News

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.

Washington Monthly Ranks SIUE Among The Top 50 In The Country Third Year in a Row

The SIUE cougar statue outside the Morris University Center on campus.

For the third-consecutive year, national magazine Washington Monthly has ranked Southern Illinois University Edwardsville among the Top 50 out of the 682 master's universities in the nation. SIUE came in 25th among public institutions on that list. Unlike conventional college rankings, Washington Monthly evaluates an institution's "contribution to the public good" in three broad categories: Social Mobility - recruiting and graduating low-income students; Research - producing cutting-edge scholarship and Ph.D.s; and Service - encouraging students to give something back to their country.

" Washington Monthly's consistent recognition of the opportunities that our talented faculty and staff provide students, along with our students' strong commitment to community service, is a source of pride for everyone," said SIUE Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe. "We follow through on our mission to not only create a high-quality, energized academic environment, but also encourage students to be highly engaged, productive citizens."

Washington Monthly ranked SIUE 49th overall, nationally, among its Top 50 Master's Universities category, which includes public and private institutions. SIUE maintained its No. 6 ranking in expenditures for research, having invested nearly $32 million in research and public service projects in fiscal year 2010. This investment allows a significant number of SIUE students at the graduate and undergraduate levels the opportunity to participate in research projects in their fields of study.

Under the service sub-category, SIUE was ranked eighth in the percent of federal work study funds dedicated to students employed in community service programs.

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 - a list of colleges and universities demonstrating a commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. SIUE students have many opportunities to work on service projects throughout the year through the University's Kimmel Leadership Development Center.

SIUE Pedals Its Way To Sustainability

Riding a bike is a good source of eco-friendly exercise and transportation. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Bike Share program capitalizes on these benefits, offering students, faculty and staff members the chance to explore campus and area trails in a fun, efficient way. The campus bike share program offers an alternative to using motorized vehicles, said SIUE Campus Sustainability Officer Kevin Adkins. And more importantly, the biking program ultimately develops an increased reliance on non-carbon modes of transportation.

"Bicycling engages students with the outdoors and the community at-large," Adkins said. "Furthermore, cycling is a wonderful way to combine fitness, recreation and transportation."

The program affords those who do not own bicycles the opportunity to explore the campus and community. To learn more about the Bike Share program, visit the Sustainability website at www.siue.edu/sustainability. To participate in the program, an application must be filled out online. After an application is approved, bikes can be checked out at the Student Fitness center but must be returned the same day.

SIUE is connected to over 100 miles of bike trails that provide ample opportunity for recreation and exploring. The Delyte Morris Trail, a scenic 2.8 mile route that meanders through campus, was part of the University's original plan when it was formed in the early 1960's. The trail is strung together from railroad right-of-ways and the old Inter-Urban trolley route.

University police patrol the trail, and the University provides maintenance to keep the trail free of debris and useable for recreational purposes. Collaborative efforts among Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Madison County Transit (MCT) and SIUE provide for continuous improvements to the bike trails.

"We think the network of bike and hiking trails is an outstanding feature of SIUE," said Vice Chancellor for Administration Kenn Neher. "We're actively seeking grants and cooperative agreements to improve them."

The Morris Trail connects to the MCT Trail System and to Edwardsville. "There are so many bike trails in the Edwardsville community, and the scenery is just beautiful," said Amy Gardiner, an SIUE senior from Belleville who is a member of the Student Organization for Sustainability (SOS.) "SIUE's free bike share program for students is a great way to get some exercise and be sustainable at the same time."

The Bike Share program was launched on Earth Day, April 22, 2010, along with the University's Sustainability website. The industrial, American- made bikes were purchased from Worksman Cycles. Students assembled the bikes on campus during the 2010 Spring Break. The bikes are safe and durable.

The mission of the bike share program is to encourage a culture shift in SIUE students, faculty and staff toward increased reliance on non-carbon modes of transportation.

The SIUE Bike Share program received national attention when it was highlighted in the Sept. 9, 2010 issue of USA Today. The article, "Bike-sharing programs spin across U.S. campuses," discussed how bike share programs were becoming part of sustainability initiatives at universities across the country. SIUE is one of more than 90 campus bike share programs across the nation that are members of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

Image Caption: German students, of the SIUE Study Abroad program, take a ride in Edwardsville, courtesy of the University's Bike Share program.

School of Engineering Faculty Appearances on Charter Communications

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering faculty has twice been featured on Charter Communications "Conversation with Lee Presser" within the past few months. During the week of Aug. 27, Dennis Bouvier, PhD., who is an associate professor and acting chair of the Department of Computer Science, appeared with Presser and discussed Cyberwar.

View the interview on YouTube.

Andy Lozowski, PhD., associate professor of electrical and computer engineering discussed solar energy and battery technology with Presser in April.

View the interview on YouTube.

"Conversation with Lee Presser" is a half-hour television interview program that has been aired in St. Louis and southwestern Illinois for eleven years.

SIUE'S Evrensel To Be Featured On Lee Presser Show

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business Associate Professor of Economics and Finance Ayse Y. Evrensel, Ph.D., will appear during an interview with Lee Presser at 7 p.m. Sunday, September 9 on Charter Cable Channel 18 in the Metro-East.

Presser's television show, "Conversation with Lee Presser," also is available on his YouTube Channel.

Evrensel will discuss the "Gold Standard and the Bretton Woods Conference," which was the post-World War II economic framework summit that took place at the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. A total of 730 delegates from 44 Allied nations attended the conference over a three-week period. The conference established a system of rules, institutions and procedures to regulate the international monetary system.

"The relevance of the Bretton Woods conference in 1944 lies in the fact that it aimed to restore some kind of a metallic standard after World War II," said Evrensel.

Evrensel has published articles about the Bretton Woods and post-Bretton Woods exchange rate regimes, the effectiveness of International Monetary Fund (IMF) stabilization programs in developing countries and the effects on financial markets.

"It was a pleasure to be on Mr. Presser's program, which focuses on a wide variety of important issues that are rarely discussed elsewhere in detail," Evrensel said.

"Conversation with Lee Presser" is a weekly half -hour television program in the St. Louis market on Charter Cable TV. For the past 11 years, Presser has been interviewing different people in the St. Louis region on important regional and global topics. In 1975, Presser earned a master's in international business from the SIUE School of Business.

School of Nursing Announces Alumni Heritage Scholarship 5k Run/Leisure Walk

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing will host its 6th Alumni Heritage Scholarship 5K Run and Leisure Walk on Saturday, September 22, at 9 a.m. Participants can choose a one-mile walk or 5K run along the beautiful SIUE campus pathways. Race day registration and check-in are from 7 a.m.-8:30 a.m. at the northwest corner of Alumni Hall. The race will be timed by Metro Milers and all proceeds from this event will benefit the School of Nursing Alumni Heritage Scholarship.

The Nursing Alumni Heritage Scholarship is awarded annually to four nursing students who maintain at least a 3.5 grade point average and demonstrate a need for financial assistance. This scholarship helps nursing students by providing financial support to deserving students.

Entry fees are $20 for pre-registered adults and $15 for pre-registered SIUE students and participants 18-and-under. The entry fee is $25 for those who register day of the event. Runners and walkers will receive a continental breakfast and an event t-shirt. Awards will be given to the top two male and female finishers in each age group for the 5k Run.

Pre-registration deadline is Sept. 7. To be guaranteed an event t-shirt, pre-registration is encouraged. To receive more information and to register for the event, visit www.siue.edu/nursing/scholarship-walk.shtml or contact Kris Heather at 618-650-2551.

ERTC Featured in September Edition of Treatment Plant Operator

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Environmental Resources Training Center (ERTC) Director Paul Shetley and Program Director Rick Lallish are interviewed in the September edition of Treatment Plant Operator. Shetley and Lallish talked about their training program and the pilot plant in the TPO interview.

Prospective and experienced operators at ERTC get to experience genuine plant upsets as part of their training. That's because the water quality control operator training program includes use of a training-scale activated sludge treatment plant. It gives operators the ultimate in hands-on practice in a controlled environment where a plant upset poses no risk to receiving waters.

Read the entire interview in TPO's " Real World Practice."

Reed Cole Appointed to Local Komen For The Cure Board of Directors

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Senior Associate General Counsel Phyleccia Reed Cole is one of three new members of the St. Louis affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The Komen St. Louis affiliate's mission is to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures.

Reed Cole has worked as an attorney for the SIU system since 2007. Read more at STLToday.com.

SIUE Chancellor and Edwardsville Mayor Highlight Merchants Fair

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe and Edwardsville Mayor Gary Niebur served ice cream to students at noon today during the annual Merchant's Fair in the Morris University Center as Welcome Week activities continued on the SIUE campus. Earlier in the morning, Furst-Bowe joined the students in pledging her commitment to the We Are One, We Are the "e" campaign.

"This is a wonderful way to kick off the new academic year and a great opportunity for us to encourage our students to 'keep calm and study on,'" said Furst-Bowe flanked by Niebur in the Morris University Center Goshen Lounge. The "Keep calm and study on" was the theme for this year's Welcome Week and the message displayed on 1,000 T-shirts that were handed out at the event.

During the noon hour, the chancellor and the mayor served more than 800 six-ounce Dairy Queen Blizzards in Oreo and cookie dough flavors to students, faculty and staff members who lined up in anticipation.

"I'm honored the chancellor was kind enough to invite me to be here with you today so that I, too, can welcome you all to this fine University," said Niebur. As a token of his appreciation, he gave Furst-Bowe a key to the city of Edwardsville.

Those who took part in the event checked out vendor booths featuring community businesses who advertised their products and services in fun, entertaining ways through giveaways and prize drawings.

The students agreed the event was a way to help them feel connected to the campus and the surrounding community. "I'm from Chicago, and I'm meeting a lot of people," said freshman Jeremy Huckleby, who is interested in majoring in pharmacy. "I love this. It brings a lot of people together, and the Chancellor is the one who gave me my ice cream. This is a nice event."

Freshman Austin Miller, who plans to major in physics, reiterated: "I think this event brings everyone into the MUC, and people are able to get the information they need to get involved. I've made some connections here today, and it's been helpful."Current students also enjoyed the festivities: "Ice cream is always a favorite of mine, and this is a good way to welcome students," said Mir Ali, a graduate student majoring in electrical engineering. "This is a good idea to expose new students to what's available on campus and in Edwardsville."

The event is more than a social opportunity according to SIUE Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Narbeth Emmanuel. The We Are One, We Are the "e"campaign is a campus initiative to celebrate differences of the SIUE community and showcase the campus as a safe and welcoming place for students, faculty, staff and visitors, he said. The campaign's goal is to cultivate a community of citizens dedicated to enrichment through encouraging race and international relations, as well as socioeconomic, sexual orientation, disability, and age diversity on campus.

"As global citizens and members of the SIUE community, we have a responsibility to respect and support fellow students, no matter what their backgrounds," Emmanuel said. "We must work together to eliminate any form of injustice, oppression or violence."

Freshmen Experience Values of SIUE

SIUE Experience Video

Pulling weeds from around tombstones at Greenwood Cemetery in St. Louis and picking up debris along the downtown streets of East St. Louis was a good way for incoming freshmen to take part in some of the values that make up Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

More than 500 freshmen participated in the service project portion of The SIUE Experience last weekend, according to Kara Shustrin, program specialist in the Student Affairs Office of the Vice Chancellor.

"Those who were involved in the service project were overwhelmingly positive about The Experience," said Shustrin. "They were tired, but said it felt good to go out and help the community."

This was the first year that the University showcased The SIUE Experience, geared to increase freshmen success and retention. The four-day Experience was also designed to help students connect with each other and the University, and to introduce them to the University's values, which are citizenship, excellence, integrity, openness and wisdom.

Last week, the University greeted more than 2,000 freshmen onto campus. To begin, students moved in on Thursday. They heard a welcome address from SIUE Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe Friday morning and attended a men's soccer game that night. They participated in several service projects in the area on Saturday and attended a women's soccer game and toured the campus on Sunday.

SIUE's welcome activities also included opportunities for mentoring. About 65 upperclassmen volunteered to be Cougar Guides and interacted with the freshmen. The upperclassmen also serve as resource contacts for freshmen throughout the year.

A University planning committee, which was comprised of representatives from the offices of Student Affairs and Academic Affairs, worked for more than a year in planning The SIUE Experience. Shustrin was co-chair with Zenia Agustin, director of General Education in Office of the Provost. Coordinating the service project portion of The SIUE Experience were Sarah Laux, assistant director of Civic Engagement at the Kimmel Leadership Center; Andrew Theising, associate professor in political science and director of the Institute for Urban Research (IUR); and Patience Ferry, history graduate student in IUR.

Other clean-up and beautification projects in East St. Louis were located throughout the city in partnership with the East St. Louis City Mayor's Office, at the home of the late world-renowned dancer and social activist Katherine Dunham, and at the Eagle's Nest Shelter for veterans."Anytime students are involved in any kind of service project, it helps them to develop personally," said Laux. "This is where some real learning can begin. I think the service projects and the entire SIUE Experience were well received by the students."

Caption Image: Students link together to form a bonding exercise at Playfair during The SIUE Experience

SIUE Sigma Tau Gamma Chapter Wins National Awards

The Epsilon Sigma Chapter of Sigma Tau Gamma at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is only two years old and already has established itself nationally.

The chapter recently won the Emmett Ellis Chapter Scholarship Award and placed runner-up for the Edward H. McCune Distinguished Chapter Award at the 45th Grand Chapter in Washington, D.C.

Named for Dr. Emmett Ellis, the award is given to the chapter which has achieved intellectual excellence. Ellis is a math professor and a founder of the fraternity. SIUE's Sigma Tau Gammas have a 3.08 accumulative grade point average (GPA), which is the highest nationwide, said Josh Menacher, president of the Epsilon Sigma Chapter.

"We work hard because we know that our education, and not just our grades, is vital," said Menacher, a junior who is studying bio-medical science and political science with plans to go into health and corporate law.

The SIUE fraternity also came in as runner-up for the Edward H. McCune Distinguished Chapter Award. Chapters are judged for how many points they score on a 110-point scale. Sigma Tau Gamma received all 100 points.

Fraternities were judged on several categories, including recruitment, grade point average and community service. The award is named in honor of McCune, the fourth national president of Sigma Tau Gamma and a founder of the fraternity.

In addition, the men of Epsilon Sigma Chapter nominated SIUE Senior Kristee Elliott to be the Sigma Tau Gamma National White Rose Sweetheart. Elliott, an elementary education major with a 3.95 GPA, won the title and was crowned at the fraternity's Principle of Leadership Annual Awards Banquet in Washington, D.C. Elliott will serve as the Epsilon Sigma Chapter's official hostess throughout the year.

Elliott is the president of the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority chapter at SIUE and is a member of both the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Kappa Delta Pi Honors Society.

The Epsilon Sigma Chapter was chartered in March 30, 2010, and has 36 members. It is the newest chapter in Sigma Tau Gamma. "I am extremely proud to be associated with this group," said Bill Searcy, associate professor in Curriculum and Instruction and Epsilon Sigma Chapter advisor. "They are fun loving guys, but academics is their first priority. They represent both the University and their national fraternity of Sigma Tau Gamma quite well."

Sigma Tau Gamma is a national college Fraternity founded in 1920 by veterans of the First World War. The fraternity's mission involves promoting the highest ideas of manhood, brotherhood and citizenship within its members. Members also dedicate themselves to a Path of Principles, Value, Learning, Leadership, Excellence, Benefit and Integrity. For more information about the fraternity, visit Sigma Tau Gamma.

13th Annual Block Party Unites SIUE Students and Edwardsville

The sounds of rock music, the aroma of hot dogs and funnel cakes, and the playful laughter of children and students will be on tap starting at 6 p.m. Friday, August 24, when Southern Illinois University Edwardsville welcomes students back with its 13th Annual Block Party.

Each year, the University and the city of Edwardsville host the event, which runs until midnight, at the intersection of Second and St. Louis streets in Edwardsville's downtown. SIUE students, faculty and staff, and the community are invited to attend the party with no admission charge.

"This event is a great way to introduce new and returning students to the Edwardsville community," said Michelle Welter, associate director of the Kimmel Leadership Center. "We want our students to learn all of the amazing restaurants and businesses that Edwardsville has to offer. This event is a great way to showcase Edwardsville's best and to help our students become familiar with downtown Edwardsville."

This year's band is a local favorite: The Smash Band, which features front man Smash from St. Louis radio station KSHE 95. Smash Band plays music from the 60's through today. A deejay will entertain from 6-8 p.m. before the Smash Band rocks the stage from 8 p.m. to closing.

Partygoers will enjoy several inflatables, including a giant slide and a bounce house. A favorite from years ago, a rock wall, also will be among the entertaining equipment featured. Carnival games, spin art and air brush tattoos will round out the amusement.

Food vendors will line the downtown streets, along with many non-food vendors offering products, services and information.

The Block Party has grown since it began in 2000, with about 3,500 people attending last year. This year, Welter is expecting about the same numbers, if not more.

The event is sponsored by the city of Edwardsville, SIUE, Best Buy, the Edwardsville Intelligencer, the SIUE Campus Activities Board and Student Government, the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce, SIUE Marketing and Communications, and SIUE University Relations.

SIUE Chancellor Furst-Bowe Welcomes Class of 2016

Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe addresses the 2012 Freshman Class

Convocation Video

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe welcomed the incoming freshman class this morning at the Vadalabene Center on the SIUE campus. More than 2,000 freshmen filled the VC's lower bowl as they were presented to the University's leadership team.

Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Anne Boyle introduced the vice chancellors, deans and constituency heads seated on the dais before presenting Furst-Bowe for her first formal address to the students. Chosen as SIUE's eighth chancellor in March, Furst-Bowe began her tenure on the Edwardsville campus in July.

"Today's convocation is the first formal academic celebration, conducted at the collegiate level, in your honor," Furst-Bowe said. "As the new chancellor of SIUE, I'm looking forward to beginning this academic year with you. And there's good reason to be excited! We have all chosen a premier Metropolitan University that continues to be recognized for excellence.

"You are about to enter a very unique time in your lives," Furst-Bowe advised. "Yes, you will face the challenges involved in writing papers, studying for exams, preparing lab reports, exhibitions, performances and the list goes on. But you will have the most time and freedom ever to reflect on who you are, your values, the goals of your life and your relationships. The ways in which you spend these years will greatly affect your future."

Furst-Bowe closed with a quote from Katherine Dunham, one of SIUE's distinguished emerita professors, who once said, "I always believed that if you set out to be successful, then you already were."

Other speakers, in order of appearance, included:

- Student Body President Erik Zimmerman, who provided advice and guidance on building a foundation for success at SIUE.

- Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Nobby Emmanuel, who led a spirited "Go Cougars" cheer and encouraged students to adopt SIUE's culture of openness.

- Director of Alumni Affairs Steve Jankowski, who emphasized SIUE's networking opportunities through its strong alumni base.

During his address, Emmanuel presented The Rising Sophomore Award to three individuals. The award recognizes overall excellence in a student's academic and co-curricular achievements at SIUE. The qualifications include completing his/her first year at SIUE with a 4.0 cumulative grade point average and carrying at least 12 credit hours per semester. The recipients of the award not only demonstrate academic excellence, but also engagement in University, community and volunteer activities.

The Rising Sophomore Award recipients were: Olivia Parker from Maryland Heights, Mo.; Jennifer Crull, from Champaign, Ill.; and Han Nguyen, who moved to the U.S. approximately two years ago from Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.

Boyle presented the annual Guiding Excellence Awards to four outstanding guidance counselors who have demonstrated excellence in their profession and have earned the recognition from the students they serve: Jason Corey from Collinsville High School; Tim Gillard from Christian Brothers College High School; Julie Kampschroeder from Pattonville High School; and Sarah Triplet from Camp Point Central High School. Recipients Aurora Diaz from Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep Academy and Tami Williams from Alton High School were unable to attend.

Following a stirring rendition of the alma mater by music graduate student Emily Ottwein,students were given directions for participating in the weekend's community service portion of the SIUE Experience. The new freshmen then left the VC in an upbeat mood as pop star Katy Perry's "Firework" played in the background.

Thousands Of Freshmen Pour Onto Campus To Experience SIUE

Move In Day Video

Approximately 2,000 fresh, new, eager faces could be seen across the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville today.

That is because the University welcomed SIUE's Class of 2016 onto its beautiful grounds.

The freshmen were selected from more than 10,000 applicants, and the students came from varying locations and backgrounds. About 33 percent of the class calls the local region home, while more than 20 percent are from Chicago. Another 30 percent come from the rest of Illinois, which stretches from Rockford to Springfield to Cairo.

The diversity of the Class of 2016 breaks down to about 30 percent from cultural or ethnic backgrounds other than Caucasian, and nearly one-quarter of the class are the first in their family to attend college. More than one-third of the freshmen expressed an interest in majors related to health care and pre-professional health. Almost 15 percent will pursue interests in SIUE's School of Engineering, while another 14 percent are focused on programs in The School of Business.

In addition, 12 percent plan on exploring opportunities in the School of Education, and more than 25 percent of the class will pursue programs of study housed in the College of Arts and Sciences.

More than one-quarter of the class has earned an SIUE merit scholarship, based on their academic performance in high school and their potential to contribute to the academic community. Among them are 20 Meridian Scholars and more than 500 Cougar Pride, Johnetta Haley, and GEO or Premier awardees.

Premier Journal Seeks Out SIUE Pharmacy Professor For Editorial Board

Dr. Therese Poirier

Therese I. Poirier, PharmD, is known for her extensive and innovative teaching and writing abilities in the field of pharmacy. So while it is an honor, it is no surprise that the country's premier pharmacy education journal asked the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy associate dean for education and academics to serve on its editorial board.

Poirier was recently named as one of the nine new people to serve on the 23-member editorial board of the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, which consists of pharmacy faculty members throughout the country, Canada, Australia, South Africa and Malaysia. She will serve a three-year term.

The Journal is the official scholarly publication of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). The publication serves to advance pharmaceutical education in the U.S. and abroad. The acceptance rate of submitted manuscripts to the Journal is 52 percent. The Journal publishes 10 issues a year and has more than 26,000 hits a month to its website.

Her experience and quality of work in pharmacy education for more than 32 years may be the reason Journal editor Joseph DiPiro selected her from the various nominations. Poirier was nominated by SIUE School of Pharmacy Dean Gireesh Gupchup.

"I am honored to be selected to serve and humbled that the academic profession has recognized my scholarly contributions in the area of curricular innovations," said Poirier, who holds the following degrees and classifications: PharmD, MPH, BCPS, FASHP and FCCP.

Poirier began writing for the Journal in 1982 and her article, "An Integrated Approach to Teaching Biochemistry for Pharmacy Students," was ground breaking at its time. In 2004, she was the lead author for the article, "Guidelines for Manuscripts Describing Instruction Design or Assessment: The Ideas Format." The purpose of the paper was to enhance the quality of manuscripts submitted to the Journal. Poirier and her co-authors updated the article in 2009. According to the Journal editor, Poirier's paper is significantly improving instructional design articles that are published.

As an editorial board member, some of Poirier's duties will include serving as a reviewer of manuscripts, advising on themes and suggesting authors for supplemental issues, providing suggestions on increasing readership and writing at least one editorial on a topic of her choosing.

School of Pharmacy

Dedicated to developing a community of caring pharmacists, the SIUE School of Pharmacy curriculum balances education, research, service and patient care. As the only downstate Illinois pharmacy doctorate program, the SIUE School of Pharmacy is addressing the growing need for well-trained pharmacists in a career field that is experiencing rapid and dramatic growth.

American Chemical Society Honors SIUE Science Professor

Dr. Lee O'Brien

The fundamental research of Leah C. O'Brien, professor in Physical Chemistry at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, has been critical to the scientific community. O'Brien's ongoing research has provided her peers with diagnostic information that can assist in scientific exploration.

O'Brien's long history of research is among the accomplishments that captured the attention of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and led to her selection as a member of its highly prestigious 2012 Class of Fellows. Colleagues nominate ACS Fellows based on the candidate's extraordinary achievements and contributions to the sciences and for providing excellent volunteer service to ACS.

A special ceremony will be held for the 2012 ACS Fellows from 1:30-4:00 p.m. Monday, Aug. 20 during the ACS National Meeting in Philadelphia.

"I absolutely enjoy my work here at SIUE, and I love being a professor," said O'Brien, "I like all aspects of being a professor, which is teaching, research, and for me, working with the ACS."

O'Brien has conducted research at SIUE since first coming to the University in 1990. She likes to use SIUE students to help with research projects, because it gives them unique and vital experience. Her research deals with information on how certain molecules bond.

"Leah's research activities are truly at the very highest level in her field of study in high resolution spectroscopy of gas phase, metal-containing radicals," wrote Dr. Robert Dixon, former chair, SIUE Department of Chemistry, in his nomination letter to the ACS.

O'Brien recently received SIUE's 2012 Hoppe Research Professor Award. The Hoppe Research Professor Awards recognized faculty members whose research or creative activities have the promise of making significant contributions to their field of study.

Some other accomplishments over the course of O'Brien's almost 30-year science career includes receiving more than $1 million in external grant awards, having more than 50 articles published in prominent science journals and making more than 100 presentations at regional, national and international conferences. In addition, O'Brien has won SIUE's Distinguished Research Award, Vaughnie Lindsay Research Award and the Paul Simon Research-Scholar Award.

The ACS also selected O'Brien based on her volunteer work for the organization. She is chair of the ACS Midwest Region Board of Directors and, since 2003, the coordinator for the Midwest Award Symposium. Previously, O'Brien was the general chair of the 2011 Joint Midwest-Great Lakes Regional Meeting.

"I am proud of the national recognition this position has brought to me and to SIUE," said O'Brien. "It's also important for me to be a role model and inspire others to learn and achieve."

To find out more information visit 2012 ACS Fellows.

SIUE/SLU MS Research Study Looking For Participants

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Lecturer and Fellow Dr. Pamela Newland is searching for participants to take part in a study about relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS).

Newland, RN, PhD, who is with the primary care/health systems nursing department at SIUE is working closely with Dr. Florian P. Thomas from Saint Louis University/St. Louis Veterans Affairs MS Center of Excellence to conduct a research study examining the symptoms of those living with MS in the greater St. Louis area. The purpose of this study is to show if certain symptoms of MS tend to occur together. The results may offer information for future ways to reduce or control symptoms. This collaboration is supported by the Ruth Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Those eligible to take part in the study include:

• Individuals between the ages of 18-70

• Those having relapsing-remitting MS

• Individuals who do not also have diabetes

Requirements of the study include completing questionnaires that will take about an hour and a half. The study will be held at Saint Louis University or John Cochran Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Participation in the study does not impact your medical care. Volunteer participants will be compensated.

For more information, contact Pamela Newland, (618) 650-2972 or pnewlan@siue.edu.

SIUE Pharmacy Student Wants To Help Connect Pharmacy Students

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville pharmacy student Ryan Birk was recently named to a national student committee of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

As chair of the Community and e Communications Advisory Group, Birk and his committee will work to encourage more students to participate in ASHP. A total of 12 students from colleges and universities across the country were selected to serve on the advisory group.

"This committee exists to connect student pharmacists across the nation," Birk said. "One way of achieving that goal is by connecting them with instructors, mentors and pharmacists in different areas of hospital pharmacy."

To realize this objective, Birk said the committee will seek to increase student participation and engagement with ASHP Connect. ASHP Connect is a communication, information and resource tool for pharmacy students, instructors and practitioners.

Birk has had previous leadership experience with several pharmacy groups. Some positions he has held include chair of the Student Representative Council; president of the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA ASP); member of the Pharmacy Advisory Board at the SIUE School of Pharmacy, student director of the Illinois Pharmacist Association and member-at-large of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) National StuNet Advisory Committee.

"Pharmacy is a dynamic profession, Birk said. "No one realizes a pharmacist's true impact on patient care. The Doctor of Pharmacy degree allows individuals a large range of career paths and gives the flexibility to focus on what interests them. I chose SIUE because of the faculty members. They are energetic and willing to help their students succeed."

Birk, PharmD candidate of Waterloo, expects to graduate in 2013.

School of Pharmacy

Dedicated to developing a community of caring pharmacists, the SIUE School of Pharmacy curriculum balances education, research, service and patient care. As the only downstate Illinois pharmacy doctorate program, the SIUE School of Pharmacy is addressing the growing need for well-trained pharmacists in a career field that is experiencing rapid and dramatic growth.

SIUE Runner-up at Bass Championship Qualifier

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville club team of Jacob Hicks of Morris, Ill., and Joseph Tischer of Edwardsville finished second at the National Guard FLW College Fishing Central Conference event on the Mississippi River Saturday in La Crosse, Wis. The duo landed three bass that weighed, 10 pounds, 7 ounces and earned $1,500 for their SIUE club. They will advance to the Central Conference Championship September 6-8 at Lake Carlyle, Ill.

"We were extremely happy with our performance," Hicks said. "Our plan was to do something different than the rest of the field, so we went deep and offshore while most of the other teams were in shallow grass. This paid off big when we caught a 4-1/2 pound small mouth bass. Our teamwork contributed the most to our success. We work so well together in the boat."

Indiana University barely edged the SIUE team with three bass weighing 10 pounds, 10 ounces. The victory earned the IU team $5,000. The other three teams advancing to the Central Conference Championship included: Marian University (three bass, 9-9, $1,000) in third; Eastern Illinois University (three bass, 9-3, $1,000) in fourth; and Kansas State University (three bass, 9-3, $1,000) rounding out the top five.

