April 2009

·IERC Receives $221K Grant To Study Illinois School Principals
·SIUE NRHH Inductees Honored Recently For Achievement
·SIUE Student From O'Fallon Among 60 To Win National Fellowship
·Excellent SIUE Students Recognized For Scholarship & Leadership
·Retired SIUE Dean's Book Published By PublishAmerica
·Ed/Glen Chamber Business After Hours Hosted By SIUE School of Pharmacy
· Nursing Professor Wins Annette And Henry Baich Award At SIUE
·Aldemaro Romero Named CAS Dean At SIUE; Begins July 1
·SIUE Art Therapy Association To Offer Art Exhibit Beginning May 8
·Presentation to Highlight SIUE Alumni Association Travel Programs
·Formula SAE Car Team Hosting Afternoon Entertainment At SIUE
·Four Upcoming Concerts Hosted By SIUE Music Department
·Saying Goodbye Will Be Tough For Student Employee Of The Year
·SIUE Nursing Professor Wins Prestigious Research Award
·T.S. Monk And Sextet To Appear April 25 For SIUE's Arts & Issues
·Botball Tourney To Attract 14 Teams From Multi-State Area
·Several Illinois Residents Are Recipients Of SIUE Kimmel Award
·SIUE Student Jordan David Harvey Shaw Wins Kimmel Scholarship
·Anthropology Professor Wins 2009 Teaching Excellence Award
·SIUE Prepares To Showcase Best Of Senior Assignment
·SIUE Wheelchair Basketball Expo Hosted By Disability Support Services
·SIUE To Celebrate 'e=environment week' April 18-24
· The Alestle Wins Five ICPA Awards
·University Housing Presented Excellence In Sustainability Award
·T. Lash Named Employee Of The Month For April
·SIUE To Mount Shakespeare's As You Like It April 22-26
·Statewide Series On Global Warming Kicks Off On Earth Day At SIUE
·Cosmopolitan Iran Series Features Film Screening, Speaker At SIUE
·SIUE Bass Club Teams Win State Trophy
·BOT Awards Contracts Worth $4 Million For SIUE Roof Replacements
·Annual Graduate School Spring Symposium Set For April 8
·Plaque Commemorates 2005 Visit To SIUE Of Then-Sen. Obama
·Lovejoy Library To Offer Its Annual Symposium
·Novelist To Read From Work`s At SIUE
·Soldier-Poet To Read From Work At SIUE
·Student Government sponsors Annual Legislative Luncheon
·Students Traveled To Mexico For New Construction Course
·SETO To Offer Recent Tragic Events April 1-4 At SIUE's Metcalf Theater
·SIUE's Annual Nursing Research Conference Set For April 10

4/30/09

IERC Receives $221K Grant To Study Illinois School Principals

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Illinois Education Research Council (IERC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has received a two-year, $221,000 grant from the Joyce Foundation of Chicago to conduct a comprehensive four-part study of principals in Illinois. The principal investigator is IERC Executive Director Kathleen Sullivan Brown and the co-investigator is Brad White, senior researcher for the IERC.

Their research will focus on the academic backgrounds and career paths of public school principals in Illinois; estimates of principal effects, and the characteristics associated with successful school leaders in various school contexts; the roles that principals play in managing teacher talent and improving teacher quality; and school administrators' attrition and retention patterns. "School principal quality has catapulted into prominence in the education policy arena as states strive to improve student achievement," Brown explained. "Researchers in the field of educational administration have been coordinating their efforts to document what is known about successful school leadership and what questions remain unanswered, particularly about the role of school leadership in influencing student achievement.

"Some researchers rank school leadership practices second only to teacher quality in terms of impact on student learning, and additional studies have indicated that principal quality is especially important in the most disadvantaged schools." Brown said the state of Illinois has made great strides recently in collecting and examining data on the qualifications of its education workforce. Beginning in 2007, Illinois convened a School Leadership Task Force, she said, which has issued a series of recommendations to improve preparation of school administrators. "Institutions of higher education will soon be implementing these recommendations to strengthen the preparation of principals and to improve the administrative certification process," Brown said.

The IERC was established in 2000 to provide Illinois with education research to support P-20 education policy making and program development. The IERC undertakes independent research and policy analysis, often in collaboration with other researchers, which informs and strengthens Illinois' commitment to providing a seamless system of educational opportunities for its citizens.

Stephen Hansen, associate provost for research and dean of the SIUE Graduate School, said that the Joyce Foundation grant represents a significant opportunity for the IERC. "The Joyce Foundation is a major sponsor of important policy research in the state and in the United States," Hansen said. "This foundation has provided significant funding of school reform in Illinois, in improving teacher quality, and in supporting innovative projects.

"SIUE is extremely pleased that the IERC received this prestigious funding, and we anticipate that this research study will make a singular contribution to state education policy in the future."

The state Board of Education has also been awarded a major federal grant to establish a comprehensive longitudinal data system, Brown pointed out. Statewide efforts are under way in promoting teacher induction and mentoring, and in identifying the pool of teachers and administrators ready to undertake quality early childhood education. "These efforts demonstrate the state's desire to build a connected system of state databases, while making educational decisions based on quality data," Brown said. "The IERC's research reinforces these efforts with additional information and analysis of the education workforce, specifically school administrators."

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4/30/09

SIUE NRHH Inductees Honored Recently For Achievement

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Fourteen Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Housing residents were inducted recently into the University's Red Storm Chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH). The honorary is the recognition branch of the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH) and the Red Storm Chapter is the SIUE local chapter of the association.

NRHH inductees are considered a member of the top one percent of residence hall leaders and are required to hold a minimum cumulative 2.3 grade point average, reside in housing for at least two semesters prior to the semester of selection, reside in housing during the semester of selection, must be a non-professional contract holding student and exhibit outstanding leadership and service in University Housing.

The 14 SIUE inductees are: Lindsay Preston, of Mascoutah; Amanda Sipp, of Columbia; Paul Whittington, of Valmeyer; Ali Felchner, of Springfield; Brittney Barr, of St. Louis; Charles Massie, of Dupo; Brittney Banks, of St. Louis; John Curry, of Springfield; Rachel Holtgrave, of O'Fallon; Ashley Kahl, of New Lenox; Tomas Maberry, of Belleville; Luis Solano, of Addison; Amanda Woods, of Winthrop Manor; and Quince Zackrie, of Shiloh.

Three honorary members also were inducted: Assistant Hall Director Kristen Richards, Hall Director Justin Allen and Lisa Israel, assistant director of Residence Life for Residential Education. Honorary members are people who do not meet the requirements of being an active member but who have contributed a great deal to housing and/or NRHH. Since 2006, 12 faculty/staff have been inducted as honorary members.

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4/29/09

SIUE Student From O'Fallon Among 60 To Win National Fellowship

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Christopher Stroot of O'Fallon, a senior at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with three majors-Spanish, historical studies and Political science-and a minor in German, won a $5,000 fellowship recently from Phi Kappa Phi, the national honor society. Every year, Phi Kappa Phi awards 60 Fellowships of $5,000 each and 40 Awards of Excellence of $2,000 each to members entering the first year of graduate or professional study. National winners are chosen from nominees from each Phi Kappa Phi chapter. The SIUE chapter nominated Stroot for the national award after he won the $1,000 chapter graduate fellowship award.

An SIUE Chancellor Scholar, Stroot plans to pursue graduate study in history, with a concentration in modern European history and transatlantic relations, at the University of Chicago. Stroot was a member of SIUE's 2008-2009 Undergraduate Research Academy and presented the results of his project, "European Integration and the Spanish Political System: Internal Agreement and Changes in Policy Making from 1976 to the Present," at the recent URA Symposium. He spent the 2008 Spring Semester studying in Spain and spent a month studying in Germany. Stroot is completing three senior projects, one in Political Science, one in Historical Studies and one in Spanish, and will graduate in May.

Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest, largest, and most selective honor society for all academic disciplines. Its chapters are found on more than 300 campuses in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Each year, approximately 30,000 members are initiated.

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4/29/09

Excellent SIUE Students Recognized For Scholarship & Leadership

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) A group of 15 seniors at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville recently were recognized for their scholarship, campus leadership and community service.

"This award recognizes a team of graduating seniors who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship and shown a commitment to leadership and service," said Kara Shustrin, program specialist from SIUE's Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.

