SIUE School Of Nursing Receives Grant Valued At Nearly $700,000

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Dean Marcia Maurer announced today that the School of Nursing has been awarded an Advanced Education Nursing Traineeship (AENT) program grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The two-year grant awards $349,920 per year for traineeships to nurses who are pursuing advanced degrees as primary care nurse practitioners (NP).

The School of Nursing has previously received nurse traineeship funding. However, this is the first year that the award was competitive-based, and it is also the largest educational traineeship award the school has received to date.

"This grant provides funds for nurse practitioner students to support their educational goals and alleviate some of their financial burdens," said Dr. Kathy Ketchum, assistant dean for Graduate Programs and grant principal investigator. "In distributing this grant to our students, we hope to increase retention and graduation rates. This also will increase the number of primary care providers in health professional shortage areas and in medically underserved populations of southern Illinois."

The award will be distributed among 80 graduate nursing students who will be eligible to receive up to $4,050 per year for the projected two-year award period. Students who receive grant funds must take a minimum of 15 credits per academic year. This funding will assist students in offsetting the costs of tuition, fees, books, room and board.

SIUE Construction Leadership Institute Cultivates Industry Leaders

Gaining a competitive edge in today's difficult economic environment is a challenge. However, for more than 200 construction industry professionals, who have graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Construction Leadership Institute (CLI), a finely-tuned toolbox is helping them emerge as industry leaders.

"Business success in the highly competitive construction industry requires exceptional leadership, management and people skills," said Chris Gordon, co-director of the CLI and chair of the Department of Construction in SIUE's School of Engineering. "In the CLI, we've packaged those skills into a convenient, accelerated, nine-week program using both faculty and industry professionals as instructors.

"Professionals, who have participated in our program over the past nine years, now serve in leadership roles for St. Louis area building contractors, facility owners and professional services firms," said Gordon.

Graduates of the program include Jason Mantle, vice president of preconstruction for The Korte Company; Jon Danuser, general manager of Johnson Controls; Liz Lahm, director of enterprise risk and project management for Ameren Missouri; Brian Murphy, president of BAM Contracting; Adam Knoebel, vice president for McCarthy Building Companies; Marion Hayes, president at BRK Electrical Contractors; Paul Klaus, vice president of Lyons Sheet Metal Works; and Mike Christ, executive vice president at IMPACT Strategies.

Celebrating its 10th year, CLI will convene the 2013 program on nine consecutive Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning Jan. 11 through March 8 on the SIUE campus. CLI is a joint program of the SIUE School of Business and the School of Engineering's Department of Construction. Its curriculum is designed to develop and hone leadership as well as effective communication and professional skills. In addition, the program includes segments on business development, finance, construction contracts, insurance and bonding, conflict resolution and legislative issues impacting the industry.

Attendees also will discover emerging methods of delivery such as lean construction and integrated project delivery, interactive exercises simulating a labor-management negotiation, selection of key personnel and an RFQ competition. The final session of the program features a panel of building industry leaders sharing their strategies for success.

"Our CLI Advisory Board is fortunate to have an exceptionally dedicated group of construction executives and former graduates who have helped fine-tune our program to support emerging industry leaders," said Sandra Hindelang, director of Executive Education in the School of Business and CLI co-director. "Their hands-on development of the program has helped SIUE build a uniquely specialized curriculum for industry professionals."

Organizations represented on the board include Alberici Constructors, Ameren Missouri, BJC Healthcare, Bond Wolfe Architects, BRK Electrical Contractors LLC, Guarantee Electrical Co., Holland Construction Services, IMPACT Strategies, Johnson Controls, McCarthy Building Companies, Korte & Luitjohan Contractors, Murphy Company, Nooter Construction Co., Regional Union Construction Center,, S.M. Wilson & Co. and The Korte Construction Co.

CLI benefits from continuing guidance from the Southern Illinois Builders Association and the AGC of St. Louis.

Early registration is available through Nov. 16, at a cost of $2,950. After Nov. 16, registration is $3,150 per person. A $200 discount per person is given for multiple company registrations. To register, call Sandra Hindelang at 618-650-2668 or visit: http://www.siue.edu/cli/.

SIUE Department of Theater & Dance To Showcase Fame, The Musical

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Department of Theater & Dance will begin its 2012-13 season with the motion picture, television and international stage hit: Fame, the Musical.

The play is performed each day at 7:30 p.m. from Tuesday-Saturday, Oct. 9-13 at SIUE's Dunham Hall Theater. The production opens at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14. It is recommended for ages 12-and-over and has some adult language. Ticket costs are $12 for adults (18 and older) and $10 for seniors (65-and-over), children (17-and-under) and non-SIUE students with valid school identification. The play is free for SIUE students with a valid University I.D. Discounted tickets are available for groups of 10 or more.

Set during the last years of New York City's celebrated High School for the Performing Arts on 46th Street (1980-1984), Fame, the Musical, is a bittersweet and inspiring story. Choreographed into the story are the hopes and dreams of a diverse group of students who commit to four years of grueling artistic and academic work. With candor, humor and insight, the show explores the issues confronting many young people today such as: prejudice, identity, self-worth, literacy, sexuality, substance abuse and perseverance.

SIUE's production promises to be an exciting event. Peter Cocuzza is the director and Marc Schapmann is the musical director. The creative team consists of Roger Speidel, set design; Elizabeth Whitaker, lighting design; Nina Reed, costume design; Kate Slovinski, property design; Matt Stonecipher, sound design; and stage manager Brittany Chandler.

Fame, the Musical was conceived and developed by famed producer David DeSilva. The book was written by Jose Fernandez, the music by Steve Margoshes and the lyrics by Jacques Levy. Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore's title song, "Fame," lifts creative spirits to new heights, and the musical has launched a thousand dreams.

For tickets or other inquiries, please call the Fine Arts box office at (618) 650-2774 or toll free at (888)328-5168, extension 2774. Additional information also can be obtained at Department of Theater and Dance website or email theater-tickets@siue.edu.

SIUE's Department of Theater and Dance, part of the College of Arts and Sciences, presents four plays and one dance concert during its October-April season. All productions are open to the public.

WSIE Named RFT's Best Radio Station in the Metro Area

The St. Louis publication, Riverfront Times (RFT), today named Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's radio station, WSIE-FM(88.7), the Best Radio Station in St. Louis. The designation came in the newspaper's annual Best of St. Louis edition.

To learn more about the recognition, visit the article in the publication's online edition.

SIUE Courts Diverse Vendors To Spur New Business

Vendor Diversity Fair Video

Stanley Webb, an alumnus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, wants to start a business relationship with his alma mater. He hopes he laid some groundwork yesterday at the University's Diverse Vendor Opportunity Fair.

Kevin Savage, a business vendor, speaks to Ken Holbert, executive director of SIUE's School of Dental Medicine.

Webb, an African-American who owns Webb Engineering Services in St. Louis, Mo., was one of 60 vendors represented at the showcase. The event featured approximately 30 SIUE academic and administrative units. It was designed to inform and encourage diverse companies to do business with the University. Diverse companies are defined as those that are at least 51 percent owned by minorities, females and persons with disabilities.

SIUE has a $500 million impact on the area and makes about $111 million in purchases, according to Vice Chancellor for Administration Kenn Neher. "That's a significant opportunity to do business with the University," Neher said in his welcome remarks to vendors.

Dave Heth, director of Financial Affairs, gave sellers information on University protocols to select vendors and other pertinent details on positioning themselves to do business with SIUE along with State of Illinois bid limits processes.

For purchases up to $10,000, a University department may select any vendor. For those procurements from $10,000 to the state bid limit, the buying unit must obtain three informal bids and at least one of those must be from a diverse vendor. The state's bid limit is $53,700 for supplies and services, $75,300 for construction, $25,000 for architectural and engineering services, and $20,000 for professional and artistic services. Lastly, for those acquisitions above the state bid limit, there is a formal bidding process conducted by the University's Purchasing Department.

Also speaking to the group of diverse vendors was Carlos Gutierrez, outreach manager for the Business Enterprise Program (BEP). Gutierrez gave a presentation on the Illinois agency's advocacy for diverse companies and the process to become certified by BEP.

"A BEP certification will not guarantee a contract," Gutierrez said, "but it is an important step." For more information or to register a business, visit BEP's website.

Cheryl Lauer's company, Bakers Pride, is certified with the Women's Business Development Council. Lauer said she will seek to become certified by BEP. Lauer's St. Louis company generates $1.2 million in sales and has approximately 20 employees. Baker's Pride has previously done business with SIUE. Lauer was at the fair to reestablish University relationships and meet new contacts.