Earlier in the spring, two other SIUE club teams qualified. Zach Hartnagel of Edwardsville and Brian Gass of O' Fallon, Ill., won the tournament on Lake Shelbyville. Meanwhile Brad LeMasters and Justin Skinner qualified at the Table Rock Lake event by finishing fourth. As a result, SIUE will have three teams participating in the September championship at Lake Carlyle.

"Zach, Brian, Brad and Justin are all good fishermen and will be some good competition," Hicks said. "But nothing would be cooler than to see all six of us make it to nationals. We're all friends off the water, but we might be playing our cards a little closer to our chests for this tournament. Not only do we have good competition from our school, but there are 17 other teams that want it just as bad as we do. It should result in three good days of fishing."

"Our preparation will consist of basically time on the water, plain and simple" Hicks said. "Our school has a great advantage because Carlyle is so close, and we will be able to spend some time on the water."

Four regular-season qualifying events are held in each conference - Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southern and Western. The top five teams from each qualifying tournament will advance to one of five televised three-day National Guard FLW College Fishing Conference Championships, where the first-place team wins a Ranger 177TR bass boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard. The top five teams from each conference championship advance to the national championship, where the first-place team wins $25,000 for their school and $50,000 cash plus a Ranger 177TR bass boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard for their fishing club.

College Fishing is free to enter and FLW provides boats and drivers for each competing team along with travel allowances. All participants must be registered, full-time undergraduate students at a four-year college or university and members of a fishing club recognized by their college or university.

For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow College Fishing on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing. Visit CollegeFishing.com to sign up or to start a club at your school.

ASPE Honors SIUE Pharmacy Professor For Work In Pain Education

Chris Herndon, associate professor in the SIUE School of Pharmacy

From where Chris Herndon sits, he doesn't completely see why he was selected to receive his most recent honor. The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy associate professor just acknowledges his passion for and commitment to advancing the learning, understanding and development of pain education.

But the American Society of Pain Educators (ASPE) knows excellence when they see it, which is why they named Herndon, as its Academic Pain Educator of the Year.

"I'm extremely flattered, although I can think of so many other deserving individuals," said Herndon, PharmD.

Herndon's accomplishments in the field of pain education do set him apart. The pharmacy associate professor holds the distinction of being an ASPE Certified Pain Educator. Herndon is one of just a few, if not the only, certified pain educator in the Metro East.

"A pain educator is a healthcare professional who provides education about pain assessment, evaluation and management within a clinical practice or via formal presentations and direct contact with other healthcare professionals and/or patients," according to the ASPE's website. "Pain educators practice in a wide range of healthcare settings and focus on transferring knowledge to and teaching others about pain." Certification is awarded following eligibility criteria review and examination.

Herndon's work in pain management has also earned praise from the ASPE Board President, Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD, BCPS, FASPE, CPE. "We are very pleased to be presenting the ASPE Academic Pain Educator of the Year Award to Chris Herndon," McPherson said. "He has demonstrated motivation, vision and commitment toward the ASPE and to the dissemination of exemplary pain education." Herndon will receive his award at the ASPE's PAINWeek on September 5 in Las Vegas, Nev.

Herndon's area of expertise is pain and palliative care. He created and teaches a popular class in pain and palliative care for the SIUE School of Pharmacy. Herndon's teaching and lecturing extends well past SIUE's campus, as he is a sought after speaker across the country and outside the U.S.

Recently, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pain Consortium selected SIUE among 12 institutions designated as Centers of Excellence in Pain Education (CoEPEs). Herndon led the grant application to develop a multi-campus, inter-professional pain course for the region.

"I'd like people to think of SIUE when they think of pain education for health professionals in the metro-St. Louis region," Herndon said.

School of Pharmacy

Dedicated to developing a community of caring pharmacists, the SIUE School of Pharmacy curriculum balances education, research, service and patient care. As the only downstate Illinois pharmacy doctorate program, the SIUE School of Pharmacy is addressing the growing need for well-trained pharmacists in a career field that is experiencing rapid and dramatic growth.

NCAA Grants SIUE Full D-I Certification

Press Conference Video Recap

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Athletics leaped over its final hurdle, as SIUE learned today it is now fully certified at the Division I level by the NCAA. The NCAA Executive Committee voted to approve SIUE's full certification and sent SIUE notification of its new status.

"Seeking and achieving NCAA Division I status moves SIUE closer to its vision of being recognized nationally for the quality of its programs and the development of professional and community leaders," said SIUE Director of Athletics Dr. Brad Hewitt. "Just as SIUE's high-quality academic programs are recognized at a national level, NCAA Division I status enables our student-athletes to compete at the highest level."

The process to get to this point started nearly seven years ago when SIUE Chancellor Emeritus Vaughn Vandegrift asked an Athletics Task Force to study how the department should move forward. In June 2007, SIUE submitted its intention to move to the NCAA Division I level with Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees approval. SIUE now is fully eligible for all conference postseason and NCAA postseason events with this certification.

SIUE became a member of the Ohio Valley Conference in 2008 and now is eligible for all of its championships during the 2012-13 season. The OVC has evolved into a 12-team league with the most recent addition of Belmont University.

The men's soccer program continues to compete as an associate member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). Men's soccer has been the "fast track" men's program for SIUE and will be entering its third season for postseason eligibility. The SIUE wrestling program joined the Southern Conference (SoCon) last season and is now fully eligible for its postseason tournament as well as the NCAA Tournament. Softball, the fast-tracked women's program, will begin its third season of OVC and NCAA Division I in 2013.

SIUE undertook an NCAA-mandated Self-Study and has issued annual reports during the divisional transition to the NCAA for its review. Last fall, a peer review team came to campus and met with a number of University officials. That group gave a position recommendation to the Executive Committee this past spring.

"I am very proud for SIUE and the Athletics Department for reaching this historic moment. Full NCAA Division I certification supports SIUE's vision as a premier Metropolitan University," said Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe.

SIUE has enjoyed great success since moving to the Division I level.

• In academics, SIUE student-athletes have continued to surpass the benchmark of a cumulative 3.0 departmental grade point average for 12 consecutive semesters.

• SIUE student-athletes posted their best annual grade point average (3.181) in department history during the 2011-12 academic year.

• The NCAA released Academic Progress Rate (APR) data for the 2010-2011 academic year, and SIUE listed six programs (Men's Cross Country, Men's Indoor Track and Field, Men's Outdoor Track and Field, Softball, Women's Soccer, and Women's Tennis) that rank among the top 10 percent of all NCAA Division I squads in each sport.

• The SIUE baseball program became the first team in this era to have an All-American as a result of relief pitcher Dustin Quattrocchi's third team selection by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

• The SIUE women's basketball program also gave the Cougars their first-ever NCAA Division I national postseason event by qualifying for the Women's Basketball Invitational.

Hewitt said the certification process has made the SIUE Athletics department, as well as the entire University, stronger. SIUE has already begun to see the benefits of being a full member of Division I. In addition to all teams being able to compete for conference and NCAA-sponsored championships, SIUE Athletics has now also become eligible for the NCAA's revenue sharing program generated from the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament as well as other grants not afforded to provisional members.

"This has been an important journey for SIUE's Athletics department and, on behalf of the department, I thank and commend the many individuals who have given numerous hours and days to the task of making this day possible," said Hewitt. "We clearly are excited about the future of Cougar Athletics and what lies ahead for our coaches, staff, fans, friends, and especially our student-athletes."

SIUE fields 18 teams that are now eligible for postseason competition. The men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and wrestling. The women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and volleyball.

ICT Spotlights SIUE School of Engineering's Huaguo Zhou

The Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT) recently spotlighted Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Huaguo Zhou, Ph.D., an assistant professor of civil engineering in the SIUE School of Engineering in its August edition. Zhou and colleague Ryan Fries, Ph.D., also an assistant professor of civil engineering, are presently working on an Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) project.

To read more, go to the article at ict.illinois.edu.

SIUE Welcomes New IERC Executive Director

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville today welcomed Dr. Janet K. Holt the new executive director of the Illinois Education Research Council, which is housed on campus. Holt also joins the faculty as a professor of Educational Leadership. She brings 18 years of experience in quantitative methods and analysis of large-scale data.

"Dr. Holt brings a wealth of experience in research education to the IERC," said Jerry Weinberg, associate provost and dean of the SIUE Graduate School. "She has conducted research as both principal investigator and co-PI on funded grants. She has more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, along with numerous invited presentations. She served in leadership positions in regional and national societies, including as the current president of the Educational Statisticians SIG of the American Educational Research Association. I look forward to working with Dr. Holt as she leads IERC in its continued development as a premier research center for Illinois education and education policy."

Holt's area of expertise in educational research lies in growth modeling of educational data, persistence of women and minorities into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, adult literacy reading practices, reading comprehension in college students, growth of early reading fluency, multivariate methods and other areas. She also has collaborated on several language development studies in young children.

Holt has served as the sole or co-principal investigator on grants from the American Educational Research Association, the National Institutes of Health and the Law School Admissions Council. In addition, she has served on editorial boards of several educational journals, including Educational Researcher, American Secondary Education and the Journal of Advanced Academics. She joins the IERC from Northern Illinois University where she held a position as a professor and program coordinator of Educational Research and Evaluation, and methodology strand chair of the Center of Interdisciplinary Study of Language and Literacy.

Holt earned a Bachelor of Science in Zoology with University Highest Honors from SIU Carbondale in 1981 and graduated with her Master of Science in Education (Educational Psychology) in 1990. She earned a Ph.D. in Education (Educational Psychology - Statistics and Measurement) from SIUC in 1994.

WSJ Ranks SIUE Alum Robert Knight Among Top CFOs

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alum Robert Knight, MBA '91, has been ranked the #15 CFO among S & P 500 chief financial officers by the Wall Street Journal. Knight is emblematic of SIUE's many capable MBA alums and current students. He is one more testament to the outstanding work done by SIUE faculty in preparing students to reach high levels of career achievement.

An excerpt from the July 31 article follows:

Not Just Bean Counters By Matthew Quinn and Alix Stuart

Wall Street Journal

July 31, 2012

The title chief financial officer may still evoke green eyeshades and rote bean counting. But today's business environment ensures that such a one-dimensional figure hardly exists any more.

In assembling its first ever Best CFOs list, The Wall Street Journal sought to identify executives who both run top-performing finance operations and take a lead role in setting strategy at their companies.

The Wall Street Journal compiled the ranking using quantitative and qualitative measures, including the role the CFO plays in each company and how peers and competitors regard the CFO's work.

Median compensation for CFOs in the S&P 500 climbed 2.1% last year to $3.3 million. Median compensation for the Top 25 CFOs was $4 million.

No. 15 Robert Knight, Union Pacific

CFO since 2004, promoted up after 2 years as vice president, finance. Age 54. On the boards of Grupo Ferroviario Mexicana and TTX Company.

• Previously held several key operational roles including VP/GM of energy and VP/GM of automotive, two major segments of cargo for UP.

• Became CFO in 2004, when, for the first time in decades, demand outstripped supply for rail services, but the company was unable to meet the demand due to operational difficulties. Since then, UP has resolved its problems. Profit margins have increased from about 5% in 2004 to 17% in 2011.

• 2011 was a record year in many ways: $19.6 billion in revenues, net income of $3.3 billion, EPS of $6.72. Also saw record free cash flow, and dividends per share increased 58%.

• Bought back $1.4 billion in shares in 2011.

• A capital intensive company, UP spent $3.2 billion on capex in 2011, and expects to spend $3.6 billion in 2012. ROIC was a record 12.4% in 2011.

• Analysts say Knight has played a strong role in cost management, especially non-operating costs. Also provides high-quality disclosure, and is good at setting expectations

The top 14 leading up to Knight are:

No. 1 Mark Loughridge, IBM

No. 2 Carol Tomé, Home Depot

No. 3 Karen Hoguet, Macy's

No. 4 Stacy Smith, Intel

No. 5 Paul Clancy, Biogen Idec

No. 6 W. Kim Foster, FMC

No. 7 James Sawyer, Praxair

No. 8 Daniel Comas, Danaher

No. 9 Dan Florness, Fastenal

No. 10 Richard Galanti, Costco

No. 11 Neil Williams, Intuit

No. 12 Jack Hartung, Chipotle

No. 13 Jeffrey Edwards, Allergan

No. 14 Patricia Yarrington, Chevron

Sustainability Abounds At SIUE

Whether it's challenging Southern Illinois University Edwardsville pharmacy students to find efficient ways to package medicine, encouraging engineers to design environmentally friendly buildings or giving an English writing assignment about reducing one's carbon footprint, sustainability can be communicated in all subjects.

"Sustainability can be taught in any area because it fits in every aspect of lives," said SIUE Campus Sustainability Officer Kevin Adkins. "We certainly can learn to live more sustainably. Recycling is the poster child for sustainability, but there is so much more."

SIUE faculty will have the opportunity to attend a one-day workshop on how to incorporate sustainability into their curriculum and classrooms through Summer 2012 Mississippi Project II: "Sustainability in the Curriculum and Classroom" from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, August 6 or August 13 in the Lovejoy Library Third Floor Conference Room. The facilitators are Adkins and Dr. Connie Frey-Spurlock, assistant professor in the SIUE Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice Studies.

Frey-Spurlock recently received training on ways to provide instruction on sustainability in the classroom. This is the second year Adkins has coordinated the workshop, which he named for the region and modeled after the Ponderosa Project at Northern Arizona University.

"Sustainability defined is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations," Adkins said. "But for me it is a quality of life issue."

It's a message that more and more people are willing to hear, according to research, said Adkins. And SIUE is at the forefront as a premier Metropolitan University should be, he noted, making it possible to present information of interest and value to parents and students.

To learn more, please visit SIUE Sustainability.

E. Herscher Dies; Was SIUE Professor in Lovejoy Library

Eugene Herscher, who worked at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Lovejoy Library from 1959 until retiring as a professor emeritus in 1988, died July 25. He was 88.

During his time at the University, he managed the merger of more than 100,000 volumes from the Alton and East St. Louis libraries, and brought them to the Edwardsville campus.

Herscher was a member of the Illinois Library Association and past chairman of the Resources and Technical Services section. He also was a member of other St. Louis and Illinois library groups. There will be no visitation or service. Herscher's obituary is available online through The Edwardsville Intelligencer.

SIUE Nurse Anesthesia Program Awarded Traineeship Grant

The Health Resources and Services Administration has awarded the Nurse Anesthetist Traineeship (NAT) program grant to the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing.

SIUE has received this grant for more than a decade and it is valued at $31,122 for the 2013 fiscal year. The grant benefits qualified students in the SIUE Nurse Anesthesia Program by offsetting the cost of their training expenses such as tuition, books, fees or room and board.

The goal of the grant is to provide financial assistance to nurse anesthetist students who will be working in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or a Medically Underserved Area/ Population (MUA/P). The School of Nursing's mission is to train students and prepare them to work specifically in these areas. SIUE's nurse anesthesia program presently has 76 enrolled students who have the opportunity to benefit from the grant.

Dr. Andrew Griffin, Nurse Anesthesia program director and principal investigator on the grant believes the financial assistance aids the students in multiple ways. "This NAT grant will help students not only financially, but also mentally," said Griffin. "It takes some of the pressure off of what the students may need at home."

NIH Awards Grant To SIUE'S Kwon For Diabetes Research

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Guim Kwon, Ph.D., a $429,000 grant to support her research project "Human Beta-cell Metabolism Signaling Under Chronic Nutrient Overload." Kwon is an associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the SIUE School of Pharmacy.

Kwon is seeking to develop new drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and recognizes the significance of her research to everyday life. "Due to over eating and sedentary life style, obesity has become an epidemic in the U.S. and other developed countries around the world," Kwon explained. "The incidence of type 2 diabetes has been increasing proportionally to the rate of obesity. Our community is no exception. A new drug that can prevent, treat or reverse type 2 diabetes will have a huge impact on not only our community, but also millions of people around the world."

Kwon's family history contributed to her interest in pursuing the research. "My father has had type 2 diabetes for 30 years," Kwon said. "One of my uncles suffered blindness for six years and passed away at age 65 of type 2 diabetes. My oldest brother was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few years ago."

Dr. Mike Crider, chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, reiterated the value of the research, adding, "Dr. Kwon's research in studying the relationship between obesity and diabetes is extremely important in finding new drug therapies for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The NIH award which Dr. Kwon received will greatly aid our research efforts in the School of Pharmacy and will enhance our research competitiveness on a national level. Dr. Kwon typifies a true teacher scholar in bringing her research into the classroom."

Kwon received training to study islet biology as a postdoctoral fellow at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She worked in the department of immunology and pathology from 1993 until 1996. She joined the SIUE School of Pharmacy in 2005.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov

SIUE Alumnus is Named Superintendent for Granite City Schools

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus Jim Greenwald recently was named the new superintendent for the Granite City School District.

Greenwald, who will replace Harry Briggs who is retiring June 30, will begin his duties with the start of the 2013-2014 school year.

Since 1993, Greenwald has worked in Granite City as a middle school teacher, athletic director, assistant principal and high school principal. He received his bachelor's and master's from SIUE. For more information, read the article: "Greenwald named Granite City schools superintendent" available online at stltoday.com, which is the online component of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

SIUE School of Nursing Alumnus is Named Member of the State Board of Health

Dr. Julie Adkins recently was nominated by Governor Pat Quinn as an acting member of the State Board of Health for a two-year term. An article about the nomination appeared in the Daily American, a publication in Northern Illinois.

Adkins also is the president of the Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nurses and the Illinois State Representative to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Adkins graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with her Master of Science in nursing, in addition to completing the Family Nurse Practitioner program. She also completed a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from the University of Alabama-Birmingham in 2011.

The Illinois State Board of Health advises the Department of Public Health in meeting the state's health objectives and policies.

To learn more, you can view the article in the online issue of the Daily American.

Roy Hughes Dies, Was SIUE Employee

Roy Hughes, a native of Maryville, died July 17, 2012. He was 74.

Hughes worked in the printing department at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for many years. His visitation was held Sunday, July 21 at Weber and Rodney Funeral Home.

More information is available on Hughes' online obituary.

Jeanette D. Anderson Dies; Was Retired Purchasing Officer

Jeanette D. Anderson, 61, of Maryville, died Wednesday. She was retired from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as a purchasing officer.

A visitation for Anderson will take place from 9:30-11 a.m. Saturday at Meadow Heights Baptist Church in Collinsville. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Edwardsville.

More information can be found in Anderson's obituary through STLToday.com, the online arm of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Dan R. Salden Dies; Was Professor Emeritus In Speech Communication

Dan R. Salden, 71, of Maryville, died Wednesday. He was a Southern Illinois University Edwardsville professor emeritus in Speech Communication.

A celebration of Salden's life will take place at 6 p.m. Friday, July 27 at the SIUE Center for Spirituality & Sustainability.

More information can be found in Salden's obituary, which is located on obitsforlife.com.

Burgeoning SIUE Is Integral to Edwardsville's Vibrant Growth

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville recently was recognized on STLToday, the online arm of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, for being a growing metro St. Louis suburb filled with entertaining options for young professionals, new businesses, families and more.

Cited as a major factor influencing businesses to locate in downtown Edwardsville was "SIUE's transition from commuter school to robust college campus."

Read the article, titled Hip 'Hoods: New generation energizes Edwardsville.

Active with Asthma Day Camp on SIUE's Campus

Active with Asthma day camp will be hosted by the American Lung Association in Illinois in conjunction with the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) School of Nursing and School of Pharmacy from 9a.m.- 4p.m. Saturday, August 11 in SIUE's Morris University Center. The event will be a free for children with asthma between the ages of 7-14.

The goal of Active with Asthma is to provide a fun and educational experience, in a safe atmosphere led by asthma experts and health care providers for children who have been diagnosed with the disease. There will be numerous fun activities for children, which will teach them about managing asthma and individual asthma triggers. The day also will include a light breakfast and lunch for the participants. Efforts to provide free transportation from East St. Louis are underway.

Local lung hero, Jaris Aide, plans to visit with the asthma campers during the day at SIUE and will share the importance of managing asthma. Earlier in her life, Jaris suffered a brain injury as a result of an asthma episode that occurred when she did not have access to an emergency inhaler. Jaris's mission is to help children with asthma by sharing her story.

The close of the camp day also will involve the children's parents and caregivers. The adults will meet with the Active with Asthma day camp staff in order to receive additional education about living with asthma and to learn about asthma resources.

This event provides a great interdisciplinary opportunity for SIUE nursing and pharmacy students and faculty in the educational and teaching aspect of children with asthma.

This event is sponsored by Health Alliance, Illinois Salon Departmental La Boutique 8/40 and Jaris Aide.

Registration is encouraged by July 20. For more information on the free day camp or to register please call (800) 788-5864 or go to www.lungil.org.

SIUE University Housing Receives Service Award

Because of its proven record of commitment, University Housing at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville recently received the Presidential Service Award at the Association of College and University Housing Officers - International's (ACUHO-I) annual conference in Anaheim, Calif.

The service award is given to a member institution that has provided exceptional support to ACUHO-I over the years. Only one Presidential Service Award is presented each year.

"Receiving the Presidential Service award as an institution demonstrates that SIUE is recognized by its colleagues as a premiere Housing Department," said Michael Schultz, director of University Housing. "I am so proud to be surrounded with committed housing professionals."

SIUE also won first place in the ACUHO-I Case Study Competition. SIUE beat out 10 other teams from across the country and outside of the U.S. Representing the University were Woodland Hall community director Jamie Matthews and Prairie Hall community director Kat Clark, Prairie Hall community director. Participants were professionals with less than five years of professional experience.

"The Case Study competition was such a terrific learning opportunity," said Matthews. "Using our skills, education and professional experiences to develop solutions to issues facing college campuses was an exciting challenge. It also provided a chance to network with talented professionals, learn from their perspectives and share insight from our roles at SIUE."

Clark also appreciated the opportunity to brainstorm and problem solve with fellow housing professionals. "The challenge of competition was navigating the crisis and collaborating with your teammate," she said. "I greatly valued the opportunity to present with my colleague on a current issue and receive feedback from other new professionals and the judges following the competition."

Schultz also commended the success of Matthews and Clark. "Kat and Jamie represent the quality staff we have at SIUE," he said. "The decisions they made in the case study competition are the same skills they bring to real life situations everyday on campus."

ACUHO-I has established itself as the foremost authority on Housing and Residence Life. ACUHO-I members include thousands of housing professionals from more than 900 colleges and universities in 22 different countries, who serve approximately 1.8 million students worldwide.

NCERC'S Caupert Visits U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and Meets With NCGA

The NCERC at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is promoting its strategies for "Advancing Biofuels Research" by being presenters and participants in several high-profile conferences and programs this summer, including two this week.

Center Director John Caupert is again in Washington, D.C., this week participating in meetings with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to discuss technology pathways and collaborative research on cellulosic ethanol from corn bran. While in Washington, he also will meet with leadership of the National Corn Growers Association to present recent breakthroughs in cellulosic ethanol research.

"The NCERC entered the summer quite optimistic about the positive message we have to share regarding developments and advances in biofuels research," Caupert said. "That enthusiasm is catching. Our message has been incredibly well-received, and the Center is being increasingly recognized as a leader in biofuels research and development. The USDA, in particular, has expressed the value of the NCERC's decade-long collaboration with USDA scientists to continue advancing biofuels research."

Earlier this month, Caupert and other staff members attended the Department of Energy Biomass Summit July 9-11 in Washington D.C. On July 12-13, Caupert spoke to the Illinois Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT) on "Biofuels, Policy and Technology at a Crossroads."

In May, Caupert participated in the Advanced Biofuels Industry Roundtable in Washington D.C. with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy and Department of the Navy. Previously in June, Caupert and the Center research team participated in the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Minneapolis. Caupert later visited with members of Congress in Washington, D.C. as part of the Growth Energy Illinois Ethanol Fly-In.

To cap off the summer, Caupert will attend the American Coalition for Ethanol in Omaha on Aug. 8-10.

"The vast scope of research taking place at the Center far surpasses the corn-based ethanol research for which we were first known," Caupert said. "With the addition of the new fermentation suite and our Advanced Biofuels Research Initiative, we are actively expanding into the research and development of cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels such as bio-butanol, specialty chemicals and other renewable compounds."

"It's important to remember that while the biofuels industry is not new, in many ways the industry is still in its infancy;" Caupert said. "There are decades of research, development and commercialization projects that have yet to take place in the biofuels market space, and the NCERC is the solution."

The Center's latest advanced biofuels research breakthrough took place last month when the research team successfully produced the first ethanol from the cellulosic portion of the corn kernel which led to national media attention and recognition.

"By utilizing existing technologies readily available in the commercial marketplace, the Center was able to produce a biofuel that builds upon the strengths of conventional corn ethanol and the promise of cellulosic ethanol, thus making bolt-on cellulosic ethanol a reality," Caupert said. "This translates into immediate opportunities for jobs and economic development, particularly in rural areas. But from a research perspective, this is only the beginning of an extremely exciting journey."

For more information about the Center, visit www.ethanolresearch.com.

About the Center
The NCERC at SIUE is a nationally recognized research center dedicated to the development and commercialization of bio fuels, specialty chemicals and other renewable compounds. Established through federal and state initiatives, with support from the Illinois and National Corn Growers Associations, the Center promotes rural development and economic stimulus and is providing tomorrow's workforce with the skills needed to meet the challenges of a changing energy environment. Designated as a Bio refining Center of Excellence, the Center assists in developing the technologies needed to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil and provide consumers with economically sound and environmentally responsible fuel options. Research initiatives in renewable energy at the Center are supported through grants, contracts and donor contributions. For more information, contact Courtney Breckenridge, (618) 401-9218, cbreckenridge@ethanolresearch.com, or visit http://www.ethanolresearch.com.

About SIUE
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) is a nationally recognized university dedicated to educating and developing professional and community leaders through its excellent faculty and academic programs. With a student-to-teacher ratio of 17-to-1, SIUE offers the advantages of a small, liberal arts college with the lowest tuition of all 12 state universities in Illinois. The emphasis on undergraduate education, complemented by faculty research, creates practical applications for student learning. In fall 2011, SIUE reached the largest overall enrollment in the history of the University with 14,235 students. In fiscal year 2011, SIUE faculty and staff received more than $34 million in grants and contracts for research, teaching and service initiatives. Only 25 minutes from downtown St. Louis, the SIUE campus is situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River's rich bottom land. SIUE has been shaping the future in the St. Louis Metro Area since 1957, offering quality undergraduate and graduate programs combined with a solid commitment to the economic development of Southwestern Illinois.

Deacon William J. Maurer Dies; Was SIUE School Of Pharmacy Development Director

Deacon William J. Maurer of Troy died Sunday, July 15 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. He was 69.

Maurer was the director of development for the SIUE School of Pharmacy. He also had been a deacon, most recently serving as the permanent deacon at St. Jerome Catholic Church in Troy. Maurer is survived by his wife Marcia Maurer, dean of the SIUE School of Nursing.

A visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, July 18 at the Irwin Chapel in Glen Carbon. Visit the chapel's website for obituary information and visitation details.

SIUE Director of University Housing Receives Leadership Award

Michael Schultz, director of University Housing at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, recently received the 2012 James C. Grimm Leadership and Service Award at the Association of College and University Housing Officers - International (ACUHO-I) Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif.

The award recognizes those who have assisted ACUHO-I with dedicated service and outstanding leadership and have helped strengthen the goals and objectives of the Association. Recipients of the award must be an active member of ACUHO-I for at least 10 years.

"I am honored to receive this distinguished award," said Schultz. "ACUHO-I has provided me the opportunity to develop professionally and provide the opportunity for my colleagues around the world to reach their full potential."

Schultz is a graduate of Mercer University, where he received his bachelor of arts degree in Communications, and Florida State University, where he earned a master of science degree in Higher Education Administration. Schultz came to SIUE in 1989.

He has served ACUHO-I as the association's president, conference program chair, awards and recognition chair, nominations chair, and the National Housing Training Institute (NHTI) selection committee chair. Currently, Schultz is the chair of the Credentialing Board.

In addition, Schultz has presented numerous workshops regionally, nationally, and internationally. He was part of a team that competed in the 21st Century Project Design Showcases and was awarded the People's Choice Award for The Home and The Block & Neighborhood competitions.

"The opportunity to serve is valued and supported by the SIUE community as we continue to strive to be known nationwide," Schultz said. "National recognition like this is proof that SIUE is a premiere metropolitan university."

ACUHO-I has established itself as the foremost authority on Housing and Residence Life. ACUHO-I members include thousands of housing professionals from more than 900 colleges and universities in 22 different countries, who serve approximately 1.8 million students worldwide.

SIUE Helps Local High School Compete In National Envirothon

Dr. Bill Retzlaff, associate dean of SIUE College of Arts and Sciences and professor of biological sciences, explains the benefits of the Green Roof on top of SIUE's Student Success Center to an environmental team from Triad High School.

Dr. Retzlaff explains various ways of constructing green roofs.

Mark Grinter, professional land surveyor and assistant professor in construction, shows examples of collected water.

Dr. Susan Morgan, acting associate dean for research in the Graduate School and professor in civil engineering, talked with students about methods to effectively design post-construction environmental projects.

Several Southern Illinois University Edwardsville faculty members recently gave instruction to a local high school environmental team of state champions hoping to win a national competition later this month.

"I wanted to give my team the best possible edge in the 2012 Canon Envirothon," said Sandra Laird Perkins, Triad High School Environmental Team coach and biology teacher. Perkins also is an SIUE alumnus. "That is why I enlisted help from faculty at my alma mater."

Dr. Bill Retzlaff, associate dean of the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences and professor of biological sciences, displayed SIUE's largest green roof and explained how green roofs are constructed.