Award eligibility requirements include:
• Graduating in May or August;
• Maintaining a minimum 3.75 cumulative grade point average;
• Engaging in campus leadership;
• Participating in community service initiatives on or off campus.

Students were nominated for the designation by SIUE faculty or staff members. Those selected received recognition in the Alestle; a $50 gift certificate to the SIUE Bookstore; recognition at a reception in their honor, and a 1-year complimentary membership to the SIUE Alumni Association.

Students selected are:

• Kyle Cameron of East Moline, (nominated by Coach Eileen McAllister, Intercollegiate Athletics,) a kinesiology and health education major in the School of Education;
• Natalie Cronister of Springfield, (nominated by Eva Ferguson, professor of psychology,) a psychology and Spanish major in the School of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences, respectively;
• Bryan Cummiskey of Harrisburg, (nominated by Keith Becherer, Campus Recreation,) a psychology major in the School of Education;
• Trisha Hoffman of Beardstown, (nominated by E. Duff Wrobbel, associate professor of speech communication,) a speech communication major in the College of Arts and Sciences, with an emphasis in public relations;
• Kelsey Hubert of Smithton, (nominated by Steffany Chleboun, assistant professor of special education and communication disorders,) a speech-language pathology and audiology major in the School of Education;
• Ginny Huot of Alexander, (nominated by P. Ann Dirks-Linhorst, assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice studies,) a criminal justice studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences;
• Kimberly Kolweier of Addieville, (nominated by Jean Harrison, chair and associate professor of special education and communication disorders,) a speech-language pathology and audiology major in the School of Education;
• Megan McClure of Taylorville, (nominated by Patrick Murphy, chair and professor of mass communications,) a mass communications major in the College of Arts and Sciences, with an emphasis in journalism;
• Lindsay Sax of Mascoutah, (nominated by Dan Segrist, assistant professor of psychology,) a psychology and speech communication major in the School of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences, respectively;
• Samantha Schulte of Pleasant Prairie, Wis. (nominated by Steffany Chleboun, assistant professor of special education and communication disorders,) a speech-language pathology and audiology major in the School of Education;
• Alyssa Sprague of Argenta, (nominated by Tim Schoenecker, associate professor in the SIUE School of Business,) a business administration major in the School of Business, with an emphasis in management and finance;
• Jessica Stapleton of Chillicothe, (nominated by N. Kay Covington, associate professor of kinesiology and health education,) a kinesiology and health education major in the School of Education, with an emphasis in exercise and wellness;
• Tim Weir of Florissant, Mo., (nominated by Yuping Zeng, assistant professor of management and marketing,) a business administration major in the School of Business, with an emphasis in finance and marketing;
• Emily Wilken of Danforth, (nominated by Sheila Coressel from University Housing,) a Spanish major in the College of Arts and Sciences;
• Mindy Young-Lawson of Bethalto, (nominated by Victoria Scott, director of assessment in the Office of the Provost,) a philosophy and history major in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Click on the links for photos of the students. For cutline purposes, in each of the photos (except the mugshot of Trisha Hoffman): (from left) SIUE Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Narbeth Emmanuel and SIUE Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Paul W. Ferguson. When the nominating faculty or staff member is included in the photograph to the right of the student, the individual's name appears as part of the link with the student's name.

For more information, contact Shustrin, (618) 650-2023.

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4/28/09

Retired SIUE Dean's Book Published By PublishAmerica

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) As a young married couple who recently graduated from college in 1965, rural Iowa natives Harlan and Kathy Bengtson decided to join the Peace Corps and spend a couple years in Tanzania, East Africa, teaching high school.

More than 40 years later, 55 letters recording their experiences and observations that were sent to Harlan's parents have been put together in a recently published book titled Tunakumbuka (We Remember): Our Time In Tanzania as Peace Corps Volunteers.

After returning to the U.S., Harlan Bengtson continued his education and pursued a career in higher education. He served as a faculty member in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering from 1975-2002 and dean of the school from 1994-2000.

Harlan Bengtson and his wife decided to put the book together about their experiences working in an isolated boy's boarding school, and traveling East Africa during school breaks, as a gift to share with their children and grandchildren.

He and his wife now have four children and eight grandchildren and live in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

PublishAmerica is a traditional publishing company that encourages and promotes the works of new and previously undiscovered writers. About 35,000 authors have had their works published through the company.

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4/28/09

Ed/Glen Chamber Business After Hours Hosted By SIUE School of Pharmacy

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy will introduce its prospective graduates to the world when it hosts the Ed/Glen Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, April 30.

Business After Hours events are held to promote relationship building and provide networking opportunities within the community. The events are held throughout the year at various locations. This will mark the first time one has been held at the School of Pharmacy.

The School of Pharmacy is located at 200 University Park Drive, Suite 220, just next to the Ed/Glen Chamber Office. For more information, contact the Chamber, (618) 656-7600, or the SIUE School of Pharmacy, (618) 650-5150.

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4/24/09

Nursing Professor Wins Annette And Henry Baich Award At SIUE

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Louise Flick, professor of Family Health and Community Health Nursing in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing, is the 2009 winner of the Annette and Henry Baich Research Award from the SIUE Graduate School.

The award is presented annually to a faculty member for the most outstanding Seed Grant for Transitional and Exploratory Projects (STEP) basic research proposal within the scope of activity of the Sigma Xi Society, as determined by the Graduate School's Research and Development Committee. Professor Flick will receive $1,000 in research support. The award is named for the Baiches who both taught at SIUE-Annette was a professor emerita in the Department of Biological Sciences, who died in December 2005, and Henry was an associate professor emeritus of community dentistry and human behavior at the SIU School of Dental Medicine in Alton. He retired in 1990 after 15 years of service to the University and died in 1997.

Flick, who has been on the Nursing faculty for four years, earned a bachelor of science in nursing from the University of Rochester in 1971, a master of science from the University of Illinois Chicago in 1977, a doctorate in maternal and child health from the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 1980, and a master's in psychiatric epidemiology and biostatistics from Washington University in St. Louis in 1990.

The STEP grant and Baich Award will provide seed funds to develop the first phase of an adjunct study that will lead to a proposal submission to the National Children's Study (NCS). In this project, Professor Flick will be studying the influence of psychiatric disorder on prenatal tobacco use and the long-term effects of both phenomena on child growth and development. The research will study 4,000 children already recruited by the NCS's Gateway Study Center. Prenatal smoking remains prevalent and is the leading preventable risk factor for infant and maternal morbidity and mortality. Psychiatric disorders affect 25-30 percent of pregnancies, contribute to poor birth outcomes and many are highly associated with smoking.

The STEP grant (Phase I) allows formation of a new interdisciplinary team and adaptation and testing of the Computerized Diagnostic Interview Survey-IV to track psychiatric diagnoses and symptoms and tobacco use through three periods in pregnancy and postpartum, submission of a proposal for external funding for a preliminary study (Phase II) to support a later NCS adjunct study application on this topic (Phase III) and development of the design of the adjunct study.

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4/22/09

Aldemaro Romero Named CAS Dean At SIUE; Begins July 1

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Aldemaro Romero, professor of biological sciences and chair of that department at Arkansas State University, has been named dean of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville College of Arts and Sciences, according to SIUE Provost Paul Ferguson who made the announcement today. Romero will begin his duties at SIUE on July 1. The appointment, pending approval by the SIU Board of Trustees, is the result of a national search led by Search Committee Chair Charles Berger, SIUE professor of English language and literature.

"Dr. Romero will bring approximately 20 years of experience in higher education to SIUE," Ferguson said, "with particular strengths in forming collaborative academic partnerships within and outside of the University. He also will bring a strong foundation of scholarship applied to teaching, and a clear commitment to professional development of faculty, staff and students."

Before coming to ASU in 2003, Romero served as associate professor and director of the Environmental Studies Program at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., from 1998-2003; as assistant professor of biology at Florida Atlantic University, from 1996-1998; and as executive director and CEO of The Venezuelan Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOMA) in Caracas, Venezuela, from 1986-1994.

Romero earned a doctorate in biology at the University of Miami, Florida, in 1984. An active researcher himself, Romero has authored, co-authored or edited more than 550 publications including widely acclaimed studies on environmental programs as well as books, textbooks, and monographs on cave biology, marine mammals, environmental studies, and history and philosophy of science. Together with Joy Trauth, Romero edited the book Adventures in the Wild: Tales from Biologists from the Natural State (Arkansas University Press), which presents the field and lab experiences of the biology faculty at ASU. He also wrote two chapters for that book, narrating his life-threatening experiences as a field biologist. His two most recent books, Cave Biology: Life in Darkness (Cambridge University Press) and The Fishes of China (Springer), are scheduled to be published in the next few weeks.