Vickie Denson, president and chief executive officer of Black Pages & The Community Annual of Metropolitan St. Louis, was at the event hoping to make SIUE contacts that would lead to new business.

"The challenges for us as a minority-owned, small business is winning the larger contracts and competing with larger companies, with fewer resources and such a small staff," said Denson.

Erica Vandiver, business manager at Lovejoy Library and Information Services, listens to Trisha Lewis, a business vendor at SIUE's Diverse Vendor Opportunity Fair.

Smaller businesses also have challenges with advertising, said Raghu Raghuraman, president of Mandak Systems Group. His information technology consulting service business in Springfield has only two employees.

Businesses should not feel intimidated based on their size, Heth said. "We buy a total of $36 million of goods and services costing less than the State bid limit each year, including $14 million in credit card purchases," he added. "So, departments do buy things on a small scale. That was the main goal of this fair - to introduce small, diverse vendors to our buying units."

The Financial Affairs Director added that all businesses can register on SIUE's purchasing website in order for the University to have a listing of existing companies.

The University has always exceeded Illinois' goal of a minimum percentage of the total budget being awarded to diverse vendors, said Dawn East, procedures and systems analyst in SIUE's Purchasing Department. For the fiscal year of 2011, the state goal was 20 percent.

"I'm hoping this will be the beginning of a great business relationship with SIUE," said Webb, who graduated in 1987 with a degree in engineering.

Former Pakistan Ambassador has Lunch with SIUE Faculty, Students, Staff

During an informal lunch Monday in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Morris University Center, former Pakistan Ambassador to the U.S., Hussain Haqqani, talked with faculty, staff members and students. He focused on the tumultuous relationship between Pakistan and the United States, and how he thinks both nations could best take steps to remedy strained relations.

Haqqani, who served as ambassador from 2008 to 2011, was in the metropolitan area to speak to the St. Louis Council on Foreign Relations about "The Conflicted Relationship-United States and Pakistan." While at SIUE, he fielded questions from a group of 20 who gathered in the MUC's University Club.

A topic of discussion during the nearly two-hour open session was the recent deadly rioting, protests and acts of violence resulting from an anti-Islam film produced in the United States. Haqqani compared the fundamentalist Muslim sects with the Christian fundamentalists in the United States. He added that only through education of the masses in Pakistan-through a more objective system of media and the perpetuation of education throughout the country-can attitudes change.

"In the end, every country's longer-term objectives must bring other parts of the country into its constitutional structure," Haqqani said. "Only then can you have a sharing of constitutional rights." About his native country, he added, "There is a deliberate deniability of this as long as insurgencies are supported on its soil."

He said that 50 percent of Pakistanis have expressed that they want aid from the U.S., but 74 percent view the country as its enemy. "The real threat of terrorism is a mindset and an ideology," he noted. "It has more to do with a belief system. Somebody convinces you that terrorism is the way to settle the score."

Haqqani suggested the United States take the approach it did with South America and step away, allowing countries to put the pieces of their own governments together. "Don't let a small minority manipulate policy," he said. "Pakistan has been called a pivotal country. A country is only pivotal, because you make it pivotal.

"America is a 'can do' nation, and that is its strength, but it also is a weakness," Haqqani said. He added that Pakistan has problems that the U.S. does not understand, and that only Pakistan can address its own challenges internally.

According to Haqqani, those problems are widespread poverty and illiteracy, lack of sustainability initiatives to meet the needs of a burgeoning population and its inability to engage in introspection when examining how to run its government. He stated that another issue is Pakistan's reluctance to "embrace modernity," which he explained as recognizing equality of the sexes, granting the citizenry the right to elect its leadership, and promoting and furthering internal education efforts.

"The lack of looking inward is where the problem lies in Pakistan," he said. "(The United States) can help another society with introspection, but you can't substitute it. The U.S. needs to understand it is limited in bringing change. It's their choice."

To the U.S. he said: "Stop thinking of yourselves as the problem solver. You can't solve a problem you don't understand."

Since 2011, Haqqani has been teaching at Boston University and working as a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute's Center on Islam, Democracy and the Future of the Islamic World. This past spring he received the American Committee on Foreign Relations Award for Distinguished Service in Promoting Informed Dialogue on International Affairs.

A journalist in his youth, Haqqani, has had a long, distinguished career, including service as an advisor to several Pakistani prime ministers and as his nation's ambassador to Sri Lanka. He published a book in 2005 titled, "Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military." It has been widely recognized as the best guide to recent Pakistani history.

Foreign ambassadors often have lunch on campus as part of the outreach efforts guided by SIUE's International Program.

"His message to Americans is that we need to try to understand Pakistan, not change it," said Ron Schaefer, distinguished research professor and director of SIUE's Center for International Programs. "That means we need to stay in our political system and not their's and avoid confrontation."

Schaefer works closely with Emeritus Professor of Historical Studies Richard Millett, who is a member of the St. Louis Council on Foreign Relations, to bring speakers of regional, national and international prominence to campus to speak on current issues of importance. For more information about the Center, call (618) 650-3728.

SIUE School of Engineering Boasts Record Enrollment for Four Consecutive Years

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's School of Engineering has surpassed its undergraduate enrollment record for the fourth year in a row. Undergraduate enrollment for Fall 2012 has reached 1,088 which is a 28 percent increase from 2008.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering with 260 students has become the fourth largest undergraduate program on the SIUE campus after nursing, English and biology. The Computer Science Department has also seen a significant increase as the Fall 2011 enrollment of 166 jumped to 208 this year. These historic numbers make the School of Engineering the third largest unit on the SIUE campus after the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education.

Dean Hasan Sevim attributes the high demand for the School's programs to its world-class faculty and staff, who are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of their students, along with a well-structured recruitment plan.

"I also have to credit our student chapters and design teams who help recruit the region's best talent," says Sevim. "Not only has the demand for our programs been increasing over the years, but also the demand comes from well-prepared students. The average ACT math score of our freshmen class has been increasing since 2008, and has reached a record high of 27.98 this fall."

To support the School of Engineering's continued growth, a 32,000 square foot addition is underway. The addition will facilitate the delivery of the state-of-the-art engineering education that attracts highly qualified students.

School of Nursing Faculty Partners with World Pediatric Project

Ozzie Hunter, an instructor with the SIUE School of Nursing, took part in an inspirational experience in the Dominican Republic. During the month of July, Ozzie partnered with the World Pediatric Project (WPP) and 24 other nurses to enhance nursing education in Latin America, with the ultimate goal to provide better care to kids being served in children's hospitals.

The World Pediatric Project, whose headquarters are split between Philadelphia and St. Louis, offered employees of Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis the opportunity to apply for this international project. Ozzie, a part-time flight nurse for Cardinal Glennon and a 23-year veteran of pediatric work, applied for the project and was selected out of more than 100 nurses to participate.

The WPP nurse participants were in the Dominican Republic hospital from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. assisting their nurses. They had three days of theory and lecture before working collaboratively in clinical settings. The participants of the WPP taught the Dominican Republic nurses at the children's hospital how illnesses are assessed in the United States and how they could implement some of our tactics using the resources they have readily available.

Ozzie, who is fluent in Spanish, was not given a medical translator during his time with the WPP. Because he could overcome the language barrier, he helped to make the nurses more accepting of the information that the WPP participants were trying to relay. "Fortunately, I was able to bring cohesiveness between the instructors and the participants, because I was able to speak directly with the Dominican nurses," Ozzie said. "They saw me as one of them."

Ozzie said the learning experience was a two-way street. Not only did the WPP nurses share important information with the nurses from the Dominican Republic, those nurses taught the WPP participants about common Dominican Republic illnesses that are rare in the United States.

"During this project, I grew as a person to be extremely appreciative of what we have here," said Ozzie. "You might think we have it all in the United States, but the respect that we have as nurses didn't happen overnight. It took baby steps for us to be empowered, and it's going to take baby steps for those in the Dominican Republic to achieve empowerment. They were appreciative that we acknowledged the care they provide with what little resources they have. The experience was unforgettable."

