April 2004
April 26, 2004
SIUE Chancellor Search Nears Completion
(EDWARDSVILLE) The search for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's next chancellor is nearing completion, after the search advisory committee submitted recommendations on all three candidates to SIU President James Walker on April 21.
Walker will use the committee's research, interviews with references, and the counsel of search firm Baker-Parker to make his selection. The new chancellor could be introduced at the June meeting of the SIU Board of Trustees, or as early as the May board meeting.
"Our work is completed," said chancellor search advisory committee chair Don Elliott, professor of economics and finance. "We reviewed many well-qualified applicants, narrowed the field to the three best candidates and brought each one of them to campus for three days of interviews, open forums and meetings with various constituencies.
"As planned, we have submitted our analysis and assessments of the three candidates to President Walker for his final decision."
Elliott emphasized that it was not the committee's charge to recommend one candidate over the others, but to send recommendations on all three. He added that open forum participants were invited to fill out evaluation forms on the candidates.
Among other questions, participants were asked to rate the candidates as "highly recommended," "acceptable," or "unacceptable." All three were rated as acceptable or highly recommended by more than 80 percent of those who returned an evaluation.
The three candidates are:
• Sharon Hahs, SIUE provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs
• Aaron Podolefsky, Northern Iowa provost and vice president for academic affairs
• Vaughn Vandegrift, Georgia Southern provost and vice president for academic affairs/chief information officer
The new chancellor is expected to be in the position on July 1, when Chancellor David Werner officially steps down.
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April 22, 2004
SIUE East St. Louis SBDC To Conduct Forum May 25
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Small Business Development Center, located on the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus, is hosting an SBA Lender Forum organized by the U.S. Small Business Administration's Springfield branch office on Tuesday, May 25.
The forum will provide an opportunity for local lenders and the community to learn about SBA resources and services that are available. Part of the SBA's efforts to encourage small business activities and boost economic growth, the May 25 forum will be conducted at the Higher Education Campus, 601 James R. Thompson Blvd., East St. Louis, from 8 a.m.-noon.
Registration will be followed by a welcome session with the United States SBA, the director of SIUE's small business center, and the SCORE director. This will be followed by a seminar covering important issues, various loan programs, and financing options for small businesses.
For registration and other information, contact Theresa Ebeler, (618) 482-8330, or, by e-mail: tebeler@siue.edu. Registration may be accomplished by phone using the number above. The cost to attend the forum is $25; checks should be made payable to SIUE and mailed to: SIUE Small Business Development Center, 601 James R. Thompson Blvd., Campus Box 1200, East St. Louis, IL 62201.
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April 19 , 2004
SIUE Announces Early Closing Date For Freshmen
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Due to an unprecedented number of freshman applications, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has moved its admission file completion deadline for freshmen entering fall 2004 to May 1, which is 30 days earlier than the original May 31 filing deadline.
"We are very excited about the continued growing interest in SIUE; however, we are also committed to maintaining the quality of education and services that we have offered to students in our 47-year history," said Boyd Bradshaw, assistant vice chancellor for Enrollment Management.
SIUE has grown from 10,938 students in 1994 to 13,295 last fall, an increase of about 22 percent.
Three new residence halls built since 1994 have served to draw even more attention to the quality education offered at SIUE, Bradshaw pointed out. "More and more students and parents view SIUE as their first choice for a quality, affordable education," Bradshaw said. "A strong faculty, small class sizes, community service opportunities, an active campus life, and some of the newest residence halls in the state continue to fuel SIUE's growth."
Bradshaw said the quickest and easiest way for students to apply for admission is on-line: www.siue.edu. The $30 application fee also may be paid online. Applications received after May 1 will be put on a wait list; however, the university does not anticipate granting admission to wait-listed students. Students interested in living on campus can download an application from www.siue.edu/HOUSING. The housing application and a deposit of $300 also must be submitted by May 1.
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April 17 , 2004
Simmons, Cooper Donate Gift For Baseball Complex
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) An SIUE alumnus and his law partner have made a major donation to Intercollegiate Athletics, which will enable completion of the Cougars' baseball complex at Roy E. Lee Field.
John Simmons and Jeff Cooper, of SimmonsCooper Attorneys at Law in East Alton, announced the gift recently to SIUE Director of Athletics Brad Hewitt. The generous gift ushers in the latest in a string of improvements at Lee Field.
Hewitt said the announcement of the amount would be forthcoming pending formal approval by the SIU Board of Trustees. "The gift will enable us to complete the SIUE baseball stadium project and explore the expansion of the site into a baseball complex," Hewitt said.
Simmons grew up in East Alton and served in the Army as a combat engineer. He later attended SIUE, where he was elected Student Body president, attaining a position in the Dean's College. After earning a bachelor's, he went on to receive a law degree at Southern Methodist.
In 1999, he opened The Simmons Firm L.L.C. which has grown to 31 attorneys and 220 staff members. Recently appointed as a member of the SIU Board of Trustees, Simmons and his wife, Jayne, have four children.
Cooper was raised in Granite City, received a bachelor's from DePauw University and earned a law degree at Saint Louis University. He opened a firm in Granite City and ran for Congress in 2000. After the election, Cooper joined Simmons in what is now SimmonsCooper.
He resides in Edwardsville with his wife, Francesca, and two children, Jack and Ella. They are expecting a third child in September.
Improvements that already have been made in the past year to the university's baseball field include new dugouts, nets behind home plate, a warning track around the field, and a locker room facility.
Hewitt said previous gifts secured from former players Fernando Aguirre, Steve Davis, and current assistant Steve Haug also were instrumental in the current changes at the field.
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April 15, 2004
It's Not Too Late For SIUE Students Hoping For Financial Aid
(EDWARDSVILLE) For college students hoping for financial aid to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville next year, there's good news and bad news: It's not too late to file your paperwork, but you're way past the preferred filing date.
Sharon Berry, SIUE's director of financial aid, says that financial aid is still available for students attending SIUE next year.
"The preferred filing date was March 1," she said. "There is aid still available, but anyone who files after June 1 could be too late for their financial aid to be processed by the first fall tuition due date. We may not be able to help them with financial aid until later in the term. The amount of aid we have given out over the last few years has gone up steadily. So has the demand and the applications we must process."
For the current academic year, SIUE's financial aid staff processed more than $60 million in financial aid for more than 9,500 of SIUE's 13,295 students. Next year's figure will be in the $65 to $70 million range.
"SIUE's tuition remains a bargain compared to Illinois public colleges and universities," Berry said. "Still, a college education is typically a big investment for students and their parents.
"There is help out there in the form of financial aid. There's federal, state and institutional dollars…in scholarships, grants, loans and work study. And, we have made it easy to file for aid. Our entire filing process is on line, and students can check the status of their application on line.
"Our staff does a great job in prompt processing of applications. So, once an application is in the pipeline, the students know fairly quickly what aid they are eligible for."
For information and to apply for financial aid at SIUE, go to www.finaid.siue.edu.
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April 12, 2004
Penn Professor To Give Jones Lecture At SIUE April 26
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Jeremy Siegel, the Palmer professor of Finance at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, will give the 2004 Homer Jones Memorial Lecture at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Monday, April 26, presented by the SIUE School of Business.
The lecture by Siegel, who will address the question: "Can we measure 'expected' inflation?" begins at 4:40 p.m. in the second-floor Conference Center in SIUE's Morris University Center. A reception sponsored by Stifel, Nicolaus & Company Inc. will immediately follow the presentation.