Provost Ferguson added that he was thankful for the hard work of the CAS selection committee. "I want to express my sincere appreciation to Dr. Berger and members of the Search Committee that included Art Braundmeier, Belinda Carstens-Wickham, Denise Degarmo, David Duvernell, Jennifer Rehg, Eric Ruckh, T.R. Carr, Kyle Stunkel, Rhonda Harper and Prince Wells III for their time and professionalism in bringing this search to a successful conclusion," Ferguson said.

"Also, I want to especially thank Dr. John Danley for his dedicated service as dean this past year. Dr. Danley provided critical leadership and insight during this year of transition for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Click here for a photo of Dean Romero suitable for print.

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4/22/09

SIUE Art Therapy Association To Offer Art Exhibit Beginning May 8

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Student Art Therapy Association will present its Art of Awareness exhibit which opens May 8 at the Turner Center for the Arts, 3109 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, Mo. "Pinned Together, a collaborative community art project" begins with a reception from 6-8 p.m. that Friday at the Turner Center. The exhibit will feature works by SIUE art therapy and counseling students who have focused on the process of increasing awareness through the creation of art.

The exhibit, which runs through May 15, was curated by Erin Vigneau-Dimick, a member of the SIUE Art and Design faculty. For more information about the May 8 reception or the exhibit, contact Kristen Doecke by e-mail: kdoecke@siue.edu.

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4/21/09

Presentation to Highlight SIUE Alumni Association Travel Programs

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Alumni Association will host a presentation Wednesday highlighting five travel packages.

Trips inside the U.S. and internationally will be available through Collette Vacations at discounted rates for SIUE Alumni Association members. Lora Carlson, a representative from Collette Vacations, will be on hand to answer questions during a reception at noon, Wednesday, April 22 in the Special Events Room at SIUE's Birger Hall.

Upcoming trips include:
• Canadian Rockies by Rail, Aug. 31 - Sept. 9;
• Reflections of Italy, Oct. 19 - 28;
• Historic Trains of California, Nov. 1 - 10;
• South Pacific Wonders, March 1-15, 2010;
• Discover Switzerland, Austria & Bavaria with Oberammergau's Passion Play, Sept. 4-13, 2010.

Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, or to RSVP for the event, contact Steve Jankowski, director of alumni affairs, (618) 650-2346. Please contact Alumni Affairs in advance of attending.

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4/20/09

Formula SAE Car Team Hosting Afternoon Entertainment At SIUE

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) chapter car design team will host an afternoon of food, fun and entertainment starting with lunch in the Engineering Building Atrium at 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 24.

Dedicated to enhancing their education through working as a team to machine, fabricate, design and finance a scaled-down Formula-style car, students through the SIUE School of Engineering's chapter work throughout the year to prepare a vehicle to enter in a competition against entries from other schools across the country and around the world. The students will test their engineering and managerial skills during the course of the year, examining design innovation, cost analysis, product presentation, vehicle acceleration, braking, endurance and fuel economy.

The SAE chapter through the SIUE School of Engineering builds Formula-style vehicles each year and participates in an international competition. Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Daimler-Chrysler and the SAE support the competition, which garners a great deal of media attention at the national and international levels.

Following lunch, attendees will check out a display of formula-style cars parked in Lot P9. Cars from the 2007-08 and 2008-09 academic years, created to qualify for competition as formula-style cars in annual International Formula SAE Competitions, will be featured. The vehicle for the AY 2008-09 will be entered in a competition at the Michigan International Raceway in May.

For more information or to make reservations, contact Garrett Long, (309) 231-1170. Information also is available on the Web site www.ee.siue.edu/FormulaSIUE.

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4/17/09

Four Upcoming Concerts Hosted By SIUE Music Department

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Music will host four concerts, featuring student and faculty talent.

The Friends of Music Benefit Concert will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23 in the Meridian Ballroom. With the theme Overtures & Hors d' Oeuvres, the concert will introduce musical talent and sweet and savory hors d' oeuvres will be provided. Tickets are $35 per person, with half the proceeds supporting music scholarships.

The 2009 Festival of Bands will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 27 in the Dunham Hall Theater. The festival will showcase the talent of John Korak, concert band director and John Bell, wind symphony director, both SIUE professors of music; and the classic and contemporary sounds of the SIUE Wind Band. Assistant Professor of Music Kim Archer will present her Symphony No. 3.

The SIUE Orchestra and Choirs concerts will take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday, April 29 and May 1 in the Dunham Hall Theater.
Tickets for the festival and the orchestra and choir concerts are $5 for general admission and non-SIUE students and $3 for seniors and those under 18. SIUE students can receive one complimentary ticket per performance with a valid SIUE ID card. For more information, contact (618) 650-3900.

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4/15/09

Saying Goodbye Will Be Tough For Student Employee Of The Year

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Kendra Clevenger, a senior at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, will graduate in May and begin facing new challenges.

"Leaving here is going to be the hardest," she said about saying goodbye to her "work family," at SIUE in the Department of Art and Design. "I love the University and look forward to the days I work, and I really appreciate my family at work."

Last fall, while Clevenger faced a great deal of personal hardship, she persisted as an excellent student and a model employee. She was honored today as SIUE's 2009 Student Employee of the Year.

On Dec. 3, 2008, Clevenger's supervisor Darlene Selwood was unexpectedly taken ill and transported away from campus by ambulance. She was out for several weeks, leaving Clevenger to take over managing the day-to-day operations. Clevenger worked her normal 20 hours per week and stayed until the job was done.

"During this time, Kendra once again demonstrated her reliability," Selwood said. "She immediately took on the addition and unexpected responsibilities of running the office in my absence. I was unable to give her much help due to my illness, so Kendra had to handle everything in the office.

"She demonstrated her ability to be counted on with little or no supervision. I was able to focus on my recovery with the assurance that Kendra was taking care of everything in the office."

In addition to spending more than 20 hours each week in the fall working in the office, Clevenger attended classes full time and worked 20 hours per week in the Kids Network Program through the YMCA Meyer Center, while commuting 45 minutes daily each way from Litchfield.

"The students here at SIUE are the glue that holds our departments together," said Kim Durr, assistant to SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift, who attended a surprise reception honoring Clevenger.

Clevenger currently works 10 hours in the office each week and is completing an internship through Call For Help Inc. in Granite City. She is set to graduate in May with bachelors' degrees in sociology and criminal justice studies, and psychology, and already has been accepted to the two graduate schools of her choice.

Upon graduation, Clevenger plans to work with victims of rape and sexual assault. She also plans to continue her education and earn masters' degrees in criminal justice and psychology. Her long-term goal is to be employed by the FBI, working with victims and families.

Click here for a photo of Kendra Clevenger suitable for print.

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4/15/09

SIUE Nursing Professor Wins Prestigious Research Award

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Laura Bernaix, a professor of family health and community health nursing at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is passionate about her research and it's the kind of research that is of interest to many mothers and apparently to at least one research group-the Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS)-considered one of the most prestigious research groups in the nation.
Bernaix is one of four recipients this year of the Honor A Researcher Award from the childbearing research section of the MNRS. Her studies are in the areas of breastfeeding and promotion of breastfeeding to mothers.

The award is given annually to serve two purposes:

• To give MNRS members an opportunity to honor their research colleagues
• for outstanding endeavors related to research
• To raise funds to support research activities of MNRS.
  
  Nominations may be made for:
• meritorious research project or program of research an outstanding research publication
• an excellent job of research mentoring or consultin
• having served as a worthy research collaborator
• other meritorious endeavor in research development, dissemination or utilization.

Bernaix said she is honored to receive such recognition from her peers. "To have been included in this list of accomplished and highly revered nurse researchers is truly an honor," Bernaix said. "Additionally, the award provides me with validation for my efforts in building nursing knowledge and for serving as a role model for professional inquiry to my students."

In nominating Bernaix for the award, SIUE School of Nursing Dean Marcia Maurer wrote that Bernaix has met the benchmarks for a good nursing researcher: sound scholarship, advancing nursing practice through dissemination of results and mentoring of colleagues and students. "Dr. Bernaix has established herself as an expert on breastfeeding," Maurer wrote. "She is a prolific publisher in this particular area of research and nursing care.