Team members who came to the SIUE campus included: Ryan Mehallow, captain and soil specialist; Kelly Kries, wildlife specialist; Lindsey Roberts, aquatics specialist; and Christian Vanhooser, issue specialist. Joe Bednara (forestry specialist) did not make the trip.

"SIUE is one of 10 national institutions with a large research program on green roofs," Retzlaff said. "On top of the Student Success Center, we have a 16,000-square-foot green roof. The purpose of the green roof is to replace some of the environment that was destroyed when the building was constructed in 2009."

The Triad Environmental Team also talked with faculty members Mark Grinter, professional land surveyor and assistant professor in construction; and Dr. Susan Morgan, acting associate dean for research in the Graduate School and professor in civil engineering. Among other things, Grinter showed and discussed examples of poor erosion control on local projects. "The best low impact development is to get the job done as quickly as possible," he said.

Morgan discussed various ways to effectively design post-construction environmental projects.

"It was certainly helpful to better understand aspects of construction and engineering that make low impact development practices a realistic option for communities," said environmental team member Kries.

Team Member Vahooser said during his SIUE visit that he learned practical applications, and the function of low impact development practices and infrastructure.

The Triad students are one of 55 teams across North America competing at the Canon Envirothon from July 22-28 at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa. The five-member teams will compete in five areas of environmental studies: soils/land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife and a current environmental issue. Envirothon is North America's largest high school environmental education competition, and its topic this year is "Non-Point Source Pollution-Low Impact Development."

"The students will be given an environmental problem, and they will be expected to design an environmental plan to resolve it," Retzlaff said.

Among other things, the competition will test students' knowledge of ecological and environmental concepts and their ability to make an oral presentation before a panel of judges. The top 15 teams selected at the competition will share more than $125,000 in scholarships and Canon products. More information on the competition can be found at Canon Envirothon.

The Triad team took first place in the state competition held at the University of Illinois' Allerton Park in May. They also placed first in the forestry category. The state competition was sponsored by the Association of Illinois Soil & Water. Retzlaff visited Triad several times and helped coach the high school team before they won the state competition.

ACCP Elects School of Pharmacy's Ruscin As A Fellow

The American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Board of Regents has elected Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's J. Mark Ruscin, Pharm.D., as a fellow. Fellowship in the College recognizes and rewards the highest levels of excellence in the practice and science of clinical pharmacy and is the highest honor the college bestows upon its members.

"I am truly honored to receive recognition as a fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (FCCP)," Ruscin said. "To me, this recognition acknowledges that my academic career has positively impacted the profession of pharmacy. Many great colleagues, previously at the University of Colorado, and now at SIUE, have significantly influenced my ability to be successful."

Ruscin and other new fellows will be inducted at ceremonies at an annual meeting in Hollywood, Fla. His teaching, clinical practice and research experiences all focus on the care of older adults. His practice site is in Springfield with the SIU School of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine.

"Dr. Ruscin has distinguished himself nationally as a clinical pharmacist specializing in geriatrics," said School of Pharmacy Dean Gireesh Gupchup. "He has been recognized nationally for his clinical research and service. His election as a Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy is a testament to his excellent contributions to the profession."

A Sullivan native, Ruscin is the acting chair of Pharmacy Practice. He spent 12 years as a faculty member at the University of Colorado-Denver School of Pharmacy and Center on Aging from September 1995 through June 2008. He joined SIUE as a professor of Pharmacy Practice and the Central Regional Coordinator in July 2008.

Ruscin graduated with his doctorate of pharmacy from the University of Illinois-Chicago in 1993. After completing a pharmacy practice residency at the University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics in 1994, he completed a geriatrics fellowship at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy in 1995.

SIU BOT Approves Contracts For SIUE Campus

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees met in Springfield yesterday and approved four contracts for the Edwardsville campus.

An estimated $1 million contract over three years for set up equipment and systems for private and public grant funded research through the NCERC at SIUE, formerly known as the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center, was awarded to Eagle Machine of St. Louis. The contract includes the cost to install, maintain and calibrate process instrumentation and control devices, pilot plant processing equipment, plant electrical systems and research laboratory equipment.

A bus services contract for the SIUE East St. Louis Center Head Start/Early Head Start program also was awarded to Illinois Central School Bus of Channahon, Ill. from June 1, 2012 through March 31, 2013 at an approximate cost of $850,000 per year. The contract will be paid for through federal grant money from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Administration for Children and Families Division. The bus service will offer roundtrip transportation for children of low-income families to attend classes at Head Start centers, as well as transportation for children and chaperones on field trips. The University has the opportunity to renew the contract for up to three consecutive school years.

A four-year trash and recycling removal services contract for the Edwardsville, Alton and East St. Louis campuses, and the Head Start Centers, was approved for an estimated cost of $611,029 through Allied Waste Transportation of Edwardsville. The cost will depend on the University's actual usage and will be funded from departmental operating funds. The contract states that, subject to continued needs, satisfactory service and favorable market conditions, the University can renew the contract for an additional 36 months beyond the approved specified contract dates.

A one-year contract costing approximately $200,000, beginning July 1, 2012, with the opportunity for renewal up to four additional years, for no lead gasoline blended with 10 percent ethanol for university owned vehicles was approved. The contract is with Petroleum Traders Corp. of Fort Wayne, Ind. The contract will be paid for by University Operating funds.

SIUE Chancellor Furst-Bowe Featured At STEM Conference

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe will serve as one of the keynote speakers at the Advancing the STEM Agenda in Education, the Workplace and Society Conference scheduled July 16-17 at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wis. The conference is sponsored by the American Society for Quality (ASQ).

STEM refers to the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Furst-Bowe is one of three editors of the 288-page hardcover book "Advancing the STEM Agenda: Quality Improvement Supports STEM," which was published recently by ASQ Quality Press, Milwaukee. The former provost and vice chancellor at UW-Stout worked with Cindy P. Veenstra, principal consultant with Veenstra and Associates and Fernando F. Padró, associate professor, doctoral program in educational leadership at Cambridge College, Cambridge, Mass.

Furst-Bowe, Veenstra and Padró will present at the conference and be available Monday for a book signing. For more information, go to the STEM conference website. The research focuses on aiding educators and policymakers to develop innovative high-impact ideas, inspire students to choose STEM-related careers, improve delivery of STEM education at schools and colleges, and help STEM college graduates transition to the workplace.

The book, according to John J. Jasinski, president of Northwest Missouri State University, provides application and success stories backed by research and modeling.

"The editors have successfully contributed to our need by focusing on collaborative models, building the K-12 pipeline, showing what works at the collegiate level, connecting across gender issues and illustrating workforce and innovative ideas," he said.

Furst-Bowe will be joined by UW-Stout Department of Biology faculty members Kitrina Carlson and Krista James to present Tuesday's luncheon keynote address.

For information about the book, contact ASQ Quality Press at (800) 248-1946 or visit the ASQ website.

SIUE Dual Diploma Student Is Valedictorian And Commencement Speaker

Eray Ozturk is one of the most outstanding graduates of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering's dual diploma program in industrial engineering.

This collaboration started in 2007 between Istanbul Technical University (ITU) and SIUE. Each year, 35 Turkish students of the highest caliber are accepted into the program. Students study their freshman and junior years at ITU, and their sophomore and senior years at SIUE.

Eray's GPA was 4.0 at SIUE and 3.96 at ITU, which placed him first among the 3,000 ITU graduates. ITU asks its valedictorian to give the student address at its common commencement for all its graduates. Eray was decorated with an ITU high-honor medallion by Rector Muhammed Sahin and awarded several prizes from prominent engineering companies.

Eray is planning to continue his graduate studies either at Stanford or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

ITU commencement attendees last month included SIUE Provost Ann Boyle and School of Engineering Dean Hasan Sevim. Approximately 3,000 students and 6,000 parents, friends and loved ones were at the ceremony.

"Eray's speech was excellent and moved the audience when he mentioned his classmate, Orkan Sipahi, who passed away in his junior year after a long battle with leukemia" Sevim said.

Boyle added: "Eray Ozturk being the valedictorian student speaker for ITU's commencement this year and Duygu Sagiroglu being selected as the SIUE commencement speaker last year are testaments of the high caliber of the dual diploma students."

ITU's Rector Muhammed Sahin was very complimentary of the dual diploma program. He noted: "The education our dual diploma students receive at ITU and SIUE is world class. These students will soon be outstanding alumni of both institutions, and we will be proud of them."

Founded in 1773, ITU is the oldest higher education institution in Turkey with more than 100,000 alumni. ITU holds the world record for most accredited engineering programs, with 23 ABET-accredited programs in 2011.

NCERC'S Caupert In D.C. For Biomass Summit

The NCERC at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is promoting its strategies for "Advancing Biofuels Research" by being presenters and participants in several high-profile conferences and programs this summer, including two this week.

Center Director John Caupert and other staff members will attend the Department of Energy Biomass Summit this week in Washington D.C. The Center research team also will participate in the following events:

• On Thursday and Friday, Caupert will speak to the Illinois Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT) on "Biofuels, Policy and Technology at a Crossroads."

• Caupert will again be in Washington, D.C., the week of July 16-20 participating in meetings with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to discuss technology pathways and collaborative research on cellulosic ethanol from corn bran. While in Washington, he also will meet with leadership of the National Corn Growers Association to present recent breakthroughs in cellulosic ethanol research.

• Caupert will attend the American Coalition for Ethanol in Omaha on Aug. 8-10.

In May, Caupert participated in the Advanced Biofuels Industry Roundtable in Washington D.C. with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy and Department of the Navy. Previously in June, Caupert and the Center research team participated in the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Minneapolis. Caupert later visited with members of Congress in Washington, D.C. as part of the Growth Energy Illinois Ethanol Fly-In.

"The vast scope of research taking place at the Center far surpasses the corn-based ethanol research for which we were first known," Caupert said. "With the addition of the new fermentation suite and our Advanced Biofuels Research Initiative, we are actively expanding into the research and development of cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels such as bio-butanol, specialty chemicals and other renewable compounds."

The Center's latest advanced biofuels research breakthrough took place last month when the research team successfully produced the first ethanol from the cellulosic portion of the corn kernel which led to national media attention and recognition.

"By utilizing existing technologies readily available in the commercial marketplace, the Center was able to produce a biofuel that builds upon the strengths of conventional corn ethanol and the promise of cellulosic ethanol, thus making bolt-on cellulosic ethanol a reality," Caupert said. "This translates into immediate opportunities for jobs and economic development, particularly in rural areas. But from a research perspective, this is only the beginning of an extremely exciting journey."

N. Johnsen dies; Was SIUE Urban Planning and Local Government Faculty

Norman Johnsen, 84, of Edwardsville, died July 1 at Anderson Hospital in Maryville. He joined the faculty as a professor in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Social Sciences, teaching earth sciences, geography and planning.

According to his obituary, Johnsen originally was from Mineola, N.Y. He earned a master's in economics from Syracuse University and moved from New York to Illinois to serve as an urban planner. A member of the area's community development team, Johnsen assisted in the planning and implementation of SIUE. He was employed by the University from 1955 to 1986, at which time he retired from the institution.

More information is available about Johnsen through an obituary in the Edwardsville Intelligencer . Arrangements were handled by Sunset Hills Funeral Home in Glen Carbon. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Siteman Cancer Institute at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Hope Rescues in Granite City, the fire department of Albertson, N.Y. or the Glen-Ed Food Pantry in Edwardsville.

SIUE Graduate School Alumnus Left Mark at Alton High School

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus Barbara Gillian recently retired from her position as principal for Alton High School. Gillian earned her Master of Science in secondary education from SIUE in 1996 and has been the Alton High School principal since 2008.

Her future plans include teaching two Educational Leadership Program Development courses at SIUE over the summer. In addition to her position as principal for the Alton High School, Gillian was also the director of the Truants Alternative Optional Education program in Alton and received the SIUE Excellence in Teaching Award in 2004.

More information is available about Gillian online at thetelegraph.com.

SIUE Alumnus Recognized by America's Registry of Outstanding Professionals

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville graduate, Somnath Bhattacharyya was recognized recently by America's Registry of Outstanding Professionals for his contributions and achievements in construction and highway design. Bhattacharya received his degree in civil engineering from SIUE in 1988. He currently is employed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a civil engineer in military construction.

Bhattacharyya also has been honored by the St. Louis Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers Zone II Daniel W. Mead Award for Young Engineers. Please visit pr.com for more information on Bhattacharya and his accomplishments.

SIUE & Partners Receive Nearly $60K EPA Grant For Study

A $59,876 urban waters grant to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will allow the School of Engineering and partners to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of neighborhood green infrastructure in metropolitan St. Louis.

SIUE and partners, including the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, the City of St. Louis and Habitat for Humanity of St. Louis, will conduct a study in the JeffVanderLou neighborhood in North St. Louis. Previously installed rain gardens and planter boxes are examples of green infrastructure practices that will be evaluated for their impact on reducing storm water runoff to combined sewers. The grant also will be used for workshops for neighborhood residents on how to effectively maintain rain gardens and planter boxes, according to a release sent out by the EPA Region 7, which represents Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and nine Tribal Nations.

"This project will benefit Jeff VanderLou neighborhood residents, university students and the entire St. Louis community," said Karl Brooks, EPA regional administrator. "Rain gardens help remove pollutants and reduce storm water runoff."

Many urban waterways have been polluted for years by runoff from city streets and contamination from abandoned industrial facilities. Healthy and accessible urban waters can help grow local businesses and enhance educational, economic, recreational, employment and social opportunities in nearby communities. By promoting public access to urban waterways, EPA will help communities become active participants in restoring urban waters while improving and protecting their neighborhoods.

EPA's Urban Waters program supports the goals and principles of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, a partnership of 12 federal agencies working to reconnect urban communities with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies and collaborating with community led revitalization efforts.

SIUE Assistant Professor Calls Olympic Committee Sex Testing Policy Unfair

Georgiann Davis, an assistant professor of sociology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, is calling the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recently released sex testing policy unfair to women, and claims it sends the wrong message to young women aspiring to athletic achievement.

"The policy could prevent female athletes with hyperandrogenism, determined by natural testosterone level, from competing in London on the basis that they have an unfair advantage over their competitors," Davis said. "The policy rests on the assumption that testosterone is related to athletic prowess, but there is no scientific evidence to support this assertion."

Davis and colleagues Katrina Karkazis, a senior research scholar from Stanford University; Rebecca Jordan-Young, an associate professor from Barnard College, and Silvia Camporesi, a visiting scholar from the University of California, San Francisco, co-authored an article titled, "Out of Bounds? A Critique of the New Policies on Hyperandrogenism in Elite Female Athletes," that suggests the new policy allows the IOC to target women based on such factors as hairstyle, mannerisms or "if a woman is more masculine-looking in general" to determine whether an individual is under suspicion and/or tested. The article was published in The American Journal of Bioethics.

Along with her colleagues, Davis purport that IOC Chairman Arne Ljungqvist has "complete control over who must undergo sex testing, how and by whom the investigation will be conducted, and most importantly, the final outcome."

Furthermore, Davis said under the current policy it is unclear whether female athletes will be allowed to compete in the Olympics during any type of investigation that ensues. "If they aren't, we are concerned that their confidentiality will be jeopardized," she said. "If female athletes are indeed prohibited from competing while under investigation, they are being punished before any evidence has been collected.

"In short, the policy forces female athletes to worry about looking like 'ladies.' What message does it give young women? You can win, but make sure you look pretty?"

She noted that women competitors with naturally higher levels of testosterone are not cheating or using performance enhancers, but are competing in their natural bodies. She added: "Even if we pretend, for a moment, that testosterone predicts athleticism, it's still wrong to single out hyperandrogenism with its overproduction of testosterone as the one natural condition that can disqualify a woman from competing in the Olympics. Why not also disqualify those who are far taller or have far better eyesight than others?

"All elite athletes have exceptional bodies. To disqualify a woman because she naturally has more testosterone than other women is patently unfair."

For more information, Davis can be reached at (847) 830-8902.

Julie Furst-Bowe Assumes Duties as SIUE Chancellor

The Julie A. Furst-Bowe (BO-vee) era at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville begins today as she takes office as the eighth chancellor in SIUE history. Dr. Furst-Bowe succeeds Dr. Vaughn Vandegrift, who retired effective July 1, after a successful eight-year tenure.

"I am so enthusiastic about leading this vibrant, growing campus," said Furst-Bowe, who is a native of Chippewa Falls, Wis. "SIUE has unlimited potential as a premier Metropolitan University. As I moved through transition meetings last week, I continued to be impressed by the faculty and staff's collegiality and collaborative nature, which I first experienced during the search process. I willingly accept the challenge of keeping this institution moving upward in the ranks of higher education."

Furst-Bowe served as provost and vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wis., since 2005. In her role as the chief academic officer for the campus, she has supervised the academic colleges and the following units: Enrollment Services, Student Services, International Education, Stout Online and the Discovery Center: Applied Research, Economic Development and Technology Transfer.

Since joining UWS as a faculty member in 1990, Furst-Bowe progressed through the administrative ranks as chair of the department of communications, education and training; associate vice chancellor, academic and student affairs; and assistant chancellor, assessment and continuous improvement.

She has provided leadership to the nationally-recognized quality improvement program at UW-Stout and has served as a senior examiner for the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program. UW-Stout was the first higher education institution to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. She currently serves as higher education chair for the American Society for Quality and is providing leadership to STEM education initiatives on a nation-wide basis.

Furst-Bowe is recognized nationally and internationally for her expertise in quality higher education and has authored several articles and a book on this topic, Quality and Performance Excellence in Higher Education. She recently edited a book on advancing STEM education and is an editor of the International Journal of Excellence in Education. She is a founding board member of the National Consortium for Continuous Improvement in Higher Education and also serves on the Wisconsin Center for Performance Excellence and Sacred Heart Hospital Board of Directors.

She has served as a quality improvement consultant for numerous colleges and universities and is currently under contract to provide consulting services to Singapore's Ministry of Education, Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University in Dubai and Ahlia University in Bahrain. She was recently selected as a Fulbright Scholar and assigned to work with a new university in Azerbaijan through the Fulbright program.

Furst-Bowe earned an Ed.D. in work, family and community education in 1995 from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis where she also achieved a professional certificate in human resource development during the same year. She earned a master of science in media technology from UW-Stout in 1986. She graduated magna cum laude from UW-Eau Claire in 1985 with a bachelor's in journalism.

SIUE Engineers Without Borders Recognized For Community Service

When Hurricane Mitch pummeled Pimienta, Honduras in 1998, it destroyed a bridge that was a vital artery for transportation in and out of the small community.

Until last summer, Pimienta residents traveled without the convenience of the bridge. Thanks to the multidisciplinary efforts of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering's chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB-USA SIUE) and collaborating entities, the Puente La Nana Bridge Culvert Project was completed and recently was selected as the Outstanding Community Service Project of the Year for 2011-2012 at the recent SIUE Kimmel Leadership Awards Ceremony.

"We are very proud to have the Puente La Nana Bridge Culvert Project recognized as an Outstanding Community Service Project," says Damien Di Vittorio, president of the EWB-USA SIUE. "The design and implementation of this project was a coordinated effort between the EWB student chapters from SIUE and SIUC, the EWB-USA Gateway Professionals Chapter, and the community in Pimienta, Honduras. The people of Pimienta hadn't had a roadway through their town in over 13 years, and the community enthusiastically welcomed this effort. They spent $8,000 toward the construction of this project and were highly involved in the implementation in a hands-on way."

Students from the SIUE Department of Mass Communications through the College of Arts and Sciences chronicled the construction efforts, capturing it on video and through photos.

The activities of EWB-USA range from the construction of sustainable systems that developing communities can own and operate without external assistance, to empowering such communities by enhancing local, technical, managerial and entrepreneurial skills. These projects are initiated by and completed with contributions from the host community working with project teams.

"Community involvement and participation are essential to the sustainability of EWB-USA projects," Di Vittorio explains. "The community in Pimienta, Honduras has been committed to this project. Recent photos of the culvert show the community has taken ownership and are proactively maintaining the roadway."

EWB-USA SIUE has previously partnered with the EWB-USA Gateway Professionals Chapter to aid in the design and implementation of a 50-foot retaining wall, a storm water drainage system and composting latrine.

Faculty advisor Chris Gordon, assistant professor and chair of the SIUE Department of Construction, said, "The projects our students have undertaken in partnership with the community of Pimienta have excellent educational and societal impact. Our students continue to deliver increasingly ambitious projects and inspire future engineering students with their exceptional work."

Planned Electrical Outage At SIUE Sunday

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will have a campus wide electrical power outage starting at 6 a.m. Sunday. Restoration should not be expected before 7 p.m. Sunday, according to SIUE Facilities Management.

The outage is to integrate the new Art & Design Building addition into the campus electrical system. Campus buildings, including residence halls, will be affected. The only buildings that should be unaffected by the outage are Cougar Village, Birger Hall, University Park, the SIUE Credit Union, Emergency Management and Safety and the athletics facilities along Stadium Drive.

According to Facilities Management, the buildings supporting the University computer network and email should not be affected by the outage. "Critical requirements in the existing Science Building and adjacent greenhouse will also be provided electrical power by generator," stated Facilities Management Director Paul Fuligni in a statement to the campus community Friday.

He added that lighting, elevators and air conditioning will not be functional in the buildings without power.

SIUE Club Team Wins Bass Fishing Championship

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville club team of Zach Hartnagel of Edwardsville and Brian Gass of O' Fallon, Ill., won the FLW College Fishing Central Conference bass fishing tournament on Lake Shelbyville last Sunday with five bass weighing 13-pounds, 2-ounces. The victory earned the team $5,000 for their fishing club. The win also helped them advance to the Central Conference Championship.

"This feels great, especially after not doing very well in our practice" said Hartnagel, a freshman criminal justice major. "Right after take-off we ran to our first spot and found three boats already sitting on it. So, we decided to adjust and ran to another spot that we had found during our practice. We went shallow and found a nice point where there was some structure-submerged timber and rock piles. We caught four right away by 7 a.m. using Brian's grandfather's homemade spinnerbaits. Then it really slowed down, and it took until noon until we were able to catch number five."

"I think the key to our victory today was just grinding it out," said Gass, a senior geographic information systems (GIS) major. "My grandpa has been making homemade spinnerbaits for 15 years, and they are a bit of a family secret. White was the color that produced for us today. He and I have both won tournaments with them in the past."

"We caught our fifth one out deep, using jigs," Hartnagel explained. "It was mid-lake area, in around 25 feet of water. We're excited to qualify for the conference championship. We live close to Carlyle Lake, and we should be able to put in some quality practice hours."

Rounding out the top five teams and also advancing to the Central Conference Championship are:

runner-up Eastern Illinois University (five bass, 12-12, $1,500); third place University of Wisconsin-Platteville (five bass, 12-4, $1,000); SIU-Carbondale in fourth (four bass, 11-10, $1,000); and fifth place Eastern Kentucky University (five bass, 10-14, $1,000).

Four regular-season qualifying events are held in each conference-Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southern and Western. The top five teams from each qualifying tournament will advance to one of five televised three-day FLW College Fishing Conference Championships, where the first-place team wins a Ranger 177TR bass boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard. The top five teams from each conference championship advance to the national championship, where the first-place team wins $25,000 for their school and $50,000 cash plus a Ranger 177TR bass boat with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard for their fishing club.

College Fishing is free to enter and FLW provides boats and drivers for each competing team along with travel allowances. All participants must be registered, full-time undergraduate students at a four-year college or university and members of a fishing club recognized by their college or university.

The next FLW College Central Conference tournament is scheduled for July 28 on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis.

SIUE Senior Receives McCormick/Illinois Campus Compact Grant

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville senior Katelynn Alexander has been awarded the 2012-2013 McCormick/Illinois Campus Compact Grant for Student Civic Engaged Scholars. A secondary education and history major, Alexander applied for the $1,500 grant, which will provide her and several of her peers with the necessary resources to continue their Project Learn program.

Project Learn will greatly affect the community of East St. Louis and the surrounding Metro-East in a positive way by providing support to a local historical landmark; the Katherine Dunham Museum. The project also will allow students to facilitate a membership drive, maintain the appearance of the museum and hold fundraisers. The goal of this service-learning project is to vastly improve the current state of East St. Louis by encouraging community involvement, which will contribute to rebuilding community pride and improving the museum.

"Project Learn is a service-learning project designed by four School of Education students: Michelle Sutorius, Tamantha Hicks, Abby Denmark and myself," said Alexander, who is a Carrollton native. "Last summer, we attended a conference held by Illinois Campus Compact in Chicago about implementing service learning in the classroom. The conference inspired us to promote service learning in general at SIUE and to design and implement a service learning project. All the other members of the group graduated in May, and I am ecstatic that we were awarded the McCormick Grant, because it allows us to keep the project going and coming closer to achieving our goal."

By aiding the museum in increasing its mailing list and donations, the students hope to increase tourism in the Metro-East which will result in increased revenue and then will hopefully lead to further improvements in the community. Additionally, this project will promote service learning and volunteerism at SIUE and encourage students and faculty to give back to their surrounding community.

"It is my hope that Project Learn will improve the perception of East St. Louis and provide evidence that East St. Louis is improving, and cares about its community and its history," Alexander stated. "We would like to involve the community in this project, because when a community comes together for such an activity, it helps them take ownership of the project, show pride and defend its purpose."

Student Civic Engaged Scholarship Grants were awarded to six students. Eligibility criteria highlight individuals who are seeking opportunities to lead a community designated project, to develop a community-based research project, to implement creative solutions for public problems, or to explore ways to participate in the renewal and redesign of American democracy while developing their own leadership skills.

SIUE's STEM Center Welcomes High School Students to "Forensic Fridays"

Nothing captures the imagination more than a fictional "whodunit," which is happening Fridays now through July on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus.

A tale of mystery, mayhem and murder is unfolding during "Forensic Fridays" at the Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Research, Education and Outreach at SIUE.

Who killed Howard Ashland? Was it Kristi Dowrong Smith, a jealous research assistant; Gwendolyn Dolittle, a glory hungry project director; or one of the other suspects in the sinister strangling? Ashland, a 17-year-old boy genius was on the verge of discovering how to make transparent aluminum when he was found "dead," slumped over in his research lab with a note pinned to his lab coat. A mock crime scene has been staged in the Science Building basement and will stay in place until the dastardly crime is solved.

"The suspects have remained very guarded thus far," said lead officer Constable Jay Tate. "Not surprisingly, they all have stated they are innocent, and most are confused about being suspects at all. We will be relying heavily on forensic evidence to solve this case."

It is up to the more than 40 high school students from the SIUE East St. Louis Center's Upward Bound Math and Science program to figure out who committed the crime.

The students received instruction from forensic experts last week and are now utilizing real crime scene investigation tactics and technology to analyze fingerprints, clothing fibers, fluids and other evidence they will have to collect. Once the students have evaluated all of the evidence they will present their findings at a mock trial before St. Clair County Judge Laninya Cason on July 13.

"Forensic Fridays" is the brainchild of Sean Herberts, outreach coordinator with the STEM Center, and Matt Johnson, a teacher at the East St. Louis Charter High School.

For the shocking details or more information about the "Forensic Fridays" project, visit "Forensic Fridays."

The IERC at SIUE Releases Study Focusing on Confidence in College Majors

A study released today by the Illinois Education Research Council at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville found that women, African American students and those from low-income families expressed more confidence in their choice of college major, overall and in select science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

An analysis of 75,698 responses from juniors from the Illinois High School Class of 2003 showed significant differences reflected by key demographics and type of planned major. According to the report, confidence in major was higher among women than men; among African American students compared with other racial and ethnic backgrounds; and among students whose family income was less than $30,000 per year.

Additional significant findings of the report included:

• Students planning to pursue a major in the health sciences and STEM teaching education were more confident in their major than students interested in other majors (STEM and non-STEM).

• Those expecting to complete vocational/technical degree or professional degree programs were more confident of their planned college majors than students expecting to finish an associate's or bachelor's degree or some graduate school.

• Students who earned a career and technical education certificate were more confident in their planned majors than those earnings an associate's or bachelor's degree, as well as those not earning a degree during the study period.

The study was prepared by Casey E. George-Jackson, an Institute of Education Sciences postdoctoral research fellow in mathematics education and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Eric Lichtenberger, associate director for research for the IERC and an assistant research professor at SIUE.

"This knowledge could assist policymakers in their efforts to improve recruitment of students from underrepresented groups into the STEM fields," Lichtenberger said.

"Although women, students of color and low-income students are underrepresented in many STEM fields, a high proportion of underrepresented students who plan to major in STEM were very sure of their educational plans," Lichtenberger said. He added that the report shows the level of education required for particular occupations appeared to increase all students' confidence in certain types of majors.

The study poses the following questions, which researchers plan to investigate in future IERC reports:

• Are educational expectations aligned with the academic qualifications needed to enter STEM fields?

• At what point in the talent pipeline are underrepresented students with the necessary academic qualifications exiting STEM fields?

Lichtenberger said that, from a current policy standpoint, the study can be a useful tool for lawmakers as the new STEM learning exchange program is implemented in the state.

"Learning exchanges are an integral part of Illinois' Race to the Top grant and are designed to support the local development of P-20 STEM programs that connect a student's career and educational interests," the report stated.

For more information, contact Lichtenberger, the author of the report, (618) 650-2840 or (866) 799-4372. A complete report is available at ierc.siue.edu.

Hundreds Turn Out For Vandegrift's Farewell And Plaza Dedication

Pictured at the wall are SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift and his wife, Sue Vandegrift.