Siegel, a widely acclaimed educator, has written and lectured extensively on the economy and financial markets. He has appeared on CNN, CNBC, NPR, and other radio and television networks; he also has contributed articles to the Wall Street Journal, Barron's, and The Financial Times.
In 1994, Siegel received the highest teaching rating in a worldwide ranking of business school professors by Business Week. He also served for 15 years as head of economics training at JP Morgan. Siegel currently is the academic director of the U.S. Securities Industry Institute.
The Homer Jones Memorial Lecture honors a man who was pivotal in monetary economics and policy. Jones (1906-1986) was the research director and senior vice president at the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, and he was a major contributor to the bank's leadership in monetary research and statistics. Jones served at Rutgers University, the University of Chicago, The Brookings Institute, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. before beginning his appointment at the Federal Reserve Bank in St. Louis.
The memorial lecture series began in 1987, shortly after Jones's death. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Gateway Chapter of the National Association for Business Economics, Saint Louis University, SIUE, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Washington University in St. Louis co-sponsor the annual lecture.
For more information about the 2004 Homer Jones Lecture, contact the SIUE School of Business: (618) 650-2317, or, by e-mail: jwoodru@siue.edu. The SIUE School of Business leads the region in preparing students and business professionals by creating high quality innovative programs to serve Illinois and the St. Louis Metropolitan Area.
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April 12, 2004
'Book Value:' Libraries Can Prove Their Worth, Thanks to Research by St. Louis Public Library, SIUE
(EDWARDSVILLE) Everyone agrees that even in tight budgetary times public libraries are a valued asset, right? Well, maybe and maybe not.
"Touching anecdotes about the joys of children participating in a summer reading program, or statistics reporting numbers of books circulated will not hold off budget cuts," said Don Elliott, professor of economics and finance at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. "The value of libraries must be demonstrated in dollar terms.
"The basic public presumption is that libraries are invaluable," said Elliott, who along with Glen Holt, recently retired executive director of the St. Louis Public Library, conducted the research. "Although that is a popularly held opinion, where's the proof? State and local governments all over the country have had to make hard choices about their budgets. So when it comes down to, for example, some aspect of infrastructure maintenance versus the library budget, which is the best choice?"
In an effort to quantify the value of a library, Holt and Elliott studied 14 library systems. Their studies of libraries began in 1996 with five large libraries-Baltimore, Birmingham, Ala., King County (Seattle), Phoenix, and St. Louis. With the help of SIUE's Institute for Urban Research, a second study began in 2001 on smaller libraries.
"Bigger libraries have a more diverse audience," Elliott explained. "They are used by corporate headquarters staff for business research. They are major partners with large school systems, support not-for-profits and nonprofits, and also are centers of activities for families.
"Smaller libraries are less diverse and more oriented toward families and schools. So, the first study created a methodology for valuing large libraries. The second evaluated libraries in smaller communities."
Nine mid-sized libraries in three states were sampled: Joliet, Schaumburg, and Skokie, Ill.; Montgomery County, Pasadena, and Sterling/Baytown, Texas; and Everett, Kennewick/Mid-Columbia and Pierce County, Wash.
The study of smaller libraries required answering questions such as "if there was no library, how much more would a school have to spend for books and computers?" "How much would families spend?"
Results from one site in the latest study show that households report, on average, that the services they use are worth $235-$389 per year per household or $2.25-$4.35 million per year.
Households place the greatest value on adult and children's books, and audio and visual media. The study also showed that for each dollar of local operating expenditures produced at least $1.24 in benefits to library patrons. The larger libraries typically show much higher returns.
The studies are being used to create a methodology that is portable, giving most libraries the ability to create a more definitive statement about their worth.
"I'm very confident that we have created a useful tool for public libraries," Elliott said.
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April 8, 2004
Theater Professor Sees Oedipus As Good, But Making Bad Decisions
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Above all, director Johanna Schmitz wants us to know that there are no bad people in Oedipus The King, only good people making bad decisions. In fact, Schmitz, assistant professor of Theater and Dance at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, doesn't even like to utter the "TF phrase."
She is directing the play being staged at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, April 21-24, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 25, all in SIUE's Katherine Dunham Hall theater
"I reject the notion of 'tragic flaw' when it comes to Greek theater," Schmitz says. "I prefer to fall back on the word hamartia, from the Greek meaning to 'miss the mark.'
"It's not interesting for the audience to watch someone who is inherently bad. It's much more dramatic to watch good people making bad choices and how those choices drag them down. It's very cathartic for the audience."
The play centers on Oedipus, the king of Thebes, which when the play opens is in dire straits-people starving, plague raging, as well as drought. Oedipus is trying to save the city just as he did the first time by solving the riddle of the Sphynx.
This time, however, the oracle announces that Oedipus must find a murderer in their midst to solve all the problems. Creon, brother-in-law to Oedipus, investigates and comes to the false conclusion that Oedipus is the murderer. In turn, Oedipus comes to the false conclusion that Creon and others are trying to depose him.
With that, Oedipus sets out to exonerate himself and the play rolls on from there in high Greek tragedy fashion. However, there's an interesting production twist-Schmitz has eschewed the Greek toga look and is instead calling for modern day dress in the costume plot. "I didn't want to do a museum piece," Schmitz said. "We don't know how the Greeks did it and I didn't want the audience to be caught up in wondering if we got the costumes right.
"There are two types of authenticity-historical, in which we would have to use large masks, three speaking actors, and such to approximate Greek theater-and receptive, in which the audience reacts emotionally to the action without other distractions.
"I'm more interested in giving the audience an emotional ride," Schmitz said. "Which brings me back to the hamartia, in which we watch a good person make the wrong decisions, causing a downfall. And, Oedipus falls pretty far. He is a good person, as are the other characters, which makes the play itself a catharsis for the audience," Schmitz said.
"Reacting to the emotion and pity for the tragedy in the lives of the characters relieves members of the audience of their own fears," Schmitz said. "However, if the central character is inherently bad, the audience automatically wants bad things to happen to that character. I believe the play would be a simplistic, unemotional reckoning if we gave into the notion that Oedipus is the arrogant and narrow-minded character he is sometimes made out to be," she said.
"It is much more interesting, and I hope cathartic, for an audience to watch a generally good man make an error, recognize it, and then willingly suffer the consequences of his action in order to set things right."
Tickets, at $8 for general admission and $5 for students and senior citizens, are available through the SIUE Fine Arts box office, (618) 650-2774, or, toll-free from St. Louis, (888) 328-5168, Ext. 2774.
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April 8, 2004
BOT Approves SIU/SDM Clinic Expansion At Alton Campus
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine main dental clinic at Alton will undergo a $2 million expansion under a budget and project approval resolution approved today by the SIU Board of Trustees.
Funding for the project will come through the issuance of Certificates of Participation to be retired by revenue generated through SIU/SDM tuition. The resolution was passed today at the board's regular monthly meeting, conducted this month at SIU Edwardsville.
Continual advances in technology and equipment, as well as modifications in teaching methods and philosophy, have resulted in a need for more clinic space. The project calls for expansion of the main clinic from 32,000 square feet to 36,500 square feet, providing space for up to 30 new dental workstations.
This additional space would allow the SDM to consolidate teaching in specialty disciplines and general dentistry to one location, making better use of the faculty and staff, and increasing productivity.
The project cost includes expansion, as well as furniture, fixtures, and equipment. It also would allow for incorporation of new technologies into the clinical education program (e.g. lasers, operating scopes, intraoral cameras, bleaching lights, cad-cam, and air abrasion equipment) that would in turn provide teaching and learning benefits for faculty and students.