School of Nursing Director to Speak at National Conference

As an active member within the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), Dr. Andrew Griffin, SIUE School of Nursing Nurse Anesthesia Program Director, has been invited to speak at the American Association of Nurse Anesthetist Fall Assembly Leadership Academy this November in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Griffin currently serves as the Federal Political Director for the Illinois Association of Nurse Anesthetists. His position requires him to communicate with congress to promote patient access to quality nurse anesthesia care. Griffin was asked to take over this role three years ago and has been successful in fulfilling its duties since. "I was excited to fill the position, because I felt as if my connection to SIUE and nurse anesthesia student role development was a good fit," Griffin said. "We are the only public university in Illinois with a nurse anesthesia program."

Griffin will present the fundamentals of the Federal Political Director's job and how it fits within AANA. "Illinois has had a good year," he said. "Our congressmen have been extremely vocal and active in supporting nurse anesthesia and advanced practice nursing. This has involved significant changes to health care over the last few years.

"Success is not measured by how many bills are passed. It means that our congressmen seem to be educated in what nurse anesthesia means to our state and to the national policy. If there is a nurse anesthesia issue that Illinois congressmen need to be aware of, they don't want to hear from the people in Washington. Rather, they want to hear from the people in Illinois, and that is where I come in."

SIUE Event Supports St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville chapter of Up 'Til Dawn is hosting Awareness Week through Friday, Sept. 28, for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. SIUE annually takes part in Up 'Til Dawn, a letter writing event, that raises money for the charitable cause.

Last year, SIUE raised more than $33,000 and this year plans to exceed that with a goal of $37,000. The events for Awareness Week are as follows:

• Wednesday: Breakfast in residential halls from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Thursday: Golf cart rides to class on campus from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Friday: Bags tournament 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the quad, weather permitting.

All of these exciting events will include prizes, promotional materials and handouts providing educational material on childhood cancer. The purpose of Awareness Week is to involve more students and reach out not only to students, but also to faculty, staff and the Edwardsville community.

"I've had so much fun planning for Awareness Week, because it's a good cause that involves all of us having a great time on campus," said Emily Skeels, senior public relations and sponsorship chair of Up 'Til Dawn. "This year, we are hoping to get many outside donations made by the community."

For more information, contact Cathy Passananti at cpassan@siue.edu, John Davenport at jdavenp@siue.edu or the Kimmel Leadership Center at 618-650-2686.

Chinook Helicopter Transports SIUE ROTC Cadets

Chinook Helicopter Video

A U.S. Army Chinook helicopter made two trips from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's campus last Friday to Fort Leonard Wood in south central Missouri. Nearly 80 SIUE ROTC cadets took part in training exercises during the weekend, and approximately 60 made the trip via helicopter.

Lieutenant Colonel Dave Motes, who is the commander of the SIUE ROTC program. and Major Ken Wilson will led the cadets through the weekend. The training included running the confidence course, managing both day and night land navigation and rappelling.

The group of cadets consisted mostly of freshmen and sophomores. As the Chinook can carry 30 passengers, the helicopter made one trip at 9 a.m. before returning to take the second group at noon.

U.S. Army Chinook helicopter lands on SIUE campus as ROTC cadets watch.

SIUE Eco House Featured on KPLR/KTVI

Reporter Patrick Clark featured the Eco House yesterday during the late afternoon news blocks on KPLR (Ch. 11) and KTVI (Ch. 2). Clark talked about the Eco House and visited with the residents along with assistant housing director Vicky Dean. Watch it here.

A Season For The Child Opens With The Emperor's New Clothes

A Season for the Child (SfC), the family-oriented live theater season-sponsored by the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Friends of Theater and Dance (FOTAD), TheBANK of Edwardsville and the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation of St. Louis (FPACF)-opens its 23rd season with the beloved fairytale The Emperor's New Clothes on Saturday, Oct. 20.

FOTAD, a support group for the SIUE Department of Theater and Dance, uses SfC proceeds to help fund merit awards for talented SIUE theater and dance students. The FPACF fosters and promotes the performing arts in the St. Louis metropolitan area, encouraging audiences of all ages and from all walks of life to discover the joy and wonder of live arts performances. TheBANK of Edwardsville has been a generous supporter of the series since its inception.

The organization offers discounts for SfC season tickets-$16 for four shows, a $4 savings if purchased by Oct. 15; $12 for four shows, an $8 savings if purchased by Oct. 1. Individual tickets for the Oct. 20 performance of The Emperor's New Clothes and subsequent shows for the 2012-13 season are $5 per person and are available through the SIUE Fine Arts box office, (618) 650-2774. For the entire season on-line, visit http://www.siue.edu/~gconroy/FOTAD.

Performance of Hans Christian Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes will begin at 7 p.m. that Saturday in the theater in SIUE's Katherine Dunham Hall. The FOTAD series, which premiered in 1990, features professional theater troupes from St. Louis staging adaptations of various children's stories, using interactive techniques that not only delight children and parents, but also provide a learning experience.

The Emperor's New Clothes, to be performed by Piwacket Theatre for Children, extols a message of compassion in this charming play that tells of two unscrupulous weavers who promise an emperor they will create a new suit of clothes made from invisible materials to those unfit for their positions, stupid, or incompetent. The emperor pretends to see the suit of clothes so as not to appear inferior.

Piwacket is in its 22nd season of captivating young audiences with cleverly adapted fairytales filled with catchy songs, dance, colorful costumes and magical props.

Each year, FOTAD awards some $5,000 in merit scholarships to qualified students. FOTAD also funds scholarships for new freshmen entering the theater and dance program. The support organization also holds an endowment to help fund the merit scholarship program. Those interested in donating to the endowment may contact Greg Conroy, (618) 692-0874.

The holiday production of the 2012-13 season is A Gnome for Christmas to be staged at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14. Because of scheduling conflicts, FOTAD will not be offering a second holiday performance for this year only.

Lovejoy Library Open House Displays New Services, Registers New Voters

SIUE Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe takes an oath that she is a legal resident of Madison County as part of her registering to vote. The oath was administered by Madison County Clerk Mark Von Nida

Lovejoy Library Open House Video

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Library and Information Services (LIS) yesterday held its Second Annual Open House Lovejoy Library, "Your Research in 3D," and showcased why the library is steadily becoming a hub for research, service and excitement.

The library also provided the service of registering new voters, and SIUE Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe took advantage of the opportunity.

"As a new resident of Madison County, I was glad I could do my duty as an American citizen and register to vote right here on our campus," said Furst-Bowe. She came to SIUE from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and began her job as Chancellor on July 2. Sixty-five people registered to vote during the Open House.

Steven Pryor, assistant professor and director of Digital Initiatives and Technologies in Library and Information Services at Lovejoy Library, explains the process of new 3D printing to an SIUE student.

The library displayed six information stations that included technology available for check out through Access Services, new 3D software and hardware technology along with new resources and services to support academic success.

"Library and Information Services is consistently striving for new and inventive ways to deliver information to our students, faculty and the community," said Regina McBride, dean of Library and Information Services.

The new 3D printing technology was a hit with many students attending the Open House. "The 3D scanning and printing is amazing for anyone in medical science," said Maame Antwi, a junior majoring in biology medical science. "It will really help with my studies to be able to see and touch my research."

Freshman Nick Edwards also was intrigued with the 3D printing. "It really blew my mind," Edwards said. "I'm studying engineering, and in a year or two, the 3D printing will be helpful."

Another freshman, Belinda Hume, was impressed with the 3D printing, too. The elementary education major also was excited with the friendliness and helpfulness of the LIS staff. "It helped inform me and ease my mind about utilizing the services here," Hume said. "I particularly liked learning about the Good Buy Bookshop."

The Open House was designed to reach the student body and help them understand the informational resources that Lovejoy Library has amassed for their educational advancement. Over the past five years, LIS has conducted more than 2,000 instructional sessions for more than 43,000 students. The library's efforts are paying off, because the number of people accessing Lovejoy continues to climb, according to McBride. In 2012, Lovejoy had 485,000 visits. That number is up from 440,000 in 2011.

"We're passionate about what we do," McBride said. "We've remodeled to make the library more inviting and user-friendly for our patrons. And we've updated and added new services. We're a library for the new information age!"

For more information about Lovejoy's Open House, view video clip.

Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office Hosts LOOK UP! at SIUE

LOOK UP! Event on SIUE campus

Kathleen Moritz stood at the podium in the center of the Morris University Center Goshen Lounge on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus Thursday, her voice quivering as she delivered a somber, sincere message about the importance of using smoke detectors in the home to the nearly 50 students in attendance. The use of a smoke detector in a Chicago area off-campus apartment in 2005 might have saved the life of her 22-year-old son, Tanner Osborn, and his two college friends-numbers 75, 76 and 77 to perish from residential fires in Illinois in 2005.