"However, what is even more significant is her unbridled enthusiasm for her program of research and how she engenders that enthusiasm in the students with whom she works and the faculty she mentors. She is recognized nationally and internationally by other researchers for her program of research and authored research instruments."

Maurer also pointed out that Bernaix has inspired nursing students to do more research. "She has mentored nine students in this regard, many of whom have gone on to graduate school or positions of significant authority in their professional employment," Maurer wrote. "In many respects this contribution to nursing research has the potential to outweigh her personal research contribution, because she is fostering and supporting the next generation of nurse researchers."

Click here for a photo of Laura Bernaix suitable for print.

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4/10/09

T.S. Monk And Sextet To Appear April 25 For SIUE's Arts & Issues

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Drummer, bandleader and composer T.S. Monk-considered the musical heir apparent to his father, jazz piano innovator Thelonius Monk-will appear with his jazz sextet as part of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Arts & Issues series at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25, in Meridian Ballroom, on the first floor of SIUE's Morris University Center. The younger Monk has impressed critics and jazz aficionados for nearly 30 years, having received the New York Jazz Awards' Recording of the Year and Downbeat magazine's prestigious 63rd Reader's Poll Award for his album, Monk on Monk.

His destiny was sealed when legendary jazz percussionist Max Roach, with whom he studied, gave him his first drum set. The young Monk joined his father's trio and toured with the group until the elder Monk's retirement in 1975. Seventeen years later, T.S. formed a jazz sextet and received raves from the moment the group hit the stage and studio. Critics and the public lauded T. S. Monk as his father's musical heir apparent as bandleader and performer. Rave reviews in the Hollywood Reporter, the L.A. Times, and others, echoed the public sentiment of sold out concert hall shows across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.

The official media sponsor for the A&I series is the Edwardsville Intelligencer, while the series official hotel sponsor is Hampton Inn and Suites. Arts & Issues Coordinator Grant Andree said the April 25 concert is sure 'to soar and sizzle," pointing out that audiences seem to be drawn to jazz, America's artform. "This will be a great way to end what has been a great 24th season for the Arts & Issues series, Andree said. "Our audiences have raved about this past season and we hope T.S. Monk and his sextet's music will be the crowning achievement for our fans' loyalty and support."

According to his Web site, Monk's upcoming release, Higher Ground, expands on his venture into the "smooth" realm of jazz. Although there are jazz tunes throughout the CD, including a scat song, Mosaic, TS also goes straight into a "smooth mode with Ladera Heights." T. S. Monk continues to display his leadership and artistry through his recordings and live performances worldwide, on television and in concert, the Web site states.

For additional information about the April 25 concert, call Grant Andree, (618) 650-2626; tickets are available through the Web site: artsandissues.com or by calling the SIUE Fine Arts box office, (618) 650-5774.

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4/13/09

Botball Tourney To Attract 14 Teams From Multi-State Area

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Fourteen Botball teams from around the region will compete at the Greater St. Louis Botball Educational Robotics Tournament on Saturday, April 25, at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, including teams from Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri, in addition to Illinois. The SIUE School of Engineering, a co-sponsor of the tournament, has been very proactive in using Botball to reach out to middle and high school students, helping to prepare and motivate individuals to become interested in science, technology and/or engineering as a career path.

The KISS Institute for Practical Robotics will conduct the tournament in the Center Court, on the lower level of SIUE's Morris University Center. The tournament is free and open to the public. Seeding Rounds begin at 10 a.m. and double elimination rounds start about 1:30 p.m. Each team consists of about 5-20 middle and high school students who design, build, program and document a pair of autonomous (no remote control) robots to play in this year's open-ended game. The theme of this year's game is "Alternative Energy."

The Botball Educational Robotics Program engages middle- and high-school-aged students in a team-oriented robotics competition that develops students' science, technology, engineering, computer science and math skills. Home schoolers and community teams are also welcome to participate. In Botball, all the design, coding, and building of robots is done by students, and no machining is necessary.

The Greater St. Louis Botball Program started with a two-day, hands-on professional development workshop for educators on Feb. 28 through March 1 at the SIUE School of Engineering. At the workshop, teams received their kits of reusable robotics equipment. Each kit will be used for competition and will be kept by the school or team to be integrated into the classroom or extracurricular activities.

The Botball Program also is sponsored in part by NASA Robotics Alliance Project, Solidworks Corp., Innovation First Inc., iRobot, and igus, inc. NASA has sponsored Botball Robotics for more than 10 years, using autonomous robots in space and planetary exploration and Botball as an opportunity to reach out to their future workforce and help them obtain relevant hands-on experience and skills.

Additional regional sponsorship was provided by Jaros Technologies, Basler Electric Company and ESS Data Recovery. KISS Institute for Practical Robotics, an educational non-profit organization, will present 14 Botball Workshops and Tournaments this year-12 in the United States and two based internationally. All teams who participate in their regional workshop and tournament, regardless of how they place in their competition, are eligible to participate in the International Botball Tournament taking place this summer in Leesburg, Va., during the Global Conference on Educational Robotics from July 1-5.

More than 6,000 students participate in Botball every year and more than 60,000 have competed over the course of 11 years. In 2009, teams from 23 states and six countries will participate in Botball. For more information about Botball, visit the Web site:: www.botball.org or e-mail: outreach@kipr.org.

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4/10/09

Several Illinois Residents Are Recipients Of SIUE Kimmel Award

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Several Southwestern Illinois residents will receive Kimmel Community Awards at the Kimmel Leadership Recognition Program at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 29.

Sponsored by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the Belleville News-Democrat, the annual awards were established to recognize outstanding community members for dedication and contributions to community volunteer service, as exemplified by the late Carol Kimmel, a former member of the SIU Board of Trustees. For years, Kimmel gave freely of her time and talent to volunteerism.

This year there were six award categories: education, social service-social welfare, environmental and civic betterment, agency-organizational concerns, special populations and faculty/staff.

Those nominated for the Kimmel Community Service Award must have been a resident of Illinois or Missouri for at least two years, and volunteered for at least one agency, organization, or business for at least two or more continuous years.

In addition, nominees must have demonstrated a variety of community service contributions for an extended period and demonstrated outstanding voluntary community service, as well as a commitment to the citizens of Illinois or Missouri; and must document leadership roles and responsibilities.
This year's winners are:

(Click the links below for photos suitable for print.)

EDUCATION: James J. Speciale of Edwardsville.
ENVIRONMENTAL-CIVIC BETTERMENT: Helen Hawkins of Granite City.
SOCIAL SERVICE-SOCIAL WELFARE: Paulyn Snyder of East St. Louis.
SPECIAL POPULATIONS: Bishop John Henry Williams of Collinsville.
AGENCY/ORGANIZATIONAL CONCERNS: Mary McHugh of Belleville.
SIUE FACULTY/STAFF: Venessa Brown of Edwardsville.

The event, set to take place in Meridian Ballroom, on the first floor of SIUE's Morris University Center, is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the awards ceremony. For more information, call the SIUE Kimmel Leadership Center, (618) 650-2686, or, from St. Louis toll-free, (888) 328-5168, Ext. 2686.

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4/10/09

SIUE Student Jordan David Harvey Shaw Wins Kimmel Scholarship

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Jordan David Harvey Shaw of Highland, a senior majoring in psychology and philosophy at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, has been named this year's recipient of the University's Carol Kimmel Scholarship. The scholarship program is co-sponsored by the Belleville News-Democrat.

The annual scholarship was established to recognize students for their outstanding leadership and community volunteer service contributions, in addition to academic excellence. It is named for the late Carol Kimmel, a former member of the SIU Board of Trustees, who for many years donated freely of her time and talent to volunteerism.

Shaw will be recognized at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, in the Meridian Ballroom, on the first floor of the SIUE Morris University Center during the Kimmel Leadership Recognition Program. For more information, call the Kimmel Leadership Center, (618) 650-2686, or, from St. Louis toll-free, (888) 328-5168, Ext. 2686.

Click here for a photo suitable for print of the 2009 Kimmel Scholarship recipient, Jordan David Harvey Shaw.

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4/10/09

Anthropology Professor Wins 2009 Teaching Excellence Award

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Jennifer Rehg, assistant professor of anthropology, recently won the 2009 Teaching Excellence Award at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville because she is "very passionate in delivering lectures" and has a very dynamic relationship with her students. The award is the most prestigious teaching award a faculty member can receive at SIUE. Rehg received a $2,000 prize as part of the recognition determined by the Teaching Excellence Award Committee, which consists of faculty and students.