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April 6, 2004
Museum Curator To Speak At SIUE About Lewis And Clark
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Carolyn Gilman, curator of the "Lewis and Clark: The Bicentennial" exhibition at the Missouri Historical Society Museum in St. Louis, will speak at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, in the third-floor conference room at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Lovejoy Library.
For seven years, Gilman gathered artifacts, art, manuscripts, maps, and specimens of the Lewis and Clark expedition, in order to reunite them in an exhibit for the first time in 200 years. Gilman will share what challenges she met while collecting the widely scattered collection items, a search that took her from Montana to the Smithsonian and from modern forensic laboratories to dusty archives.
In her illustrated lecture, Gilman will tell about her methods of detection, and how her efforts turned up surprising new knowledge about Lewis and Clark.
The April 13 event is sponsored by the Historical Society Museum, with funding provided by an Excellence in Graduate Education Grant from the SIUE Graduate School.
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April 5, 1004
Arts & Issues Series Continues April 20 At SIUE With Author Norman Mailer
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author Norman Mailer, considered an American original, comes to the Arts & Issues stage Tuesday, April 20, at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Each year, Arts & Issues brings some of the best and brightest performers and speakers from around the world to Southwestern Illinois audiences for entertaining and thought-provoking presentations on the SIUE campus. Mailer will share his artistry, thoughts, and memories at 7:30 p.m. in Meridian Ballroom, on the first floor of SIUE's Morris University Center.
Mailer, who stands as one of the most important figures of 20th century American literature, continues to offer thought-provoking and emotionally charged writing today. His works of fiction and non-fiction have offered a subjective richness and an imaginative complexity.
"This is the first time we've had Norman Mailer on our series bill and we couldn't be more pleased," said John Peecher, coordinator of the Arts & Issues series. "This is the author who combined journalism, autobiography, and political commentary with the richness of a novel, to become one of the most important contributors to an emerging form of literature-New Journalism," Peecher said. "Mailer is larger than life and a true champion of American letters."
In the mid-1950s, Mailer began to gain fame as an anti-establishment essayist. Mailer examined violence, hysteria, crimes, and confusion in American society through an existential framework. He defined the "hipster" of the 1950s as a philosophical psychopath and urban adventurer who adopted elements from black culture.
During the 1960s, Mailer co-founded and named the Village Voice, one of the earliest underground American newspapers. He has been a columnist for Esquire magazine and for Commentary, and also a member of the executive board and president of the PEN American Center. In 1969 Mailer ran for mayor of New York City as an independent.
Some of his more memorable works include: The Naked and the Dead, The Armies of the Night (Pulitzer), Of a Fire on the Moon, The Executioner's Song (Pulitzer), and Oswald's Tale.
Information about the April 20 appearance of Norman Mailer and how to order tickets may be found on the Arts & Issues Web site: artsandissues.com and in a printed brochure available through John Peecher, (618) 650-2626, or, by e-mail: jpeeche@siue.edu. Tickets for the April 20 event are $9; students, $4.50. Tickets also are available at the Morris Center Information Desk, (618) 650-5555.
The 2004-05 season of Arts & Issues will be announced this summer.
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April 1, 2004
Emily Kilman Named SIUE Student Employee Of The Year
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Emily Kilman of Marissa, a senior studying Geography at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, is the 2004 SIUE Student Employee of the Year. Kilman is a clerical assistant in the SIUE Office of Undergraduate Assessment and Program Review and for the SIUE Excellence in Learning and Teaching program, both part of the SIUE Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs.
Employed in the Assessment office since August 2002, Kilman has gone beyond duties expected of a student employee and has helped with several projects, from routine tasks to complex projects. But, co-workers say they are impressed with Kilman's balance between studies as an SIUE Chancellor's Scholar and her employment responsibilities.
In nominating the 20-year-old SIUE student, Douglas Eder wrote that Kilman has "communicated ample good cheer and enthusiasm, competence, creativity, and perseverance" in her everyday duties. Eder is director of Undergraduate Assessment for the university. "Her skills are broad and encompass data analysis, concise writing, quantitative reasoning, statistical manipulation, and drawing conclusions from the data," Eder wrote.
Her supervisors also agree that Kilman shows a level of maturity and thoroughness in her work, factors in the decision to choose her for the annual honor. "Emily cheerfully breezes through any task requested of her and is thorough in every job she undertakes," wrote Cathy Santanello, program director for the SIUE Excellence In Learning and Teaching initiative.
"She has always been unfailingly pleasant, punctual, and a real team player," Santanello wrote.
Each year, the Office of Student Financial Aid requests nominations for the student employee recognition, which is part of National Student Employee Week (April 11-17) as designated by the National Student Employment Association.
Runners-up for this year's SIUE Student Employee of the Year were: Rachel LaRussa, of Coffeen; Sonia Vaughan, of Brighton; of Virden; and Brooke Gengler, of Effingham.
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April 1, 2004
MBA Student At SIUE Receives Wentz Scholarship
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Jamie Maedge of Highland, a graduate student in the School of Business at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, has been awarded the 2004 Charles Alvin Wentz, Jr. Master of Business Administration Scholarship.
Maedge, who earned a degree in accounting last year at McKendree College, was chosen as a Wentz scholar for her academic achievement, work experience, and professional goals. Expected to graduate in May with an MBA from SIUE, Maedge currently is a staff accountant with Scheffel & Company P.C. in Highland.
The Wentz scholarship is awarded each spring to an MBA student in their last semester of study at SIUE. The award is sponsored by Charles Alvin Wentz Jr., of Edwardsville, who earned an MBA from SIUE in 1986 and a doctorate in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University. Wentz's philanthropy also extends to other local high school and college scholarships.
Maedge said she is proud to receive the scholarship, which recognizes her work ethic and academic achievement. "By being a student in the MBA program," she said, "I have gained the knowledge and tools I will need to have a successful professional career." She will receive $1,000 and recognition at the University's annual Honors Convocation later this month.
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Mark Bolyard Is The 2004 Paul Simon Scholar
Mark G. Bolyard, an associate professor of Biological Sciences, and director of the university's Office of Science and Mathematics Education, is the recipient of the 2004 Paul Simon Outstanding Scholar Award.
With SIUE since September 1991, Bolyard received the Simon Award because of his research in molecular biology with a special emphasis on the application of DNA biotechnology to problems in biology, and because of his work with his students. The award is presented to an SIUE faculty member each year to recognize the role of research and creative activities in achieving excellence in teaching. The award confirms SIUE's belief that an individual must be a good scholar to be a good teacher.
The award is sponsored by the SIUE Graduate School and is presented by the SIUE Graduate Faculty. Bolyard was nominated for the award by Richard Brugam, professor of Biological Sciences at SIUE.
In 1997, Bolyard received the SIUE Teaching Excellence Award.
E. Kilman Named Student Employee Of The Year
Emily Kilman of Marissa, a senior studying Geography, is the 2004 SIUE Student Employee of the Year. Kilman is a clerical assistant in the Office of Undergraduate Assessment and Program Review and for the Excellence in Learning and Teaching program, both part of the Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
Employed in the Assessment office since August 2002, Kilman has gone beyond duties expected of a student employee and has helped with several projects, from routine tasks to complex projects. But, co-workers say they are impressed with Kilman's balance between studies as a Chancellor's Scholar and her employment responsibilities.
In nominating the 20-year-old SIUE student, Douglas Eder wrote that Kilman has "communicated ample good cheer and enthusiasm, competence, creativity, and perseverance" in her everyday duties. Eder is director of Undergraduate Assessment for the university. "Her skills are broad and encompass data analysis, concise writing, quantitative reasoning, statistical manipulation, and drawing conclusions from the data," Eder wrote.
