaccinated.

Read Dean Leonard's full letter.

The Edwardsville Rotary Club named  CAS senior Megan Walsh, of Toledo, Ill., the February SIUE Rotary Student Leader of the Month.

The anthropology major was nominated by Susan Kooiman, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology and faculty advisor for the SIUE Anthropology Club, for her outstanding leadership style and revitalization of the club despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Megan is a natural leader and demonstrates her abilities when opportunity arises,” said Kooiman. “Her leadership shines in all levels from classroom and field projects to community action. Perhaps most importantly, however, Megan has learned to be a fair and humble leader. I cannot think of another person more deserving of the student leadership award.”

Read the article.

The SIUE Graduate School has recognized Deborah Sellnow-Richmond, PhD, with the 2021-22 Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Award for her exemplary scholarship and commitment to conducting outstanding and timely research.

Sellnow-Richmond is an assistant professor in the Department of Applied Communication Studies. Her research focuses on the efficacy and unforeseen effects of public relations messages in health and organizational crisis contexts, as well as the emerging role of social media in creating and resolving organizational crises.

“I’m enthused and grateful to be awarded the Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Award,” said Sellnow-Richmond. “It is an honor to have the University committee determine my research worthy of this support, which will help move my research forward.”

Read the article. 

Researchers, parents and practitioners may soon be privy to interesting and revealing data related to tween television programming, specifically its portrayals of gender and race.

Ashton Speno, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Mass Communications, has earned the SIUE Graduate School's 2021-22 Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Award in support of her research on this understudied topic.

“Given the important developmental stage that tweens occupy, and the potential for television viewing to shape gender and racial identities and perceptions of these social categories in the culture, it is critical to examine the intersections of gender and race in current tween television programming,” Speno said.

Read the article.

CAS alumna Grace Noice has been touring the country since her graduation in May 2020 – driving the Planters Peanuts NUTMobile. Noice joined the The Kraft Heinz Co. as a brand ambassador in July 2020.

During Noice’s visit to Boston University in February, Daily Free Press reporter Ashley Soebroto described Noice’s adventure.

Read the article.

Effective mentorship plays a pivotal role in the success of graduate students, as supportive mentorship relationships are linked to student retention, degree completion and early career success. 

That’s why the SIUE Graduate School has centered its new Innovation and Excellence in Graduate Education (IEGE) grant program’s inaugural funding on projects that enhance the quality and effectiveness of graduate student mentorship.

“Despite the importance of mentor-mentee relationship to the success of the graduate student, few faculty members receive training in and/or assessment of their mentoring practices,” said Carol Colaninno, PhD, research assistant professor in the SIUE STEM Center and adjunct professor in the CAS Department of Anthropology. “Graduate students, who are learning how to be experts in their field of study, need that additional mentorship support to feel as though they are integrated into the scientific community and develop their identity as a STEM professional.”

Read the article.

The SIUE Staff Senate awarded spring 2021 Faculty for Collective Bargaining scholarships to CAS freshman Noah Tungett and School of Education, Health and Human Behavior sophomore Courtney Vollmer.

“I am grateful for this scholarship, because it will help me in my pursuits at SIUE," said Tungett, a history major from Bethalto. “I am also in the SIUE Army ROTC program with plans to be an officer in military intelligence.” 

Read this article.