"I can't impact enough upon you the risk it is and how preventable it is," she said of dying in a residential fire because a home or apartment didn't have a functioning smoke detector. As she choked back tears, she pleaded with the crowd to educate others about how vital it is to install and routinely check smoke detectors. She concluded, "Please, if not for yourself, do it for the firefighter who is going to try to save your life, do it for the kid who might stay the night, and if for nothing else, do it for your mother."

Tanner would have celebrated his birthday this Saturday, which was designated by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn as "LOOK UP! Pay It Forward" Day. For the last three years, Quinn has made this designation, as well as has named September as Campus Fire Safety Month.

More than 500 smoke detectors were handed out on the SIUE campus. The event marked the launch of Look Up!, which is a statewide effort to drive the message home to residents that one simple step can save lives. The detectors were provided by the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and supplied courtesy of Safe Alert.

Deputy Director Les Albert Sr., from the Office of the State Fire Marshal, expressed to those who attended that working smoke detectors should be installed on every floor of a residence-including in the basement and the attic, as well as within 15 feet of sleeping quarters. He added devices should be checked monthly.

"The idea behind this initiative is to make sure you look up at the smoke detectors to make sure they are there and operational," he said.

Edwardsville Fire Chief Rick Welle and SIUE Housing Director Michael Schultz attended the event. Welle joined OSFM staff and LOOK UP! volunteers to pass out informational literature to off-campus housing areas. This year more than 3,500 posters and materials were distributed to Illinois colleges, universities, fire departments and high schools.

Each year, the campaign strives to inform college students about fire safety and ways to prevent serious injuries and fatalities caused by fires. Students are encouraged to look for working smoke detectors and CO alarms in their housing units and exercise caution while cooking, grilling or using candles. Sofas and other pieces of flammable furniture should not be placed on porches, especially where grilling takes place.

"As parents, we expect our college students to be in safe environments. It is our responsibility to continue reminding students about fire safety and prevention," said State Fire Marshal Larry Matkaitis in a prepared statement. "Properly installed smoke detectors in good working order save lives, and that's the essence of the annual Look Up! safety campaign."

Legislative efforts have been ongoing to address the issue of fire safety. In 2010, state officials passed legislation requiring the installation of sprinkler systems in fraternity and sorority housing units. Last month, Quinn signed a bill that requires fire sprinkler protection in on-campus dormitories at public and private colleges and universities across the state. The plan, under the jurisdiction of the OSFM, will require all dormitories to be retrofitted with operational fire sprinklers by Sept. 1, 2014. Facilities that violate the requirement could be fined up to $1,000 per day.

For more information, contact Jessica Blackford, Jessica.blackford@illinois.gov. To learn more about fire safety and prevention, call (217) 558-0324 or visit www.state.il.us/osfm or www.nfpa.org.

Theising And Bergeron to Share East St. Louis Center Responsibilities

Southern Illinois University Interim Provost Ann Boyle today announced that Dr. Venessa Brown has resigned as executive director of the East St. Louis Center effective October 1. Brown will return to her previous position as associate provost for Institutional Diversity and Inclusiveness.

"We greatly appreciate Dr. Brown's hard work and effort on behalf of the University and Center programs over the last 19 months," Boyle said. "As an interim measure, we have separated the activities of the center into two parts: the Charter High School and all of the other grant-based programs at the Center."

Boyle has appointed Dr. Andrew Theising, director of the Institute for Urban Research (IUR), to oversee all of the Center programs with the exception of the Charter High School. SIUE School of Education Dean Bette Bergeron will take responsibility for the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School. In order to assure stability for the operations of the Center programs and to complete a thorough search for a new permanent director, the interim positions will continue until June 2014.

"Given Dr. Theising's specialized knowledge in urban research and particularly East St. Louis, he is the natural and logical choice for this administrative role," Boyle said. "The Charter School is under the administrative umbrella of the School of Education, and Dean Bergeron is fully prepared to keep it moving in a positive direction."

SIUE has maintained the Center at East St. Louis for almost its entire existence. The Center is a major SIUE community outreach and service effort that serves children in Early Head Start, Head Start, Upward Bound (TRIO), Project Success and Latchkey programs, as well as the Charter High School.

Brown was appointed as Executive Director of the Center by former Provost Paul Ferguson in January 2011, replacing Center Executive Director Patricia Harrison who had retired.

"Running the programs of the Center proved to be a full-time responsibility," Boyle said. "During the time she has managed the Center, Dr. Brown's prior responsibilities as associate provost for Institutional Diversity and Inclusiveness could not be maintained at the necessary level. She felt a need to return to her original responsibilities for the University, and we welcome her return to that role."

SIUE Professor Works To Save Languages

For the past 15 years, Kristine Hildebrandt has been working to capture the words, phrases and meanings of four South Asian languages. It has been the hope of this Southern Illinois University Edwardsville associate professor of English language and literature to keep the languages alive, but more realistically, to accurately record them before they "die."

Through Hildebrandt's efforts, SIUE recently received a prestigious $400,000, five-year Early Career Development (CAREER) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Hildebrandt is leading a team of two other SIUE professors in cataloging and describing the four tribal endangered languages, Manange, Gurung, Gyalsumdo and Nar-Phu, spoken by people native to the Manang District of Nepal.

"For two of these languages - Gyalsumdo and Nar-Phu - it may already be too late," the 42-year-old Hildebrandt said. "Looks like, if I as an individual live an average healthy life, these languages will die out before I do."

A language becomes endangered when fewer and fewer young people speak the native tongue. When the last native speakers pass away without transmitting the language on to future generations, the language is said to have died or become extinct. Nepal has more than 100 different languages, and 50 percent of these are classified by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as "definitely, severely or critically endangered."

"Many young people have assimilated into the dominant culture and are no longer speaking their native languages," said Hildebrandt, who speaks Nepali, the official language of Nepal. "Our primary job is, therefore, archival. We are collecting as much as we can before it's too late. We can't stop the 'flood' from coming. But we can capture the languages through our audio-visual recordings and work with the remaining native speakers to save that information, so people will know the languages existed and what they were like."

Hildebrandt earned a Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of California Santa Barbara and has worked extensively in Nepal. As a doctoral student at UCSB, Hildebrandt began working with a language documentation project in the Asian country. Since then she has come to know and love the culture, people and languages of Nepal.

"We do a lot of tape recording and videotaping of people speaking in their native languages," Hildebrandt said. "We ask them what words they use to identify various things and how different concepts or ideas are coded in their languages. We also ask them to tell us stories in their languages."

Hildebrandt came to SIUE in 2008 as an assistant professor in English language and literature. She applied for the CAREER grant in the summer of 2011 and received award notification in the spring of 2012. Then this past summer, she became a tenured associate professor. Hildebrandt and her team will travel to Nepal over the next two summers, having just completed their first scheduled field trip this past summer.

Other SIUE faculty accompanying Hildebrandt include Shunfu Hu, professor of geography in the School of College of Arts and Sciences; and Jessica Krim, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction in the School of Education. Hu's specialty is map-making, in particular the design of multi-media, online atlases. He will design an atlas of the locations where people speak the four tribal endangered languages, incorporating detailed audio, video and photographic elements. Krim will create material to help teach SIUE undergraduate students about language diversity and endangerment.

Also, as part of the grant project, the team will file their research with the University of Virginia's Tibetan Himalayan Library so the results may be assessable to anyone online at any point in time. The next two summers will be fact finding ones in Nepal for the SIUE team. Then, during the last two years of the grant, the group will analyze and archive their findings.

Currently, it is generally believed that there are 6,000 to 7,000 distinct languages (not dialects) in the world, Hildebrandt said. But many people predict that within the next 100 years anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 of those could become extinct.

"What many people do not realize is that language diversity is actually a good thing. Diversity promotes strength," Hildebrandt said. "It's necessary for life, just like diversity in biology is essential. Although empathy and understanding is important for humans to get along, we don't really want to be exactly like each other. And the continued use and transmission of one's own language and culture is one good way to symbolize that."

Tooth Fairy To Appear At Give Kids A Smile Day

Southern Illinois University's School of Dental Medicine is urging parents of qualified children between the ages of 3 and 13 to attend this year's Give Kids A Smile Day from 7:30 a.m. to noon, Monday, Oct. 8 at the School's main clinic in building 263, 2800 College Ave. in Alton. The Tooth Fairy is expected to make a rare public appearance.