Her supervisors also agree that Kilman shows a level of maturity and thoroughness in her work, factors in the decision to choose her for the annual honor. "Emily cheerfully breezes through any task requested of her and is thorough in every job she undertakes," wrote Cathy Santanello, program director for the SIUE Excellence In Learning and Teaching initiative.
"She has always been unfailingly pleasant, punctual, and a real team player," Santanello wrote.
Each year, the Office of Student Financial Aid requests nominations for the student employee recognition, which is part of National Student Employee Week (April 11-17) as designated by the National Student Employment Association.
Runners-up for this year's Student Employee of the Year were: Rachel LaRussa, of Coffeen; Sonia Vaughan, of Brighton; and Brooke Gengler, of Effingham.
Atlantis Space Shuttle Astronaut To Speak At SIUE
Continuing its bicentennial celebration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and its theme of exploration, SIUE is sponsoring an appearance by astronaut Sandra Magnus, a member of the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis, who will speakcat 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 28, in Meridian Ballroom.
Magnus, a Belleville native, will relate her experiences on board the Atlantis and speak about her work on the international space station in October 2002. Her appearance is part of SIUE's celebration theme, "Exploration: The Legacy of Lewis and Clark."
The April 28 event is co-sponsored by the Friends of Lovejoy Library and SIUE's Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Committee.
This will be the fifth event in the celebration that began at the start of the academic year, including the Arts & Issues series appearance of renowned undersea explorer Robert Ballard in the fall and last month's visit by National Geographic photographer Sam Abell.
The remaining events sponsored by the committee are: May 13-a discussion by a panel of Native Americans who will discuss what impact the Lewis and Clark exploration had on their peoples, and a six-week Lewis and Clark Institute during summer term that will focus on the expedition and the relationship between the explorers themselves and the indigenous peoples they met.
A graduate of Belleville West High School in 1982, Magnus went on to earn a bachelor's in physics and a master's in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1986 and 1990, respectively, as well as a doctorate at the School of Material Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1996.
From 1986 to 1991, Magnus was a stealth engineer for McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company, where she studied the effectiveness of RADAR signature reduction techniques. She also was assigned to the U.S. Navy's A-12 Attack Aircraft program. She returned to school and in 1996 was selected as a NASA astronaut. She completed two years of training and evaluation at the Johnson Space Center.
In October 2002, Magnus flew aboard Atlantis, operated the space station's robotic arm during the three spacewalks required to outfit and activate a component. The crew also transferred cargo between the two vehicles and used the shuttle's thruster jets during two maneuvers to raise the station's orbit.
Atlantis was the first shuttle mission to use a camera on the External Tank, providing a live view of the launch to flight controllers and NASA TV viewers. The mission was accomplished in 170 orbits, traveling 4.5 million miles in 10 days, 19 hours, and 58 minutes.
Tickets for Magnus' visit are $5; students, $3. For information, visit the Friends of Lovejoy Library Web site: www.library.siue.edu/friends or call the Friends office, (618) 650-2730. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Friends office or by calling Ryan Browning, (618) 650-5618.
BOT Approves SIU/SDM Clinic Expansion At Alton
The SIU School of Dental Medicine main clinic at Alton will undergo a $2 million expansion under a budget and project approval resolution approved today by the SIU Board of Trustees.
Funding for the project will come through the issuance of Certificates of Participation to be retired by revenue generated through SIU/SDM tuition. The resolution was passed last week at the board's regular monthly meeting, conducted this month at SIU Edwardsville.
Continual advances in technology and equipment, as well as modifications in teaching methods and philosophy, have resulted in a need for more clinic space. The project calls for expansion of the main clinic from 32,000 square feet to 36,500 square feet, providing space for up to 30 new dental workstations.
This additional space would allow the SDM to consolidate teaching in specialty disciplines and general dentistry to one location, making better use of the faculty and staff, and increasing productivity.
The project cost includes expansion, as well as furniture, fixtures, and equipment. It also would allow for incorporation of new technologies into the clinical education program (e.g. lasers, operating scopes, intraoral cameras, bleaching lights, cad-cam, and air abrasion equipment) that would in turn provide teaching and learning benefits for faculty and students.
Baseball Begins Eight-Game Homestand
Coming off a week in which it went 2-4 in road games, the SIU Edwardsville baseball team will return to Roy E. Lee Field for an eight-game homestand.
The Cougars play host to a doubleheader with Kentucky Wesleyan on Wednesday (4/14). First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. Wisconsin-Parkside, which sits atop the conference standings, then comes to town for doubleheaders on Saturday (4/17) and Sunday (4/18). Both games begin at noon.
SIUE, 12-24 overall and 9-14 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, is currently 10th in the conference standings. The Cougars still have 16 conference games scheduled and will try to climb up in the standings, as only the top six teams advance to the conference tournament in May.
After being swept by UM-St. Louis last week, the Cougars split a four-game series with Northern Kentucky. The Cougars picked up a win in the first game of the series behind the pitching of Ron Jones (Kankakee). Jones picked up his team-leading fourth victory of the season after allowing three runs, one earned, on nine hits. He also leads the team with a 1.16 earned run average.
Craig Ohlau (Chester) came up big offensively in the first game, going 3-for-4 at the plate and driving in five runs. He leads the team with a .331 batting average and is second with 23 RBI.
"Ohlau has been hitting much better ever since the conference season began," Coach Gary Collins said.
David Briesacher (Waterloo) pitched a complete game two-hitter in the first game on Sunday. The sophomore struck out three and walked none. With the victory, Briesacher ups his record to 2-2 on the season. "Briesacher had an outstanding outing," Collins said. "He has pitched his way into the rotation."
Softball Looks To Continue Streak
SIU Edwardsville softball will try to extend an eight-game winning streak this week when it plays host to non-conference foe Alabama-Huntsville. The Cougars then travel to Northern Kentucky and Bellarmine to round out a tough week of softball.
SIUE mustered 24 hits in a doubleheader sweep of Quincy this past weekend to move to 27-11 overall and 10-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Cougars trail only Lewis and this Saturday's (4/17) opponent Northern Kentucky in the conference standings.
Before getting into conference games this weekend, the Cougars will play an Alabama-Huntsville team that is coming into the week 34-5 overall and ranked ninth nationally. Alabama-Huntsville plays UM-St. Louis on Monday. "Alabama-Huntsville is a very good team," Coach Sandy Montgomery said. "They are playing well and are one of the top teams in the country. It should be a good battle."
SIUE, ranked 17th in the latest NCAA-II poll, then enters a showdown with No. 8 Northern Kentucky. The Norse have yet to lose a GLVC contest, going 10-0 in conference play so far this season.
SIUE's winning streak, which includes six conference games, can be attributed to timely hitting and strong pitching. Veronica Schmidt (Westmont) came up with some big hits last week and has increased her batting average to .261. Jenny Esker (Steeleville) is hitting .375 and has driven in a team-high 23 runs.
"I thought VJ (Schmidt) hit the ball really well last weekend," Montgomery said. "Melissa Lindgren (Frankfort) is playing well defensively and has been hitting the ball well."
The pitching staff that includes Jessica Finch (LaSalle), Ashley Hoheimer (Walton, Ind.), Missy Koenig (Mapleton) and Mary Heather White (Pulaski, Tenn.) has lowered its team earned run average to 1.35 during the streak. "We need to continue to improve on the mental side of our game," Montgomery said. "We need to get everyone on the same page on the same day."