Shielded from the sun by their umbrellas, Nancy Belck, left, former SIUE Chancellor and current Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift, right, wave to the crowd that gathered Wednesday for Vandegrift's farewell, the dedication of the Builders of the University project and the University's first Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day.

Incoming SIUE Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe, left, walks through the food line at Wednesday's event with outgoing Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift, right.

An overhead photo of the Builders of the University Plaza show the design of the wall, which currently holds 2,009 names.

More than 700 current and retired faculty and staff members turned out today to give retiring Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift, and his wife, Sue, a fond farewell and attend the dedication of the Builders of the University Plaza. The event also served as the institution's inaugural Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day.

People began gathering in the University's Stratton Quadrangle, just west of the new Plaza, which features the names of 2,009 past and present employees with 15 or more years of service to the institution. The crowd filtered in and out of the festivities that took place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.-some staying only a moment or two, while others lingered, enjoying the breezy summer weather, lunch, camaraderie and memories.

When speaking about the Chancellor, warm sentiments and well wishes were expressed: "He gave me a hug on Monday," said Michael Shaw, professor of inorganic chemistry through the College of Arts & Sciences and chair-elect of the department. "I'm going to miss him." Shaw will be eligible for inclusion on the wall next year. Of his 14 years at the University he said, "SIUE has been the place that gave me the best opportunities to succeed in a career. I was happy to join a department with a young faculty and the equipment to support research."

"His leadership has taken the University from where we were 10 years ago to where we are now," Shaw added. "We've faced tough economic times and his stewardship has allowed us to provide the best opportunities to our students, which is why we're here."

Becky Cooper from the Office of the Registrar has been with the institution for all of Vandegrift's eight years. She is sad to see him go, but wishes him well, "I think he was very good for the University. It's always been a very positive mood during my time here. Hopefully, the new chancellor will keep that positivity going."

Staff Senate President Mike Hamil said he thinks the chancellor has served the institution well during his stint. An employee for nine years, Hamil said he aspires to one day be on the wall and felt it was an honor to be involved in planning the inaugural employee appreciation event.

Returning to campus were numerous retired employees, including recently retired Denise MacDonald who worked in the photo services department for 27 years. About the wall, she said: "I'm so excited about it. I think it's a wonderful tribute and honor." She was employed at the University through the tenure of several chancellors. "He's the reason I retired. When he announced his retirement, so did I. I love Vaughn and Sue. He is definitely my favorite chancellor."

Kyle Stunkel, who retired a year and a half ago after nearly 25 years of working at the institution, was staff senate president at the time Vandegrift came to the University. Now working on a third SIUE degree-a master's in Social Work-she attended the festivities, commiserated with former colleagues and remembered the projects she worked on with Vandegrift. "It's so sad," she said. "He and Sue are the nicest people. They will really be missed."

Names appear as two per plaque on bricks that construct a winding wall that blends flawlessly with the campus buildings and structures. Campus architect Rick Klein designed the work, which stands as a testament of thanks to those who have dedicated their time and effort to the University's success.

"It looks like it's always been here," said Beth Giese, assistant director of University Marketing and Communications. Giese has been at the institution for seven years.

Previous SIUE Chancellor Nancy Belck attended the event, as well as the University's new leader, Julie Furst-Bowe, who takes the helm as SIUE's eighth chancellor July 1.

During his last official public appearance as the chancellor, Vandegrift thanked the University's current and retired employees for their service and commitment to the students and the institution. He also offered a few words of encouragement and advice to Furst-Bowe, "Be a good steward of the University." He then ended his remarks with an enthusiastic roar: "Go Cougars! Go Big E!"

Getting to Know Julie Furst-Bowe

Julie Furst-Bowe takes over as chancellor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on July 2. She is the eighth chancellor in SIUE's history. She arrives on the Edwardsville campus after serving as provost and vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wis., since 2005.

In her role as the chief academic officer for the campus, Furst-Bowe supervised the academic colleges and the following units: Enrollment Services, Student Services, International Education, Stout Online and the Discovery Center: Applied Research, Economic Development and Technology Transfer.

Since joining UWS as a faculty member in 1990, Furst-Bowe progressed through the administrative ranks as chair of the department of communications, education and training; associate vice chancellor, academic and student affairs; and assistant chancellor, assessment and continuous improvement.

Dr. Furst-Bowe will arrive on campus Monday, June 25. Though she and her husband Dan are avid Packer fans, they are looking forward to joining the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon community and getting to know all the wonderful things this region has to offer.

SIUE Builders of the University Plaza Dedication Set for June 27

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will dedicate the "Builders of the University Plaza" on Wednesday, June 27, at noon. The Plaza honors the work of employees who have helped build SIUE into a nationally recognized premier metropolitan university. To add to the dedication, this event also will serve as the University's inaugural Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day

Anyone, - faculty or staff, retiree, former employee or actively employed - who served SIUE for a total of 15 years or more, will have his/her name affixed to a plaque on a brick in the Plaza. Names will continue to be added once each year. A method to locate the names of individuals honored will be announced.

"To everyone, who will have his or her name affixed to a plaque and to those now working toward that same end, I want to express my great appreciation for your contributions on behalf of our University," SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift said.

The Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day is sponsored by the Chancellor's Council, with free food and beverages served by administrators on the southeast corner of the Quad between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Employees will need to bring their SIUE Cougar ID card. Musical entertainment will be provided by SIUE STEEL from 11:00 until noon, and prizes will be awarded after the dedication ceremony.

"This event will be a wonderful opportunity for all of our employees to visit with their colleagues in a festive and relaxing atmosphere," said Vandegrift, who noted that all of SIUE's former chancellors have been invited to attend.

The Plaza is located in the Hairpin Loop which serves as the front door to the campus.

James R. Anderson Scholarship Recipients Announced

Evgeniya Ruseva

Alyssa Beerup

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students Alyssa Beerup and Evgeniya Ruseva each won the 2012-2013 James R. Anderson Housing Scholarship Award from University Housing. Recipients are awarded a $1,000 stipend per semester.

Beerup is a native of Yorkville, Ill., and is studying nursing. Ruseva is a native of Elmwood Park, Ill., and is studying accounting. The scholarship is given annually to academically motivated student(s) with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and who has demonstrated civic leadership in community service and in activities with University Housing.

Beerup was named to the Dean's List in fall 2011 and is involved in Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU) and Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. She also is an active member of the Cougar Village community. Ruseva is involved in CRU and has participated in numerous Housing activities throughout the year.

The Housing Scholarship Award was created in memory of Anderson, a former associate director of SIUE University Housing. "We're pleased to be able to honor Jim in such a manner with this award," said Michael Schultz, director of University Housing. "He believed in the value of education in and out of the classroom, and he valued family, community involvement and service."

For more information about the James R. Anderson Housing scholarship, please contact Michael Schultz, director of University Housing at (618) 650-4628 or mschult@siue.edu.

Former SIUE Performing Arts Student In the News

Venezia Manuel

Venezia Manuel, 18, former Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center Performing Arts student and choreographer, appeared in a recent article in the St. Louis Beacon.

Training in dance and giving performances since the age of nine, Manuel looms large on many SIUE billboards and promotional flags in Missouri and Illinois. She plans to continue her lifelong dream to dance, and equally important, to teach. Manuel will attend the University of Iowa in August on a full scholarship, where she will major in dance and education.

Students Receive Award For Project To Eliminate Sewer Waste

SIUE engineering students placed third for their project proposal to eliminate sanitary sewer waste. Pictured from left to right are Dr. Ryan Fries, SIUE assistant professor of civil engineereing, graduate program director and project advisor; Erica Coombs, Allison Albrecht and Jessica Eichhorst, all recent civil engineering graduates; and Dr. Jianpeng Zhou, SIUE chair and associate professor, department of civil engineering and project advisor.

The old cliché, "When it rains, it pours" can have unfavorable, unsightly and costly ramifications in communities with aging sewer systems. But a group of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students designed an award-winning method to eliminate sanitary sewer overflow into natural water systems.

"This is a problem in St. Louis because the sewer system is outdated," said Jessica Eichhorst, who recently graduated from SIUE with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering. Eichhorst, along with recent civil engineering graduates Allison Albrecht and Erica Coombs, worked for one semester on a class assignment that was part of a Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) project. Their work "Eliminating Sanitary Sewer Overflows by Implementing Green Infrastructure" garnered third place at the national PB (Parsons Brinckerhoff ) Student Design Competition, held by the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers. The team also included the former students' advisors, Dr. Ryan Fries, SIUE assistant professor of civil engineering and graduate program director; and Dr. Jianpeng Zhou, SIUE chair and associate professor, department of civil engineering.

St. Louis is one of about 800 cities nationwide affected by sewer overflow related water pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency has made it illegal for such overflows, which it estimates occur more than 40,000 times a year, Coombs said.

MSD has a long range plan to eliminate the overflows in 23 years at a cost of $4.7 billion, Albrecht said.

The women prepared a control sewer overflow plan for 19 homes in one St. Louis County neighborhood, with the help of MSD project engineer, Bob Miller, according to Eichhorst, who plans to design storm water infrastructure when she finishes her Master of Science in civil engineering. The students chose to use various green infrastructures, namely planter boxes, a bioretention basin or rain barrels to reduce water flow from entering the storm system. Then the women decided on the most economical and feasible choice of connecting 100-gallon rain barrels to downspouts to funnel storm water, thereby, reducing the flow entering the sewer, Eichhorst added. The total cost is $521,000.

"The strength of this project is that they went beyond the technical solution," Zhou said. "They added the approach of using green infrastructure, which is a new concept. And our team only had one semester to work on their project, while the other teams had a year."

Lincoln Traveling Exhibition Comes To Lovejoy Library

"Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War," a traveling exhibition opening at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Lovejoy Library on Wednesday June 20, 2012, examines how President Abraham Lincoln used the Constitution to confront three intertwined crises of the Civil War-the secession of Southern states, slavery and wartime civil liberties.

Lincoln is widely acknowledged as one of America's greatest presidents, but his historical reputation is contested. Was he a calculating politician willing to accommodate slavery, or a principled leader justly celebrated as the Great Emancipator? This exhibition provides no easy answers. Rather, it encourages visitors to form a nuanced view of Lincoln by engaging them with the late president's struggle to reconcile his policy preferences with basic American ideals of liberty and equality. This exhibition develops a more complete understanding of Abraham Lincoln as president, and the Civil War as the nation's gravest constitutional crisis.

Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States in 1860, at a time when the nation was on the brink of war. Lincoln struggled to resolve the basic questions that divided Americans at the most perilous moment in the nation's history: Was the United States truly one nation, or was it a confederacy of sovereign and separate states? How could a country founded on the belief that "all men are created equal" tolerate slavery? In a national crisis, would civil liberties be secure? Lincoln used the Constitution to confront these three crises of war, ultimately reinventing the Constitution and the promise of American life.

"We are delighted to have been selected as a site for this exhibition," Dean of Library and Information Services Regina McBride said. As a new president, Abraham Lincoln was faced with enormous challenges. This exhibition shows how Lincoln struggled with issues of secession, slavery and civil liberties-all questions our country's founding charter left unanswered. Each section of the exhibit features information about a different aspect of Lincoln's presidency. For example, the section about slavery examines the various policy options Lincoln once embraced and how his thoughts about slavery evolved over time. Most importantly, the exhibit helps visitors understand why Lincoln's struggle with the Constitution still matters today."

The National Constitution Center and the American Library Association Public Programs Office organized the traveling exhibition, which was made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): great ideas brought to life. The traveling exhibition is based on an exhibition of the same name developed by the National Constitution Center.

SIUE's principal investigator on this grant is Caroline Pryor (capryor@siue.edu), Ph.D., an associate professor in the School of Education's department of curriculum and instruction. Julia Hansen (jhansen@siue.edu), an associate professor in Lovejoy Library, is the co-director.

The traveling exhibition is composed of informative panels featuring photographic reproductions of original documents, including a draft of Lincoln's first inaugural speech, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment.

The Library is sponsoring free programs for the public in connection with the exhibition. On July 10, at 6:30 p.m., Dr. Louis Gerteis from the University of Missouri St. Louis, will speak on "Slaves, Servants and Soldiers: Uneven Paths to Freedom in the Border States." On July23, at 4 p.m., two members of the SIUE Department of Historical Studies, Dr. Stephen Hansen and Dr. Jason Stacy will discuss "Lincoln and the Constitutional Problem of Homeland Security."

Contact Lovejoy Library at 618-650-4636 or visit siue.edu/lovejoylibrary for more information. "Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War" will be on display at the library until August 3.

"We're In The News:" Former SIUE Faculty Member's Mission To Dress Poor Children In Haiti

Hundreds of poor children in Haiti, who were left devastated by an earthquake last year, are wearing dresses made by former Southern Illinois University Edwardsville faculty member Corrine Hawkins. The 83-year-old Alton woman has sewn 700 sleeveless jumpers for Haitian girls to date. Hawkins said she was moved to do so after hearing a news report about the impoverished conditions in Haiti and realized there was something she could do. A story about how Hawkins' care, commitment and craft moved her to sew and send out 50 dresses a month appears in several newspapers, including The Telegraph, the Belleville News-Democrat and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Please note more information about the seamstress' mission to Haitian girls.

NCERC'S Caupert In D.C. For Growth Energy Illinois Ethanol Fly-In

The NCERC at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is promoting its strategies for "Advancing Biofuels Research" by being presenters and participants in several high-profile conferences and programs this summer.

Center Director John Caupert will visit with members of Congress tomorrow and Wednesday in Washington, D.C. as part of the Growth Energy Illinois Ethanol Fly-In. The Center research team also will participate in the following events:

• Members of the Center will attend the Department of Energy Biomass Summit on July 9-11 in Washington D.C.

• On July 12-13, Caupert will speak to the Illinois Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT) on "Biofuels, Policy and Technology at a Crossroads."

• Caupert will again be in Washington, D.C., the week of July 16-20 participating in meetings with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to discuss technology pathways and collaborative research on cellulosic ethanol from corn bran. While in Washington, he also will meet with leadership of the National Corn Growers Association to present recent breakthroughs in cellulosic ethanol research.

• Caupert will attend the American Coalition for Ethanol in Omaha, Neb., on Aug. 8-10.

In May, Caupert participated in the Advanced Biofuels Industry Roundtable in Washington D.C. with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy and Department of the Navy. Previously in June, Caupert and the Center research team participated in the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Minneapolis.

"The vast scope of research taking place at the Center far surpasses the corn-based ethanol research for which we were first known," Caupert said. "With the addition of the new fermentation suite and our Advanced Biofuels Research Initiative, we are actively expanding into the research and development of cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels such as bio-butanol, specialty chemicals and other renewable compounds."

The Center's latest advanced biofuels research breakthrough took place last month when the research team successfully produced the first ethanol from the cellulosic portion of the corn kernel which led to national media attention and recognition.

"By utilizing existing technologies readily available in the commercial marketplace, the Center was able to produce a biofuel that builds upon the strengths of conventional corn ethanol and the promise of cellulosic ethanol, thus making bolt-on cellulosic ethanol a reality," Caupert said. "This translates into immediate opportunities for jobs and economic development, particularly in rural areas. But from a research perspective, this is only the beginning of an extremely exciting journey."

For more information about the Center, visit www.advancingbiofuels.org.

High School Students Enjoy Engineering Summer Camp

Montra Shaw, of SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School, works on his robotics project during SIUE's School of Engineering Summer Camp

Molly McGiles, of Jacksonville (Ill.) High School, assembles her pieces for her robotics project.

Dr. Tyria Riley, of The Boeing Co., tells engineering summer camp students that they should work and study hard, but also have balance in their lives.

At Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering's summer camp, Montra Shaw was paired with other high school students who imagined they were all South Africans who spoke different languages.

"I learned that in order to be a good engineer, you have to be willing to work together and get help when you need it," said the 18-year-old, who is a senior at the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School.

Fifteen-year-old Molly McGiles discovered that an aspect of engineering involved doing something she loved. "In class, we put different sound waves together to make different sounds," said the Jacksonville (Ill.) High School junior. "This is part of electrical computer engineering. I love working on computers. I thought that electrical engineering was just dealing with a bunch of wires."

Montra and Molly were two of 25 high school students who attended this week's SIUE Engineering Summer Camp. Each year, the School of Engineering holds week-long summer camps. The two sessions, which are identical, consist of 25 high school students each. The camps are designed to introduce students to the various aspects and areas of engineering, computer science and construction, said Dr. Chris Gordon, assistant professor and chair of the Department of Construction in the School of Engineering. About 10-15 engineering faculty work with high school students in each session.

The camps were action-oriented and involved the students in many hands-on activities, Gordon said. Some of the projects included designing and programming a video game and building robots, bridges and miniature hovercars. The high school students also had an opportunity to experience college life by staying in dorms and enjoying different kinds of campus recreation.

The week's schedule of events also included a talk by Dr. Tyria Riley, a 2002 SIUE graduate with a bachelor of science in electrical engineering. Riley also has a master of science in systems engineering and a doctorate of engineering management, both from the Missouri University of Science and Technology at Rolla. Riley works for The Boeing Co. and was hired as an electrical installer to do work on F-18 military aircraft being built for the U.S. Navy. Later, Boeing selected Riley as one of four people to participate in the company's competitive two-year Engineering Skills Rotation Program. Last year Riley managed cost savings and lean projects that help save Boeing $4 million. This year, Riley is working as a resource estimator, developing labor estimates for engineering changes on the F-18 Superhornet.

Riley told the engineering camp students what helped her succeed and excel in college and business: "humility, leadership, determination, balance and strength."

"Engineering is not for everyone," said Riley, an East St. Louis native. "You have to love what you do, have a made up mind and accept the bumps and bruises along the way." Brandon Rice, a senior at the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School, said what drives him to do the best he can is the idea of failure. "I anticipate the road blocks, so I work harder to push past them," he said.

Brandon has attended the University's Engineering Summer Camp for the past two years. He came this year to help determine if he wanted to major in bio-electrical engineering or go into architecture. The 17-year-old said he's still leaning toward engineering. Brandon was part of the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School Botball team that placed third out of 17 teams in the 2011 Greater St. Louis Botball Regional Tournament

"Our students were bright and had great energy," said Gordon. "Engineering degrees are rigorous and require passion, dedication and planning. It's important to expose and prepare students at the high school level, which is why we hold these camps."

Students Explore Options At SIUE School of Pharmacy Diversity Camp

Keith Harris, a high school student from St. Louis, recently received an award from Dr. Mark Luer, associate dean of student affairs for the SIIUE Schol of Pharmacy. Keith recently completed the SIUE School of Pharmacy Diversity Camp.

Seventeen-year-old Keith Harris plans to one day own a pharmaceutical business and sell his products worldwide. Keith moved a little closer to those aspirations when he attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's recent School of Pharmacy Diversity Camp.

"What interests me is the fact that there are so many fields in pharmacy and so many different things you can do," said the a senior at Lift for Life Academy in St. Louis. "And I encourage other African American and minority students to consider a career in pharmacy."

Keith was one of 19 high school seniors who recently attended the fourth annual camp. The opportunity first became available in 2009 with the purpose of increasing interest and awareness of pharmacy as a career option among minority high school students, said Dr. Lakesha Butler, clinical assistant professor in the SIUE Department of Pharmacy Practice. Requirements for the camp were at least a 3.0 grade point average and an interest in pharmacy.

"We were assessing the School of Pharmacy program and wanted to see where we were as it relates to diversity," said Butler, the camp coordinator. "It is quite evident that the School of Pharmacy is lacking when it comes to racial diversity. And the summer camp was one way we proposed to help increase diversity."

Currently, the SIUE School of Pharmacy is comprised of approximately 5 percent of "underrepresented minorities," which includes African American, Hispanics, Indian and Pacific Islanders. Asians are not included because they are not underrepresented in the health field, Butler said. The national average for underrepresented minorities in the 120 schools of pharmacy across the nation is currently 11.5 percent.

The idea to improve upon diversity in the SIUE School of Pharmacy originated from the Office of Student Affairs, but Butler said she played an instrumental part due to her research interest in health disparities and its correlation with low minority representation in pharmacy.

"It's been proven that patients feel more comfortable around those who look like them," Butler said. "Minorities will tend not to seek medical advice because they don't feel as assured that others will understand them, their diet and their health beliefs."

During the camp, students were given a broad description and a history of pharmacy. They were also told about some non-traditional careers, such as pediatric pharmacy and veterinary pharmacy. Local independent and retail pharmacies served as shadowing sites for the students to visit during one half-day of the camp. Students observed the prescription filling process from beginning to end. SIUE SOP clinical faculty led pharmacy practice labs to expose the high school seniors to hands on activities that pharmacists are involved in, such as checking blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol. The camp participants also learned how to prepare for pharmacy school, how to prepare for college and toured the SIUE campus. The high school seniors experienced college life by staying in a freshman college dorm on campus throughout the duration of the camp.

Alliyah Beeks, a senior at Lutheran North Senior High School in St. Louis, is planning to major in pharmacy when she goes to college and was grateful to have participated in SIUE's pharmacy camp.

"The camp was very informational," said Alliyah, who has a 3.6 grade point average. "I learned about the program from my mother, and am glad I came."

Hundreds Viewed Venus Transit with SIUE Physics Department

Hundreds of interested amateur astronomers and curiosity seekers joined The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Physics at Tuesday's observation session of the 2012 Venus Transit at Roy E. Lee Baseball Field.

SIUE Associate Professor of Physics Dr. Tom Foster and a team of six associates manned four solar telescopes from shortly after 5 p.m. until nearly 8:30 p.m. A steady stream of people could clearly see the Transit in the telescopes.

"It was a great observation session," Foster said. "Most people were awestruck. Many of them had never actually looked through a telescope before. So, to see the sun and Venus was a great first experience for them. We had several people get back in line to see the solar flares visible through one of our telescopes."

Some occasional clouds slowed the line at times, but proved to be somewhat of a blessing. "The cloud cover was nice, because it gave us a chance to catch our collective breaths and talk to folks," Foster noted. "We were a little surprised by the turnout, because I believe we probably had 500 people or more experience the Transit. We didn't take time to count - we were a little busy!"

The rare astronomical event involves the planet Venus passing between the earth and the sun producing a small, dark dot on the sun's surface. The previous Venus Transit occurred was June 8, 2004. The next time a Venus Transit occurs will be in December 2117.

The SIUE STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Center provided the visitors with NASA donated souvenir solar sunglasses.

IERC hosts its 10th annual Focus on Illinois Education Research Symposium

The Illinois Education Research Council at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will host its 10th annual Focus on Illinois Education Research Symposium on June 11-12, 2012, in Tinley Park.

The IERC Symposium is an annual state education research conference that draws more than 100 participants representing 40 different entities from across the state, and includes a wide array of individuals from state education agencies, education research centers, university faculty members and education practitioners.

The conference provides a forum to present Illinois-specific education research and brings stakeholders together to discuss Illinois-relevant education policy issues. This year's Symposium offers three keynote presentations: Diane Schanzenbach, Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University; Brad Phillips, California Partnership for Achieving Student Success (Cal-PASS), and a teacher panel from Advance Illinois Educator Advisory Council and Teachers of the Illinois New Millennium Initiative.

In addition, there will be 27 paper presentations and nine poster presentations. New this year is a pre-conference presentation from the P-20 Council, Assessing Quality: Developing a Higher Education Report Card in Illinois. Those interested can still register for the event. Go to the IERC website, www.ierc.siue.edu, for program information and registration materials, or call Jennifer Barnhart, (618) 650-5117.

SIUE Environmental Resources Training Center's Director Receives Outstanding Service Award

Paul Shetley, director of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering's Environmental Resources Training Center (ERTC), recently was awarded the Clarence W. Klassen Outstanding Service award at the 2012 Illinois Association of Water Pollution Control Operators (IAWPCO) banquet in Springfield.

The award is presented each year by the IAWPCO to an individual whose achievement in the wastewater field within the state best exemplifies the standards of extraordinary personal service.

"Paul has been and continues to be very supportive of our association," said John LaRocca, president of the IAWPCO. "His contribution to our industry has been outstanding."

ERTC was designated by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency as the state's center for the continuing education of personnel involved in the operation, maintenance, and management of drinking water and wastewater treatment systems.

SIUE School of Nursing Administrator to Retire

After eight years as the SIUE School of Nursing assistant dean for undergraduate programs, Dr. Mary Mulcahy has announced her retirement effective June 30.

A registered nurse for 49 years and a nurse educator for 45 of those years, Mulcahy made a name for herself as an expert in curriculum development. In 2005, Mulcahy led the School of Nursing through a major curriculum change focused on students' needs.

"I think the most important foundation is curriculum," she said. "We make sure students have access to the classes they need and sufficient clinical sites. It's all about getting the students what they need."

Dr. Marcia Maurer, dean of the School of Nursing, said she values the contributions Mulcahy has provided to the School and is finding it difficult to accept that she will be leaving soon.

"Everyone is replaceable as we often hear," Maurer said. "However, in Dr. Mary Mulcahy, the School of Nursing truly has a one of a kind, and it would be very safe to say that she indeed is irreplaceable. Her contribution to nursing is laudatory, but her influence on nursing curriculum is immeasurable. Mary will leave a void in the School when she retires, and I personally will be losing a visionary thinker who moved the undergraduate nursing program to the excellence it now enjoys."

When Mulcahy was asked about her experiences at the School, she said the SIUE School of Nursing allowed her to do what she loved with individuals she greatly respects.

"The assignments I have been involved with at SIUE have given me the opportunity to do the three things I find most satisfying-professional nursing, curriculum development and teaching," she said. "I have a special appreciation for the staff in the School of Nursing. Everyone makes major contributions to assist the students and to give them a positive and enlightening educational experience."

NCERC Research Team Presents at International Fuel Ethanol Workshop

The NCERC at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will be promoting its strategies for "Advancing Biofuels Research" by being presenters and participants in several high-profile conferences and programs this summer.

Center Director John Caupert and the Center research team begin a summer tour today through Thursday by participating in the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Minneapolis with four presentations and as an exhibitor. The Center research team also will participate in the following events:

• Caupert will visit with members of Congress on June 19-20 in Washington, D.C. as part of the Growth Energy Illinois Ethanol Fly-In.

• Members of the Center will attend the Department of Energy Biomass Summit on July 9-11 in Washington D.C.

• On July 12-13, Caupert will speak to the Illinois Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT) on "Biofuels, Policy and Technology at a Crossroads."

• Caupert will be in Washington, D.C., the week of July 16-20 participating in meetings with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to discuss technology pathways and collaborative research on cellulosic ethanol from corn bran. While in Washington, he also will meet with leadership of the National Corn Growers Association to present recent breakthroughs in cellulosic ethanol research.

In May, Caupert participated in the Advanced Biofuels Industry Roundtable in Washington D.C. with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy and Department of the Navy.

"The vast scope of research taking place at the Center far surpasses the corn-based ethanol research for which we were first known," Caupert said. "With the addition of the new fermentation suite and our Advanced Biofuels Research Initiative, we are actively expanding into the research and development of cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels such as bio-butanol, specialty chemicals and other renewable compounds."

The Center's latest advanced biofuels research breakthrough took place last month when the research team successfully produced the first ethanol from the cellulosic portion of the corn kernel which led to national media attention and recognition.

"By utilizing existing technologies readily available in the commercial marketplace, the Center was able to produce a biofuel that builds upon the strengths of conventional corn ethanol and the promise of cellulosic ethanol, thus making bolt-on cellulosic ethanol a reality," Caupert said. "This translates into immediate opportunities for jobs and economic development, particularly in rural areas. But from a research perspective, this is only the beginning of an extremely exciting journey."

For more information about the Center, visit www.advancingbiofuels.org.

SIUE 3rd Annual Xfest Premieres June 6-9

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Department of Theater and Dance and Arts and Issues will celebrate the third festival of experimental, diverse theater performances and workshops Wednesday-Saturday.

From puppets to dance and drama to comedy, the festival is filled with something for everyone. Conceived in 2009 by Peter Cocuzza, department chair, and Chuck Harper, both associate professors of theater and dance, Xfest invites artists and theater companies from around the nation to the SIUE campus for four days of performances and workshops in order to share the world of non-traditional theater styles with fans of the performing arts. Xfest 3.0 is expected to be more diverse than ever with opportunities for theater companies to premiere alternative theater pieces in the Midwest. Some theater companies debuting include those from New York City and Portland, Ore.

"Hopefully this is a small first step to a bigger, more extensive festival in the future where students and professionals can interact with each other by creating and developing original work via the medium of experimental theatre," said Cocuzza, the festival's executive producer.

Beginning at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, SIUE's Arts & Issues, in conjunction with Xfest 3.0, will present a world premiere from Squonk Opera. Creators of a unique brand of avant-garde theater, Squonk Opera, give birth to Edwardsville: The Opera created especially for the 2012 festival.

The festival continues at 6 p.m. Thursday, with a welcome reception followed by a performance of Violators will be Violated (not recommended for children) at 7:30 p.m. A unique, unconventional, nearly wordless theater experience that has more destruction, mayhem, murder, ambition and special effects than an action film, but it's only one guy, relying solely on the physical story-telling of an elastic, adorable and weirdly hilarious performer. The production will be followed by a talk back session with performer Casey Smith. Smith's Violators Will Be Violated is the winner of the 2009 Los Angeles Weekly Award for Best Solo Performance and Top Ten Shows of 2009.

On Friday, the festival begins at noon with a puppet workshop presented by Luis Tentindo and Company. The workshops continue with a 2:30 p.m. master class with Casey Smith and members of the performing troupe, Circle X. Then, at 5 p.m., Keynote speaker, Mark Valdez and other artistic directors, will offer a perspective of creating art titled, "One on One." Later, the production, Grim and Fischer by the Wonderheads begins at 7:30 p.m., followed by a talk back session with the cast at 9 p.m.