The committee awarded Teaching Distinction Awards (tenure track faculty) to Alicia Alexander, an assistant professor of speech communications, and Cindy Schmidt, an associate professor of family health and community health nursing. They each won $500. The committee also awarded $500 for a Teaching Distinction Award (non-tenure track faculty) to William Wuller, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice.

In addition, seven other faculty members each were given $250 Teaching Recognition Awards-George Engel, a professor of electrical and computer engineering; Patricia Pearson, an instructor in psychology; Denise DeGarmo, an associate professor of political science; Daniel Segrist, an assistant professor of psychology; Erin Timpe, assistant professor of Pharmacy Practice and director of the SIUE School of Pharmacy's Drug Information Center; Christine Emling, an instructor in family health and community health nursing; and Renee Fussell, an instructor in speech communication.

Rehg joined the College of Arts and Sciences as an adjunct faculty member in 2003 and a year later was named assistant professor in a tenure-track position. Before coming to SIUE, Rehg was an instructor at the University of Illinois. She earned a baccalaureate in anthropology in 1995 at Washington University in St. Louis, where she graduated summa cum laude. She received a master's and a doctorate, both in biological anthropology and both at the U of I.

According to the committee, Rehg was found to engage her students by asking and answering questions during class. "Her passion for her discipline is evident in her classroom efforts," the committee wrote in its recommendation. "Dr. Rehg's dossier reflects her commitment to teaching and to the University. She has been instrumental in the development and improvement of the curriculum within the anthropology department, more specifically in the biological area of the department. It is evident to the committee that Dr. Rehg is passionate about teaching."

Alexander also has a passion for teaching that is made evident through plentiful interaction with and dedication to her students, according to the committee. "Her style of communication is clear, yet easygoing," the committee wrote in its recommendation. "She exhibits a modern teaching style that allows students to connect and actively engage in the lectures. Dr. Alexander utilizes short but effective interactive learning activities that stimulate interest. Her dossier reflects her commitment to life-long learning by fostering self-development and providing a nurturing environment."

She earned a bachelor of science in public relations in 1997 and a master of science in communication in 1999, both at Missouri State University, and a doctorate in interpersonal communication in 2004 at the University of Texas at Austin.

Before joining the SIUE School of Nursing faculty in 1978, Schmidt held teaching positions at the Missouri Baptist School of Nursing and had a practice position at what is now known as Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center. She earned a bachelor's, master's and doctorate, all in nursing and all from Saint Louis University. Schmidt has demonstrated her expertise in child care nursing through her classroom lectures and discussions with students, the committee wrote in its recognition for Schmidt. "Dr. Schmidt's teaching style encourages a lot of participation from students," the committee wrote. "Her management of test review with students has demonstrated her strong interests in students' needs and her commitment to quality assessment of student learning. She shows great compassion for students, encouraging them to share personal stories and relate the topic at hand to real-world experiences.

She continues to pursue her goal of helping "students become nurses who value professionalism, provide safe and competent care, and to remain actively engaged in the profession."

William Wuller is said to have "a mastery of his discipline" and an ability to "engage students in active learning," according to the recommendation from the committee. "He effectively engages in interaction with students in class," the committee wrote. "He also uses real-world examples, such as from current events, to illustrate his main points. He wants students to be prepared for situations that will arise in the workplace."

Wuller holds two degrees-a bachelor of science in pharmacy in 1971 and a master of science in pharmacy administration in 1990-both from the Saint Louis College of Pharmacy. Before joining the SIUE School of Pharmacy, Wuller had held positions at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Belleville and was an instructor at the Saint Louis College of Pharmacy. He also has been a consultant for the pharmaceutical industry and for health organizations.

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4/9/09

SIUE Prepares To Showcase Best Of Senior Assignment

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Shaken Baby Syndrome and the pro-environmental behavior of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students are two of the research projects to be featured April 21 at SIUE's annual Senior Assignment Showcase. The event will include the work of more than 60 students from 44 undergraduate majors, representing the top senior assignment projects.

At SIUE, the Senior Assignment program is required curriculum for all seniors to demonstrate their degree of general education knowledge, as well as knowledge within their disciplines prior to graduation. "All of these students presenting on April 21 in SIUE's Morris University Center have won the outstanding Senior Assignment Award for their programs," said Victoria Scott, SIUE's director of assessment. The presentations-including posters, music and dance performances, readings and multimedia presentations, among others-are expected to run from 2-4 p.m.

SIUE has been featured in U.S.News & World Report among the nation's top schools-including Harvard, Princeton and Yale-for four consecutive years for its Senior Assignment program. The program at SIUE also has been recognized by the Association of American Colleges and Universities as a model of a capstone undergraduate experience for the nation's institutions of higher learning.

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4/8/09

SIUE Wheelchair Basketball Expo Hosted By Disability Support Services

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Disability Support Services will host the Celebrating Abilities Wheelchair Basketball Expo from 2-5 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, in the SIUE Student Fitness Center.

Designed to raise awareness for Disability Support Services and the students it supports, the event is free and open to the public. A three-on-three wheelchair basketball tournament will take place, along with a wheelchair free throw contest and wheelchair races. Attendees also will have the chance to play H-O-R-S-E against the Gateway Confluence Wheelchair Sports Foundation team.

Designed to educate people about the importance of having respect for others and to promote ability awareness, the foundation is a nonprofit organization that offers free programs to wheelchair users between the ages of 6-77.

Free refreshments will be available and a variety of attendance prizes will be awarded during the event. For more information, contact SIUE Disability Specialist Jim Boyle, (618) 650-3726, or jboyle@siue.edu, or C.J. Manis, cmanis@siue.edu.

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4/8/09

SIUE To Celebrate 'e=environment week" April 18-24

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will be celebrating "e= environment week" from April 18-24 to show the University's commitment to environmental stewardship and leadership. Organizations and departments across campus will celebrate and display their "greenness" through a weeklong series of events and activities. Participants in the celebration will include The Gardens at SIUE, University Housing, Student Organization for Sustainability (SOS), Facilities Management and more.

According to Doug Conley, director of the Gardens at SIUE and a member of the SIUE Sustainability Advisory Group, SIUE has a blossoming commitment to "the triple bottom line" of environmental stewardship, social justice, and economic viability. "However, this commitment is not promoted as vigorously as is justified by the depth of this commitment," Conley said.

In addition to the University establishing the Sustainability Group and The Gardens, departments across campus have adjusted purchases, revised planning processes and emphasized the triple bottom line including:

• Bookstore offering organic clothing and social justice purchases
• University Housing building a "green" residence hall
• Facilities Management purchasing wind power
• Department of Biological Sciences - Green Roof Project
• School of Engineering - Green Roof Project

"Each activity is a tribute to SIUE's commitment to community and the environment, and 'e = environment" week is an opportunity to promote these beneficial activities," Conley said.

Activities will include:

Saturday, April 18 - 11:00 am - 12:00 pm - Meridian Ballroom, Morris University Center (MUC)

Illinois State Academy of Science -

• Keynote Address - Dr. Richard Sparks, Director of Research, National Great Rivers Research and Education Center - Living with Great Rivers: Birth of Civilizations, Contemporary Disasters, and
• New Approaches.
• Free and open to the public (there is a fee for other portions of the conference)
• Web address: http://www.il-acad-sci.org/2009_annual_meeting.aspx

Wednesday, April 22 - Earth Day

11:00 - 2:00 - All Faculty Meeting
Creating a Sustainable SIUE

4:00 - 6:00 pm - Goshen Lounge, MUC, and Stratton Quadrangle
Student Organization for Sustainability (SOS)
Green Twister
Tasty treat - Cake
Frisbee on the Quad
Join SOS and be a part of the "Green Generation 09"
Web address: www.siue.edu/STACTV/sos/

6:30 pm - 8:30 pm - MUC Oak / Redbud Room
SIUE Departmental of Political Science, Illinois Environmental Council (IEC), Student Organization for Sustainability (SOS)
Town hall meeting - CLIMATE CHANGE