Track And Field Reaches More Qualifying Times
SIU Edwardsville's track and field squads continue to qualify individuals for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. This time, a few athletes did so at the Cougar Classic.
On the women's side, Christen Carducci (Powell, Ohio) ran the 3,000-meter run in a school record time of 10 minutes, 4.46 seconds and put her name on the provisional qualifying list. She joins her sister, Carrie Carducci (Powell, Ohio), on the qualifying list after Carrie Carducci lowered her time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase to 11:21.75.
Jamie Thomas (Blue Island) lowered her school-record time in the 100-meter hurdles to 14.51 seconds. Tairisha Sawyer (Chicago), Breanne Steffens (Moline) and Callie Glover (Bartlett) are also provisionally qualified for the national meet, which takes place May 27-29 in Pomona, Calif.
On the men's side, NCAA Indoor All-American Richard Skirball (Granite City) provisionally qualified in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:52.94.
The Cougars will look to have more qualifiers this weekend when it travels to Illinois State for the Redbird Classic.
Men's Tennis Gears For Conference Tourney
All SIU Edwardsville knows is that it is in the Great Lakes Valley Conference men's tennis tournament. Its opponent will be determined Tuesday (4/13) morning when a coin flip will be conducted to determine the seedings.
SIUE, Bellarmine, and Missouri-St. Louis all finished 4-4 in the conference standings. The teams' head-to-head records could not break the tie, so the coin flip will determine the fourth through sixth seeds.
SIUE picked up wins against Lewis and Saint Joseph's this weekend to snap its four-match losing skid. It ends the regular season 8-9 overall and 4-4 in GLVC play. "Those two wins brought us to the .500 mark in the conference and put us in a good position," Coach Bill Logan said. "All we are thinking about right now is the conference tournament."
Justin Free leads the team with a 14-7 record on the year, which includes a 6-1 mark in conference matches. The duo of Free and Doug Kummer (Fenton, Mo.) have picked up a team-high eight victories in doubles play.
Regardless of its opponent, the GLVC Men's Tennis Championships will begin Friday (4/16) morning at 9 a.m. in Indianapolis.
Women's Golf Looks Toward McKendree Inv.
The SIU Edwardsville women's golf team will finally get a chance to play close to home. The Cougars will enter the McKendree College Spring Invitational on Friday (4/17), their last regular season tournament before the NCAA East Regional.
"This will be a tournament in which the girls will try to have fun and relax," Coach Larry Bennett said.
SIUE seems to be in good shape to qualify for the NCAA Regional, although it will not know for sure until the field is announced in two weeks. "I think our regional standing is solid," Bennett said. "The team isn't yet where it wants to be, but they are getting stronger."
Kallie Harrison (Decatur) leads the team with a 79.2 scoring average. Katie Farrell (Princeton) is not far behind with an 81.6 scoring average.
Kacy Gruenkemeyer (Salem), Brittany Hood (Coulterville) and Brittany Auld (Nashville) round out the top five for the Cougars. "I'm confident that any of our top five can step up and shoot low," Bennett said. "They are certainly capable of doing so."
SIUE Chancellor Search Nears Completion
The search for SIUE's next chancellor is nearing completion, after the search advisory committee submitted recommendations on all three candidates to SIU President James Walker on April 21.
Walker will use the committee's research, interviews with references, and the counsel of the search firm Baker-Parker to make his selection. The new chancellor could be introduced at the June meeting of the SIU Board of Trustees, or as early as the May board meeting.
"Our work is completed," said chancellor search advisory committee chair Don Elliott, professor of Economics and Finance. "We reviewed many well-qualified applicants, narrowed the field to the three best candidates and brought each one of them to campus for three days of interviews, open forums and meetings with various constituencies.
"As planned, we have submitted our analysis and assessments of the three candidates to President Walker for his final decision."
Elliott emphasized that it was not the committee's charge to recommend one candidate over the others, but to send recommendations on all three. He added that open forum participants were invited to fill out evaluation forms on the candidates.
Among other questions, participants were asked to rate the candidates as "highly recommended," "acceptable," or "unacceptable." All three were rated as acceptable or highly recommended by more than 80 percent of those who returned an evaluation.
The three candidates are:
Sharon Hahs, SIUE provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs; Aaron Podolefsky, Northern Iowa provost and vice president for Academic Affairs; and Vaughn Vandegrift, Georgia Southern provost and vice president for Academic Affairs/chief information officer
The new chancellor is expected to be in the SIUE position on July 1, when Chancellor David Werner officially steps down.
Edwardsville Arts Center To Locate On Campus Site
A 15-acre plot, located at the New Poag Road entrance to SIUE, will be the new home of the Edwardsville Arts Center, according to a long-term lease agreement between the private organization and the SIU Board of Trustees.
The facility, to be built with private funds, will be operated independently of the university, although organizers propose to forge partnerships with SIUE in exhibitions, art education, and lecture programming for students, staff, faculty, administrators, and visitors to campus.
Organizers said a capital campaign is being planned to raise between $2 million and $3.5 million, which would include design, building and furnishings, and an operating endowment. Local, state, and national grant funding will be sought, organizers said.
The EAC said uses of the site "are threefold" and include art classes, exhibition space, and lectures "by local, national, and international artists." Organizers also said the design of the building and site plan would be created through an architectural design competition. In addition to parking space, other proposed uses for the site include outdoor sculpture, landscaping, and gardens.
The EAC was begun in 1999 and was headquartered in the old Wildey Theater in downtown Edwardsville. Organizers said the EAC determined that the theater site was "unsuitable for its future plans," citing allocated space, renovation costs, and completion timetable as "not compatible" with the organization's goals.
For more information about the EAC, call (618) 659-0337.
Honors Convocation Cites More Than 300 Students
More than 300 SIUE students were recognized recently at the annual Honors Convocation with special awards for academic achievement.
Each year at the convocation, the SIUE Foundation recognizes graduating male and female students with the highest four-year grade-point averages. This year's awards for highest academic excellence went to: Laura A. Walters of Maryville, majoring in Economics and Finance, and Patrick D. Bell of Granite City, majoring in Chemistry.
Also during the April 18 ceremony, the SIUE Teaching Excellence Award was given to Thomas Foster, an assistant professor of Physics (see accompanying article). The award is the highest honor that SIUE gives one of its faculty members. Foster received a $2,000 prize and will be given a plaque of recognition at the May 8 spring commencement.
In addition, Barbara Kniepkamp, a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, was cited with Teacher Recognition Award. She received a $500 prize at the convocation. Kniepkamp teaches courses for a wide variety of students, ranging from first-year general education courses to differential equations.
Colleagues say she is an "engaging speaker and lectures with clarity, precision, and concern for keeping her students connected during class sessions."
Tom Foster Wins The 2004 Excellence In Teaching Award
While he's in front of the class imparting his vast knowledge about physics to his students, Tom Foster is trying hard not to seem like the stereotypical professor imparting his vast knowledge of physics to his students.
"I hate being the center of attention," Foster said. That's why it's a bit uncomfortable these days for the 36-year-old assistant professor from Heath, Ohio. Foster is the winner of this year's Teaching Excellence Award, which puts him squarely in the spotlight. The award is the highest honor accorded a faculty member at SIUE.
A fiercely modest individual, Foster says he attempts to create a "community" in the classroom environment to put students at ease. "I try very hard not to maintain the stereotype of the teacher as demagogue and the students as dutiful drones who scribble as fast as possible to get down every word I say.