Free dental care, including examinations, X-rays, cleanings, fluoride treatments, fillings and extractions, will be provided by SIU School of Dental Medicine faculty and students, members of the Madison District Dental Society and the St. Clair District Dental Society, and Lewis and Clark Community College dental assisting and dental hygiene faculty and students. Professionals and volunteers from the community also will participate.

Children qualified to participate in the event are those eligible for free and reduced-priced meal programs.

"Every measure is being taken to ensure that information about our event is available to all area families, so that all children, who register for the event, receive treatment," said Dr. Poonam Jain, professor in the SIU School of Dental Medicine and director of Community Dentistry. "Each child must be accompanied by a parent or guardian in order to be treated."

Give Kids a Smile Day is a national event sponsored by the American Dental Association to provide free dental treatment for underserved children. The event is organized to promote community awareness of the need for dental services among the underserved. In Alton, the one-day event allows an average of more than 200 children to receive care from dental professionals each year. The volunteer dentists and staff offer an annual average of more than $50,000 in preventive, restorative and surgical treatment for the children who participate.

Fun activities for children, including the unique opportunity to visit with the Tooth Fairy, will take place throughout the event. First-year dental students from the SIU School of Dental Medicine will host a "Smile Station" featuring fun and educational activities and games to help children learn the importance of a good diet, oral hygiene and the connections between their mouths and bodies.

For more information, contact Sherie Gottlob from the School of Dental Medicine, (618) 474-7200, or sgottlo@siue.edu. While pre-registration is preferred, it is not required and walk-ins are welcome.

Avid supporters of the event, State Rep. Dan Beiser, D-East Alton and State Sen. Bill Haine, D-Alton, will be in attendance.

SIUE Hosts Research Center Directors Meet-and-Greet

More than 50 faculty and staff members filled the Morris University Center's Mississippi Room Monday to learn more about Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's four key research centers under the Graduate School and meet their directors.

The research centers-the Illinois Education Research Council (IERC); the Institute for Urban Research (IUR); the Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Research, Education and Outreach at SIUE (STEM Center); and the NCERC at SIUE: Advancing Biofuels Research-greatly contribute to the institution's "intrapreneurship" potential and capacity. Associate Provost and Graduate School Dean Jerry Weinberg spoke of "intrapreneurship" as the ability of faculty members to work collaboratively with the research centers to promote concepts, research and innovation, and to acquire external support to further scholarly initiatives.

Weinberg noted that only when faculty members and research centers focus on intrapreneurship can SIUE function as a successful agent of growth and progress regionally and nationally.

"Faculty awareness of our research centers and their activities, as well as the services they provide, is essential to collaboration on new projects and bringing in new grants," Weinberg said. "With so many new faculty members coming into the institution, it is important to promote this internal awareness."

On hand to offer a brief overview about their centers and answer questions were IERC Executive Director Dr. Janet Holt; IUR Director Dr. Andrew Theising; STEM Center Director Dr. Sharon Locke, and NCERC Director John Caupert. The event marked the first time all four center directors spoke collectively to the internal SIUE community.

"This has been a great opportunity for faculty and staff to begin collaborative work with the centers," said William Retzlaff, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Retzlaff attended the event to learn more about the opportunities available through the research centers. He said he has worked closely with the STEM Center, as well as the IUR, and he knows some faculty members who have collaborated with all four centers on various projects.

Mike Crider, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and associate dean of research in the SIUE School of Pharmacy, said while he was aware of the NCERC at SIUE, his knowledge about the other centers was limited. He noted, "We have worked with the chemistry department, the biology department, the School of Engineering and with Nursing. We want to broaden our horizons."

Cindy Schmidt, director of Community Health Nursing in the SIUE School of Nursing said she was unaware of the IUR and its work. "I thought this was very informative," she said. "We are working on a grant centered in the SIUE Community Nursing clinic in East St. Louis. The IUR can provide support of the data analysis. I'm also interested in STEM. Nursing students do a lot of service learning. All nursing students are required to have 15 service learning hours per semester."

Courtney Breckenridge, graduate assistant at The NCERC at SIUE said the event offered a "good perspective on the contributions that the centers are making to the University and the community." She added: "All of these centers are an incredible asset to the community."

The IERC, established in 2000, provides Illinois with education research to support P-20 education policy making and program development. The center takes part in independent research and policy analysis in collaboration with other researchers. According to the IERC website, the information gathered is used at the state level to provide citizens with a seamless system of educational opportunities and to inform policy-makers. More information is available at siue.edu/ierc.

The IUR is a community resource that brings together top SIUE experts to explore ways to solve the issues that affect life in urban and metropolitan areas. Business, government and community leaders rely on the IUR's expertise in urban issues, data analysis and project management to create applied research projects that benefit the entire region. For more information, visit siue.edu/graduate/iur.

The STEM Center is dedicated to building a community of researchers and educators who, together, innovate ways to engage students and the public in STEM. More information is available at siue.edu/stem.

The NCERC at SIUE is the only facility of its kind in the world, and is a leader in biofuels and ethanol research. It is located in SIUE's University Park and, according to its website, supports a diverse clientele, including academia, government, technology providers, trade associations, and domestic and foreign ethanol producers. It offers third-party validation and commercial testing of products, technology, concepts and ideas. For more information, visit siue.edu/ethanolresearch.

SIUE ROTC Commander Honored At St. Louis Rams Game

SIUE ROTC Commander Lieutenant Colonel Dave Motes

The St. Louis Rams of the National Football League honored Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ROTC commander Lieutenant Colonel Dave Motes during Sunday afternoon's game against the Washington Redskins at the Edward Jones Dome. A St. Louis native, Colonel Motes joined SIUE in July as a professor of military science at the SIUE Army ROTC program.

"It was a little bit overwhelming," Motes said of the standing ovation that he received from the enthusiastic crowd. "I didn't expect that standing ovation, and it seemed as if it went on forever. The Rams organization treated me excellently, and it was first class all the way."

Motes was saluted as part of the Rams "Everyday Heroes" program, which recognizes the significant daily contributions of our nation's military, as well as the St. Louis metropolitan area police and fire departments. In-game celebrations and visits to Rams training camp and Russell Training Center are elements of the program.

Motes' combat decorations include the Combat Action Badge and four Bronze Star medals. He has spent almost 3.5 years deployed, including one deployment to Operation Enduring Freedom and three deployments to Operation Iraqi Freedom. During his Afghanistan deployment, he served as a company commander from January to August 2002.

Motes served his first deployment to Iraq as a company commander from March 2003 to February 2004. During his second tour to Iraq, he served as a military advisor to an Iraqi regiment from January to December 2005. In his last Iraq tour, he served as a brigade staff officer with the 3 ^rd Brigade Combat Team, 101 ^st Airborne Division from March to November 2008.

Motes graduated from Lutheran North High School in 1989 and received his officer's commission through the University of Missouri St Louis in 1993.

SIUE Receives Fourth Straight Military Friendly Designation

Victory Media, the premier media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, has named Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to the prestigious Military Friendly Schools® list for the fourth consecutive year. The 2013 Military Friendly Schools® list honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America's military service members, veterans and spouses as students to ensure their success on campus.

"Inclusion on the list of Military Friendly Schools® shows SIUE's commitment to providing a supportive environment for military students," said Sean Collins, director for G.I. Jobs and vice president at Victory Media. "As interest in education grows we're thrilled to provide the military community with transparent, world-class resources to assist in their search for schools."

The Military Friendly Schools® website at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com features the list, interactive tools and search functionality to help military students find the best school to suit their unique needs and preferences. SIUE is among 1,739 colleges, universities and trade schools that exhibit leading practices in the recruitment and retention of students with military experience.

The Military Friendly Schools® list is compiled through extensive research and a data-driven survey of more than 12,000 Veterans Administration-approved schools nationwide. The survey tabulation process, methodology and weightings that comprise the 2013 list were independently verified by Ernst and Young LLP. Each year, institutions taking the survey are held to a higher standard than the previous year via improved methodology, criteria and weightings developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Board (AAB) consisting of educators across the country. The board members list can be found at http://www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/Article/advisory-board/.

A full story and detailed list of 2013 Military Friendly Schools® will be highlighted in the annual G.I. Jobs Guide to Military Friendly Schools®, distributed in print and digital format to hundreds of thousands of active and former military personnel in early October.