6:30 - Welcome - Denise Degarmo - SIUE Faculty
6:40 - Overview Climate Change - Mark Hildebrandt - an associate professor of meteorology, climatology, hazards, statistics, polar and alpine environments in thr Department of Geography. He earned a doctorat at Arizona State University in 1999.
7:15 - SIUE Student Groups Panel Discussion
7:45 - Local Efforts - Christine Favilla - Sierra Club Piasa Palisades Z
7:55 - Solutions
Civic Engagement & Legislation - Charles Jackson - Illinois Environmental Council Current Legislation - Brian Granahan - Environment Illinois
8:20 - Questions and Answers and Final Thoughts

Web addresses:
Illinois Environmental Council - http://www.ilenviro.org/
Environment Illinois - http://www.environmentillinois.org/
Sierra Club Piasa Palisades - http://illinois.sierraclub.org/piasapalisades/
SIUE Political Science Association - http://www.siue.edu/STACTV/SIUE
Department of Political Science - http://www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/politicalscience/

Friday, April 24 - 9:00 am - 3:00 pm - The Gardens at SIUE

4th Annual Arbor Day Celebration in The Gardens
Free and open to the public
Plant trees and shrubs
Remove invasive species
Educational programs
Enjoy the beauty
Web address: http://www.siue.edu/gardens/discover.shtml

Student Organization for Sustainability (SOS)
Campus Clean Up - trade trash for a t-shirt
Join SOS and be a part of the "Green Generation 09."
Web address: http://www.siue.edu/STACTV/sos

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4/8/09

The Alestle Wins Five ICPA Awards

The Alestle, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's student newspaper, recently won five awards during the annual collegiate media workshops of the Illinois College Press Association (ICPA). The Alestle won first place in the non-dailies-4,000-or-more division in the headline writing category. Former student Maggie Rhynes authored the work that comprised the entry.

At the ICPA awards conference in Chicago in February, The Alestle took second place in its division in sports news. Josh McCarty wrote the article, "Decorated track star leaves SIUE." Photographer Derrick Hawkins won a third place award in the sports photo category for a wrestling photo. Megan McClure also won a third place award for The Alestle in the column-writing category. Holly Meyer brought home an award with an honorable mention in the column-writing category. Both Meyer and McClure are graduating mass communications students.

Editor-in-Chief Catherine Klene accepted the awards on behalf of the staff members from the 2008-2009 academic year. Faculty adviser Tammy Merrett-Murry also was at the ceremony. "This was the first awards ceremony I have attended with The Alestle since I started in July, and I was impressed by not only the caliber of awards won, but also the pool of quality work they were selected from as the winners," Merrett-Murry said.

The Alestle competes nationally against school newspapers from across the country. The Alestle competes statewide regularly against newspapers such as the Bradley Scout at Bradley University, Chicago Maroon at the University of Illinois, Chicago Weekly at the University of Chicago, the Columbia Chronicle at Columbia College, DePaulia at DePaul University, Dominican Star at Dominican University, Chicago Flame at the University of Illinois-Chicago, the Journal at University of Illinois-Springfield, The Flyer at Lewis University, the Loyola Phoenix at Loyola University, the Independent at Northeastern Illinois University, The Torch at Roosevelt University and the Xavierite at St. Xavier University.

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4/8/09

University Housing Presented Excellence In Sustainability Award

Kathleen Gardner, associate director of Residential Life, commented: "University Housing demonstrates an outstanding commitment toward sustainability by integrating sustainability into all aspects of the Housing program. Sustainability is typically referred to as having a triple bottom line: healthy environments, social justice and strong economies. All three units that make up University Housing: University Housing Facilities Management (UHFM), Residence Life and the Central Housing Office have each integrated the triple bottom line into their operations," Gardner said.

"University Housing recognizes that it is in a unique position to help create solutions for sustainability challenges. Our department contributes to a campus climate where active, experiential and collaborative learning, and real-world problem solving is the norm. By doing so, our residents develop the knowledge and skills to apply to their future employment, consumption decisions and lifestyle choices, benefiting their future communities. University Housing will continue to embrace the triple bottom line and integrate sustainability into daily operations and overall philosophy."

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4/7/09

T. Lash Named Employee Of The Month For April

Congratulations: Terry Lash, an ethanol plant research engineer at SIUE's National Corn-To-Ethanol Research Center, is the April recipient of the Employee Recognition Award. In the photo, Lash is flanked by Assistant Vice Chancellor for Administration Richard Walker (at right), who presented the award, and NCERC Assistant Director Frank Romano, who nominated Lash for the award. Nominators also included, at far left, Brian Wren, director of research at the NCERC; second from right, Art Kotsybar, plant manager; and, at far right, NCERC Director John Caupert. In addition to the plaque he is holding, Lash was awarded a $25 gift certificate to the SIUE Bookstore and two complimentary lunch coupons to the University Restaurant. (SIUE Photo by Denise Macdonald)

Click here for the photo suitable for print.

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4/7/09

SIUE To Mount Shakespeare's As You Like It April 22-26

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Literary critics have argued the point for some 300 years-does As You Like It soar to the same sublime heights of the bard's other comedies or is the play just something Shakespeare penned as a crowd-pleaser? See for yourself as Southern Illinois University Edwardsville mounts its version of the pastoral work at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, April 22-25, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 26, all in the mainstage theater of Katherine Dunham Hall.

Many prefer to believe AYLI stands as one of the best, if only because Rosalind is one of the most realized of the bard's female characters we find in the remaining canon. Written late in Shakespeare's career (he created Rosalind in AYLI and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing) as what some critics say are precursors of today's modern woman-equal to men in at least wit and guile. Rosalind is skilled at wordplay, worthy of any opponent's spars, and she is one of the most inspiring of the playwright's female characters. In the comedy, love is on the wing and mistaken identities abound. The setting for AYLI is the Forest of Arden where the duke and his daughter, Rosalind, have been banished along with the court jester, Touchstone, and Rosalind's cousin, Celia.

The cousins are disguised as men-Rosalind as Ganymede and Celia as Aliena-and eventually come across Orlando who is in love with Rosalind. Rosalind and Celia-as their alter egos-counsel the young Orlando in the ways of true love. It all leads to a revelation of identities and an ending with multiple marriages.

Director Chuck Harper has decided to update the play but without changing the playwright's intent for the story. "If you are a Shakespeare purist, this may be a rocky ride," Harper points out. "Some of the characters have been presented differently from how the playwright may have envisioned them, while other characters have been cut entirely and their lines rewritten to be spoken by another character. And, although roughly 90 percent of the text is the same, there's that other 10 percent."

Harper said he doesn't believe he is truly servng the audience by remaining faithful to text that less than 5 percent of theater-goers will understand. "I believe that As You Like It is one of the great comedies of the western theater," he said. "So, I would be on very thin ice to mess with this play just for the sake of messing with it. On the contrary, I believe that all the changes we have made to this play are firmly in keeping with the playwright's essential story and message. We are just telling it in a slightly different way to a slightly different audience."

Harper also points out that there were not enough men who auditioned, so he had to make some changes in characters-adding some, removing some or having another character say a line that Shakespeare had given to another. "We also had to make some cuts because of budgetary constraints," Harper said. He also worked with SIUE music student Nathan Jatko to create a more modern music design for the production. That led to the choice of the music of Tom Waits and also led to asking KDHX Radio's own Keith Dudding to perform the music. SIUE audiences may recall Dudding from Summer ShowBiz productions at the University. And, he himself has directed a Shakespeare play or two for the old Arts League Players in Edwardsville.

"In addition," Harper said, "we've changed some of the words so the jokes make sense," Harper said. "There isn't much plot, you might recall," he said. "The first act has all the exposition and set up, and the rest of the action consists of characters sitting around talking about love and nature."

Yes, but it is clever.

Tickets are $10; senior citizens and SIUE retirees, $8; SIUE faculty and staff, $6; non-SIUE students (with valid ID), $6; and, SIUE students (with valid IDs), no admission charge. In addition, discounted group rates are available. For more ticket information, contact the SIUE Fine Arts box office, (618) 650-2774.

Click here for a photo (suitable for print) depicting a scene in which Greg Fenner of Florissant, Mo., as Orlando, who is in love with Rosalind, speaks with Rosalind disguised as Ganymede. Rosalind is portrayed by Maggie Conroy of South St. Louis. (SIUE Photo by Bill Brinson)

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4/7/09

Statewide Series On Global Warming Kicks Off On Earth Day At SIUE

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) In renewing its push to pass the Illinois Clean Cars Act and other global warming legislation in 2009, the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) is kicking off its town hall series, "Global Warming, Local Solutions," on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Oak-Redbud Room of the Morris University Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

The forum, which is co-hosted by SIUE's Peace Studies Program and several student groups, is free and open to the public. The town hall series will explore how concerned residents can help IEC make the most of the new political realities in Springfield and Washington, D.C. For more information about the Edwardsville town hall session or others planned around the state, call the IEC, (217) 544-5954.

