Alumni

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville honored its graduating students in style at the biannual Always a Cougar celebration on Thursday, Dec. 12. Held the day before commencement weekend, the festive event welcomed the newest cohort of fall graduates into the SIUE Alumni Association while providing a well-deserved break after final exams.

Hosted by the Office of Alumni and Donor Relations, Student Affairs and SIUE Credit Union as the presenting sponsor, the celebration featured live music fr...

This Native American/Indigenous Heritage Month, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville unveiled an encased display of indigenous art during the University’s presentation of its Land Acknowledgement. The art, created by alumna Susan Bostwick, MFA, and husband and wife artists Kilan Jacobs (Osage) and Mary Jacobs (Quapaw) is located at the north entrance of Morris University Center (MUC).

On display is Bostwick’s clay doll, a replica of an artifact found durin...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD, shared financial information that touted the University’s remarkable influence in the Southern Illinois region and St. Louis Metropolitan area, such as the more than $1.3 billion of economic impact that includes the benefits of 12,178 jobs, the generation of $144.4 million in taxes and the alumni power of $516.3 million. 

View the story on SIUE's Economic Impact Report.

Minor released the University’s Ec...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s very own alumna Kimberly Gray (‘94), a rising star in the grocery retail sector, has recently been hired as Chief Merchant at Schnucks. Gray brings more than 20 years of leadership and experience to the retail powerhouse. She has already begun leading efforts to improve customer experience.

Gray’s career began when she graduated from SIUE in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Management. She has held leadersh...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine and SIU Carbondale alumni and friends joined SIU System President Dan Mahony, PhD, and Chancellors Austin A. Lane, EdD, and James T. Minor, PhD, for an evening at Third Degree Glass Factory in St. Louis, Mo.

“It was a great evening of connection and creativity, bringing together alumni and friends from SIUE, SIUC, and the School of Medicine. More than just a reception, it showcased the stren...

SIUE Faculty Members Talk of Civil Rights Future Needs, Framing it by Former Deeds

The ebb and flow of political ramifications due to racial and economic equity gains following 1964 Landmark Civil Rights legislation, inform the need for ongoing, diligent work for civil liberties, as the country braces for the 2024 Presidential Election. 

The above view was held by four Southern Illinois University Edwardsville faculty members who made up the panel during Southern Illinois University (SI...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has announced the 2025 Alumni Hall of Fame inductees, honoring distinguished alumni who have made exceptional contributions in their careers, communities and to the University. This year’s Alumni Association honorees are Brian J. Henry, Charles O. Myer, Christopher Larsen, DMD, Jonathan Fowler, Jacquelyn Clement, PhD, FNP, RN, and posthumous inductee Karen Morris Watkins.

The Alumni Hall of Fame recognizes graduates who exemplify leadership, cha...

Madison County Transit (MCT) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony the morning of October 29 on the newly opened MCT Yellowhammer Connector, a picturesque bike path, bridging the gap between the scenic MCT Trails and the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Watch Chancellor James T. Minor bicycle the new pathway.

“Madison County is one of the most bikeable, walkable places in the Midwest,” said SJ Morrison, an alumnus ('02) and Managing Director of Madison County Tran...

SIUE Alumna Spent her Life Championing Diversity Efforts

Thelma Watershed Wair, one of the historical Little Rock Nine who integrated an Arkansas high school in 1957 amidst an angry mob of white separationist and who later graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, has died. She was 83. 

Wair’s sister, Grace Davis, confirmed to The Associated Press that Wair died Saturday at a hospital in Little Rock from complications of multiple sclerosis. 

Wair’s histo...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville student Darren Luchetti, a recent Fontbonne transfer student studying applied mathematics, and the University’s transfer program were recently featured on Fox 2 News St. Louis. KMOV First Alert 4 also provided coverage of the program. The news broadcasts shared SIUE’s commitment as a designated teach-out institution for Fontbonne students who earlier this year learned of their college closing date summer 2025.

As Fox 2 reporter Jeff Ber...

Our cameras were everywhere during SIUE Homecoming & Family Weekend 2024. Captured having a great time:  a nation of Cougars!

Tune into our YouTube channel for a recap.

Roll Cougs!

Photos by Howard Ash. Video by Bikash Pokharel.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s WSIE 88.7 will wrap up its 2^nd Annual WSIE Music Series with Deacon Dan: A Tribute to Steely Dan from 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6 at the Old Herald Brewery and Distillery in Collinsville. 

The 2024 WSIE series closeout was rescheduled from Sept. 28 due to weather conditions.    