About Victory Media

Victory Media is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business founded in 2001. Victory's free, data-driven, Military Friendly® lists can be found at http://www.gijobs.com/2012Top100.aspx, www.militaryfriendlyschools.com and www.militaryfranchising.com. Victory's lists are also published in G.I. Jobs, Military Spouse, Vetrepreneur magazines, republished in national and local periodicals and are frequently cited on national and local TV stations.

SIUE School of Business Students Learn Networking and Etiquette

What is professional business attire? How do you network while juggling a plate of appetizers and a punch glass? How do you start talking to someone in a room full of strangers?

Incoming School of Business students had the opportunity to learn exactly what is involved in reception etiquette at "Networking for Success" held as part of GBA 301 on August 24 and 25. The event was held in the Morris University Center Art Gallery and consisted of etiquette education complete with appetizers and beverages.

Melanie Broyles of Etiquette St. Louis conducted the event. Broyles teaches a variety of etiquette courses for both children and adults throughout the St. Louis area. The main points Broyles taught the School of Business students were how to dress appropriately, food etiquette and proper introductions.

"It is important for the students to learn etiquette now because it is often not taught at home," said Broyles. "Learning how to make a good first impression is important in the business world."

The networking event was created as part of the new Transition Courses offered to business students. The courses are designed to prepare the students for the business environments that they will encounter while in the school and in their career.

The first class the students will be taking is GBA 301. The class is designed to assist students with their transition into the School of Business, success in the school and thinking ahead to career preparation. The course hosts the Networking for Success reception in order to give students the basic etiquette skills they will need to continue on in their programs.

"We take this opportunity to introduce students to the School's undergraduate learning goals, ethics in decision making, global awareness and diversity, and basic business social etiquette," said Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Janice Joplin.

The second Transition Course, GBA 402, will occur in their graduation semester and will assist with the transition to career professional. To build off the networking reception, the course will include a full multi-course dinner to further develop students' skills.

"The activities give students an opportunity to apply what they are learning in classes and draw connections that make the classroom work more meaningful," said Joplin.

The SIUE School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International, representing the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. The Princeton Review lists SIUE as one of the top 294 business schools in the U.S. and abroad. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in accounting, computer management and information systems, economics, finance, management and marketing. More than 20,000 alumni have earned degrees from the SIUE School of Business. For more information about the School of Business, visit: http://www.siue.edu/business/index.shtml

Melanie Broyles of Etiquette St. Louis works with two School of Business students to improve their networking skills at the "Networking for Success" reception.

Contracts Awarded For SIU School of Dental Medicine Lab

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees has awarded more than $6 million in construction contracts to five Illinois companies to build a new multi-discipline laboratory at the SIU School of Dental Medicine's Alton campus. The board met on the SIUE campus yesterday.

The approved budget for the project is $9.5 million and will be funded from University Plant funds, a $4.1 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, donated funds and equipment use fees.

The five vendors and their responsibilities include:

- Poettker Construction Co., of Breese, will perform the general work at a bid cost of $4,019,000.

- Camp Electric & Heating Co., Inc., of Alton, will execute the electrical work at a bid cost of $696,310.

- Amsco Mechanical Inc., of Granite City, will perform the heating work at a bid cost of $387,000.

- France Mechanical Corp., of Edwardsville, will install the plumbing at a bid cost of $585,700 and the ventilation at a bid cost of $297,000.

- Boyer Fire Protection, of Belleville, will install the fire protection system at a bid cost of $58,340.

In December 2011, the board approved the project and budget. Bids for the site work to support the building construction were approved by the executive committee in April 2012.

SIUE Arts & Issues Kicks Off 2012-13 Season With New Dance Horizons

SIUE Arts & Issues Kicks Off 2012-13 Season With New Dance Horizons

A Dance St. Louis Production, New Dance Horizons, will open the 2012-2013 season of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Arts & Issues series at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 11 at the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville. For more than 28 years, SIUE's Arts & Issues series has showcased some of the world's finest artists. Each season, thought-provoking speakers inspire people of all ages and backgrounds.

New Dance Horizons is a concentrated hit of new dance movements and routines. Dance St. Louis commissioned a quartet of renowned choreographers from around the nation to collaborate with St. Louis companies to create clever and moving world premieres. The performance is sponsored by Commerce Bank.

This engagement is supported by the Arts Midwest touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest, which is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts with additional contributions from the Illinois Arts Council.

Other Arts & Issues events for 2012-13 include:

Nikki Giovanni
7:30 p.m., Monday, November 5, Meridian Ballroom, Morris University Center
Sponsored by the SIUE Foundation
Nikki Giovanni is a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist and educator. One of the most widely-read American poets, she prides herself on being a Black American, a daughter, a mother and a professor of English. Giovanni remains determined and committed as ever to the fight for civil rights and equality. Her focus is on the power one has to make a difference in oneself, and thus, in the lives of others.

Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway
7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 29, Meridian Ballroom, Morris University Center
Sponsored by the SIUE Credit Union
Neil Berg's 100 Years of Broadway returns with a dazzling cast of five Broadway stars, and an all-star New York band. This acclaimed musical revue recreates the greatest moments from the finest Broadway shows of the century, featuring the actual stars of The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, CATS, Jesus Christ Superstar and Jekyll & Hyde.

Karla Bonoff
7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 21, 2013, Meridian Ballroom, Morris University Center
With a career spanning four decades, Bonoff has enjoyed critical acclaim, commercial success, enduring popularity and the unwavering respect of her peers. She has achieved both chart success with her own recordings, and written hits for such stellar artists as Bonnie Raitt, Wynonna Judd and Linda Ronstadt. Many of her ballads are now pop classics. Bonoff's moving vocals on her rich, expressive songs are like standing beneath a sparkling waterfall-refreshing, exhilarating, and restorative.

La Familia Valera Miranda
7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 4, 2013, Dunham Hall Theater
La Familia Valera is one of the most famous family bands of traditional Cuban music. With Afro-Caribbean and indigenous Cuban roots, this musical family embodies the world of traditional Cuban music in the region of Santiago. The musical form, Son, displays Cuba's Hispanic culture through its instruments-guitar, double bass and tres, a guitar with three double strings- and its African heritage through the call and response style of the songs.

David Sedaris
7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 16, 2013, Meridian Ballroom, Morris University Center
Sponsored by the SIUE Graduate School and the Madison County Regional Office of Education
With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America's pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today. Sedaris's pieces appear regularly in The New Yorker and have twice been included in "The Best American Essays." His newest book, a collection of fables entitled Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary (with illustrations by Ian Falconer), was published in September 2010 and immediately hit the NYT Bestseller Fiction List.

Flight
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 29, Dunham Hall Theater
Presented by SIUE Xfest and Arts & Issues
Flight is based on the intersection of technology, history and art: which involves the early days of powered flight, pioneering women fliers of the time, the eve of The Great War, and Chekhov's The Seagull. Set in a suburb of Paris in 1913, this theatrical piece revolves around the onstage assembly of a three-quarter sized Bleriot XI monoplane. The theatrical template includes new choreography, a complex sound and music score and filmmaking.

For more information, call (618) 650-5194 or visit artsandissues.com.

SIU Board Approves Electrical System Purchase at SIUE

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees today made three decisions at its annual September meeting that impact the Edwardsville campus. The board held its quarterly session in SIUE's Morris University Center.

The board approved a plan for SIUE to acquire the campus electrical system from Ameren Illinois. The board also approved a contract with Carousel Industries to provide voice and data support and maintenance service. The board authorized an average salary increase pool to SIUE eligible employees.

Ameren notified SIUE that it intended to terminate the agreement as of January 2014 under which electrical service is provided to the Edwardsville campus. The University will now become responsible for operation, maintenance and repair of the system. The $600,000 cost of the acquisition will be funded by the facilities fee. The board also approved the development of plans and cost estimates to replace and upgrade system components to improve reliability, operations and capacity.

Ameren had a long-term agreement dating to the original construction of the campus. The utility owns and operates the electrical components of the Edwardsville campus' electrical distribution system. It owns and maintains the wire, the switches and the transformers for each building. Meanwhile, the University owns the power conduits and manholes. Under the current agreement, Ameren treats the entire campus as one single, large customer at an advantageous rate to the University. This rate is only for the distribution of electrical power, as the University purchases electricity separately through a consortium with other universities.

Influencing the board's decision to conclude its Ameren agreement was a projected $700,000 annual savings. Under Ameren ownership, the company would have continued repairing and replacing major components upon failures and outages with associated disruption of University operations.