"In fact, my students should be getting an award for putting up with my bad jokes."
Foster says he uses a sense of humor in class and encourages the students to call him Tom. "I don't want them calling me 'Dr. Foster.' I treat the students as people who have their own strengths and who know quite a bit about other things. I just happen to know more about Physics than most of them."
After earning a bachelor of science in Engineering Physics at The Ohio State University, Foster went on to a master of science in Physics and a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction, both at the University of Minnesota. He also did post-doctoral work at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He joined the SIUE faculty in 2000.
His teaching accomplishments at SIUE include modifying the Astronomy and University Physics courses in the Department of Physics by incorporating more student-centered and inquiry-based teaching methods. Colleagues say that Foster's work with local teachers at the elementary and secondary levels has raised the quality of Science Education in the region.
Students have said that they enjoy Foster's enthusiasm, sense of humor, and genuine concern for their understanding of physics concepts. "I do my best to keep my students engaged," Foster said. He teaches freshman Physics for non-majors and also astronomy. "I love teaching astronomy because it's always changing with new discoveries and it's a discipline in which students can fully participate-all they have to do is look up in the night sky."
Foster also teaches graduate courses in Physics teaching methods and astrobiology. "Don't get me started on the search for other life in the universe," he says with a smile. "I could go on for hours on that subject."
Because he is extremely modest, Foster finds himself a little embarrassed about the attention from winning the award. He was given a $2,000 check at Honors Convocation earlier this month and will be recognized with a plaque at SIUE's May 8 commencement.
"I don't like being the guy in front of class relentlessly teaching bored students," Foster said. "I'm embarrassed but I'm also honored that the university would give me this recognition. I consider myself to be just one teacher among very talented faculty members in this department."
Twenty-Four Faculty To Receive Promotions, Tenure
Chancellor David Werner has recommended promotions or granted tenure for the following faculty. These recommendations also have been approved by the SIUE Board of Trustees.
Promotions for all faculty are effective July 1; tenure for all faculty, except for the School of Dental Medicine, is effective Aug. 16. SDM faculty tenure is effective July 1.
The faculty names and recommended ranks, as well as those who have gained tenure, are listed by school affiliations below:
Arts and Sciences: Stephen Hansen, professor of Historical Studies; Nancy Ruff, professor of English Language and Literature; Marcus Agustin, associate professor of Mathematics and Statistics; Seran Aktuna, associate professor of English Language and Literature; Associate Professor Gary Hicks, tenure in the Department of Mass Communications; Associate Professor Kangho Lee, tenure in the Department of Music; Associate Professor Gerald O'Brien, tenure in the Department of Social Work; Associate Professor George Pelekanos, tenure in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics; Associate Professor John Savoie, tenure in the Department of English Language and Literature; Associate Professor Anushiya Sivanarayanan, tenure in the Department of English Language and Literature; Associate Professor Michael Starr, tenure in the Department of Geography; and Associate Professor Donald Scandell, tenure in the Department of Social Work.
Business: Michael Costigan, professor of Accounting, and Professor Bijoy Bordoloi, tenure in the Department of Computer Management and Information Systems.
Dental Medicine: Kenneth Seckler, professor of Restorative Dentistry, and Associate Professor Poonam Jain, tenure in the Department of Restorative Dentistry.
Education: Associate Professor Ann Taylor, tenure in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
Engineering: Brad Cross, professor of Civil Engineering; Nader Panahshahi, professor of Civil Engineering; Bradley Noble, associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Associate Professor Albert Luo, tenure in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering; and Professor Majid Molki, tenure in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.
Library and Information Services:Associate Professor Stephen Kerber, tenure in University Archives and Special Collections.
Nursing: Associate Professor Cynthia Schmidt, tenure in the School of Nursing.
SIUE Staffers Attend U Of I Women's Conference
About 90 women from SIUE recently attended the Biennial Conference for Women at the University of Illinois, giving them opportunities to discuss several women's issues dealing with situations in and out of the workplace.
And, those who attended had the full support of the SIUE administration. "The senior administration has supported the Biennial Conference since its inception in 1984," said Shrylene Clark, an executive assistant in the SIUE Office of Human Resources. "But then we had to get up at 5:30 a.m. to attend the conference and come home the same day.
"We've really progressed since then." Clark explained that the university now provides a chartered bus to and from Champaign-Urbana and lodging for one night, while departments provide the registration fee and per diem for employees to attend the conference. "We'd like to express our heartfelt thanks to Chancellor David Werner and each administrator who helps us attend," Clark said.
"As a forum designed to enlighten, inspire, and empower women, the conference is the largest and longest-running in the country," Clark said. "Each year, attendee's have heard well-known speakers who give advice, assistance, guidance, and the courage to grow and change."
She said speakers this year included Soledad O'Brien, a CNBC news anchor who spoke about challenges to diversity; Sarah Weddington, an author and attorney who argued a woman's right to choose; and Suze Orman, the financial guru who spoke about The Laws of Money, the Lessons of Life.
Clark said the conference also is a great chance to network. "This conference attracts women from all sectors, private and public, from around the country," she said. "We meet women who are leaders in their fields and who have triumped over challenges in their lives."
Libraries Can Prove Their Worth, Thanks To Research By St. Louis Public, SIUE
Everyone agrees that even in tight budgetary times public libraries are a valued asset, right? Well, maybe and maybe not.
"Touching anecdotes about the joys of children participating in a summer reading program, or statistics reporting numbers of books circulated will not hold off budget cuts," said Don Elliott, professor of Economics and Finance. "The value of libraries must be demonstrated in dollar terms.
"The basic public presumption is that libraries are invaluable," said Elliott, who along with Glen Holt, recently retired executive director of the St. Louis Public Library, conducted the research. "Although that is a popularly held opinion, where's the proof?
"State and local governments all over the country have had to make hard choices about their budgets. So when it comes down to, for example, some aspect of infrastructure maintenance versus the library budget, which is the best choice?"
In an effort to quantify the value of a library, Holt and Elliott studied 14 library systems. Their studies of libraries began in 1996 with five large libraries-Baltimore; Birmingham, Ala., King County (Seattle), Phoenix, and St. Louis. With the help of SIUE's Institute for Urban Research, a second study began in 2001 on smaller libraries.
"Bigger libraries have a more diverse audience," Elliott explained. "They are used by corporate headquarters staff for business research. They are major partners with large school systems, support not-for-profits and nonprofits, and also are centers of activities for families.
"Smaller libraries are less diverse and more oriented toward families and schools. So, the first study created a methodology for valuing large libraries. The second evaluated libraries in smaller communities."
Nine mid-sized libraries in three states were sampled: Joliet, Schaumburg, and Skokie, Ill.; Montgomery County, Pasadena and Sterling/Baytown, Texas; and Everett, Kennewick/Mid-Columbia and Pierce County, Wash.
The study of smaller libraries required answering questions such as "if there was no library, how much more would a school have to spend for books and computers?
"How much would families spend?"
Results from one site in the latest study show that households report, on average, that the services they use are worth $235-$389 per year per household or $2.25-$4.35 million per year.
Households place the greatest value on adult and children's books, and audio and visual media. The study also showed that for each dollar of local operating expenditures produced at least $1.24 in benefits to library patrons. The larger libraries typically show much higher returns.
The studies are being used to create a methodology that is portable, giving most libraries the ability to create a more definitive statement about their worth. "I'm very confident that we have created a useful tool for public libraries," Elliott said.