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4/6/09

Cosmopolitan Iran Series Features Film Screening, Speaker At SIUE

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) A film screening and a discussion will take place as the next part of the Cosmopolitan Iran Speaker and Film Series on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus.

The Willow Tree, a film by Academy Award nominee Majid Majidi, with an introduction by SIUE Assistant Professor of Philosophy Lucian Stone, will take place at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, in the Multipurpose Room at Evergreen Hall, with a discussion and presentation titled From Cloistered to Cosmopolitan: Women's Representation in Iranian Cinema, by Hamid Naficy, the John Evans Chair of Communications in the Department of Radio/Film/ Television at Northwestern University at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 8 in the Lovejoy Library Abbott Auditorium.

Sponsored by SIUE's Excellence in Undergraduate Education program, the Department of Philosophy and Student Housing, the event is free and open to the public.

The final event in the series, Cosmopolitan Iran, Remembrance and the Future: An Open Forum, presented by Stone, will take place at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, in the Conference Center, on the second floor of the MUC.

For more information about the "Cosmopolitan Iran" series, visit: www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/philosophy/cosmopolitan_iran.shtml

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4/3/09

SIUE Bass Club Teams Win State Trophy

Members of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Bassmasters Club, part of the Club Sports program in the Office of Campus Recreation, recently won the Illinois State Collegiate Bass Tournament at Lake Springfield in Springfield, Ill. The SIUE club faced 18 teams including teams from the University of Illinois, SIU Carbondale and Northwestern University. The SIUE team of Justin Skinner and Brad LeMaster took First Place with a total weight of 12 pounds 6 ounces; SIU Carbondale took second place with 10.8 pounds and the SIUE team of Ric Cooper and Justin Heberer took third place with a weight of 9 pounds 8 ounces.

The state trophy will be on display in the Student Fitness Center until next year's bass tournament. SIUE gets to play host to next year's tournament, which includes choosing location and time of year to offer the tournament.

According to Keith Becherer, assistant director of Campus Recreation and coordinator of the club sports program, the SIUE Bassmasters Club has been in existence for several years but this is the first year the group has competed against clubs from other schools. Click here for a photo of the Third Place catch by Justin Heberer (left) of Okawville and Ric Cooper (center) of Salem. The man at far right is unidentified.

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4/2/09

BOT Awards Contracts Worth $4 Million For SIUE Roof Replacements

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees today awarded more than $4 million in contracts to three Illinois companies and a Missouri company to replace roofs on Founders, Alumni, Rendleman and Dunham halls as well as the roofs of the Vadalabene Center, the School of Pharmacy building in University Park and at the Supporting Services building, all at SIU Edwardsville.

The board awarded the contracts, totaling $4,072,978 at its regular monthly meeting held today at SIUE. The cost of the project will be funded through an internal loan repaid from the Facilities Management fee revenues. The board originally had approved the project budget at $4.8 million but the bids came in lower than expected. Shay Roofing of Millstadt has been awarded a $924,169 contract for Founders and Alumni halls; Jim Taylor Roofing Inc. of Belleville was awarded a $1,202,241 contract for Rendleman and Dunham halls; Lorenz and Associates of St. Louis was awarded a $1,177,568 contract for the Vadalabene Center; and Geissler Roofing Co. Inc. of Belleville was awarded a $769,000 contract for the Supporting Services building and the Pharmacy building in University Park.

In other business today, the SIU Board gave project and budget approval to resurfacing of South University Drive at SIUE. The cost of the overlay project is estimated at $2 million and would include that part of the drive between Stadium Drive to the existing overlay north of Parking Lot No. 1. The project calls for such options as patching, reflective crack control, overlay of asphalt, guardrail upgrades and asphalt shoulders. The cost of the project will be funded from an internal loan to be repaid with Deferred Maintenance funds. An independent architect will review the drawings and specifications for this project before bidding begins.

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4/1/09

Annual Graduate School Spring Symposium Set For April 8

Gerald Pogatshnik, dean of the Graduate School and Associate Vice President for Research at Eastern Kentucky University and a former SIUE Professor and associate dean of the Graduate School, will present a workshop on proposal review as part of this year's 13th Annual Graduate School Spring Symposium on Wednesday, April 8, in the Maple-Dogwood Room on the second floor of SIUE's Morris University Center.

The Paul Simon Outstanding Scholar Award Luncheon, also part of that day's symposium, will feature a presentation by Albert Luo, professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and recipient of the 2008 Paul Simon Outstanding Scholar Award. The 2009 award recipient will be acknowledged at the luncheon, which begins at 11:30 a.m. in Meridian Ballroom, on the first floor of SIUE's Morris University Center.

The Graduate Student Research Symposium will be offered from 1:30-3:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Morris Center, featuring paper presentations and poster exhibits by graduate students and students in the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Program. A reception will follow the Symposium to acknowledge the presenters. Refreshments will be available throughout the afternoon presentations and at the reception. This event is open to the public and instructors are welcome to bring their classes. The Graduate School will offer a prize drawing for those who attend one or more student presentations during the Student Symposium. Winner of the drawing will be announced at the reception following the symposium.

The symposium also will include scholarly and creative publications by SIUE faculty that will be on display at various locations during the day. University Archivist and Special Collections Librarian Stephen Kerber and Archives Specialist Amanda Bahr-Evola will be on hand to answer questions about the collection. Bibliographies of the works on display also will be available

The Chancellor's Researchers Reception, honoring faculty and staff who submitted external grants from March 1, 2008, through Feb. 28, 2009, will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the University Restaurant on the second floor of the Morris Center. For more information about Spring Symposium events, contact Linda Skelton, extension 2958 or lskelto@siue.edu.

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4/1/09

Plaque Commemorates 2005 Visit To SIUE Of Then-Sen. Obama

Then newly elected U.S. Sen. Barack Obama came to SIUE to announce that he was going to introduce his first piece of legislation in Washington, D.C. It was a proposal to raise the Pell Grant amount for college students to $5,100 annually, requiring biannual adjustments tied to the consumer price index. That was on March 29, 2005, and little did anyone know that he would become the 44th president of the United States.

To commemorate that event, the University has mounted a plaque on the window of the Meridian Ballroom foyer in SIUE's Morris University Center, where the announcement occurred. The plaque reads: On This Site Barack H. Obama Introduced His First Legislation As A United States Senator March 29, 2005, and also contains an image of Obama. The Chancellor made some brief remarks about the occasion, noting that the 2005 event was another milestone in the history of SIUE. He also noted that Edwardsville also had played host to Abraham Lincoln. Former President Bill Clinton was on campus last year, stumping for his wife's candidacy for president.

The plaque was mounted on the window of the glass foyer for maximum visibility. Click here for a photo suitable for print. The photo shows (from left) Robert Stephan, downstate coordinator for U.S. Sen. Roland Burris, who was an Obama staffer in Alton in 2005; SIUE Student Government President Dominique Majors; student Trustee Amber Suggs; and Vice President Bryan Kress.

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4/1/09

Lovejoy Library To Offer Annual Symposium April 29

Associate Professor Scott Nicholson, dean of Information Studies at Syracuse University; Paul Waelchli, an Information Literacy Librarian for Todd Wehr Library at St. Norbert's College in Wisconsin; and Lenore Horner, associate professor of physics at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, will be the featured speakers at the Annual Spring Symposium sponsored by SIUE's Elijah P. Lovejoy Memorial Library.

With its theme of "Gaming, Learning, and Community: From Board Games to Fantasy Baseball," the symposium will be conducted from 1:30-4 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, in the John C. Abbott Auditorium, on the lower level of Lovejoy Library. The event is being hosted by SIUE Library and Information Services. The symposium speakers will focus on the intersection between education and gaming. The event is free, registration is not required, and refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Lovejoy Library, (618) 650-2712.

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4/1/09

Novelist To Read From Works At SIUE

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Native Texan Allen Wier, author of the 714-page epic novel Tehano (Southern Methodist UP, 2006), will read from his work at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 26, at the newly remodeled SIUE Bookstore in the Morris University Center. The reading is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase.