By the University acquiring the system from Ameren, the institution will operate, maintain and repair the system on a deliberate, planned basis, with a combination of in-house forces and outside contractors, as it does with other campus utility systems such as water, sewer, chilled water and natural gas.

Through the University's acquisition, it will be allowed to make modifications, while continuing to be metered and billed by Ameren as a single, large customer at a more advantageous rate.

In another internal systems related issue, the board selected Carousel Industries to provide telephone, network, and voicemail maintenance and support services to SIUE's three primary campuses in Edwardsville, Alton and East St. Louis. The initial two-year contract is renewable for up to four additional years. The estimated six-year cost for the services is $1.6 million. The actual payment will be based on the annual need for the services. The purchase will be funded by University operating funds.

All three SIUE campuses include multiple buildings that are interconnected by various copper and fiber optic cables. The agreement also includes an upgrade to the telephone system to keep software and hardware up to date.

In other business, the board authorized SIU President Glenn Poshard to grant an amount providing an average salary increase pool of up to 2.5 percent to SIUE eligible employees. The board annually approves a salary increase plan. The plan does not cover specific salary recommendations for individual employees but establishes the general parameters for the distribution of salary increase funds. The increases are effective July 1, 2012.

SIUE Holds Various Voter Registration Drives

There have been several registration drives on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. SIUE College Democrats sponsored the most recent registration drive. Larry Evans, from the United Congregations of Metro East, swears in SIUE student Kyler Kellison in the quad on the SIUE campus.
Evans was one of seven people who registered people to vote on Sept. 11, according to Milton Patch, president of the SIUE College Democrats. The group sponsored and hosted the drive, which registered about 300 people. In other campus voting registration efforts, the speaker series Lovejoy Votes is being held through Oct. 4. The speaker series is hosted by SIUE Library and Information Services and the Meridian Society. The two-month speaker series will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays in the Third Floor Conference Room of the Lovejoy Library on the SIUE campus.

Jason Holler, member of the Kentucky Knife Fight band of Edwardsville, sings during the voter registration drive sponsored by the SIUE College Democrats. The band played in the quad on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Sept. 11.

Black Studies Will Offer Knowledge And Enrichment

Howard Rambsy II, professor of literature and director of the Black Studies Program at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, has more than 2,000 books in his personal library. Seen in the background is a photo of scholar Tricia Rose, a featured figure in one of the program's exhibits.

Ursula Burns made the list. Howard Rambsy II, professor of literature at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, recently presented a selection of "Politically Inspiring Black Women" as part of the University's Black Studies Program. Burns is the chief executive officer of Xerox and the first African American woman to head up a Fortune 500 Company.

SIUE's Black Studies Program began its fall 2012 session last month. Each semester, contributors and participants in the Black Studies Program collaborate on the production of approximately 50 public humanities activities that include mixed media exhibits, reading groups, displays focusing on African American history, blogging projects and graphic design initiatives.

Program participants explore African American ideas, address racial equality and coordinate interactive learning activities. The program empowers participants to enhance their intellectual capabilities by collaborating on the implementation of culturally distinct research and service projects.

"We will have about a thousand participants attend the SIUE Black Studies Program each semester," Rambsy said. "It's enrichment outside of class. We also have six different online reading groups this year." For more information, visit the Underground Reading Group or the Haley Reading Group.

Rambsy, director of the Black Studies Program, has scheduled various weekly events through Dec. 11. For more information, check the complete listing. Some authors and poets featured in the Black Studies Program exhibits this year include Toni Morrison, Aaron McGruder, Elizabeth Alexander, Claude McKay, Robert Hayden and Kevin Young.

Dr. Julie Furst-Bowe is Inducted into the Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe recently was named the newest member of the executive committee for the Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois.

The Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois is an economic development organization for the St. Louis and Metro East regions, which strives to vitalize development across the area.

More information about Furst-Bowe is available online in an article titled "Leadership Council Names SIUE Chancellor to Executive Committee" at stltoday.com, which is the online component for the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

U.S. News Tabs SIUE Among Top Midwest Regional Universities

U.S.News & World Report ranks Southern Illinois University Edwardsville among the best Regional Universities Midwest for the ninth consecutive year and among the top 15 public universities in that category. The listing is in the magazine's "Best Colleges of 2013" issue that was released today and will hit newsstands Sept. 18.

SIUE moved up two spots overall in the Regional Universities Midwest category from 51 last year to 49 in this year's rankings. SIUE remains 11th overall among public universities in that category. The U.S. News overall scores are based on the reputation of SIUE in higher education, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

"We are pleased that U.S. News continues to rank SIUE as one of the top universities in the Midwest, and it is essential that we annually strive to improve in all areas," said SIUE Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe. "We will continue to provide academic excellence at an affordable price and produce exceptional leaders for our community and region. Our distinguished faculty and talented staff provide the type of individualized attention and unique experiences that prepare SIUE students for career success."

SIUE's steady growth during the past decade has continued with a record 2,075 first-time freshmen enrolled for Fall 2012. Meanwhile, SIUE is in the midst of a nearly $300 million planned campus infrastructure update and construction phase, which includes construction on the Science Building, and the Charles and Mary Lukas Athletics Annex, along with additions to the Art and Design and Engineering buildings.

Regional universities are considered to have a full range of undergraduate majors and master's programs, but few doctoral programs. The 625 universities in this category are ranked against their peer group in one of four geographic regions (North, South, Midwest and West), because they tend to draw students most heavily from surrounding states.

The latest U.S. News rankings come on the heels of last month's recognition by Washington Monthly that ranks SIUE among the top 50 master's universities in the nation. In March, SIUE also was named by the Corporation for National and Community Service to the annual President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, which is a list of colleges and universities demonstrating a commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.

SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School STEM Learning Center Honored

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School's William Frederick Graebe, Sr. STEM Learning Center recently received a bronze citation from a prestigious national publication.

The "good use of technology, variety of collaboration/presentation spaces and seating options" were among the many features cited as being reasons for the honor, which came from American School & University magazine.

The publication included vibrant photos of the classroom and highlighted the technological aspects of the 1,300-square-foot space. The complete article is available for review on pages 40-41 in the American School & University's August 2012 issue.

Chinese Faculty Arrive At SIUE To Teach And Learn

Jian Zhao, an associate professor of educational technology at Northwest Normal University in China, tells SIUE faculty a little bit about himself and his school. Zhao is one of four Chinese scholars visiting SIUE for the fall semester.

Faculty members from Northwest Normal University (NWNU) in China are visiting the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Education during fall semester as part of its International Training Program in Pedagogy.

The four visiting scholars from NWNU in Lanzhou, Gansu, include: Xiuwen Guo, Xiaojuan Lv, Guojun Zhao and Jian Zhao. The professors recently held a seminar where they introduced themselves and gave an overview of themselves, their careers and their country.

"We are excited to have the Chinese scholars here at SIUE this fall semester," said Mary Weishaar, associate dean from the School of Education. "We expect that their visit will be an enriching experience for faculty, students and staff from the School of Education and the SIUE community, as well as the Chinese faculty."

Guo is a professor in physical education and associate dean of the College of Physical Education at NWNU. During 2002-2005, she studied in Peking Sports University and received her Ph.D. in 2005. Her Ph.D. dissertation title was, A Study on the Scientific Talent Identification and the Application System of Chinese Elite Athletes in Rhythmic Gymnastics. She currently teaches theory and skills courses. Her primary research areas of interest include: sport training and health education for large groups of people. She hopes to build cooperation with American colleagues in her research field.

Lv is an associate professor in the Curriculum and Instruction Department, School of Education at NWNU. Her main research interest is educational research methods, especially qualitative research methodology. Her thesis used action research methodology; and her doctoral dissertation used educational anthropology research methodology. Her research interests also include gender education, especially minority female education. Lv's recent monograph book on Dongxiang nationality female education was published last year. In addition, she is interested in Tibetan - Chinese bilingual education research and leads a scientific research project in this area funded by China's Ministry of Education.

Guojun Zhao is a lecturer in psychology at NWNU. With a major in psychology, his master's degree research focused on self-concept in Muslim adolescents' religion and his doctoral degree research focused on different roles of self-regulation in religion and life. At NWNU he teaches psychometrics, SPSS, statistics, foundations of psychology, school psychology and developmental psychology at both the undergraduate and graduate level. His primary research interests include psychological assessment, evaluation, and counseling in special education. Zhao's aim of coming to SIUE is to understand special education, especially counseling for children with disabilities.