The festival concludes Saturday from noon-3 p.m. the Wonderheads holding a mask workshop. Afterwards, there will be several original short works presented by Theater 310b, a loosely affiliated ensemble of SIUE Department of Theater and Dance faculty, alumni, students and colleagues. Theater 310b premieres X-hibitions at 3:30 p.m. and SIUE's Chuck Harper will lead a talk back/panel discussion, "Creating New Works" from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Then at 7:30 p.m., Mark Valdez will give the keynote speech, "The Artist as Creator." Immediately following will be the performance of Will You Still Be You? by the Luis Tentindo's Puppet Theater. Luis Tentindo is a Brooklyn-based puppeteer/multi-media artist. He creates unique puppet/object theater works. From 1994 to 2008 Tentindo danced in several New York-based contemporary dance companies, touring and teaching nationally and internationally.

Shows and workshops will be presented in the Metcalf Theater and Dunham Hall Theater on the campus of SIUE. Ticket prices vary from individual performances from $12 to $25, to single day or festival packages. Group or college student discount packages for the entire festival are $30 to $60. For more information, call the SIUE Fine Arts Box Office at 618-650-2774 or toll free at 888-328-5168, ext. 2774. Or visit www.siue.edu/xfest, www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/theater or www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/arts&issues.

View Venus Transit with SIUE Department of Physics

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences will host an observation session of the 2012 Venus Transit beginning at 5:05 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, at Roy E. Lee Baseball Field on New Poag Road. The event will continue until sundown.

This rare astronomical event involves the planet Venus passing between the earth and the sun producing a small, dark dot on the sun's surface. The last time a Venus transit occurred was June 8, 2004 at dawn. The next time a Venus Transit occurs will be in December 2117.

"This twice in a lifetime event is something that you don't want to miss," said SIUE Associate Professor of Physics Tom Foster, Ph.D. "We will view the transit through our solar telescopes, but understand that once the sun sets behind the tree line, the show is over!"

The event is open to the public and parking is readily available at the baseball facility. Please note that because the sun is involved, the transit is not safe to observe without special equipment.

SIUE Student Wins Prestigious Gilman Scholarship

Thanks to a prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman award, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville student Alexandra "Allie" White is studying in Buenos Aires for eight weeks this summer.

White, a 20-year-old junior who is majoring in Spanish, first heard about the awards program through Julie Beall-Marshall. Inspired by her sister, Hannah White, a Germany education major who traveled to Germany through SIUE's Study Abroad program, White investigated opportunities to find her own personal fit. White had visited her sister, and said she was hooked on the idea of studying abroad.

"I visited her for 10 days and thought this could be a really good opportunity for me, especially in Spanish," White said. "I've never been away from home for terribly long. I wanted to be somewhere long enough to enjoy the experience and immerse myself in the culture. Buenos Aires is a big city, and there will be so much to do."

The Hillsboro native said international business is a consideration for her future career, "I want to interact with people in the Spanish department and see where it goes. I'm pretty much open to anything."

White welcomes the opportunity to learn, think and communicate completely in Spanish during her trip and will earn 12 hours of credit for her international experience. She received $2,500 as part of the Gilman award.

White will share her experience with others upon her return as part of the Follow On Service project. A portion of her acceptance into the program was based on the development of a service project and essay. She decided to set up a station during a fall information program on campus known as the SIUE Study Abroad Fair and allow students to submit anonymous questions regarding concerns they have about traveling abroad. White plans to address individuals' thoughts and concerns, and hopefully alleviate their fears.

For more information about SIUE's study abroad program, visit siue.edu/studyabroad. More information about the Gilman award is available at iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program.

SIUE Announces Participation In Summer Food Program

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville announced today it is participating in the Summer Food Service Program. Meals will be provided free of charge to children under 18 years of age only enrolled in the SIUE East St. Louis Center Summer Program. Meals also will be provided to those over the age of 18, who are enrolled in a state-approved educational program and who have mental or physical disabilities.

Acceptance and participation requirements for the program and all activities are the same for all without regard to race, color, sex, age, disability, or national origin.

Any person who believes that he or she has been discriminated against in any USDA-related activity should write to: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Meals will be provided at the site(s) listed below beginning June 18, 2012, and ending July 20, 2012.

(LISTING OF SITES)

SIUE Morris University Center

University Drive

Edwardsville, IL 62026-0001

Meals will be provided at the site(s) listed below beginning June 18, 2012, and ending July 26, 2012. For further information contact DaWanda Gresham, (618) 482-6909.

(LISTING OF SITES)

SIUE East St. Louis Higher Education Campus

601 James R. Thompson Blvd.

East St. Louis, IL 62201

Visit By Cuban Delegation In the Spotlight

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville was the meeting place for discussion this week by faculty members from the University of Havana who talked about the likelihood of future economic and cultural exchange.

An article that appeared in the May 30 online issue of The Alton Telegraph titled "Cuban academics visit SIUE" focused on the visit by three professors from Cuba-Jorge Hernandez Martinez, a sociologist; Raul Rodriguez, a historian; and Luis Rene Fernandez Tabio, an economist, who toured the campus and met with SIUE's senior leadership, including College of Arts and Sciences Dean Aldemaro Romero, to collaborate. The professors were invited to campus through the University's Cuban and Caribbean Center project.

NCERC at SIUE is "Advancing Biofuels Research"

The NCERC at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will be promoting its strategies for "Advancing Biofuels Research" as part of a branding initiative approved by the Center's governor-appointed advisory board on March 29.

"While the Center will continue to do corn-based ethanol research, the new brand identity more accurately represents the vast scope of research taking place at the Center," Center director John Caupert said. "With the addition of the new fermentation suite and our Advanced Biofuels Research Initiative, we are actively expanding into the research and development of cellulosic ethanol, advanced biofuels such as bio-butanol, specialty chemicals and other renewable compounds. 'Advancing Biofuels Research' gets right to the heart of our mission at the Center."

The sharpened brand identity reflects the advanced biofuels research breakthroughs currently taking place at the Center, previously known as the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center. In May, the Center announced its research team had successfully produced the first ethanol from the cellulosic portion of the corn kernel, leading to national media attention and recognition.

"By utilizing existing technologies readily available in the commercial marketplace, the Center was able to produce a biofuel that builds upon the strengths of conventional corn ethanol and the promise of cellulosic ethanol, thus making bolt-on cellulosic ethanol a reality," Caupert said. "This translates into immediate opportunities for jobs and economic development, particularly in rural areas. But from a research perspective, this is only the beginning of an extremely exciting journey."

Caupert and the Center's research team maintain an active role within the biofuels industry. They will be presenters and participants in several high-profile conferences and programs this summer:

• On June 4-7, staff from the Center will participate in the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Minneapolis, Minn., with four presentations and as an exhibitor.

• Caupert will visit with members of Congress on June 19-20 in Washington, D.C. as part of the Growth Energy Illinois Ethanol Fly-In.

• The Center will attend the Department of Energy Biomass Summit on July 9-11 in Washington D.C.

• On July 12-13, Caupert will speak to the Illinois Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT) on "Biofuels, Policy and Technology at a Crossroads."

• In May, Caupert was also invited to participate in the Advanced Biofuels Industry Roundtable in Washington D.C. with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy and Department of the Navy.

For more information about the Center, visit www.advancingbiofuels.org.

About the Center

The NCERC at SIUE is a nationally-recognized research center dedicated to the development and commercialization of biofuels, specialty chemicals, and other renewable compounds. Established through federal and state initiatives, with support from the Illinois and National Corn Growers Associations, the Center promotes rural development and economic stimulus and is providing tomorrow's workforce with the skills needed to meet the challenges of a changing energy environment. Designated as a Bio-refining Center of Excellence, the Center assists in developing the technologies needed to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil and provide consumers with economically sound and environmentally responsible fuel options. Research initiatives in renewable energy at the Center are supported through grants, contracts and donor contributions. For more information, contact Courtney Breckenridge at 618-401-9218 or cbreckenridge@ethanolresearch.com or visit http://www.ethanolresearch.com.

SIUE Begins Plans for School of Dental Medicine Renovation

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees gave approval for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to develop plans and cost estimates to renovate the School of Dental Medicine's research laboratories on the Alton campus. The Board acted at its regularly scheduled May meeting on the SIUE campus.

"Because faculty mentoring of student research is a vital part of our program, the renovation will directly impact student scholarship," said Bruce Rotter, interim dean of the School of Dental Medicine. "The renovation also will directly impact faculty recruiting efforts in a positive fashion.

"The renovation will allow us to repurpose some existing labs to accommodate the specific research interests of our faculty. It also will create shared lab space and shared equipment for improved stewardship of the existing space."

The plans will look at designs for renovating up to 16 research laboratories. The cost of the project will be finalized once a comprehensive estimate is determined. The project is to be underwritten from donated funds, equipment use fees and University operating funds.

A Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) process will be conducted to select a consultant for this project. The consultant will help determine the extent of the work to be done and the estimated cost. Final project, budget approval and award of contracts will require further Board action.

SIUE Alumnus Rick Bragga Receives AHP Award For Healthcare Development

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus Rick Bragga was recently honored with an Award of Excellence for exemplary service and extraordinary leadership in the field of health care development.

The Mid-Atlantic Region of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) recognized Bragga, a Virginia attorney, at its recent annual conference in Alexandria, Va. The 1,000-member division of AHP spans a seven-state region from New York to Virginia.

In his nearly three-decade career promoting philanthropy on behalf of health care institutions, Bragga is the only member of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy to have received the association's top awards for professional writing, lifetime leadership and research. He is a senior consultant for Corporate DevelopMint, a national firm that advises nonprofit organizations in meeting their development needs.

"Rick has demonstrated excellence in all his health care fundraising positions helping organizations reach their potential," said Pamela Ronka Maroulis, CFRE, AHP Mid-Atlantic education chair and director of development for the Inova Loudoun Hospital Foundation.

"Rick is the type of person who can make things happen. He is a great colleague and asset to the profession," added Ellen Finnerty Myers, CFRE, director of AHP's Mid-Atlantic Region and chief development officer and vice president of community affairs at Carroll Hospital Center Foundation in Westminster, Md.

Bragga has twice been the recipient of both AHP's research award and journal award for best article. A past regional director of the association, Bragga chaired two of the region's education conferences. During his tenure as annual fund chair, the region was honored by the association with four national first place awards.

A resident of Richmond, Va., Bragga was previously recognized by AHP in 2008 with the Si Seymour International Award for his distinguished lifetime of national and international leadership and outstanding contributions to health care philanthropy. He is also a Fellow of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (FAHP), the association's highest professional credential.

Bragga holds both a bachelor's and master's degree in mass communications from SIUE and a law degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law. He has been an active board member of the Heart of Virginia Council of the Boy Scouts of America and serves on the national alumni and Eagle Scout Association committees. Rick also chairs the National Scouting Museum committee.

The Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, established in 1967, is a not-for-profit organization whose more than 4,900 members direct philanthropic programs in 2,000 of North America's nonprofit health care providers. The association's Mid-Atlantic Region covers New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Hospitals, health care systems and related facilities for which AHP members raise charitable funds provide essential, comprehensive services to their communities, as well as wellness programs, mobile health vans, mammography screenings, hearing and eye exams, and many other community-based health care services.

To learn more, visit www.ahp.org.

SIUE Road Repairs Under Way

Recently, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville began improvements to North University Drive. Intermittent single lane closures are occurring on North University Drive from the fan lots to Lewis Road, East University Drive and Cougar Lake Road through the end of July. North University Drive will be closed from Lewis Road to Poag Road through mid-June. A detour will be available to traffic via Lewis Road.

BBC Visits SIUE Kinesiology Labs

Members of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) spent time on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus Tuesday. Researchers in the SIUE Department of Kinesiology and Health Education conducted various laboratory tests for a BBC Horizon documentary series on diet and calorie restriction.

Curt Lox, professor and chair of the department of kinesiology and health education, said the BBC crew became interested in using SIUE as a testing site due to its equipment and testing capabilities. BBC Director Kate Dart was drawn to a specific piece of equipment, the BodPod, which assesses an individual's composition of lean and fat body mass. Dart researched the BodPod website and discovered that SIUE owned the device. Already scheduled for a stop in St. Louis, she decided to schedule some testing at SIUE.

"The BBC's decision to utilize our lab reflects positively on the emerging reputation of both our department and the University as a whole," said Dr. Lox, who believes the collaborative effort is a tremendous boon for SIUE. "We certainly couldn't ask for better international publicity than this, given the BBC's reach and reputation. We are grateful to our administration for helping to acquire the state-of-the-art equipment that was so appealing to the BBC."

The still-to-be-titled episodes explore calorie restriction in one's diet in an effort to stay younger and extend an individual life. The production team led by Dart and researcher Roshan Samarasinghe began taping in London and will visit Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago and Baltimore during the next two weeks. The crew expects to complete the project by the end of August with an autumn release date on the BBC. Whether the show will air on BBC America is not yet known.

Dr. Bryan Smith, an assistant professor in the department of kinesiology and health education led two participants through two different body composition assessments utilizing the BodPod as the iDXA scanning unit. The participants were Joe Cordell, a St. Louisan, and Michael Mosley, a presenter and executive producer of a variety of exercise and health programming for the BBC. Both men are over 50 years old.

"It was an enjoyable experience," Smith said. "The crew and participants were a pleasure to work with, and the final product will be great exposure for the department and the University."

Sigma-Aldrich Pledges $150,000 to SIUE Arts and Sciences

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville College of Arts and Sciences Dean Aldemaro Romero today announced that Sigma-Aldrich Corporation has pledged $150,000 over a 5-year period supporting the College's introduction of a new degree program along with contributing to the new science building on campus. The gift also will result in naming rights for a laboratory in the new facility and support classroom equipment and supplies.

"Sigma-Aldrich is the largest supplier of specialty biochemicals worldwide," said Robert Dixon, associate professor and chair of the SIUE Department of Chemistry. "When you need chemicals, or biological materials, to perform biochemical research, Sigma-Aldrich is considered the number one vendor. Having this relationship with such a highly regarded company is tremendously beneficial to SIUE and its students."

One of the new laboratories in the science building, which is scheduled for completion by Oct. 31, 2012, will be named The Sigma-Aldrich Biochemistry Lab. The company's support also has led to the introduction of a biochemistry degree program, which is designed to meet the requirements of the American Chemical Society. It will help in preparing SIUE graduates for careers in chemistry and life science-focused organizations, including Sigma-Aldrich.

"Our biochemistry degree fits within the profile of employees that Sigma-Aldrich hires," Dixon said. "With our biochemistry - as well as our chemistry - degrees, many of our students may end up working for this leading organization."

Dixon says the biochemistry program will help attract new students to SIUE. With chemistry and biochemistry already having nearly 150 students, Dixon predicts that each year up to an additional 50 students will choose SIUE for their chemistry or biochemistry degree as the increased classroom and lab space will provide an attractive learning environment. The funding will help fill the labs with the necessary equipment required to support these students as they pursue their degrees.

"Many students are in biology and chemistry, but mainly biology, because it's in tune with pre-med and pre-dental," Dixon said. "This new degree will have more of the students choosing chemistry as a major. It provides better choices for the students."

Sigma-Aldrich has a history of supporting SIUE by having donated $30,000 over the past decade to sponsor the Probst lecture series, which is named for one of the founding members of the chemistry department.

Romero and directors of development Craig Steiner and Marilyn Marsho worked with Sigma-Aldrich Vice President of Marketing and R&D Deborah Slagle and Site Manufacturing Director Bob Ringering to finalize the donation. Both Ringering and Slagle are SIUE alumni.

Sigma-Aldrich is headquartered in St. Louis and is a leading life science and high technology company. It operates in 40 countries and has 7,600 employees providing service worldwide. Its chemical and biochemical products and kits are used in scientific research, including genomic and proteomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, the diagnosis of disease and as key components in pharmaceutical, diagnostic and other high technology manufacturing. Sigma-Aldrich is committed to accelerating customers' success through innovation and leadership in life science, high technology and service.

The Sigma-Aldrich gift contributes to Defining Excellence-the Campaign for SIUE toward reaching its goal to raise $50 million by garnering alumni and community support. To date, $32 million has been raised. Publically launched in March 2011, the major gifts campaign is about taking SIUE to a new level of prominence and performance. For more information, visit siue.edu/definingexcellence.

For more information on SIUE's College of Arts and Sciences, visit www.siue.edu/artsandsciences.

Chancellor's Retirement Celebration Raises $130,000

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift's retirement celebration in early April was a huge success in many ways. Nearly 200 colleagues, associates, friends, family members and community leaders gathered in the Morris University Center's Meridian Ballroom to toast Vandegrift's highly successful eight-year tenure. The event also raised $130,000 for the Vaughn and Sue Vandegrift Chancellor's Scholarship endowment.

KMOX radio personality Charlie Brennan added to the festivities by serving as master of ceremonies through an evening that was filled with laughter, fond memories, good will and surprises.

The highlight of the evening undoubtedly was the introduction of Vandegrift's long-time friend and former Montclair State colleague Joe Marina, who is now a Jesuit priest at Boston College. Vandegrift had no idea that Marina would be in attendance and was intently watching a video of Marina at first saying regrets for having to miss the event and then congratulating Vandegrift for his stellar career. At one point, Marina stopped, and said, "And all I really want to say at this point Vaughn is…well, let me say it in person." Out from behind a curtain stepped Marina to Vandegrift's ultimate surprise and joy.

Marina went on to regale the crowd with stories from Vandegrift's early days at Montclair St. and the role his good friend played in Marina's decision to join the priesthood.

The roll call of tributes began with SIU president Glenn Poshard describing how proud he was to have hired Vandegrift as SIUE's seventh chancellor and the friendship that resulted from the trials, tribulations and successes of being leaders in higher education.

Edwardsville mayor Gary Niebur stepped to the podium to relate how the collaboration between the University and the city grew exponentially through Vandegrift's leadership. In appreciation of Vandegrift's outstanding efforts at SIUE, Niebur delivered a proclamation that April 14, 2012 was declared Vaughn Vandegrift Day in Edwardsville.

Vice Chancellor for University Relations Patrick Hundley thanked the crowd for their support of the fundraiser and noted three individuals who all donated $25,000 to the chancellor's scholarship endowment: Byron Farrell, from Marco Island, Fla., and chair of Defining Excellence - The Campaign for SIUE; Hal Gentry from Clayton, Mo.; and John Simmons, current chairman of the SIU Board of Trustees.

Dr. Ed Hightower, SIU Board of Trustees member, superintendent of Edwardsville School District 7 and noted NCAA men's basketball referee, highlighted Vandegrift's driving of Cougar athletics to NCAA Division I status. SIU general counsel Jeff McLellan advised, tongue-in-cheek, that only his astute legal advice kept Vandegrift one step ahead of the authorities. Long-time Vandegrift golfing partner Gerry Schutzenhofer took pot shots at Vandegrift's golf game as only a good friend can.

Sue Vandegrift, recognized as the First Lady of SIUE, traced her husband's career path for the attendant crowd and described the challenges along the way as they went from living in tiny quarters to being in different states for various lengths of time. But she noted that the SIUE opportunity came along at the perfect time in their lives and proved to be the perfect place for Vaughn to close his administrative career.

She let everyone know that administrative assistant Joyce Brendle always had a daily list for the chancellor to keep in his pocket, so that he'd stay on schedule. Sue already had a list for Monday, July 2, Vaughn's first official day of retirement. At 9 a.m., bring Sue coffee on the deck; at 11 a.m., play golf; and at 3 p.m., bring Sue drinks on the deck!

With his final turn at the microphone, Vandegrift for the most part refrained from throwing darts back at any of the individuals who took liberties with his habits or idiosyncrasies; although he did point out that most of that inside information had to come from Brendle, who merely smiled sheepishly in the back of the room. He focused on thanking everyone in the ballroom and in the community who had helped with his efforts to make SIUE nationally known.

Although still seemingly in the prime of his career and at the height of his influence at SIUE, Vandegrift let it be known that he made a promise to Sue that he would retire at 65 and spend more time with his grandchildren. He finished his remarks with his now traditional, "Go Cougars! Go Big e!" The program concluded with a touching video featuring his children and grandchildren congratulating him for a wonderful career and looking forward to seeing him soon.

Brennan closed the evening by saying, "This has been an evening to acknowledge your accomplishments and thank you for all you've done. As you move on to the next stage of your life, please know that your friends and family at SIUE will always remember your commitment to student success and your passion for the' e.' We hereby promote you from chancellor to full-time Papa!"

SIUE Grad is Named Missouri Small Business Person of the Year

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alum Vicki LaRose was recently named Small Business Person of the Year for the State of Missouri. LaRose graduated in 1990 and quickly started with Sverdrup Corp. which is now Jacobs Engineering, located in St. Louis.

Soon after realizing the potential growth for entrepreneurship opportunities in St. Louis, LaRose and her husband began their own private engineering practice, Civil Design Inc. in 1996. LaRose has offices in St. Louis and Collinsville with over 20 employees. More information regarding LaRose can be found here.

SIUE Grad Heads Special Program for Young Engineers

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus Mike Scott, in conjunction with a fellow teacher, Pat Dugas, is heading a new special program at Carrollton Grade School to educate students on engineering, science and math. Scott graduated from SIUE with a degree in chemistry before beginning his career as a chemistry and physics teacher at Carrollton High School.

The Robotics Club formed a BOT ball team this past school year and will be offered to the students enrolled in engineering classes. Both Scott and Dugas will be teaching introductory engineering courses for student elective options. The Robotics Club competed in a competition this past year at SIUE. More information on the Carrollton Grade School engineering program can be found at myjournalcourier.com.

SIUE Is Among 11 Centers of Excellence in Pain Education

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pain Consortium has selected Southern Illinois University Edwardsville among 11 institutions as designated Centers of Excellence in Pain Education (CoEPEs).

SIUE School of Pharmacy associate professor Chris Herndon, PharmD., led the grant application.

"This is an incredibly exciting opportunity." Herndon said. "The subsequent impact on patient care for those in pain in our region will be immeasurable."

The CoEPEs will act as hubs for the development, evaluation and distribution of pain management curriculum resources for medical, dental, nursing and pharmacy schools to enhance and improve how health care professionals are taught about pain and its treatment. Twenty institutes, centers and offices at NIH are involved in the consortium.

A number of SIUE faculty members will serve as co-investigators, including Dr. Keith Hecht, Dr. Erin Timpe and Dr. McKenzie Ferguson from the School of Pharmacy; Dr. Kevin Rowland from the SIU School of Dental Medicine; and Dr. Carol Wesley from the Department of Social Work in the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences; and Dr. Michael Neumeister from the SIU School of Medicine. Saint Louis University also is collaborating with SIUE, with Dr. Mary Ann Lavin representing the SLU School of Nursing, and Dr. Ray Tait serving as the co-manager of the CoEPE. He will provide direction on the curriculum development for psychology.

The new Centers of Excellence in Pain Education were selected by the NIH Pain Consortium after a contract solicitation process and review. Along with SIUE, the other awardees are the University of Washington, Seattle; the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia; the University of Rochester, N.Y.; the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque; the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston; the University of Alabama at Birmingham; the Thomas Jefferson University School of Medicine, Philadelphia; the University of California, San Francisco; the University of Maryland, Baltimore; and the University of Pittsburgh.

Chronic pain affects about 100 million Americans, costing up to $635 billion in medical treatment and lost productivity, and producing immeasurable suffering for people of all ages. Yet, pain treatment is not taught extensively in many health professional schools, and clinical approaches can be inconsistent. Types of pain of particular interest to the NIH Pain Consortium are rehabilitation pain, arthritis and musculoskeletal pain, neuropathic pain and headache pain.

NIH institutes and centers funding the CoEPEs include the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which is coordinating the project; the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research; the National Institute of Nursing Research; the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; the National Institute on Aging; the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research; the Office of Research on Women's Health; and NINDS. Other NIH institutes and centers that are part of the consortium will act as technical advisors to the project. The full list of the consortium members can be found at: http://painconsortium.nih.gov/members.html.

About the NIH Pain Consortium

The NIH Pain Consortium was established to enhance pain research and promote collaboration among researchers across the many NIH Institutes and Centers that have programs and activities addressing pain. Its goals include the development of a comprehensive and forward-thinking pain research agenda for the NIH; to identify key opportunities in pain research within NIH and the scientific community; to increase visibility for pain research; and to pursue the pain research agenda through Public-Private partnerships. For more information on the Pain Consortium, visit http://painconsortium.nih.gov/index.html.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

School of Pharmacy

Dedicated to developing a community of caring pharmacists, the SIUE School of Pharmacy curriculum balances education, research, service and patient care. As the only downstate Illinois pharmacy doctorate program, the SIUE School of Pharmacy is addressing the growing need for well-trained pharmacists in a career field that is experiencing rapid and dramatic growth.

SIUE Receives $469,000 Art Donation From Emilio Sanchez Foundation

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's University Museum now houses the largest collection of artwork in the country by the late, internationally acclaimed artist, Emilio Sanchez, thanks to a recent acquisition facilitated by University Museum Director Eric Barnett.

The donation of Cuban art from the Emilio Sanchez Foundation through the Cuban Caribbean Center in the College of Arts and Sciences is valued at $469,000. Sanchez was a Cuban 20th century artist whose paintings are part of the collections of many of the most important art museums in the world. The artist's will stipulated that a foundation be set up "to preserve, promote, and sell his numerous artworks … with the wish to help fund ophthalmologic research and art scholarships." However, the foundation was only set up to last for 10 years. After the 10 years passed, the collection was to be distributed.

Barnett discovered the collection through a listserv accessible to academic museums and galleries. The Foundation had placed a notice that a large portion of the collection was available for interested institutions. The University Museum first acquired a piece of Sanchez's art in 1971, when it purchased a large lithograph.

"Most of what we acquired are works on paper," Barnett said. "There are about 38 paintings on canvas and board, along with watercolor, ink, pencil along with some color and black and white lithographs. It includes a lot of sunsets both in New York City and away from the city. There are literally hundreds of still lives of vases and flowers. So, we picked a handful that represented that grouping. I tried to be selective in order to get a broad overview."

Barnett also stated that having Sanchez's art on campus only strengthens the link that SIUE has with the Caribbean region.

"We have been attached to the Caribbean mostly because of Katherine Dunham and her dance, and her affinity for Haiti, and the other Caribbean countries," Barnett stated. "So, there has been this long standing interest in the Caribbean. I know several faculty members who have traveled there over the years. In fact, Otis Sweezey, the retired chair of theater and dance, went down there. One of his photographs won a contest in the St. Louis Post Dispatch."

Several of the framed paintings have already been put on display in campus offices. With the number and variety of pieces, Barnett hopes that the University Museum will be able to put together a retrospective exhibition on Sanchez.

"His art is modern and it's refreshing," Barnett said. "His imagery is accessible. Since a lot of what we do is put art out on campus, it helps to have items that are accessible to people both intellectually and aesthetically."

Sanchez was born in Camagüey, Cuba in 1921. He began his artistic training at the Art Students League in 1944 when he moved to New York City where he lived until he died in 1999. However, it was in Cuba that he became fascinated with the play of light and shadow on colored that became a dominant characteristic of his works. For more information about Sanchez visit emiliosanchezfoundation.org.

The Sanchez Foundation gift contributes to Defining Excellence-the Campaign for SIUE, which has a goal to raise $50 million by garnering alumni and community support. To date, $32 million has been raised. Publically launched in March 2011, the major gifts campaign aims to take SIUE to a new level of prominence and performance. For more information, visit siue.edu/definingexcellence.

For more information on SIUE's College of Arts and Sciences, visit www.siue.edu/artsandsciences

SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School Graduates Among Good Statistics

Class Valedictorian Debra Wilson-Wiley gives her reflections to classmates.

Part of the Class of 2012 from left to right: Julian Bynum, T'keyah Byrum, Quame Jefferson, Anetra Johnson and Leon Kerby.

Eighteen-year-old Deborah Wilson-Wiley knows there are some people who would underestimate her. But the East St. Louis, Ill., teen didn't let that stop her from working hard, being positive and graduating at the top of her class.

Wilson-Wiley recently graduated as class valedictorian from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's East St. Louis Charter High School with a 3.5 grade point average.

"I'm an open-minded person and I choose to be positive," said Wilson-Wiley, who plans to major in accounting at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. "If I can't reach my goal one way, I'll look for three or more different ways to get there."

The Charter High School valedictorian and 12 other graduating seniors were living testimonies to one of their school's slogans: "Failure is not an option."

That, along with another East St. Louis Charter High School slogan: "Excellence Everyday for Every Student" became a mantra for 18-year-old Jeremiah Rogers. The graduating senior said his school work became harder each year and when he felt himself slipping behind, he sought help. Rogers graduated with a 3.0 grade point average and plans to major in mechanical electrical engineering at Lake Land Community College in the Dual Admission Program at Eastern Illinois University.

"There are a lot of obstacles out here to overcome," Rogers said. "But you can do it. I stayed focused and positioned myself to do well."

The 2012 graduating class of the SIUE East St. Louis Charter School was part of the 3.2 million students nationally who are expected to graduate this year, said Dr. Venessa Brown, associate provost for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion and executive director of the SIUE East St. Louis Center.

"But what is exciting to me is that you are a part of that statistic and not another," Brown said during her recent commencement address.

Earlier in the ceremony, Veronica "Gina" Washington, director of the East St. Louis Charter High School, also touched the practice of quoting negative data that involve African Americans and letting that become the only measuring stick.