Simmons, Cooper Announce Generous Gift For Baseball
An SIUE alumnus and his law partner have made a major donation to Intercollegiate Athletics, which will enable completion of the Cougars' baseball complex at Roy E. Lee Field.
John Simmons and Jeff Cooper, of SimmonsCooper Attorneys at Law in East Alton, announced the gift recently to SIUE Director of Athletics Brad Hewitt. The generous gift ushers in the latest in a string of improvements at Lee Field.
Hewitt said the announcement of the amount would be forthcoming pending formal approval by the SIU Board of Trustees. "The gift will enable us to complete the SIUE baseball stadium project and explore the expansion of the site into a baseball complex," Hewitt said.
Simmons grew up in East Alton and served in the Army as a combat engineer. He later attended SIUE, where he was elected Student Body president, attaining a position in the Dean's College. After earning a bachelor's, he went on to receive a law degree at Southern Methodist.
In 1999, he opened The Simmons Firm L.L.C. which has grown to 31 attorneys and 220 staff members. Recently appointed as a member of the SIU Board of Trustees, Simmons and his wife, Jayne, have four children.
Cooper was raised in Granite City, received a bachelor's from DePauw University and earned a law degree at Saint Louis University. He opened a firm in Granite City and ran for Congress in 2000. After the election, Cooper joined Simmons in what is now SimmonsCooper.
He resides in Edwardsville with his wife, Francesca, and two children, Jack and Ella. They are expecting a third child in September.
Improvements that already have been made in the past year to the university's baseball field include new dugouts, nets behind home plate, a warning track around the field, and a locker room facility.
Hewitt said previous gifts secured from former players Fernando Aguirre, Steve Davis, and current assistant Steve Haug also were instrumental in the current changes at the field.
SIUE Moves Up Freshman App Deadline Thirty Days
Due to an unprecedented number of freshman applications, SIUE has moved its admission file completion deadline for freshmen entering fall 2004 to May 1, which is 30 days earlier than the original May 31 filing deadline.
"We are very excited about the continued growing interest in SIUE; however, we are also committed to maintaining the quality of education and services that we have offered to students in our 47-year history," said Boyd Bradshaw, assistant vice chancellor for Enrollment Management.
SIUE has grown from 10,938 students in 1994 to 13,295 last fall, an increase of about 22 percent.
Three new residence halls built since 1994 have served to draw even more attention to the quality education offered at SIUE, Bradshaw pointed out. "More and more students and parents view SIUE as their first choice for a quality, affordable education," Bradshaw said. "A strong faculty, small class sizes, community service opportunities, an active campus life, and some of the newest residence halls in the state continue to fuel SIUE's growth."
Bradshaw said the quickest and easiest way for students to apply for admission is on-line: www.siue.edu. The $30 application fee also may be paid online. Applications received after May 1 will be put on a wait list; however, the university does not anticipate granting admission to wait-listed students.
Students interested in living on campus can download an application from www.siue.edu/HOUSING. The housing application and a deposit of $300 also must be submitted by May 1.
Softball Earns Bid For NCAA Regional
SIUE softball has been selected to the six-team field for the NCAA Great Lakes Region Tournament in Highland Hts., Ky. The fourth-seeded Cougars will open play Thursday (5/6) against fifth-seeded West Virginia Wesleyan at 10 a.m.
This season marks the fifth consecutive year the Cougars have advanced to the NCAA Tournament. SIUE will look to advance through the regional for a chance to play in the NCAA Division II Softball Championships on May 13-16 in Altomonte Springs, Fla.
SIUE's matchup with West Virginia Wesleyan in the first game of the tournament should be an intriguing one, as it was West Virginia Wesleyan who eliminated the Cougars at last season's regional with a 6-1 victory.
SIUE is coming off the GLVC Championships, where they were eliminated after a 2-2 record in the tournament. "I thought we played well at the conference tournament," Head Coach Sandy Montgomery said. "We didn't make any mistakes. We just couldn't get the breaks. I liked our determination and our fight. I still think we have a good chance at winning the regional."
NCAA II Great Lakes Softball Regional Schedule (hosted by Northern Kentucky University) Frank Ignatius Grein Softball Field Highland Heights, Ky.
Thursday, May 6
• Game 1 - #4 SIUE vs. #5 W. Va. Wesleyan, 10 a.m.
• Game 2 - #3 Grand Valley St. vs. #6 Ald.-Broaddus, 12:30 p.m.
• Game 3 - #1 No. Kentucky vs. SIUE/WVWC winner, 3 p.m.
• Game 4 - #2 Lewis vs. GVSU/ABC winner, 5:30 p.m.
Friday, May 7
• Game 5 - Game 1 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 10 a.m.
• Game 6 - Game 2 loser vs. Game 3 loser, 12:30 p.m.
• Game 7 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 3 p.m.
• Game 8 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 8
• Game 9 - Game 8 winner vs. Game 7 loser, 10 a.m.
• Game 10 - Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 12:30 p.m.
• Game 11 - If necessary, TBD (could be Sunday, May 9)
Four Cougars Tabbed All-Conference
Four SIUE softball players earned All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honors for their play during the 2004 season.
Outfielder Jenny Esker (Steeleville) and pitcher Ashlea Hoheimer (Walton, Ind.) earned first-team honors. Catcher Shannon Evans (Manhattan) and utility player Alicia DeShasier (Carrollton) were named to the second team.
Esker, a 2003 All-American, has played in all 52 games for the Cougars and leads the team with a .364 batting average. She has hit seven home runs and has driven in 31 runs on the year, both team highs. "Jenny is one of the most feared hitters in the conference,"
Coach Sandy Montgomery said. "She is very deserving of the first-team honor."
Hoheimer, a first-year transfer from the University of Dayton, has an 11-6 record and a 1.35 earned run average for the Cougars. She has pitched five shutouts and has struck out 72 batters on the year. "Ashlea had a great year as a newcomer," Montgomery said. "There was some very good pitchers in our conference so this is a good accomplishment for her."
Evans, a transfer from St. Xavier University, is currently hitting .308 for the Cougars. She has excelled defensively, committing no errors in 49 games played. "Shannon is one of the best catchers in the league," Montgomery said. "It is a nice honor for her."
DeShasier, who has played in all 52 games for the Cougars, is currently hitting .308 for the Cougars. She has been a welcome commodity for the Cougars as she can play various positions in the field. "Alicia has been solid all season," Montgomery said. "She has filled gaps when we've needed them to be filled."
Baseball Ends On High Note
After struggling throughout the season, the SIUE baseball team put together a valiant effort in the home portion of their schedule but just missed qualifying for its ninth straight Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament.
The Cougars won eight of their last 10 games and were just two games away from qualifying for the tournament, one they have not missed since the Cougars joined the conference in 1996. "The team could have quit when we were struggling, but they didn't," Coach Gary Collins said. "We finished it as best we could; it was just a few games too late."
The Cougars finished the year seventh in the conference standings with a 20-32 overall record and 17-22 mark in the GLVC. Only the top six teams advance to the tournament, which will begin Thursday (5/6) at GMC Stadium in Sauget, Ill.
Luke Humphrey (Rantoul) and Wes Pickering (Springfield, Mo.), both four-year players, played their final games in a Cougar uniform last weekend, when the Cougars took three of four from Bellarmine.
"Both Wes and Luke were solid players here for us," Collins said. "They played well on some good teams."
Craig Ohlau (Chester) finished the year with a team-high .331 batting average. Ron Jones (Kankakee) led the pitching staff with a 6-1 record and a 1.42 earned run average. With the majority of its pitching staff and starting lineup returning for next season, Collins hopes this late-season surge will pay dividends in 2005.