Jian Zhao is an associate professor of educational technology at NWNU. His major research interests include online learning, distance education and instructional design. He teaches courses in digital media and instructional application along with information technology foundations. Zhao's projects have focused on improving the instructional abilities of those living in rural regions of China when using information and communication technology. His teams taught rural teachers to use digital cameras, satellite dishes and helped teachers solve technical problems of devices on site. The goal of Zhao's visit to SIUE is to promote his academic communication, improve his instructional abilities, and increase his life experiences.

From this partnership with NWNU, the SIUE School of Education hopes to expose the Chinese faculty to U.S. teaching practices, expand their awareness of how English is used in American universities, and prepare them for teaching their respective disciplines in English.

The benefits for SIUE, according to Weishaar, are to provide opportunities for faculty and student interactions with the Chinese faculty that will facilitate cultural understanding, and help to develop potential curricular and research collaborations. Lastly, the School of Education hopes to develop a successful training program focused on U.S. pedagogy that could be duplicated.

Along with Dr. Weishaar, other SIUE School of Education faculty who function as a leadership team for the project include Yuliang Liu, professor, Department of Educational Leadership; Huaibo Xin, assistant professor, Kinesiology and Health Education; and Gretchen Fricke, director, Office of Clinical Experiences, Certification and Advisement.

Lovejoy Library Open House Features "Your Research in 3D"

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Lovejoy Library and Information Services (LIS) presents its annual Open House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 19. "Your Research in 3D" is the theme of the event to be held in the library's recently renovated Research Commons on the first floor. LIS faculty and staff will man interactive stations providing brief presentations while highlighting specific services and products.

"Library and Information Services is consistently striving for new and inventive ways to deliver information to our students, faculty and the community," said Regina McBride, dean of Library and Information Services. "Our first Open House last September was so successful, we decided to make it an annual event."

The Open House is an effort to reach the student body and help them understand the informational resources that Lovejoy Library has amassed for their educational advancement. Over the past five years LIS has conducted more than 2,000 instructional sessions for more than 43,000 students to help them efficiently navigate and effectively utilize the library's resources.

Featured services and technologies will be represented by six information stations, including technology available for check-out through Access Services. Other features include new 3D software and hardware technology along with new resources and services that have been selected to support academic success.

One such station is the Friend's Corner, an intimate area of the first floor designed to host presentations, poetry readings, speaker series and discussions. It is flexible enough to be used for small group work in a comfortable setting.

During the Open House, the timely "Lovejoy Votes" will be conducted. It is a Meridian Society funded drive targeting all Illinois residents of legal voting age to register in time for the upcoming presidential election. New students and employees are encouraged to stop by to complete the registration process. Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe plans to take advantage of this opportunity.

SIUE students will be invited to participate in prize drawings featuring t-shirts, an iTunes gift card, a tablet and gift certificates for the Friends of Lovejoy Library Good Buy Bookshop. Prize drawings will be held throughout the Open House.

SIUE Honors Guiding Excellence Award Recipients

Six guidance counselors recently received Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Guiding Excellence Award for offering high school students guidance, support and inspiration during the college admission process.

The recognition marked the third year that SIUE's incoming freshman class has nominated guidance counselors, based on their assistance, and the University has selected and recognized top honorees. During the 2012 convocation ceremony celebrating the incoming new class at the Vadalabene Center, awardees were recognized by SIUE Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Ann Boyle. The 2012 awardees included:

• Jason Corey from Collinsville High School

• Tim Gillard from Christian Brothers College High School

• Julie Kampschroeder from Pattonville High School

• Sarah Triplet from Camp Point Central High School

• Aurora Diaz from Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy

• Tami Williams from Alton High School

" The Princeton Review writes, and I quote: "That few careers are as potentially rewarding-or as frustrating-as that of a guidance counselor, whose job it is to help guide and structure children's educational and vocational direction as they pass through an unstable and confusing time in their life," Boyle said. "Today, it is my pleasure to present the third annual Guiding Excellence Award to six outstanding guidance counselors who have demonstrated excellence in their profession and have earned the recognition from the students they serve."

A total of 54 guidance counselors were nominated for the award. Honorees received a plaque at the University's annual fall convocation ceremony, which welcomes new freshmen to campus.

SIUE Alumnus is Reappointed Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Illinois

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus, Magistrate Judge Donald G. Wilkerson, was reappointed to an eight-year term in the Southern District of Illinois on August 30. Wilkerson graduated from SIUE in 1978 with a master's in education.

According to a recent article that appeared in The Record, which is an online legal journal for Madison and St. Clair counties, Wilkerson was appointed based on his character, legal ability, temperament, judgment and commitment to equal justice under the law. As a magistrate judge, he will handle both civil and criminal indictments.

Wilkerson will begin his new term January 4, 2013. Check out the article for more information.

SIUE Welcomes Record Freshman Class

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville welcomed its largest freshman class as preliminary census figures indicate that 2,075 first-time freshmen have enrolled for Fall 2012. The total enrollment is 14,055, which is the third-consecutive year that SIUE has surpassed the 14,000 mark.

SIUE Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Ann Boyle released the fall enrollment numbers today, which include undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. The University received a record 17,060 applications for the fall term, including 10,600 freshmen (up three percent from last year) and 3,507 new transfer students.

"SIUE continues to attract high caliber, quality students," Boyle said. "SIUE's reputation is being enhanced as our commitment to academic excellence, educational innovation and undergraduate involvement in research is evident every day. Combine those factors with dynamic student support services and a beautiful, safe environment, and prospective students understand that SIUE is a first-tier institution in Illinois."

The new freshman class average ACT (22.8) increased four-tenths of a point over last year and equals the highest in University history. The new class includes approximately 550 merit and need-based scholarship recipients with an average ACT of 27, who have been recognized for their academic abilities and talents. Approximately one-third of the enrolled class has indicated an interest in pre-professional health (pre-med, pre-dental, pre-veterinary and pre-pharmacy) or nursing. Enrollment from traditional SIUE feeder high schools and the local region remains strong as local enrollment is up 5.0 percent for new freshmen.

The five majors with the largest undergraduate enrollment this fall are nursing, biology, psychology, mechanical engineering and English. Cultural and ethnic diversity at SIUE continues to grow as 2012 marks the fifth-consecutive year of enrollment growth among student groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education.

The total enrollment of 14,055 is down from last year's record enrollment of 14,235. "We know that fewer returning students met earlier Illinois MAP funding deadlines this year, and we have data that suggest that it was more difficult for some families to secure loans," said Scott Belobrajdic, assistant vice chancellor for enrollment management. "A wide variety of factors are in play as the economy and individual finances continue to influence the decision-making process."

SIUE Fall 2012 Enrollment Facts & Figures

- Record Freshman Enrollment: 2,075 (15 more students than Fall 2011)

- New graduate student enrollment is up two percent (nine students)

- Undergraduate enrollment is up 17 percent (152 students) in the School of Nursing

- Undergraduate enrollment is up eight percent (84 students) in the School of Engineering

- Total Enrollment: 14,055

Just last week, SIUE was ranked 49th of 682 master's universities in the U.S. by Washington Monthly, a national magazine that evaluates universities based on their "contribution to the public good" in the areas of social mobility, research and service.

Library Speaker Series Begin This Month

"Lovejoy Votes" is the title of the 2012 Speaker Series hosted by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Library and Information Services and the Meridian Society.

The two-month speaker series will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays in the Third Floor Conference Room of the Lovejoy Library on the SIUE campus.

"Expanding Book Culture: How One Small Press Can Influence the World," is the topic that publisher Chad W. Post will present on Monday, Sept. 10. Post will talk about his small influential press and how it has impacted the broader literary world.

The remaining dates, topics and speakers for "Lovejoy Votes" include:

Thursday, Sept. 13, "Do We Still Need Publishing Companies?" by Rory B. Litwin

Monday, Sept. 17, "Civic Engagement and Universities" by Chad Kahl and Laurie Rice

Monday, Sept. 24, "Registering Voters for Election 2012" by Mark Von Nida

Thursday, Sept. 27, "Out at the Election: LGBT Politics and Voting" by KR Roberto and Tracy Nectoux

Monday, Oct. 1, "My Year in Hollywood: Acting in Hollywood and the Midwest" by Dan Holmes

Thursday, Oct. 4, "Election 2012: Preview" by Ken Moffet and four SIUE student representatives

All events are open to the public and refreshments will be provided. New voters will also be able to register to vote at the speaker series. For more information, please contact Erik Estep at (618) 650-3206 or eestep@siue.edu.