Tehano is set in the Texas frontier before, during, and after the Civil War. Writer Lee K. Abbott writes, "This is a novel that sticks. It has the smell of lived life, the rattle of a world long gone. It rouses and compels, not least because Wier has a true yarn, outsize and grand, to tell. His is an American West fetched up whole and mythic, more dust and wind and high sky and idiom per page than anything this side of Larry McMurtry."

Wier has published three other novels- A Place for Outlaws (HarperCollins, 1986), Departing as Air (Simon & Schuster, 1983), and Blanco and Things About to Disappear (Avon Books, 1985), a collection of stories. He's also edited an anthology, Walking on Water and Other Stories (Univ. of Alabama Press, 1996), and co-edited Voicelust University of Nebraska Press, 1985), a collection of essays on style in contemporary fiction. His fiction, essays, and reviews have appeared in such publications as The Southern Review, Five Points, The Georgia Review, Ploughshares, Shenandoah and The New York Times.

In November 2008 Wier received the John Dos Passos Prize for Literature. He also is recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and a Dobie-Paisano Fellowship from the University of Texas and the Texas Institute of Letters. In 2001, he was voted into the Fellowship of Southern Writers.

Born in Texas an only child, Weir grew up in Texas, Louisiana, and Mexico-where his father explored the jungles of Veracruz seeking ferns and flowers to import for the wholesale flower business in San Antonio. He has taught at Longwood College, Carnegie-Mellon University, Hollins College, the University of Texas, and Florida International University. During his time at the University of Alabama he was professor to both of SIUE's fiction faculty, Geoff Schmidt and Valerie Vogrin. Wier has received the Hodges' Chair for Distinguished Teaching at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he lives with his artist wife, Donnie, and their musician son, Wesley.

Click here for a photo of Weir suitable for print.

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4/1/09

Soldier-Poet To Read From Work At SIUE

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Poet Brian Turner, author of the best-selling poetry collection Here, Bullet (Alice James Books, 2005), will be reading from his work at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, at the SIUE Bookstore. The reading is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase. To date, Here, Bullet has been on the Poetry Foundation's contemporary bestseller list for 83 weeks.

According to Assistant Professor Valerie Vogrin, a member of the English Language and Literature faculty and facilitator of the event, Here, Bullet is a "harrowing and beautiful first-person account" of Turner's experience as an infantry team leader in Iraq during 2003-04 with the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. "Before that the soldier-poet was deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1999-2000 with the 10th Mountain Division."

Vogrin said Turner received a Lannan Literary Fellowship (2006) and an NEA Literature Fellowship in Poetry (2007). The collection has received numerous major poetry awards, including the 2005 Beatrice Hawley Award, the 2006 Northern California Book Award in Poetry and the 2006 PEN Center USA Literary Award in Poetry. "Additionally, Here, Bullet has earned rave reviews from newspapers and journals such as The New York Times, The Progressive, Salon, Military Review and The New Yorker. Andrew Himes, editor of Voices in Wartime Anthology, writes, "Brian Turner writes as only a soldier can, of terror and compassion, hurt and horror, sympathy and desire. He takes us into the truth and trauma of the Iraq war in language that is precise, delicate and beautiful, even as it tells of a suicide bomber, a skull shattered by a bullet, a blade in a bloodgroove."

Said Vogrin: "Adding his voice to the current debate about the U.S. occupation of Iraq-in poems written in the tradition of such poets as Wilfred Owen, Yusef Komunyakaa (Dien Cai Dau), and Bruce Weigl (Song of Napalm)-war veteran Turner writes powerfully affecting poetry of witness, exceptional for its beauty, honesty and skill." For more information about the reading, contact Vogrin (618) 650-2063 or vvogrin@siue.edu.

Click here for a photo of Turner suitable for print.

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4/1/09

Student Government Sponsors Annual Legislative Luncheon

State legislators and members of the SIU system leadership team were on hand recently in the Morris University Center for the Annual Legislative Appreciation Luncheon, sponsored each year by SIUE Student Government. In addition to the luncheon itself, student leaders were afforded the opportunity to meet and discuss issues with area legislators as well as SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift, SIU President Glenn Poshard and other University officials. During the program, a roundtable discussion was conducted with legislators concerning how they themselves developed as leaders and what ethical challenges they face as elected officials. Click here for a photo showing a friendly chat between President Poshard, Illinois Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Collinsville) and Amber Suggs, student trustee of the SIU Board of Trustees. (SIUE Photo by Denise Macdonald)

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4/1/09

Students Traveled To Mexico For New Construction Course

Seven SIUE students from the School of Engineering traveled to the Mexico City area with construction faculty-Assistant Professor Chris Gordon and instructor Carla Lopez del Puerto-for a week of study for a new course, International Construction. The travel-study project was subsidized by funds from an SIUE Excellence in Undergraduate Education (EUE) grant and the University's International Programs Office.

In the weeks leading up to the trip, the class studied globalization in construction including the challenges and opportunities that come with entering new markets and building in a foreign country. During the week abroad, the students visited several world-class projects in Mexico City, visited a new $350 million cement plant in Puebla, attended lectures on construction challenges in Mexico from professors at Universidad de las Américas, and made cultural excursions to colonial sites in Puebla and Cholulua, and to pre-colonial sites, such as Teotihuacan.

Click here for the photo showing from left in front row: Seth Malcolm of Collinsville, Devin Gates of Decatur and Matt Michel of Morton; in the back row from left: Henry Fylstra of Edwardsville, Carla Lopez del Puerto and Chris Gordon, both of SIUE, Ashtyn Doty of Beecher City, Megan Ladwig of Edwardsville and Chris Mason of Collinsville.

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4/1/09

SETO To Offer Recent Tragic Events April 1-4 At SIUE's Metcalf Theater

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Student Experimental Theater Organization will offer playwright Craig Wright's off-beat serio-comedy about the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks- Recent Tragic Events-scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, April 1-3, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 4, all at SIUE's James F. Metcalf Theater. The play, which takes place Sept. 12, 2001, in the Minneapolis apartment of Waverly, awaiting news of her twin sister, Wendy, a student in New York, after terrorists attack the World Trade Center.

Waverly is on a blind date but is preoccupied with news from New York so they stay in the apartment. As the evening unfolds, Waverly and her date, Andrew, realize they are connected by a succession of bizarre coincidences. While Waverly awaits word from Wendy, the evening is complicated by visits from Waverly's neighbor, a crazed musician, and his girlfriend, as well as a startling visit from Waverly's great aunt-acclaimed novelist Joyce Carol Oates-portrayed as a sock puppet.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call SIUE's Fine Arts box office, (618) 650-2774; tickets also will be sold at the theater box office before each performance.

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4/1/09

SIUE's Annual Nursing Research Conference Set For April 10

(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Carol Picard-known nationally and internationally for her work in promoting nursing as an evidence-based, theory-guided, reflective practice-will be the keynote speaker at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing's Annual Martha Welch Nursing Research Conference on April 10. Registration must be submitted by April 3.

Scheduled in SIUE's Morris University Center from noon-5 p.m. that Friday, Picard will speak about the theme of the conference, "Partnerships: Weaving the Threads of Collaboration into Nursing Research, Practice and Education." SIUE's Epsilon Eta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau is co-sponsoring the conference.

Picard, who is immediate past president of Sigma Theta Tau International, the nursing honor society, and president of Carol Picard Associates, has made more than 250 presentations and appeared in more than 45 publications, addressing issues of leadership, caring, and restorative and creative practices to support nursing. She is a clinical specialist in psychiatric nursing, in practice for the past 33 years, with a particular interest in chronic mental illness and quality of life, recently publishing Giving Voice to What We Know: Margaret Newman's Theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness in Nursing Practice, Research and Education (Jones and Bartlett, 2004).

The conference also is being offered for 3.0 contact hours by the SIUE School of Nursing, an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Illinois Nurses Association, which is an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Registration is $35; Sigma Theta Tau members, $25; SIUE students, $5. Registration forms are available on the Sigma Theta Tau Web site: www.siue.edu/nursing/organizations/stt/index.shtml. Telephone registration will be accepted; call the SIUE Office of Conferences and Institutes for more information, (618) 650-2663. For more program information, contact Karen Kelly, (618) 650-3908, or by e-mail: kkelly@siue.edu.

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