"Despite what the statistics and naysayers may have said, we know something different," Washington said.

And that "something" is that East St. Louis Charter High School graduating seniors overcame obstacles and now are beginning a new chapter in their lives, said Wilson-Wiley in her speech.

Wiley was one of three graduating seniors who received a scholarship from the H.O.P.E. (Helping our Own Prosper in East St. Louis) Foundation. Wiley received a check for $1,000. Class Salutatorian Nicola Paulette and Juliann Bynum each received a check for $500. The H.O.P.E. Foundation was established by Nicole E. Williams and Levi Leake, 1992 and 1993 graduates, respectively, of the East St. Louis Senior High School. This is the third year that the two Chicago residents have awarded the scholarship to deserving high school students in East St. Louis.

The other Charter High School graduating seniors included: Tyran Bohanna, Tkeyah Byrum, Quame Jefferson, Anetra Johnson, Leon Kerby, Ezzard Long, Maia Morgan, April Murry and Troymica Wright.

Performing Arts Presents Spring Production And Celebrates Milestones

Students from the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Performing Arts Program and the East St. Louis Charter High School, in a musical sense, took their audience on a musical excursion to Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and Brazil in their recent spring production.

The "Tropical Revue" featured dance and music with a Latin flair and songs, with some lyrics sung in Spanish. Students, ages 6-18, also thrilled audiences with wardrobe changes that took on a Las Vegas feel.

Guest choreographers for the production included Carmen Gyunn, founder and executive director of the St. Louis Salsa Congress, and Ashi Smythe, former original cast member of the Broadway Production of the Lion King. Also choreographing musical numbers were the SIUE Performing Arts Program Director, Theodore H. Jamison, and the Performing Arts Program and Charter High School staff: Andrea Smythe, Jack Williams, Jamila Ajanaku and E.L. Wilkes.

Adding to the celebration was the retirement recognition of Jamison and Smythe. Both Jamison and Smythe have worked for SIUE for more than 30 years. The pair was each given an award and a plant.

Also receiving recognition at the production was longtime performing arts student, Venizia Manuel of East St. Louis. The eighteen-year-old Manuel, who has been part of the SIUE Performing Arts Program from the age of eight, received a $500 check from the Parents on the Movement for the Arts (PMA). Manuel, a dancer and choreographer, received the scholarship for her long and many contributions. Manuel plans to attend the University of Iowa in the fall and major in dance and education.

"The SIUE East St. Louis Performing Arts Program staff taught me discipline, good work ethics and pushed me to go beyond my limits," said Manuel. "They never let me rest on my past successes, but kept pushing me to go further and try harder. I especially appreciated Mr. Jamison because I know he demanded excellence. But he was just as encouraging to us as he was tough."

Speech Communication Students Travel To Europe

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville speech communication students say goodbye to the traditional American classroom this summer as they journey to Europe for a four-week international public relations course.

"Ever since I started my Ph.D. work, I have had the idea that when I finished and became a professor, I would take my students abroad," said Dr. Sorin Nastasia, an assistant professor in Speech Communication. "I believe in building bridges between various populations, and a solid education must have an international component in today's globalized world."

Nastasia and a dozen students depart May 24 for Lyon, France and Bucharest, Romania, where they will spend two weeks in each country. They will learn public relations theories and practices in international settings and will meet with local faculty and PR professionals.

During the students' time in Lyon, they will study at Universite Lumiere Lyon 2. Later in Bucharest, they will study at the National University for Political Studies and Public Administration.

In addition to attending workshops and lectures at the universities, students also will shadow practitioners as well as contribute to campaigns at selected public relations firms to improve their PR knowledge and expertise.

"Students need to learn two main things: how to handle PR in international settings; and how to position themselves as citizens of the world," Nastasia said.

Students will not only learn international PR first hand, but also be exposed to the uniquely European landscapes, architecture, history and cuisine. Nastasia's goal is to have students experience as much as possible about the disparate culture and people of these two countries. He plans to connect his students to local residents while exploring different historical and cultural landmarks.

By the end of the trip, students should have an expanded understanding of the international public relations profession and an improved knowledge of basic differences between America and these two countries. The course will bolster the students' employment opportunities, including the possibility to enter the international marketplace.

"Outcomes of this trip should include students broadening their horizons and becoming more aware of worldwide current events and trends," Nastasia said.

The Excellence in Undergraduate Education (EUE) program awarded a grant to fund the Speech Communication Department's first study abroad opportunity. The grant covers all expenses except airfare and tuition, which each student will contribute $2,700 to cover.

The students are thankful for the chance at an international experience. "If it weren't for the EUE grant, I probably would have missed out on this incredible learning opportunity," said Colleen Ryan, one of the students making the trip.

As the departure date nears, the students are excited to discover Europe. One of the selected students, Dan Schmidt, spent six years in Europe in the military and is thrilled to return in a different capacity.

"I can't wait to explore Europe again," Schmidt said. "It will be exciting to be there with this enjoyable group, watching their reactions to the cultural difference … and learning along the way!"

SIUE Business Senior Returns From Manila

Jeffry Harrison, a senior from the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business, recently traveled to Manila, Philippines to represent the honor society Phi Kappa Phi at the group's induction ceremony.

Jun Sabug, a professor at the University of the Philippines in Manila welcomed Harrison as a speaker at an April 13 ceremony at the University. More than 1,200 guests attended the event at which more than 425 students from across the globe were inducted into the organization. Harrison was given a lightweight, embroidered formal garment of the Philippines, known as a Barong, to wear to the ceremony. The event opened with the national anthem and a march of colors.

Harrison's address focused on uniqueness and opportunity. He had the chance to speak with students from Ateneo de Manila University about how to become more involved in Phi Kappa Phi.

Harrison said the trip impressed upon him what it is like to be a visitor from another country.

"They kept presenting me as their guest 'international' speaker and, it emphasized that I was in fact a foreigner," he said. "Going outside of Manila and seeing the extreme difference in social classes and poverty really had an impact on me, because that isn't something you see in America very often."

Though much of Harrison's trip focused on the honor society, and meeting with business owners and students to discuss his company, Rover town, he was able to enjoy sightseeing at locations including the Taal Volcano located on the island of Luzon.

Harrison serves as the honor society's vice president of students. His role as a member of the board of directors allows him to guide current and prospective students involved with the organization.

Traveling Exhibition Tells the Story of Lincoln's Struggle to Meet The Constitutional Challenges of the Civil War

"Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War," a traveling exhibition opening at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Lovejoy Library on Wednesday June 20, 2012, examines how President Abraham Lincoln used the Constitution to confront three intertwined crises of the Civil War-the secession of Southern states, slavery and wartime civil liberties.

Lincoln is widely acknowledged as one of America's greatest presidents, but his historical reputation is contested. Was he a calculating politician willing to accommodate slavery, or a principled leader justly celebrated as the Great Emancipator? This exhibition provides no easy answers. Rather, it encourages visitors to form a nuanced view of Lincoln by engaging them with the late president's struggle to reconcile his policy preferences with basic American ideals of liberty and equality. This exhibition develops a more complete understanding of Abraham Lincoln as president, and the Civil War as the nation's gravest constitutional crisis.

Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States in 1860, at a time when the nation was on the brink of war. Lincoln struggled to resolve the basic questions that divided Americans at the most perilous moment in the nation's history: Was the United States truly one nation, or was it a confederacy of sovereign and separate states? How could a country founded on the belief that "all men are created equal" tolerate slavery? In a national crisis, would civil liberties be secure? Lincoln used the Constitution to confront these three crises of war, ultimately reinventing the Constitution and the promise of American life.

"We are delighted to have been selected as a site for this exhibition," Dean of Library and Information Services Regina McBride said. As a new president, Abraham Lincoln was faced with enormous challenges. This exhibition shows how Lincoln struggled with issues of secession, slavery and civil liberties-all questions our country's founding charter left unanswered. Each section of the exhibit features information about a different aspect of Lincoln's presidency. For example, the section about slavery examines the various policy options Lincoln once embraced and how his thoughts about slavery evolved over time. Most importantly, the exhibit helps visitors understand why Lincoln's struggle with the Constitution still matters today.

The National Constitution Center and the American Library Association Public Programs Office organized the traveling exhibition, which was made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): great ideas brought to life. The traveling exhibition is based on an exhibition of the same name developed by the National Constitution Center.

SIUE's principal investigator on this grant is Caroline Pryor, Ph.D., an associate professor in the School of Education's department of curriculum and instruction. Julia Hansen, an associate professor in Lovejoy Library, is the co-director.

The traveling exhibition is composed of informative panels featuring photographic reproductions of original documents, including a draft of Lincoln's first inaugural speech, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment.

The Library is sponsoring free programs for the public in connection with the exhibition. On July 10, 2012, at 6:30 p.m., Dr. Louis Gerteis from the University of Missouri St. Louis, will speak on "Slaves, Servants and Soldiers: Uneven Paths to Freedom in the Border States." On July23, 2012, at 4:00 p.m., two members of the SIUE Department of Historical Studies, Dr. Stephen Hansen and Dr. Jason Stacy will discuss "Lincoln and the Constitutional Problem of Homeland Security."

Contact Lovejoy Library at 618-650-4636 or visit siue.edu/lovejoylibrary for more information. "Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War" will be on display at the library until August 3, 2012.

SIUE Head Start Center Leaves Memorial For Community

For the past 24 years, children have been taught and molded at the St. Joseph's Head Start Center in East St. Louis. Both the preschoolers and the community have reaped the benefits the center has provided, helping develop area children. The center is operated by the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Head Start/Early Head Start Program.

So, as the Head Start Center is preparing to move to a new East St. Louis location, it wanted to leave something permanent behind to thank the community and commemorate its long collaboration with St. Augustine Church and the neighborhood. St. Augustine of Hippo Catholic Church, formerly known as St. Joseph, has leased the school on its East St. Louis campus to SIUE for more than 20 years.

"We've had good experiences here, and we so appreciate everything the church and community have done to support our center," said Lutricia West, center coordinator at St. Joseph Head Start. "That is why we had this memorial built outside of the school."

Michael McKinney, parent of St. Joseph student Myanna McKinney, built a six-foot wooden structure of a tree in a box. Students, parents, teachers and staff decorated the sculpture with various items that represented memorable experiences at St. Joseph. Affixed to the wooden carving are such things as rocks painted by the children, magic markers, pine cones, sticks, toy scissors, paper clips, toothbrushes and barrettes.

Currently enrolled at the St. Joseph's Head Start Center are 106 children, age's three to five.

"Everywhere I go in the area, I have met people who have said they were once students or had family members at St. Joseph's Head Start," said West. "They all recall having a wonderful experience here. St. Joseph has been a stable, significant, and historic influence in this community. Some of the children have grown up to become attorneys, medical personnel and educators."

Cougar Village Certification First In Metro East

Three years ago lightning was the culprit for gutting and demolishing a residential building in Cougar Village Apartment Complex at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Today, the eight-unit building which was rebuilt better and stronger, has earned a silver certification award from the U.S. Green Building Council. Also, the building at 529 Cougar Village is the first of its kind on the SIUE campus and in the Metro East to hold the distinction of being endorsed by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes Rating System.

The LEED green building certification program is internationally known for recognizing design and building strategies aimed at such things as energy savings, water efficiency and improved indoor air quality.

The apartment building in Cougar Village, which has sprinkler systems installed throughout, has fire and smoke alarm systems that are tied into the SIUE Police Department emergency system, Schultz said.

The new residential building is also categorized as an Energy Star Qualified Home, because it met the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) strict energy efficiency guidelines.

"I think it was the right thing to do - rebuilding it with sustainable design," said Michael Schultz, director of University Housing. "Residential Housing, of course, is part of SIUE. One of the University's values is being a good steward of the environment. Therefore, we had an obligation to build responsibly."

Emphasis On Student Achievement Wins SIUE Housing National Award

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville University Housing is always working on student success and student retention. And University Housing's recent efforts in bolstering student accomplishment has earned them the first Making Achievement Possible (MAP)-Works Overall Excellence Award from Educational Benchmarking Inc. (EBI).

SIUE took second place in the category of Housing/Residential Life, according to Michael Schultz, director of University Housing. Kathleen Gardner, associate director of Residence Life for University Housing, is the program director and nominated SIUE for the national award.

"I think it's an honor to be nationally recognized for efforts in making sure that our students are successful in their educational endeavors," Schultz said.

EBI identified those institutions committed to improving student success and retention through the use of MAP-Works and evaluated their methodology and outcomes. MAP-Works is a student success and retention program. It empowers faculty and staff to help in retention and student success by identifying at-risk students. SIUE surveyed approximately 1,100 residential first-year students, Schultz said. The two main focus areas that were identified were homesickness and the need for positive peer connections.

Some action items that Residential Life identified in helping combat the problem of homesickness included: educating staff about myths of homesickness and recognizing the warning signs, consistently following up with forlorn students and sharing homesickness statistics with first-year students to help normalize the experience.

A few ways peer connections were enhanced to improve outcomes included implementing at least one formal program dealing with interpersonal relationships, resident assistants provided resources on how to get involved on campus and professional staff developed programs, shared bulletin board and other information that address the need for peer connections.

SIUE Union Station Renovation Approved

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees gave approval at its May meeting for a $1.3 million renovation of SIU Edwardsville's Union Station convenience store. Union Station is located on the main level of SIUE's Morris University Center on campus.

The project will improve congestion in the current floor plan, as well as ADA accessibility, re-stocking functions and customer point-of-sale systems. A Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) process chose AAIC, Inc., a Collinsville architectural firm, to design the project. After designs are completed, bids will be sought.

"We are excited about the opportunity to expand the store to reduce congestion and allow access." MUC director Joseph Pearson said. "The project will approximately double the footprint of the store, offering a more open atmosphere and also allowing us to increase our "grab and go" options.

"We will be better able to serve our customers who are demanding a quick and affordable dining option, and customers shouldn't have to wait in line to do so. We do quite a bit of business in our small store currently, and we anticipate this project will allow for a better shopping/dining quick snack experience for the entire campus community."

Construction is projected to begin during the spring semester of 2013 with completion expected in summer 2013. Funding will be through the MUC's Repair, Replacement and Reserve (RRR) funds.

Career Development Center Featured on KPLR-TV

Career Development Center Associate Director Tammy Dugan appeared on KPLR-TV's The Pulse of St. Louis on Saturday, May 12, during the 7 p.m. news segment. The half-hour feature focused on current graduates and successfully managing the challenges of the job market. Dugan appeared on a panel with host Shirley Washington and representatives from Stivers Staffing Services, a national employment placement service, and Ameren Human Resources, the regional power utility.

You can view the show at the following link: http://wp.me/p1ZRmm-7AK

Tufts SDM Dean To Speak June 2 At SIU Dental Commencement

Dr. Huw F. Thomas, dean and professor of pediatric dentistry at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, will be guest speaker at the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine commencement at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 2.

Nearly 50 students will receive a doctor of dental medicine at the event in Meridian Ballroom, on the first floor of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Morris University Center. A reception for students, faculty and family members will follow the ceremony.

Thomas-a highly respected leader in dental education, an accomplished researcher and a skilled administrator-served as dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) before moving to Tufts. He has also held faculty appointments at the University of Connecticut Health Center and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where he chaired the Department of Pediatric Dentistry.

With a dental degree from Guy's Hospital at the University of London, Thomas went on to earn a pediatric dentistry certificate at the Eastman Dental Center in Rochester, N.Y., and a master's in dental research at the University of Rochester. He also holds a doctorate in biomedical sciences from the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington.

Dr. Thomas has presented more than 100 lectures and taught continuing education courses at various universities, associations and study clubs throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. He is author or co-author of more than 150 published articles, chapters and abstracts in a broad spectrum of scientific journals.

His research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health from 1985 until he assumed the dean's position at UAB in 2004. Thomas is currently involved in studies on tooth development, nutrition and infant oral health.

Dr. Thomas holds fellowships in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American College of Dentists, and the International College of Dentists. A former chair of the American Dental Education Association Council of Deans, Thomas is currently vice president for deans on the board of directors of the American Dental Education Association.

He has also served as chair of the Section on Dentistry and Oral Health Sciences of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2010, Dr. Thomas received the Award for Excellence from the Society for Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine.

A&I Ends 2011-12 Season With Operatic-Like Tribute To Edwardsville

Squonk Opera, a multimedia performance troupe touring the country with its "hometown opera" series for the past six years, will perform its final performance of the series-Edwardsville: The Opera-at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 6, at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Two members of the troupe spent more than four days interviewing some 25 local residents, while gathering historical photos, taking video throughout Edwardsville and working with local dancers. The group calls the series "site-specific operas that adapts to each host community, weaving hometown documentation with Squonk's aural and visual trickery" and a "meta-civic celebration, with an original score … a heartfelt toast and a punk-vaudevillian roast."

The performance will take place in the theater at SIUE's Dunham Hall. The performance, co-sponsored by the SIUE Credit Union, is the final event of the University's 2011-12 Arts & Issues series and also is part of the SIUE Xfest 3.0, the University's third annual experimental theater festival.

For more than 25 years, SIUE's Arts & Issues series has brought great performers and distinguished speakers to Southwestern Illinois. The official media sponsors for A&I are the Edwardsville Intelligencer and KWMU-FM, while the series official hotel sponsor is Hampton Inn and Suites. The 2011-12 Arts & Issues season is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

While highlighting the distinct characteristics of each community, Squonk's avant-garde performances combine music, sound and image with innovative video, slapstick comedy and unexpected surprises. Squonk Opera has performed on Broadway, in Europe and South Korea, across the United States, and in a Pittsburgh junkyard with earthmovers and choreographed cranes.

Arts & Issues Director Grant Andree said Squonk Opera will present an unusual but entertaining performance with subject matter that will be near and dear to residents of the area. "Members of the troupe told me that they have enjoyed discovering how each city sees itself, as a whole and within its diverse communities.

"In having fun with using Edwardsville and its residents as a backdrop," Andree said, "the troupe also focuses on community, allowing us to see what makes opera life-like and life operatic…or not."

SIUE's Xfest 3.0 welcomes theater companies from across the nation to entertain, inspire and spark creativity on campus and in the community. This year's Xfest aims to provide rich learning experiences designed specifically with college-level theater enthusiasts in mind, as well as offering special pricing for interested groups.

For additional information about the Arts & Issues series or about Xfest , call (618) 650-5774. More information about Arts & Issues is available through the website: artsandissues.com and Xfest 3.0 through its website: siue.edu/xfest.

SIUE Business Students Honored For Their Accomplishments

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business recently honored some 70 students for academic excellence and leadership at the School's Annual Scholarship and Awards Program.

The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. David Ault, emeritus professor in economics and finance, who also underwrites the Beta Gamma Sigma Award. The ceremony commenced with student remarks from Jeffry Harrison, a senior business student who is the recipient of the Cox Scholarship and serves as the vice president of national honor society Phi Kappa Phi's board of directors.

"The School of Business is fortunate to have the generous support of individuals, corporations and organizations that provide much needed assistance to deserving students, many of which may not be able to attend SIUE if not for scholarships," said Marilyn Marsho, director of development for the school. "The Scholarship and Awards Program is an excellent way to recognize outstanding performance of students. It also allows us to recognize our scholarship sponsors as well as introduce sponsors to the recipients of their scholarships."

The SIUE School of Business is among an elite 5 percent of business schools worldwide that have earned prestigious accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB). The accounting program at SIUE also has AACSB accreditation, among only 11 percent of business schools in the United States and Canada to hold that distinction.

ILLINOIS:

BUNKER HILL: Aaron N. Hanks-The BKD Scholarship;

BUSHNELL: Lesli L. Kline-The Stuart E. White Accounting Scholarship;

BELLEVILLE: Brennan P. Wilde-The SyllogistTeks Scholarship;

BREESE: James F. Foppe-The John F. and Diane L. Schrage Scholarship;

John H. Gause III-The Kloos Student Scholarship;

CANTON: Abby J. Tonkin-The Stuart E. White Accounting Scholarship;

CHICAGO: Tarsha A. Moore-The Hortica Insurance & Employee Benefits Scholarship;

COLLINSVILLE: Mackenzie L. Davis-The Ameren Illinois Scholarship;

Mark Hoge-The Charles Alvin Wentz, Jr. MBA Scholarship;

EAST ST. LOUIS: Dominic T. Williams-The Messing Family Scholarship;

EDWARDSVILLE:

Joseph M. Allaria-The Lawrence B. Heitz Scholarship;

Scott T. Berkel-The James C. Fowler Scholarship in Business;

Amy Ramlow-Delta Sigma Pi Key Award;

Joseph A. Randazzo-The Mary R. Sumner Scholarship in CMIS;

Brittany N. Vaughn-The Rotary Club of Edwardsville Scholarship;

Randy Venhaus-The Jensen Baeske Group Scholarship;

EFFINGHAM: Blake T. Huelskoetter-The George E. Aramula Scholarship in CMIS;

GILLESPIE: Courtney E. Ostendorf-The Jerome Hollenhorst Scholarship;

GLEN CARBON: Bryson W. Jackstadt-The Edward K. Brennar Award in Business Management;

GRANITE CITY:

HIGHLAND: Christopher J. Miles-The John W. and Jane R. Mosser Scholarship;

JERSEYVILLE: Magdalene J. Amburg-The Sarah Sullivan Award in Management;

WEST FRANKFORT: Joseph Schuit-The First Choice Scholars Award;

MAHOMET: Kelsey N. Norris-The Enterprise Student Leader of the Semester Award;

MARISSA: Kelsey M. Laminack-The Wilbur L. Campbell, Jr. Outstanding Student Leadership Award;

MARYVILLE: Aaron M. Semanek-The Harold Boeschenstein Award in Marketing;

MATOON: Lauren N. Fairchild- The RubinBrown Accounting Scholarship;

MORTON: Sarah A. Hendricks-The Boeing Company Scholarship and The E.R. Casstevens Award for Excellence in Business Communications;

MULBERRY GROVE: Paul K. Cayo-The Marian & Boulton Miller Award;

NEW DOUGLAS: Andrea Kuttin-The Delta Sigma Pi Key Award;

NORMAL: Matthew A. Cable-The R. Marty Burns Memorial Scholarship;

NEW LENOX: Mary Kate Reed-The FEI Scholarship;

OLYMPIA FIELD: Andrew Barnes-Harry & Lena Rosner Memorial Scholarship;

PLAINFIELD: Debra A. Belobraydich-The Boeing Company Scholarship;

Stephanie M. Bloch-The International Business Society Award and The Delta Sigma Pi Key Award;

RED BUD: Jennifer I. Seders-The Robert A. & Margaret K. Schulteis Scholarship and The Jerry Francis Sitek Information Systems Award;

SPRINGFIELD: Nicholas M. Zyznieuski-Thomas DuHadway Memorial Scholarship;

TROY: Michael Healy-The Frank Staggers Award for Excellence in Marketing Research;

VANDALIA: Sarah R. Hutchison-Accounting Alumni Award;

WARRENSBURG: Evanne R. Ellis-The Waterways Management Scholarship;

WATERLOO: Michael C. Huestch-The Phoenix Fund Scholarship;

Emily Eschmann-The John W. Leonard Scholarship;

WOODLAWN: Bronson L. Verhines-The Enterprise Rent-A-Car Emerging Leader Scholarship;

OUT OF STATE:

BELGRADE, SERBIA: Nikola Bundalo-The Jensen Baeske Group Scholarship and The Economics Alumni Graduate Student Scholarship;

XIANYANG, CHINA: Xiang Zhang-The Jay Dunstan Memorial Scholarship;

MYRTLE BEACH, SC: Aaron J. Hecker-The Robert S. Hoeke Scholarship;

PARKER, CO: Kevin C. Caraker-The Robert R. Phillips Study Abroad Memorial Scholarship.

Foreign Trade Zone Conference Comes To Metro East

The International Trade Center (ITC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, in conjunction with others, will present the Foreign Trade Zone Conference from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, at America's Central Port FTZ #3, Warehouse 3B, 1201 West First Street, Granite City. Registration, a continental breakfast and networking will begin at 8 a.m.

The free seminar will give an overview of economic advantages that can be achieved through the use of the foreign trade zone. The morning speakers and their topics include: Daniel Griswold, president of the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones, "Foreign-Trade Zones: A Home Run for Economic Development;" and Lesley Couch, director of Foreign-Trade Zones Services, Sandler & Travis Trade Associates, "The ABC's of the Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) Program."

The FTZ Program offers tariff benefits and other savings to U.S. importers/exporters and provides incentives to retain and create jobs in the region. Some specific benefits include: import duty reduction or elimination on products manufactured, assembled, or processed in an FTZ, duty reduction or elimination on imported goods warehoused in an FTZ, U.S. duty elimination when goods are re-exported from an FTZ to a foreign county or another FTZ, improved cash flow, scrap and waste benefits. These advantages are especially important to the automotive, apparel, communications, electronics, pharmaceutical and industrial machinery industries.

A luncheon will feature "Round Table Discussions with the Experts." The conference will end with site tours of local Foreign Trade Zone facilities at Gateway Commerce Center and America's Central Port.

The event is free, but space is limited to the first 100 people registered. To sign up, please visit americascentralport.com/events or email Internatonal-Trade-Center@siue.edu . For further information, please call (618) 452-8440 or (618) 650-3851.

Representatives from the Illinois International Trade Center Network, the Illinois Office of Trade, the Illinois Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Commerce will be available for one-on-one consultations.

The ITC is part of the Illinois Small Business Development Center at SIUE. The FTZ Conference is also being sponsored by America's Central Port, Mid-America Airport and the Gateway Commerce Center.

Caregiver Traineeship Program Celebrates First Graduating Class

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing, in partnership with the East St. Louis Christian Activity Center, celebrated The Caregiver Traineeship Program's first graduating class during the first week of May at the Christian Activity Center. Twenty members of the graduating class were joined by more than 80 family members and friends supporting their success.

The Caregiver Traineeship Program was designed by School of Nursing faculty. Kathi Thimsen, director of the SIUE Community Nursing Services/School of Nursing in East St. Louis, directs a staff that includes SIUE Health Education interns FiFi Oussa and Stephanie Thomas.

"We are excited about this program as it has emerged from a partnership between members of the community, Christian Activity Center director Reverend Chet Cantrel and SIUE," Thimsen said. "This is just one example of what can be achieved when everyone communicates needs and then pools the available resources."

East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks attended and addressed the graduates with words of congratulations and encouragement saying, "The training is yours. You earned it and no one can ever take that from you." Parks also cited the SIUE School of Nursing's commitment to the community through Thimsen's efforts to bring economic opportunities to East St. Louis in addition to the health care services provided through its clinics at the East St. Louis Center.

The SIUE Caregiver Program brings an interdisciplinary approach between nursing and health education to East St. Louis community members to not only address a need for an increase in skilled caregivers, but also provide job opportunities.

To learn more about the program, please contact the SIUE Community Nursing Service at (618) 482-6959 for additional information. The latest Caregiver Traineeship Program began May 15 at the Christian Activity Center.

Parents Honored At Head Start Luncheon

Estefany Munoz of Bluffview has learned English well enough that she no longer needs a translator at her doctor's appointments. Denice Proctor of East St. Louis is now employed and Debra Cotton of Cahokia, a 60-year-old grandmother, recently graduated with honors from her technical course.

These three women were among many parents honored at the recent Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Head Start/Early Head Start's 29th Annual Parent Training and Recognition Luncheon. The women credit much of their success to the SIUE Head Start Program.

"For three years we have been a part of the SIUE Head start family," said Proctor who has a four-year-old son, Jeremiah, in the Home Base Option program. "I attribute my gainful employment to Head Start. I have worked as a cafeteria aide, a substitute teacher and in May began training as a school bus driver."

It has taken commitment and hard work on the side of program and the parents of the program to arrive at what's best for children - "school readiness," said G. Lynnie Bailey, SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start program director.

Those Head Start parents who were selected to attend the training and awards luncheon had made achievements in education and work, had consistently volunteered and made valuable contributions to the program.

One category of parents who received awards were the "Success Families," who overcame obstacles, achieved personal success and took a role in helping educate and prepare their children for learning. This year's Success Families from the following Head Start Centers include: Belleville - Ebone Jackson and Lea Pickens; Bluffview - Kyra Hardy and Estefany Munoz; Cahokia - Deborah Cotton, Brandi Gilliam and Freddie Mosley; Discovery Center - Teresa James and Danielle Lane; East St. Louis School District #189 - Angela Davis, Jerry Miller, Kanika Reed, Victor Robinson and Lanell Thomas; Lovejoy - Keisha Gray, Robyn Jones and LaRhonda Steele; Private Mathison - Montrice Paulette; St. Joseph - Linda Eiland and Candrice Jones; and Tenth Street - Shakota Griffin.

Other award categories for parents included Male Involvement, Volunteers, Head Start Policy Council, Perfect Attendance and Training and Education.

"The luncheon was fun enough for our Head Start children to enjoy, but it was our Head Start parents who got to appreciate the creativity of the presenters," said Lisa Tate, Head Start program operations coordinator and luncheon master of ceremonies.

About 175 parents stood, danced and mimicked the moves of Cahokia Head Start teacher, Rebecca Jones, who played the children's song: "Ooga Booga Boogie," by Jack Hartmann. Jones' presentation was to encourage parents to help their children with movement, exercise and coordination, all while having fun.

Other teacher demonstrations involved parents utilizing items at the center of each table at the luncheon. Head Start instructors demonstrated a variety of common household items that they converted to tools of learning. For instance, a plain white paper plate was the "canvas" for cool whip mixed with edible food coloring. Parents used the cool whip to "finger paint" on the paper plate.