The series has provided great entertainment for the community since April 2023, featuring live, local talent with great blends of blues, easy R&B and a ...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) leadership, the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB), design-build firms Clayco + Poettker, and city and state officials gathered this morning to celebrate a significant construction milestone. A “final pour” ceremony marked the last structural concrete pour on the new $105 million health science building at the SIUE campus.

During the event, attendees toured the 176,000 square foot building that will accommodate the School of Pha...

Get ready to “Rock the Quad” as COUGARFEST returns to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Homecoming & Family Weekend, promising an even bigger and better event for its second year. The fun begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, on the Stratton Quad, offering live music, family-friendly activities and a food truck festival— all for free.

COUGARFEST aims to unite the SIUE community, alumni, students and local residents in a celebration of Cougar Nation. The evening...

The ninth annual SIUE Cougars Unleashed 5K/10K Run and Pancake Breakfast, a hallmark of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Homecoming & Family Weekend, is set to take place at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5. Organized by the SIUE Alumni Association, the event invites runners of all ages and skill levels to lace up their shoes and enjoy a morning of fitness, community spirit and fun.

Last year, the run attracted nearly 400 participants and organizers project to break that record thi...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is included in the WSJ College Pulse Ranking 2025. This prestigious list, which names the top 500 colleges in the country, is presented by The Wall Street Journal, College Pulse and Statista, the leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The award list was announced on Wednesday, Sept. 4 and can be viewed on the WSJ website. 

The Best Colleges in the U.S. ranks undergraduate institutions by the value they provide to their students. T...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s WSIE 88.7 The Sound continues to celebrate its 54^th birthday during the month of September with the 4^th Annual Fore the Love of Golf Tournament. The event will be held Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Cardinal Creek Golf Course on Scott Air Force Base. 

The annual golf tournament is being held by a group of retirees of Scott Air Force Base and fans of WSIE from O’Fallon, Ill.  

Partial proceeds from the event will go to the Richar...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s WSIE 88.7 The Sound will be on site with Music At The Intersection (MATI) for the fourth year in a row, to help usher in some of the greatest musical entertainment from around the world. MATI will take place from Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 14-15 in the Grand Center District in St. Louis, Mo. 

WSIE continues as one of the media sponsors, letting the community know about the top-notch entertainers performing through this year. MATI will be on fou...

A dazzling, unique display of theatrical performances are lined up for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s 13^th Xfest from Monday -Thursday, Sept. 9-12. 

Xfest is a five-day festival in September featuring alternative theatre and dance that brings to campus an array of performing artists, who are nationally and internationally renowned, as well as regional emerging artists, according to Xfest Artistic Director Chuck Harper, professor of performance in the SIUE Department of T...

The National Corn to Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville welcomes two new visiting research fellows: Andrew Platto and Elijah Switzer. Funded by the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, NCERC’s nine-month fellowship program provides training and hands-on experience to prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists for work in mid- to high- skill jobs in the bioeconomy.

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to have Elijah and Andrew ...

Approximately 90 attendees – dressed in business attire and armed with resumes, profile pitches, hope and determination – approached the multitude of tables of employers at a Free Jobs Fair, made possible by State Rep. Kevin Schmidt, R-Millstadt, on Friday, Aug. 23. 

Schmidt’s legislative office held its second annual free jobs fair that was available for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center (ESLC) staff and program participants and the public i...

As the fall season approaches, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is gearing up for an exciting Homecoming & Family Weekend, October 2-5. This year’s theme, Celebrate Cougar Nation, emphasizes the outstanding contributions of SIUE’s students, faculty, staff and alumni, all of whom have made a significant impact on the University and community.

“Homecoming is a premier event for the Alumni Association,” said Maggie Krumwiede, PharmD ’05, ’09 and presi...

John Ziebka's professional journey is a testament to the power of diverse experiences and strategic leadership. As the newly appointed Assistant Director of Labor and Employee Relations at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Ziebka brings a wealth of knowledge from his previous roles at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital.

In this interview, Ziebka shares what inspired him to take on this new challenge, how his past experiences have shaped his approa...

University Communications Intern Ashlyn Cross Went Behind the Cougar Theater Camp Curtain

"Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook,” Disney's “The Lion King JR.,” and “Alice in Wonderland" were the exciting summer musicals on stage for the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougar Theater Camp. The Cougar Theater Camp allows children to gain technical skills as well as theater experience, and for some SIUE alum, these musicals are their first jobs after graduating.

At the July 11 Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees meeting, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD, reported on the University’s record fundraising year, spurred on by the annual ONE DAY, ONE SIUE fundraiser, which raised $2,344,574 from more than 2,000 donors. The total amount of the April 18 event surpassed the goal, set by the SIUE Foundation, of $1.3 million. 

“We established a very ambitious goal and we did not know ex...