Track Enters Final Warm-up Before GLVC's
SIUE track and field will participate in the Billy Hayes Invitational on Friday (5/7), its final scheduled meet before the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships, which begins May 13 in Indianapolis.
"We plan on taking the athletes who are close to qualifying for nationals or who needs to improve their qualifying times and distances," Coach Darryl Frerker said.
SIUE had three more NCAA provisional qualifiers at the Butler Twilight meet. Ryan Boyll (Normal) ran the 3,000-meter steeplechase in a time of 9 minutes, 23.88 seconds to add his name to the provisional qualifying list. Phil Freimuth's (Effingham) throw of 194 feet, 1 inch in the javelin event was good for a school record and a provisional qualifying mark.
On the women's side, Mary Witte (Normal) added her name to the provisional qualifying list in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:29.89. Tairisha Sawyer (Chicago) lowered her provisional qualifying time in the 200-meter dash. The women's 4x100 meter relay team also improved its provisional qualifying time.
"Overall, Butler was a good meet for us," Frerker said. "There were a lot of personal records and some good things came out of it."
Rigdon, Witte Selected For Undergraduate Research Academy hris Ridgon (Glen Carbon) and Mary Witte (Normal), both student-athletes at SIUE, have been selected to participate in the Undergraduate Research Academy at SIUE.
The academy, which has had 212 members since its inception in 1990, currently consists of 16 members out of the nearly 11,000 undergraduates at SIUE.
Matt Warren (East Peoria), a wrestler for SIUE, was a member of the academy last season. Rigdon, a member of the men's tennis team at SIUE, will research, "Predicting Electoral Vote Totals for the Presidential Election." Witte, a member of the women's track and field team, will research, "The Effects of Linear Predictive Coding Analysis/Resynthesis of the Dysarthric Speech for Persons with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis."
The Undergraduate Research Academy (URA) at SIUE encourages, supports, and enables students to conduct original research and creative activities at the undergraduate level. An undergraduate research or creative activity enhances the quality of the baccalaureate experience by giving students opportunities to pursue ideas independently, to interact with the faculty, and to engage more fully in the educational process of discovering and creating.
Twice each year, in cooperation with the academic departments at SIUE, the URA recruits eligible students as URA Scholars to undertake research and creativity activity under the guidance of dedicated faculty members.
The URA provides budgetary support for conducting the scholarly activity as well as advisory support during preparation of the proposals and reports. In addition, URA Scholars receive a scholarship award in two installments, the first upon admission to the Academy and the second after they have completed their reports and made their final presentations.
Spurgeon To Attend NCAA Leadership Conference
Ryan Spurgeon (Bethalto), a junior baseball player from SIUE, has been selected to attend the 2004 NCAA Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla. Spurgeon is one of 324 Division I, II and III student-athletes who will attend the conference. The attendees come from 295 NCAA institutions and from a pool of 1,175 applicants.
The conference takes place May 30-June 3 at Disney World's Wide World of Sports Complex and Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Fla. It provides NCAA student-athletes with a forum to openly discuss issues that may affect them on their campuses and in their communities, while also providing them with the opportunity to enhance their leadership, communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills.
The leadership conference also promotes better communication among student-athletes, coaches, administrators, faculty and communities. The five-day leadership conference consists of daily exercises and activities to help the student-athletes develop as individuals and as contributing members to a group.
Note: The SIUE women's golf team is playing at the NCAA East Regional on Tuesday (5/4) and Wednesday (5/5). Live scoring is available at www.golfstatresults.com/public/index.cfm?tournament_id=426
Softball Looks For Three-Peat At Tourney
SIUE softball will enter next weekend's Great Lakes Valley Conference Softball Championships in East Peoria as the third seed. Its opponent will be sixth seeded UM-St. Louis.
The Cougars will try to become the first team since the conference began sponsoring softball in 1984 to claim three consecutive conference titles.
SIUE, 33-15 overall and 15-5 in the GLVC, swept both games of a doubleheader with UMSL earlier this season in St. Louis. But in the conference tournament, Coach Sandy Montgomery says anything can happen. "Whoever gains momentum and plays with confidence is going to win, and that can be anybody," she said. "There is a lot of parity this year."
The Cougars swept Kentucky Wesleyan last weekend and split with Southern Indiana. SIUE tagged Kentucky Wesleyan for 17 hits and 22 runs in the two-game affair. Mary Heather White (Pulaski, Tenn.) and Ashlea Hoheimer (Walton, Ind.) picked up the victories on the mound for the Cougars.
After dropping game one of a doubleheader with Southern Indiana on Sunday, the Cougars bounced back behind the pitching of White. She allowed one run on five hits against USI and picked up her tenth victory.
Samantha Easterley (Belleville) picked up four hits on the weekend and drove in two runs. Montgomery also said VJ Schmidt (Westmont) played solid defense for the Cougars. "We are playing well but not yet to the level we are capable of playing," Montgomery said. "We hope to peak at the right time, which is the conference tournament and NCAA regional."
Jenny Esker (Steeleville) leads the team offensively with a .368 batting average. Hoheimer leads the pitching staff with 11 victories, and White leads with 88 strikeouts on the season.
Baseball Still Alive For Conference Bid
After winning five of six games against Great Lakes Valley Conference opponents last week, SIU Edwardsville baseball kept its hopes alive for a berth in the GLVC Baseball Championships.
The Cougars moved from 10th to ninth place in the conference standings. Only the top six teams advance to the championships, which for the first time will take place at GMC Stadium in Sauget. "We are not mathematically eliminated," Coach Gary Collins said, "but the stars would have to line up right in order for us to get into the tournament."
The Cougars must win this weekend at Bellarmine and get help from others in order to advance to its 10th straight conference tournament. Bellarmine, Saint Joseph's, and Southern Indiana stand in the Cougars' way to the sixth spot in the standings.
Last week, the Cougars swept a doubleheader with Quincy and took three-of-four games against Indianapolis.
Kyle Jones (New Baden) and Ron Jones (Kankakee) each pitched complete-game shutouts at Indianapolis, and Robert Rahn (Wood River) banged out some timely hits as the Cougars are playing perhaps their best baseball of the season. "We are getting more production out of our offense, up and down the lineup," Collins said. "Our starting pitching has been good all year long."
Track And Field Prepares For Butler Twilight
SIUE track and field will send a full squad to this weekend's Butler Twilight meet, which gets under way Saturday (5/1) in Indianapolis. Following this weekend, only the Billy Hayes Invitational remains on the schedule before the Great Lakes Valley Conference Outdoor Championships, which is scheduled for May 13-14.
The Cougars are coming off a busy week in which some athletes participated in the prestigious Drake Relays, while others stayed home and competed in the SIUE Twilight meet at Korte Stadium.
Christen Carducci (Powell, Ohio) significantly lowered her provisional qualifying time in the 3,000-meter run at the SIUE Twilight to 9 minutes, 58.31 seconds. Coach Darryl Frerker said that time should get her into the NCAA Outdoor Championships, which will be held May 27-29 in Pomona, Calif.
Callie Glover (Bartlett) broke the school record in the hammer throw with a throw of 142 feet, 8 inches. The men's hammer throw record was also broken, as Lee Weeden (Ferguson, Mo.) registered a distance of 155'8" at the SIUE Twilight.
Frerker will look for more qualifying marks to be reached at the Butler Twilight. "This is looked at as a good qualifying meet and a chance to prepare for the conference tournament," he said. "We are at the point where we want to get specific with events so we can compete in the conference tournament."