"There's so much parents can do with their children to assist in their learning and get them ready for school. And it doesn't have to cost a lot of money," said Bailey.

SIUE Alumnus Speaks on Behalf of Engineering Careers

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Alumnus Megan Harris recently spoke at Macomb Senior High School about the benefits of pursuing an engineering degree.

Harris graduated from SIUE with a bachelor's in Industrial Engineering and a master's in Engineering Management. She stated that students who want to pursue a career in engineering should be good critical thinkers, creative problem solvers and be curious about how things work.

After completing her education at SIUE, Harris was hired by The Boeing Co. and has been employed at Boeing Defense, Space & Security in St. Louis since 2009. More information regarding Harris' presentation can be found at McDonoughVoice.com.

Luer Named Associate Dean of SIUE School of Pharmacy

Mark S. Luer from the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy has been named associate dean for professional and student affairs.

School of Pharmacy Dean Gireesh Gupchup made the appointment, which was confirmed by the SIU Board of Trustees at its regular May meeting last week on the SIUE campus.

"Dr. Luer has been the founding chair of the department of pharmacy practice since 2004," Gupchup said. "He has built a strong department in which faculty and students have received recognition at the state and national levels in pharmacy practice related areas.

"He has been integrally involved in the development of programs and policies for the School of Pharmacy, and since 2010 he has served as our director of clinical programs. In that role, he has fostered the development of affiliated residencies and established a foundation for clinical program expansion."

Clinical Professor Cynthia Wuller led the national search that resulted in Luer's selection from a pool of 10 candidates. The six-month process began in September 2011 and culminated with Luer's recommendation in late February 2012.

Prior to joining the SIUE faculty, Luer held faculty positions at the University of Illinois-Chicago College of Pharmacy and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy. He earned bachelor's and doctorate degrees in pharmacy from the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. He completed two residencies and a research fellowship at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. Luer also completed the AACP Academic Leadership Fellows Program (ALFP) in 2006 and is a Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.

Progress Being Made On SIUE's New Science Building

An article that appeared in the May 4 online edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch titled, "New Science Building at SIUE is addressing a big campus need," highlights the progress being made on the completion of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's new science building. The structure is expected to be open in spring 2013.

The article talks about the distinct features of the structure and continues that the new 136,000-square-foot science building is being constructed to LEED Gold standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council. The new building and renovations to the existing facility will allow the University to accommodate growth and offer its students, faculty and staff access to the newest equipment available.

School of Dental Medicine's Jain Warns What Energy Drinks Do To Teeth

In a recent article that appeared on NPR.org (National Public Radio) titled Energy Drinks Can Take Teeth On An Irreversible Acid Trip , Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine Associate Professor Dr. Poonam Jain discussed the dangers of consuming sports and energy drinks, and the role these beverages can play in promoting irreversible tooth decay.

"We are well aware of the damage that sugar does in the mouth and in the whole body - the role it can play in obesity, diabetes, etc.," Jain said in the article. "But the average consumer is not very well aware that acid does all kinds of damage, too."

According to the study more tooth enamel was lost from exposure to energy drinks than sports drinks, but both substances were attributed to enamel loss. Jain noted in the article, which was published May 3, that consuming citric acid-found in the drinks and linked to causing the enamel erosion-also can cause bone loss and kidney stones.

SIUE Graduate Overcomes Brain Tumor, Earns Degree

In an article that appeared May 6 in the The Belleville News-Democrat, recent Southern Illinois University Edwardsville graduate Katie Lundy recounts her journey to overcome a brain tumor and go on to graduate with bachelor's degrees in psychology and speech communication this spring.

Lundy's story was told in an article titled 'Believe': SIUE Grad Katie Lundy didn't let brain tumor slow her down . Since 5th grade there has rarely been a time when Lundy wasn't undergoing some type of chemotherapy treatment to treat a benign, inoperable brain tumor, the article stated.

Currently Lundy, who lives in Edwardsville, works as an intern at Fleishman-Hillard, a public relations and marketing company in St. Louis, and assists with her mother's business. During her time at SIUE, she was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority and raised money for charities, including the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. She served as a member of Colleges Against Cancer and the SIUE Psychology Club. The article also stated that the Katie Lundy Foundation's annual spring golf tournament has raised more than $120,000 for the Children's Miracle Network and other charities.

NCERC Researchers Produce First Cellulosic Ethanol From Corn Kernel

Researchers at The NCERC today announced that they have successfully produced ethanol from the cellulosic portion of the corn kernel.

"This research is demonstrated proof of the viability of 'generation 2.0 ethanol,'" NCERC Director John Caupert said. "By utilizing existing technologies readily available in the commercial marketplace, the NCERC was able to produce a biofuel that builds upon the strengths of conventional corn ethanol and the promise of cellulosic ethanol, thus making bolt-on cellulosic ethanol a reality."

Caupert added that the potential for cellulosic ethanol has significant immediate and long-term impacts on the biofuels industry generally and the ethanol industry specifically.

"Any of the 211 existing ethanol plants in the United States could be retrofitted with existing bolt-on technologies to produce cellulosic ethanol from corn without the need to build new facilities," Caupert said. "This translates into opportunities for jobs and economic development, particularly in rural areas.

According to the Illinois Renewable Fuels Association, the ethanol industry provides more than 4,000 full-time jobs with an economic impact exceeding $5.29 billion in Illinois alone. There are currently 14 ethanol plants online in the state.

NCERC Assistant Director of Biological Research Sabrina Trupia emphasized the importance of the demonstration in future research opportunities.

"This is a significant milestone with immediate industry impact, but producing cellulosic ethanol from corn bran is also proof that cellulosic ethanol could be produced at NCERC utilizing any cellulosic feedstock," Trupia said. "From a research perspective, this is only the first step in a very exciting road toward a future of energy security."

The NCERC credits a series of actions, grants and capital gifts for making the research possible, including the formation of the NCERC Technical Advisory Committee in 2008, the Center's 2009 Advanced Biofuels Initiative, and two significant capital gift donations: a corn fractionation system (2010) and fermentation suite (2011). These steps were complemented by a research and development grant through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

"It's the culmination of four years of activity here at the Center, and a shining example of a public-private partnership that works," Caupert said. "With our expanded fermentation capabilities, the Center is actively seeking industry, academic, and government agency partnerships."

About the Center

The NCERC at SIUE is a nationally-recognized research center dedicated to the development and commercialization of biofuels, specialty chemicals, and other renewable compounds. Established through federal and state initiatives, with support from the Illinois and National Corn Growers Associations, the Center promotes rural development and economic stimulus and is providing tomorrow's workforce with the skills needed to meet the challenges of a changing energy environment. Designated as a Bio refining Center of Excellence, the Center assists in developing the technologies needed to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil and provide consumers with economically sound and environmentally responsible fuel options. Research initiatives in renewable energy at the Center are supported through grants, contracts and donor contributions. For more information, contact Courtney Breckenridge at 618-401-9218 or cbreckenridge@ethanolresearch.com or visit www.ethanolresearch.com.

About SIUE

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) is a nationally recognized university dedicated to educating and developing professional and community leaders through its excellent faculty and academic programs. With a student-to-teacher ratio of 17-to-1, SIUE offers the advantages of a small, liberal arts college with the lowest tuition of all 12 state universities in Illinois. The emphasis on undergraduate education, complemented by faculty research, creates practical applications for student learning. In fall 2011, SIUE reached the largest overall enrollment in the history of the University with 14,235 students. In fiscal year 2011, SIUE faculty and staff received more than $34 million in grants and contracts for research, teaching and service initiatives. Only 25 minutes from downtown St. Louis, the SIUE campus is situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River's rich bottom land. SIUE has been shaping the future in the St. Louis Metro Area since 1957, offering quality undergraduate and graduate programs combined with a solid commitment to the economic development of Southwestern Illinois.

SIUE Science Team Wins EPA Recognition

Soon it may be possible for Americans to partly improve their health by eating mushrooms enriched with a mineral nutrient called selenium. And it could be said that it was partially due to the efforts of a Southern Illinois University Edwardsville science project team.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the SIUE science team with an Honorable Mention at its recent People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) competition in Washington, D.C. The SIUE students included: Samuel Haddad, a senior biological sciences major, Jie Hong, a graduate environmental sciences student, and Jennifer Morrissy, a graduate environmental sciences student. Dr. Zhiqing Lin, associate professor of biological sciences and environmental sciences, was their advisor. The team was chosen in the EPA's second and final phase of the competition, which awarded and recognized college and university teams for their innovative environmental solutions.

The EPA competition was held during the 8th Annual National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall. More than 45 teams, including SIUE, showcased their projects designed to protect the environment, encourage economic growth and use natural resources more sustainably. Fifteen university and college teams from across the country were awarded more than $1 million in grants. SIUE did not receive money in the last round, but was given an honorable mention.

"We were very proud of our project," Haddad said.

In the first phase of the EPA's competition, which occurred last year, the SIUE team was awarded a $14,539 grant to demonstrate their research idea. The students proposed evaluating the use of selenium-laden plant wastes from the San Joaquin Valley in Central California to produce selenium-enriched edible mushrooms.

"Selenium is naturally reoccurring in the soil, so there are traces of it in our food," said Morrissy. "At very high levels, selenium can be harmful."

High levels of selenium were detected in agricultural soil and drainage in Central California, said Haddad.

"In the western part of the San Joaquin Valley where there are high levels of naturally occurring selenium, they began to see some reproductive issues and even death in birds and fish," Morrissy said.

That's not to say that humans would be affected, Haddad added, at least not yet.

Treating the polluted soil and agriculture drainage would be the first step, the team surmised. Plants were planted and used to clean up the over-rich selenium soil and drainage, Lin said.

The second part of their research dealt with making a healthier mushroom. The students tested 10 different kinds of edible mushrooms, such as White Button, Portabella and Oyster mushrooms, to measure their selenium contents. What they found were very small amounts in most of the mushrooms.

"What we propose to do then is to treat mushroom growth substrates and raise the levels of selenium," said Haddad.

The students propose to take the plants used to treat the over-rich selenium soil in California, turn them into compost and use it to grow mushrooms.

"We're testing the mushrooms to get the right selenium concentration and a safe number," Haddad said.

The researchers also are collaborating with Kristine Jarden, a lecturer in management and marketing in the SIUE School of Business. Jarden's senior class is working on ways to commercialize the technology involved in the students' project, Lin said.

SIUE Offers Variety Of Summer Camps For Children

Summer is here and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville welcome children to campus for fun, interactive camps.

Children can participate in a wide assortment of camps that focus on art and design, science, writing, music or theater and dance. The camps, for children from first grade through high school, offer educational opportunities that combine recreation with instructional learning.

The University's Division 1 Athletic teams will offer sports camps, instructed by the school's athletes and coaches. Camps in basketball, soccer, volleyball, track and field, wrestling and softball are for those in the second grade through high school.

A complete listing of summer camp offerings, registration forms and contact information are available at www.siue.edu/summercamps.

Children who attend SIUE's 2012 summer camps will enjoy an exciting and safe place to be active this summer.

WSIE-FM To Conduct On-Air Fund Drive May 18-20

WSIE-FM (88.7)-The Jazz Station, broadcasting at 50,000 watts from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, will be conducting an on-air fund drive from 5 p.m. Friday, May 18, to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 20, with scheduled breaks in between.

During the weekend, special guests will visit the station studio to chat with on-air personalities Dick Ulett and Jason Valentine, newsperson Tricia Siekmann and WSIE General Manager Greg Conroy.

Scheduled visitors include guitarist Rick Haydon, head of the SIUE Jazz Studies Program; SIUE College of Arts and Sciences Dean Aldemaro Romero, host of "Segue" on Sunday mornings; SIUE Vice Chancellor for University Relations Patrick Hundley; jazz guitarist Tom Byrne; and Delano Redmond, head of the jazz music program at East St. Louis High School.

At 6 p.m. Saturday, Ryan Sheehan and his Big Band Show airs with music of the great jazz orchestras, past and present, from Glenn Miller to Gordon Goodwin. Justin Wingerter, host of WSIE's Rat Pack Show on Saturday nights, will welcome Dean Christopher, a St. Louis-based comedian who specializes in impressions of the members of that legendary Vegas group of entertainers. The Rat Pack Show, a weekly show and part of the fund-raising weekend, will begin at 7 p.m. that Saturday.

The station will offer new WSIE premium items for giveaway at various levels of funding including a beverage tumbler and a stylish desk clock as well as CD selections from the MaxJazz recording label in St. Louis. In addition, donors may choose to host their very own two-hour jazz show or receive underwriting messages throughout a given day, all for higher levels of giving.

Conroy said proceeds will benefit the station's equipment and operating funds. "The first on-air fund-raiser the station had conducted in two decades aired in December," Conroy said, "and it was fairly successful, but we need to air these twice annually." Some of the needs of the station include a transmitter generator, additional studio soundproofing, replacement audio system components and music library enhancements.

"I realize our listeners don't really want to hear us talk about financial need, especially in this economic climate," Conroy said, "but most of our funding comes from our loyal listeners, so this becomes a necessary evil. We think this weekend will be uniquely entertaining, while we play great jazz in between the fund-raising portions of the weekend."

WSIE-FM-The Jazz Station broadcasts 24/7 with news, public affairs, SIUE Cougar Sports and, most of all, great modern American jazz for the St. Louis region. The station's phone-a-thon is part of the University's ongoing $50 million capital campaign known as the "Defining Excellence: The Campaign for SIUE." More than $30 million has already been contributed to the campaign

Vice Chancellor Hundley, who also is executive director of the SIUE Foundation, said the campaign allows "our supporters and alumni to invest in our momentum. Their generous gifts will keep SIUE's quality educational opportunities affordable for all students," Hundley said. "We will be seeking further support from alumni, corporate leaders and the community.

"SIUE creates opportunities for students to receive a top-ranked education," he said. "More than half of our 90,000 graduates live and work in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, and SIUE makes a $471 million economic impact on our region every year."

SIU Board Of Trustees Approves SIUE AY 12-13 Tuition Increase

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees today approved tuition rates for the 2012-13 academic year that call for a $318 increase (4.8 percent) over last year for first-time, in-state students. A $192 annual increase (3.0 percent) also will be implemented for graduate students at SIUE for the coming fall. The overall tuition increases were approved during the board's regular meeting conducted on the SIUE campus.

In addition, the board also approved other tuition changes that will mean an annual increase for accelerated nursing students, graduate students and for students enrolled in the professional schools of Dental Medicine and Pharmacy.

Under the rates approved today, the annual tuition rate will be $6,948 for new undergraduate students entering this fall. Undergraduate students currently in a guaranteed tuition plan will not see an increase in their annual tuition rate. Students in the SIUE Graduate School will pay $6,504 in tuition.

The board also approved a four percent hike to $22,100 annual tuition for the SIUE School of Pharmacy, a five percent increase to $27,720 annual tuition at the SIU School of Dental Medicine and a four percent increase to $18,249 annual tuition over 66 credit hours for the Accelerated Bachelor Studies in Nursing program.

SIUE Fee Changes Approved By SIU Board of Trustees

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees today approved fee-related changes that will affect the SIU Edwardsville campus, including changes in the student fees for Information Technology, Intercollegiate Athletics and textbook rental, during their meeting on the SIUE campus.

Other student fee changes approved include those for Housing occupancy, Student Fitness Center, the Student Welfare and Activity (SWAF) fee, University Center fee and the Facilities fee.

The Information Technology fee will change from $6.65 per credit hour to $6.85, resulting in a full-time undergraduate student paying $205.50 annually (two academic semesters of 15 hours each) compared with $199.50 that is currently paid for two semesters. This fee helps defray the costs of supporting computing resources and networking infrastructure on campus.

A full-time undergraduate student (15 credit hours) will pay an Intercollegiate Athletics fee of $165.70 per semester beginning in the fall, a change from the current rate of $160.85. The proposed increase of $4.85 per semester will support the annual operating expenses associated with an NCAA Division I program and will move the program toward established fund balance targets.

Textbook rental fees will increase by $9 per semester effective fall 2012. The textbook rental fee is assessed at the same rates year-round. The semester rate for 15 hours will increase from $166.50 to $175.50. The increase will offset other inflationary operating cost increases in salaries and general administrative costs, provide necessary levels of service and maintain an appropriate fund balance.

Below is a chart of the proposed changes in other student fees:

Annually (for a full-time student enrolled in 15 hours or more during fall and spring)

FY12 FY13 Change

• Student Fitness Ctr. $159.60 $163.50 +$ 3.90

• SWAF $219.90 $225.80 +$ 5.90

• University Ctr. $303.90 $313.50 + 9.60

• Facilities Maint. $540.00 $555.00 +$15.00

The Board also approved changes in SIUE's housing rental fees for the fall term:

Rental rates for freshmen residing in a shared room at Woodland, Prairie and Bluff residence halls will be $2,635 per semester compared with the current charge of $2,560. Housing rates at Evergreen Hall will be $2,800 per semester for a shared bedroom in an apartment compared with $3,640 per semester for a private bedroom in an apartment or a private suite rate of $3,170 per semester.

Upperclassmen residing in Cougar Village Apartments will pay $2,005 per semester for a shared room compared with $1,945 currently paid per semester, while a single room will cost $2,975 per semester compared with the current $2,890 rate.

Families in Cougar Village, now paying $960 per month for a two-bedroom, unfurnished apartment, will pay $990 in the fall. The same family paying $1,125 per month now for a furnished two-bedroom apartment will pay $1,160 per month this fall. Families in a three-bedroom unfurnished apartment now paying $1,080 per month will pay $1,110 per month this fall; a three-bedroom furnished is now $1,260 per month and will be $1,300 this fall.

Weinberg Named Assoc. Provost for Research and Grad School Dean

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Interim Provost Ann Boyle has named Jerry Weinberg the associate provost for research and dean of the SIUE Graduate School. The appointment was approved by the Board of Trustees today.

"Dr. Weinberg is a proven, effective problem solver who has contributed many helpful changes in the Graduate School and Office of Research while serving as the acting associate provost and dean," Boyle said. "Coupling that with his academic background, experience with research and his understanding of SIUE as a Master's Comprehensive University with a teacher/scholar model, he was the best candidate in a highly qualified pool."

Search Committee Chair Dr. Stephen Hansen, professor of historical studies and former dean of the Graduate School, led the 6-month national search that began with a pool of 31 candidates.

"I commend Dr. Hansen and the search committee for their careful and thorough work in conducting the search." Boyle said. "They devoted their time and effort in support of the Graduate School and the Office of Research and Projects. It is deeply appreciated."

"I am honored and excited to be a part of creating an environment that supports and nourishes the innovative spirit of SIUE's faculty and graduate students," Weinberg said. "Our modern economy depends on the progress of ideas. There is no more important time than now for new discoveries in science, development of new technologies and the creativity of the arts."

Weinberg, who earned a Ph.D. in computer science from Vanderbilt University in Nashville in 1996, has served as the acting associate provost for research and dean of the SIUE Graduate School since July 2010. During that time, he advanced the activities of the unit to strengthen both the graduate operations and its scholarly efforts. He increased travel support for faculty, developed and offered new internal programs to support faculty in the submission of external grant proposals, oversaw the creation of a new research and creative activities website, increased attendance at the Graduate School Open House and brought the graduate program assessment process under the shared governance structure of the Graduate School.

Prior to serving in the acting position, Weinberg was the department chair of computer science in the SIUE School of Engineering from 2005-2010. He joined the SIUE faculty in 1996.

In addition to his strong record of service at SIUE, Weinberg brings considerable experience to the role as demonstrated by an outstanding record of scholarship in the field of robotics. He has more than 60 published articles, book chapters, proceedings and technical reports; receipt of significant external funding of approximately $1.9 million as principal or co-principal investigator for research and education projects from state and federal agencies (including the National Science Foundation); and also has substantive experience in graduate education as a professor, mentor and thesis advisor.

SIU Board of Trustees Approves SIUE Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees today approved the appointment of Julie A. Furst-Bowe (BO-vee) as the eighth chancellor in SIU Edwardsville's history. The board's approval came during its regularly scheduled May meeting on the SIUE campus. Furst-Bowe will officially assume her duties July 2.

SIU President Glenn Poshard introduced Furst-Bowe at a press conference in SIUE's Morris University Center on April 26. She succeeds Dr. Vaughn Vandegrift, who is retiring effective July 1, after a highly successful eight-year tenure.

Furst-Bowe has served as provost and vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wis., since 2005. In her role as the chief academic officer for the campus, she has supervised the academic colleges and the following units: Enrollment Services, Student Services, International Education, Stout Online and the Discovery Center: Applied Research, Economic Development and Technology Transfer.

Furst-Bowe earned an Ed.D. in work, family and community education in 1995 from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis where she also achieved a professional certificate in human resource development during the same year. She earned a master's of science in media technology from UW-Stout in 1986. The Chippewa Falls, Wis., native graduated magna cum laude from UW-Eau Claire in 1985 with a bachelor's in journalism.

"The Other 40" Showcases Business Talent At SIUE

Because it has been reported that roughly 60 percent of business enterprises fail, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's School of Business and the Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization (CEO) joined forces for the annual "The Other 40," a showcase of student talent and enterprise to promote business success. The business pitch competition recently was held in the Morris University Center on campus.

Created last year by senior business students Drew Foster and Matt McElwee, the event was organized to promote student entrepreneurship and innovation by providing individuals with the resources, skills and incentives required to launch businesses from initiation to incorporation. More than $10,000 in cash and support was awarded to the top three students and/or student groups based on innovation, achievement and growth potential.

Each of the winning ideas was awarded a professional service support package in addition to their cash prize. This year, the primary funding for the competition came from the School of Business. Additional future support for the competition will come from a $120,000 grant to the School of Business for entrepreneurship education from John (MBA '75) and Eileen Martinson of Lawrenceville, N.J. through The Martinson Family Foundation.

Participants in the program took part in a series of entrepreneurship workshops aimed at helping them build the skills they would need to succeed in the competition, as well as in later business pursuits. The students were required to submit a one-page executive summary outlining their business plan. Those selected based on the one-page executive summary were asked to submit a full business plan. After reviewing the business plans, the finalists were chosen to make a "pitch," presenting their idea in less than three minutes before a panel.

Some 35 ideas were submitted for consideration and eight were selected to present in the final round. The panel was composed of Darryl Tyler of PNC Bank; Gayla Moore, President of Nevco, Inc.; and Birton Cowden, founder of U-Win Strategies and a Ph.D. student in entrepreneurship at St. Louis University.

Members of CEO, including the organization's president Jon Lee and CFO and vice president Jen Niebrugge consulted with SIUE School of Business leadership to organize the competition.

"I'm very proud of them," said Tim Schoenecker, CEO's faculty advisor and an associate professor of management and marketing. "The leadership team worked very hard to put this competition together and it shows."

Winners of the 2012 "The Other 40" competition are:

• $5,000 for first place-Chico Weber, a senior engineering major, for MOREG Industries.

Weber's pitch was for a portable wind powered electricity generating unit that could be used in either the residential or commercial market.

• $2,500 for second place-Ron Brier, a senior business student, for Mathnasium.

Mathnasium is a mathematics learning and tutoring center.

• $1,000 for third place-Jomo Akpore, graduate student of Arts & Science, Scott Adcock, senior in Arts & Science, Cory Beck, graduate student in Business, Tyler Biekert, senior in Arts & Science, Nick Santella, a senior in Education, and Chance Webb for Keotty.

Keotty is an ecommerce business focusing on custom clothing.

Finalists include:

•Greg Homrighous, graduate student in business - allGreenSigns, LLP.

•Keith Heden, a senior majoring in business, and Logan Brown, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences - eBUS.

•Traig Henson, a junior business major - EZ Park

•Ryan McCullough, a senior majoring in business - BioPicks

•Ryan Wilson, senior majoring in business - ShopHeap.

The Gardens At SIUE On Display At Spring Open House

WHAT: The Gardens at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Spring Open House

WHEN: 4:30- 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 11, 2012

WHERE: 6 Arboretum Lane, SIUE Campus, Edwardsville, IL 62026

Meet Jane Drake, the new director of The Gardens at SIUE, take a walking tour, enter a prize drawing and see what's blooming at The Gardens' spring open house.

Free parking is available in the lot on Arboretum Lane. For more information, please contact thegardens@siue.edu or call (618) 650-3070.

Peggy Guiliacci Dies; Was SIUE Financial Aid Counselor

Peggy L. Guiliacci, of Sorento, died April 10, at her home. She was 65. Funeral services were held April 13 at the Sorento Baptist Church with burial in Kirkland Cemetery in Sorento. Perfetti Funeral Home in Sorento was in charge of arrangements.

Guiliacci was a financial aid counselor at SIUE before retiring on Dec. 31, 2011.

Memorials may be made to the Sorento Food Pantry, Sorento Baptist Church or Trinity Baptist Church Building Fund in Gillespie.

SIUE Grad Embracing Her Family's Love Of Pharmacy

At the May commencement ceremonies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, one family's love for medicine, people and service flowed through four generations of pharmacists.

Members of the Harmon family celebrated the recent graduation of Leslie Harmon, who earned her doctorate from the SIUE School of Pharmacy. She expects to become licensed sometime in June.

"Ever since I was able to say the word 'pharmacist,' I knew that's what I wanted to do - even at the age of five," the new graduate said. "As I grew up and started to understand the diversity of the pharmacy profession, it was clearly a perfect match for my personality. I love taking care of people and have always had a drive to be an advocate for others."

And ever since Harmon can remember, there has been a pharmacist in her family. Her great-grandfather, Ezra Harmon, began working in the 1920s for pharmacists O.F. Edwards and his son, Bob, at their local Rexall Drugstore in Oblong. Ezra Harmon became a registered pharmacist in 1945, and a year later he and his wife, Caroline, purchased the local Rexall Drugstore. Harmon's Rexall Drugstore is still in operation in Oblong, which is east of Effingham.

Leslie's grandfather, Jack Harmon, was the next in line to become a pharmacist. Jack Harmon graduated from St. Louis College of Pharmacy in 1959 and worked alongside his father, Ezra. He had two children, Thad Harmon and Joez (Harmon) Lickliter. Both children became pharmacists and worked at the family's pharmacy store. Thad, Leslie's father, graduated from St. Louis College of Pharmacy in 1997. Thad Harmon is now working at Schnucks Pharmacies in the Metro East and Leslie plans to do the same. Lickliter, Leslie's aunt, is a pharmacist in Indiana.

Seventy-six-year-old Jack Harmon continues to work at the family pharmacy in Oblong.

"My family has never pressured me to go into pharmacy, but has always been very supportive of my plans," Leslie Harmon said. "At the age of 16, my dad encouraged me to work for an independent pharmacy and gain experience, to ensure that this profession was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life."

She said that she remained sold on the profession, in part, because it allowed her to be an advocate for people. For instance, she noted when she worked as a pharmacy intern in Troy, she routinely encountered seniors who had reached their maximum spending level for Medicare and were faced with the dilemma of choosing to buy their prescriptions or groceries.

"I would call their doctors and ask if we could switch their medication to another kind that would achieve the same results, but would cost much less," Leslie Harmon said. "This put many seniors in the position where they could both buy their medication and buy their food."

Many people don't realize that the pharmacist is a critical part of the health care team, she added. Pharmacists are skilled clinicians who are great resources. They also are the ones who are the most familiar and most accessible to the patient. Much has changed in pharmacy over the years, such as the way medications are prepared. In Ezra Harmon's day, pharmacists made each prescription for a specific patient, using crude materials. Now, medications are mass produced by manufacturers and there have been advances in education, medication therapies and technology. But what remains the same, the pharmacist said, is her profession's commitment to deliver safe products and provide sound advice to customers.

Leslie Harmon added she hopes to become the kind of pharmacist that her father is-caring deeply for patients and treating them on an individual basis. And she believes that she is off to a good start, partly due to the excellent education she received from SIUE.

"The University has an incredible academic reputation," Leslie Harmon noted. "I have been extremely pleased with the education I received from the School of Pharmacy. It's a wonderful program and the faculty and students are exceptional. The faculty is completely dedicated to the students. They go out of their way to know each student personally."

Contracts Approved By SIU BOT Executive Committee For Projects

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees executive committee has awarded more than $2.5 million in contracts to three Illinois companies and one Missouri company for projects on the SIU Edwardsville campus and the SIU School of Dental Medicine campus in Alton. The executive committee recently met on the SIUE campus.

Christ Brothers Asphalt, Inc., of Lebanon, will resurface North University Drive at a bid cost of $1,171,933.40. The project will resurface a portion of North University Drive and add asphalt shoulders to both North University and East University drives. The project is funded through University plant funds and is expected to be completed prior to the start of the fall semester.

Byrne & Jones Construction of St. Louis will resurface the track at Korte Stadium at a bid cost of $1,145,400. The rubberized track was installed at Korte Stadium in 1994 and has exceeded its life expectancy. The project is funded through University plant funds and is expected to be completed prior to scheduled events in August.

Tindall Construction Co., Inc., of Pontoon Beach, and Camp Electric & Heating Co., Inc., of Alton, were selected to manage the site work and electrical work, respectively, in the construction of the multi-discipline laboratory at the SIU School of Dental Medicine in Alton. The two contractors will complete the site utility work necessary for the project. Tindall's bid was $143,400, and Camp's bid was $96,575. The final electrical conversion in this portion of the project will be completed during July when students are not in the building. Award of the construction contracts are expected in early August.

East St. Louis Performing Arts to Take Audience to Latin America

WHAT: SIUE East St. Louis Performing Arts Program & SIUE East St. Louis Charter

High School Production of "Tropical Review"

WHEN: 6:30 p.m., Friday, May 11, 2012

WHERE: Multipurpose Theatre, Building D of East St. Louis Higher Education Campus,

601 James R. Thompson Blvd., East St. Louis, IL 62201

COST: Tickets $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 12 and under

Students from the SIUE East St. Louis Performing Arts Program and SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School will present their end of the year production, "Tropical Review." Audiences will enjoy Latin America and Caribbean dances that include the Mambo, Rhumba, Merengue and the Cha Cha.

Guest choreographers for the production will include Carmen Gyunn, founder and executive director of the St. Louis Salsa Congress, and Ashi Smythe, former original cast member of the Broadway Production of the Lion King. Also choreographing musical numbers is the SIUE Performing Arts Program Director, Theodore H. Jamison, and the Performing Arts Program and Charter High School staff: Andrea Smythe, Jack Williams, Jamila Ajanaku and E.L. Wilkes.

Carolyn Minear, SIUE professor of choral music education in the Department of Music, is providing the following students who will sing in Spanish: Nic Goodman, Krista Kearney, Darien Orr and Tyler Sage.

Two Noted Alumni To Be Honored At SIUE Commencement Ceremonies

As part of its annual commencement tradition, two noted alumni will be honored at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville commencement ceremonies tonight and tomorrow.

At the 6:30 p.m. ceremony tonight, Fernando Aguirre, chairman and CEO of Chiquita Brands International Inc. and a 1980 SIUE graduate with a bachelor of science in business administration/marketing, will be honored with an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. He will speak at tonight's ceremony and at the 9 a.m. ceremony tomorrow.

At the 1 p.m. ceremony Saturday afternoon, the SIUE Distinguished Service Award will be given to Paige St. John, a 1986 graduate of SIUE in mass communications and the 2011 recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism. She is a reporter for the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune newspaper. St. John will speak at the 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. ceremonies Saturday.

The SIUE Honorary Degrees and Distinguished Service Awards Committee actively solicit nominations from members of the University community to obtain a diverse pool of qualified candidates for these awards.

A candidate for an Honorary Degree may be any person who has made significant contributions to cultural, educational, scientific, economic, social, and humanitarian or other worthy fields of endeavor. Distinguished Service Awards may be presented to any persons who have given outstanding or unusual service to the University, the region, or the State.

Since graduating from SIUE in 1980, Aguirre has built an outstanding legacy of business and philanthropic leadership. He arrived in the United States as an exchange student from Mexico and earned a baseball scholarship to SIUE. Upon graduation, Aguirre joined Procter & Gamble (P&G). During the next 23 years, he rose within the company, heading divisions in Brazil and Mexico, leading P&G's global feminine care unit, and serving as president of Special Projects.

In 2004, he became chairman, president and CEO of Chiquita Brands, recognized worldwide for its production and distribution of bananas and other fresh produce.

Aguirre has been an active leader in the business community throughout his career, currently serving on the corporate boards of Chiquita Brands, Aetna Inc., Levi Strauss & Co. and previously on the board of Coca-Cola Enterprises. He is a member and former chapter president of the Young Presidents' Organization and he also attended the prestigious YPO Harvard President's seminar for 10 years, earning Harvard Business School graduate status in 2009.

His generous support of SIUE through the years has helped generations, and still is helping new generations of students achieve their goals. He provided significant support to the renovation of SIUE's baseball facility and currently serves as honorary co-chair for Defining Excellence: The Campaign for SIUE. In 2005, he participated in the SIUE School of Business Executive Lecture Series, as part of the School's International Business Week. Aguirre was inducted into the SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame (2009) and Athletics Hall of Fame (2007) for his exceptional efforts both on and off the field.

In addition to his involvement with SIUE, Aguirre serves on the board of directors for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International and on the advisory board for Duke University's Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics. In addition, he is a mentor for the International Mentoring Network Organization.

SIUE alumna Paige St. John is an award-winning journalist whose three-year examination of Florida's property insurance crisis, "Florida's Insurance Nightmare," secured her the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism. The award represents the first Pulitzer for an SIUE graduate and the first for the Sarasota paper. Her research uncovered how mismanagement of homeowner premiums devastated the Florida property insurance industry.

The Pulitzer committee commended St. John for "her examination of weaknesses in the murky property-insurance system vital to Florida homeowners, providing handy data to assess insurer reliability and stirring regulatory action."

St. John has worked as an investigative reporter for the Herald-Tribune since 2008; previously, she served as Florida statehouse bureau chief for Gannett News Service. She spent her early career as a correspondent for the Associated Press and The Detroit News in Michigan. She was inducted into the SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame in October 2011.

SIUE Team Places First at ACG Cup St. Louis Competition

Recently a group of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business graduate students placed first for its efforts in the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Interuniversity Cup competition at the Emerson Headquarters in St. Louis.

Organized to provide business students with mergers and acquisitions, investment banking, financial advisory and private equity experience, as well as valuable real-world insights, the case study opportunity allows those within the competition the chance to interact and work with professionals from within the ACG community. The competition involves a series of intra-school and regional competitions, with regional winners awarded the ACG Cup title and cash awards.

The SIUE team composed of School of Business graduate students Tyler Ash, Hayley Schneider, Joseph Scyoc and Syed Rashed Zaman participated in the weeklong competition that involved critical thinking and problem-solving skills assessments, as well as two rounds of case analysis. Through the case analyses, the team was able to present its own valuations, capital markets and strategic advice to a panel of professionals.

"This competition is an excellent setting for our students to apply the analytical and communication skills they acquire in school," said SIUE Assistant Professor of Economics and Finance Shrikant Jategaonkar. "Additionally, making a successful presentation in front of corporate executives is a great confidence booster and networking experience."

Ash noted that the greatest takeaway was the experience itself. "It was nice to be able to put concepts from classes to real use. On top of that, it turns out that while getting all the numbers right is absolutely essential; it's only half the work. You also have to sell your analysis as part of a story."

The SIUE team took first place, a $5,000 cash prize and ACG memberships. Teams from the Washington University in St. Louis Olin School of Business and the University of Missouri-St. Louis placed second and third, respectively.

According to the ACG website, the 26 year-old organization is a global community for middle-market mergers and acquisitions, deal makers and business leaders focused on driving growth. The site continued that ACG members have access to data, content and networking opportunities to find the opportunities, capital and knowledge they need to drive and sustain corporate growth. It is supported by such corporations as Gallop, Johnson & Neuman; UHY Advisors; and PNC Bank. ACG Cup Competitions were held across the country this spring, involving students from more than 100 business schools.

In the photo (from left) Syed Rashed Zaman; Tyler Ash; Hayley Schneider; and Joseph Scyoc

SIUE Student Is Recipient of Spring 2012 Enterprise Leadership Award

Kelsey Norris, a senior business major from Mahomet, recently was honored with the Enterprise Foundation Rent-A-Car Student Leader of the Semester Award.

The award recognizes students nominated by faculty members for outstanding participation and responsibility in a student organization. Norris' award recognizes her work and dedication as a member of SIUE's group, Emerging Leaders Improving through Experience (ELITE).

ELITE is a group of School of Business student leaders who serve as liaisons between students, faculty, alumni and others affiliated with the school. The organization engages in a number of service projects, as well as hosts beginning of semester barbecues, membership drives and T-shirt sales.

Norris has served as the president of ELITE since 2010 and considers the 2011-2012 year one of ELITE's most active and successful years. During her tenure, Norris has focused on how ELITE could facilitate greater communication and cooperation among School of Business student organizations.

Dean of the School of Business Gary Giamartino nominated Norris and noted: "Her consistent leadership is just one way in which Kelsey has distinguished herself from other students. She was supportive of the notion that building greater capacity among all student organizations would benefit each organization and the entire school. Kelsey has worked tirelessly to facilitate enhanced capacity and I am very grateful for her willingness to act in ways that helped ELITE carry out its mission to be of service to all students in the School of Business."

The award carries with it a $100 stipend and a certificate. In addition, Norris was recognized at the School of Business Scholarships and Awards Ceremony in April.

In the photo (from left) Gary Giamartino, dean of the School of Business; Kelsey Norris; and Tauras Ketchens of Enterprise Holdings

A Bevy of Hats on Parade At The Meridian Derby

Purple, red, fuchsia, yellow, blue and white were the colors of some of the hats that adorned the heads of more than 65 women who came out to support the philanthropic efforts of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Meridian Society at Fairmount Park Racetrack in Collinsville.

"This has been fun, and it gives us an opportunity to show our style and creativity," said Sue Vandegrift, Meridian Society member and wife of SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift. "But more importantly, it gives the Meridian Society an opportunity to continue its good work of supporting important projects at SIUE." Mrs. Vandegrift sported a white straw flop hat to which she attached a red and black SIUE pompom and a University scarf.

The Meridian Society, a women's philanthropic organization dedicated to supporting SIUE programs, recently held its first "Meridian Derby" during its annual Spring Social at the Fairmount Park's post club, Top of the Turf.

"We wanted to bring people together, meet new faces, increase the awareness of The Meridian Society and build relationships with the backdrop of an event that was fun," said Dr. Mary Sumner, Meridian Society president and professor of CMIS in the School of Business.

Since the organization was founded in October 2003, it has awarded more than $181,000 to 72 SIUE community based projects, according to Julie Babington, Meridian Society staff liaison and director of Annual Giving for the SIUE Foundation. Some of the awards given so far this year include: SIUE Department of Speech and Communication for a public relations campaign on raising awareness about human trafficking and a communication competency workshop for healthcare professionals working with deaf patients; SIUE School of Pharmacy Class of 2015 for Bridging the Hospice Volunteerism and the Millennial Generation; and SIUE Intercollegiate Athletics for the Special Olympics Southwest Illinois Spring Events.

A SIUE alumnus enjoyed hearing about the various ways that the Meridian Society is helping her alma mater and is planning to join the philanthropic group.

"I enjoy being part of things that promote and help SIUE to grow," said Deborah Hunt, who graduated from the University in 1976 with a bachelor's in Elementary and Special Education and in 1980 with a Master's in Special Education.

Hunt, dressed in a brown and crème colored straw hat, said she was appreciative of the Meridian Society's venue because it was her first horse racing experience. She also enjoyed looking at the beautiful hats and picking out her favorite ones.

Evon Udoh, an SIUE graduate with a bachelor's in Speech & Language, agreed that the array of hats made the spring event festive. Udoh, who wore a black flop hat, said she is looking forward to the next event.

The coveted "Best Hat" award went to the daughter of alum, Shonda Justice of Edwardsville. Justice, daughter of Gloria Justice who graduated in 1973, won for her vintage fuchsia netted pill box hat. Winning the "Biggest Hat" award in an apricot wide brim hat was Dr. Laura Perkins of Glen Carbon, an SIUE retiree.

"I think this event was very successful," Babington said. "We were able to secure some donations and even a few new members. We were delighted to see participants all decked out in Derby style."

Spotlight On SIUE Senior Standout Shines in Largest City in Vietnam

A few years ago, Jenna Schneider's interests led her to the Master's Cup coffee shop in Ho Chi Minh City, where the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville student would talk with about 75 Vietnamese students a day as a means of tutoring them in English and American culture.

"The main goal was to give these individuals an avenue to practice English conversationally," said Schneider, a SIUE 2012 Senior Standout Award recipient. "I worked with Vietnamese students and adults on the meaning and pronunciation of words. I also spent a lot of time explaining popular phrases and slang."

Schneider is one of 30 SIUE graduating seniors who were recently recognized in an awards ceremony for their achievements in academics and commitment to leadership and service. Requirements for the winning the award included having a minimum accumulative grade point average of 3.75. Schneider has a 4.0 GPA and is getting a dual degree in Political Science and Economics and Finance. She wants to become a lawyer.

The SIUE student traveled to the largest city in Vietnam, formerly known as Saigon, in July 2009, where she lived for one month with her Vietnamese friends who had invited her. Many Vietnamese people, who Schneider talked to, thought all Americans were wealthy because of the glamorized lifestyles portrayed in American entertainment and media.

"Almost everyone I encountered was so appreciative of any insight I could provide regarding the American way of life and the English language," Schneider said.

But the senior learned some things about the Vietnamese culture as well. Many Vietnamese are forthright in speaking the truth. They are also family centered and it's common for many to live with their parents and grandparents. Schneider also said she found them overly eager to learn and educate themselves.

"I honestly was most challenged by the Vietnamese students as they made me realize I should take my education and opportunities more seriously," she said. "They spent countless hours studying every day and many of them frequented the coffee shop daily to practice their

English."

Some of Schneider's other college accomplishments include: president of Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, Student Employee Development Committee president, treasurer of Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society. She also trained and supervised more than 100 students through Campus Recreation. She has received numerous awards including the Meridian Scholarship, Robert C. Byrd Scholarship, Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, College of Arts and Sciences STELLAR Student, Sarah Sullivan Management Science Award and Campus Recreation 2010 Student Employee Honor Award.

"The one thing I plan to take away from my college experience is the lesson to focus first on my character instead of my goals," Schneider said, "as my professional goals and endeavors should flow out of who I am as a person."

Poshard Introduces Julie Furst-Bowe as SIUE Chancellor

Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard today introduced Julie A. Furst-Bowe (BO-vee) as the eighth chancellor in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's history. The announcement was made in the Morris University Center's Meridian Ballroom. The selection is pending formal SIU Board of Trustees' approval at its May 10 meeting, and Bowe would officially assume her duties July 2.

"Dr. Furst-Bowe has the right combination of skills and experience to continue the momentum that SIUE has built during the past decade," Poshard said. "I am confident that she will bring the required leadership necessary to keep this growing campus community moving in a positive direction."

Furst-Bowe succeeds Dr. Vaughn Vandegrift, who is retiring effective July 1, after highly successful eight-year tenure. Search Advisory Committee Chairman John Navin, Ph.D., a professor of economics and finance in the SIUE School of Business, led the 16-person committee through the four-month national search that began with 37 candidates. The committee was comprised of faculty, staff, students and alumni. SIU System Vice President for Academic Affairs Paul Sarvela assisted the search committee in representing the president in the search.

"I want to compliment the search committee on their dedication to the task of selecting a new chancellor who fits SIUE's mission, vision and values," Navin said. "We had an impressive candidate pool that was fully vetted, and the committee proved their commitment to excellence with the recommendation of

Julie Furst-Bowe."

Furst-Bowe has served as provost and vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wis., since 2005. In her role as the chief academic officer for the campus, she has supervised the academic colleges and the following units: Enrollment Services, Student Services, International Education, Stout Online and the Discovery Center: Applied Research, Economic Development and Technology Transfer.

Since joining UWS as a faculty member in 1990, Furst-Bowe progressed through the administrative ranks as chair of the department of communications, education and training; associate vice chancellor, academic and student affairs; and assistant chancellor, assessment and continuous improvement.

"This is an outstanding opportunity for me professionally and personally," said Furst-Bowe. "SIUE is a vibrant, growing campus with unlimited potential as a premier metropolitan university. During the process, I was particularly impressed with the faculty and staff's collegiality and collaborative nature. I know that I am stepping into some large shoes, but the challenge of keeping this institution moving upward in the ranks of higher education is one that I willingly and enthusiastically accept."

She has provided leadership to the nationally-recognized quality improvement program at UW-Stout and has served as a senior examiner for the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program. UW-Stout was the first higher education institution to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. She currently serves as higher education chair for the American Society for Quality and is providing leadership to STEM education initiatives on a nation-wide basis.

Furst-Bowe is recognized nationally and internationally for her expertise in quality higher education and has authored several articles and a book on this topic, Quality and Performance Excellence in Higher Education. She recently edited a book on advancing STEM education and is an editor of the International Journal of Excellence in Education. She is a founding board member of the National Consortium for Continuous Improvement in Higher Education and also serves on the Wisconsin Center for Performance Excellence and Sacred Heart Hospital Board of Directors.

She has served as a quality improvement consultant for numerous colleges and universities and is currently under contract to provide consulting services to Singapore's Ministry of Education, Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University in Dubai and Ahlia University in Bahrain. She was recently selected as a Fulbright Scholar and assigned to work with a new university in Azerbaijan through the Fulbright program.

Furst-Bowe earned an Ed.D. in work, family and community education in 1995 from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis where she also achieved a professional certificate in human resource development during the same year. She earned a master's of science in media technology from UW-Stout in 1986. The Chippewa Falls, Wis., native graduated magna cum laude from UW-Eau Claire in 1985 with a bachelor's in journalism.

AMA Takes Top Award at International Conference

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's American Marketing Association (AMA) recently was honored at the 2012 AMA International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans.

This year's conference theme was "always evolving." The group won first place in the AMA Exhibit Competition for Best Use of Conference Theme for its exhibit titled "The Evolution of a Cougar." The exhibit featured the evolution of a cougar into a business professional along with statistics about the SIUE School of Business and professional development. Around 40 chapters participated in the competition, and SIUE out-shined them all.

"This is a prestigious award and it is particularly notable since the strategic focus was clearly oriented towards this award. The students captured the importance of blending creativity with strategy by tying the conference theme to their exhibit and their work paid off with top honors," said Edmund Hershberger, associate professor of marketing and faculty adviser to the SIUE AMA chapter.

Students also competed in several business competitions, attended professional development sessions, engaged in networking and learned from some of today's top marketers. Conference and Exhibit participants included: Sophomore Adam Arras; A. Matthew Gamez, president-elect of the student chapter and a junior majoring in business with a concentrating in marketing; Katlyn Holm, a senior majoring in business administration with concentrations in management and marketing; John Honnen, president of the chapter and a senior business administration major with a concentration in marketing; Senior John Kmetz who is majoring in business administration with a concentration in marketing; Junior Yasmina Seifeldin, a business administration major with a concentration in marketing; and Allie Sutton, a senior business administration major with a concentration in marketing.

SIUE To Introduce New Chancellor Tomorrow

Southern Illinois University president Glenn Poshard will introduce the eighth chancellor in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's history tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. in the Morris University Center's Meridian Ballroom. The selection is pending formal board of trustees approval at their May 10 meeting.

The new chancellor will succeed Dr. Vaughn Vandegrift, who is retiring effective July 1, after highly successful eight-year tenure.

The event is open to the public. For those unable to attend, the event will be streamed live at www.siue.edu/tv or www.siuetv.com.

Edwardsville High School Wins Sixth Annual Greater St. Louis Botball Tournament

Edwardsville High School won the sixth annual Greater St. Louis Botball Tournament held Saturday, April 21, at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Meridian Ballroom in the Morris University Center.

Triad High School was the runner-up with the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois finishing third and Bond County Unit 2 Greenville High School placing fourth.

Seventeen teams competed from Illinois, Indiana and Missouri middle and high schools. The autonomous (no remote control) robot competition focused on reef renewal this year. The robots scored points by building reef walls, placing coral polyps in reef starters, collecting kelp and building a fish farm.

Gary Mayer, Ph.D., an assistant professor of computer science in the SIUE School of Engineering and one of the event organizers, enjoyed the spirit and positive attitudes of the competing teams.

"Teams took the wins and losses as good sports and went about fixing problems as best as they could," he said. "I saw teams congratulating their competition and offering words of support. It made for an enjoyable tournament as you could focus on all of the positive accomplishments made by each team."

Botball scores are based on the double-elimination tournament, the seeding round scores and documentation scores. Edwardsville High School took first overall, although it did not win the double-elimination. EHS had a strong showing in the seeding rounds and documentation, and did well enough in double-elimination to take the top spot.

Belleville East High School won the double elimination with the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois finishing as runner-up. In this competition, robots from two different teams simultaneously compete on a game board not only in an effort to score as many points as possible, but also to keep their opponent from scoring. Double elimination placement makes up about one-third of the overall Botball score.

Mayer had particularly high praise for the Girl Scouts' team.

"The Girl Scouts' mentors and team members had little building and coding experience prior to our February workshop," he said. "They also didn't have much confidence in their skills and ability to meet the challenges of the tournament at that time. But what they managed to do was give a great presentation and build two robots that performed consistently.

"One of the robots typically scored points by dropping the fish farm in the correct location to allow a team member to easily load it with tilapia via the chute. The other thing they managed to do was adapt that robot to score more points by zipping over to the opponent's side after dropping off the fish farm. The Girl Scouts entered the final four in fourth place, with one loss against them, but they couldn't quite get past Belleville East."

Mayer noted that the staff working the event enjoyed it immensely, because of how much the competition seemed to positively impact the students.

"We are always amazed by what these students in sixth through 12th grade accomplish," he said. "The way they communicate and delegate responsibility, their approach to problem-solving and what they actually implement is impressive. There were mechanisms to stack blocks, rotating sweepers to pick up items and scissor-devices to reach up for tall objects.

"People need to remember that when the tournament starts, there are no non-staff adults allowed in the pit area. On their own, the students must keep their team functioning, fix problems with the robots and counter other teams' strategies."

Nearly 200 enthusiastic spectators filled the ballroom throughout the event.

"The crowd was awesome," Mayer said. "All audience members offered positive encouragement to the teams throughout the tournament. They also stayed until the end of the awards ceremony, which further reinforces the accomplishments of the teams receiving the awards."

The East St. Louis Charter High School received a Judges' Choice Certificate for Outstanding Programming.

For more information, visit botball.org.

SIUE School of Business Hosts Free Etiquette Seminar

Etiquette St. Louis will be hosting a business etiquette seminar for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business students from 5:30-8 p.m. Tuesday April 24 in the Morris University Center's University Restaurant.

The seminar is free for School of Business students, but registration is required.

The purpose of the seminar is to help business students learn business etiquette skills for events such as receptions and business meals. Additionally, the School hopes this seminar will help students gain the confidence necessary to be successful in any social situation.

Business attire is required for this event. Men should wear suits, jackets and ties, and women should wear suits or the equivalent.

If you are a School of Business student and would like to attend this event please register by sending Kelsey Norris, kenorri@siue.edu, an email with your name, telephone number, email, student class standing, and major.

Services Set for Petersen and Siddall

Updated April 24, 2012

The families of SIUE students Lauren D. Petersen and Lacy V. Siddall are planning a joint service. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Greater Alton Church at 506 East Airline Drive in Rosewood Heights, with a funeral service following.

Both were fatally injured in an early Sunday morning off-campus apartment fire. Siddall passed away early Sunday morning, and Petersen passed away a few hours later.

"The loss of these two young women is a very sad occurrence for every member of the SIUE family," said Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift. "Our thoughts, prayers and sympathies are with the Petersen and Siddall families."

April 23, 2012

UPDATE 10:23 am: Two SIUE Students Passed Away

We are mourning the death of another member of the SIUE family. Lauren Petersen has just passed away as a result of the injuries she incurred at an early Sunday morning off-campus apartment fire. The family has not announced arrangements.

Lacy V. Siddall passed away earlier this morning from her injuries incurred in the fire.

"The loss of these two young women is a very sad occurrence for every member of the SIUE family," said Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift. "Our thoughts, prayers and sympathies are with the Petersen and Siddall families."

Update, 4-23-12, 8:56am:
It is with great sadness that we are reporting an update. The university has just been advised that Lacy V. Siddall, 21, passed away early this morning as a result of the injuries she incurred at an early Sunday morning off-campus apartment fire. The family has not announced arrangements.

Lauren D. Petersen remains in critical condition at St. Luke's Hospital.

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Lauren and both families.

Please remind your students and other members of the campus community that counseling is available through Counseling Services at 618-650-2197 and 618-650-2842.

-

update: 4-22-12, 7:45 am

Two Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students were critically injured following an early Sunday morning fire in an off-campus residence. Their families have been notified. The students are identified as: Lauren D. Petersen, age 19, Timberwood Drive, Bethalto, Illinois, and Lacy V. Siddall, age 21, Briarwood Drive, Bethalto, Illinois.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Petersen and Siddall families," said SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift. "Any time a member of the SIUE family is involved in a tragedy such as this it affects us all."

The City of Edwardsville Fire Department has issued an update to their press release to include the names of the students. The updated press release is listed below.

Counseling is available to students by calling Counseling Services at 618-650-2197 or 618-650-2842. After hours students should call the SIUE Police Department at 618-650-3324 to reach the counselor on call.

Updated press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

TWO SIUE STUDENTS CRITICAL FOLLOWING APARTMENT FIRE

APRIL 22, 2012

Edwardsville - Two Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students were critically injured following an early-Sunday morning fire in an off-campus residence at 648 Hillsboro Avenue. The address is an older, two-story home.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 3:42 am following receipt of a 9-1-1 call placed by a next-door neighbor who observed the blaze. Upon arrival, firefighters found moderate smoke coming from the second floor of the residence that had been renovated for apartments. Once inside, firefighters found an active fire in one of the bedrooms and quickly located two female victims in another room.

The students are identified as:

• Lauren D. Petersen, age 19, Timberwood Drive, Bethalto, Illinois
• Lacy V. Siddall, age 21, Briarwood Drive, Bethalto, Illinois

The victims, who remain in critical condition, are life-long friends, according to what their parents told officials. Due to name similarities with that of others, authorities had difficulty ascertaining the exact identification of Ms. Petersen and required the assistance and cooperation of university officials and law enforcement.

Both women were removed by firefighters and transferred to paramedic units from the Edwardsville and Glen Carbon fire departments. The victims were conveyed by ambulance to Anderson Hospital in Maryville and later airlifted by ARCH Helicopters to a St. Louis County Hospital. The fire was extinguished 20 minutes after the time of alarm.

While the investigation continues and reports are not finalized, it initially appears that the cause of the fire was accidental and absent of any suspicious activity

A representative of the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) joined Edwardsville investigators to determine the cause of the fire. Preliminary results indicate a laptop computer sitting on the bed was plugged into a power strip along with other electrical devices at or near the point of origin. It must be stressed that these are only preliminary findings and not necessarily conclusive. Firefighters, building inspectors and the OSFM representative are also checking the presence of and the operational capabilities, where applicable, of required safety devices including smoke detectors.

It is anticipated that further details may be available within the next week.

The Edwardsville Fire Department was assisted by mutual aid companies from Wood River, Glen Carbon, Holiday Shores and Collinsville.

Original press release:

SIUE's SIAM Center Important In Metro-East's Green Technology Push

In an article that appeared April 17 in the Belleville News-Democrat, it stated that manufacturing isn't a dying industry and referenced that the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering's Southwest Illinois Advanced Manufacturing (SIAM) Center is helping bring manufacturing back to the Metro-East through a "green" technology push.

In the article titled, "'Manufacturing is back': Metro-east businesses focus on 'green' technology, employee training," it stated: "Contrary to popular belief, these experts say that although the manufacturing sector here and across the country has shed jobs, the industry is not dying. There are challenges, but embracing technology, especially the 'green' kind, has proven results in St. Clair and Madison counties." The article further stated that SIUE's SIAM Center has been credited with helping "instruct clients to tap into technology," noting the center has assisted its clientele in gaining an average of $16 return for every dollar invested.

The article provides details about some of the clients and projects assisted by the SIAM Center.

SIUE's Senior Assignment Program Referenced In New York Times Article

A piece that appeared this week on the opinion pages of the New York Times referenced Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Senior Assignment program as an example of a value-added assessment-proof that an institution is educating and preparing its students for life in the real world.

The article, titled "Testing the Teachers" stated: "Colleges and universities have to be able to provide prospective parents with data that will give them some sense of how much their students learn." It cited SIUE's program, along with a program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, stating both "use capstone assessment, creating a culminating project in which the students display their skills in a way that can be compared and measured."

The item can be viewed online or in today's print version of the New York Times, page A23.

SIUE Nursing Holds Annual Health Fair For The East St. Louis Community

Lashay Wood, a sophomore at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School, remembers having a bad episode with allergies and believing she could do nothing about it. But after attending the recent Third Annual SIUE Community Nursing Services Health Fair, the 15-year-old now realizes her allergies were worsened because she had been exposed to freshly cut grass.

"Our goal is to provide participants with information on community resources and education about health issues that affect the East St. Louis Community," said Kathi Thimsen, director of SIUE Community Nursing Services and Public Health Nursing Faculty.

The health fair was held in the Multipurpose Room in Building D at the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus in East St. Louis. Approximately 350 people attended the fair, which featured 25 vendors. Some of the agencies participating included the Illinois Department of Children Family Services, St. Clair County Health Department, East Side Health District, Bethany Place, Alzheimer's Association, Wellspring Mental Health Services, Southern Illinois Health Foundation, University of Illinois Air Quality Project and SIUE Student Nurse Advancement Program.

The agencies that were at the fair deal with the challenges facing East St. Louis residents such as heart attacks, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, poor air quality and poor nutrition and lacking access to healthy, fresh food, said Thimsen.

Besides receiving information, fair participants were able to take part in blood pressure checks and glucose screenings, hemoglobin testing, fire safety and more.

Charter School student, Lashay, added that she learned valuable information about sexually transmitted diseases during the health fair.

"I didn't know that one out of every four people will get an STD in their lifetime," Lashay said.

What 16-year-old Angelica Howard found interesting was how to interact with infants at various stages of their development.

"My mother babysits for people, and I'm around babies a lot," the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School sophomore said. "I took one of the pamphlets because the information will be good to have."

Lashay and Angelica also had never heard the term "food deserts" before, though they realized that their community had limited access to healthy food options.

"East St. Louis is a food desert by national standards," said Thimsen. "Food deserts are those cities that have limited access to grocery stores and health food choices. In East St. Louis, there are three grocery stores for 27,000 people and 173 liquor/convenience stores."

The objectives of the health fair, according to Thimsen, were to empower people to take control of their destiny in terms of health care and lifestyle, empower them to find resources to help them in educational training for employment and to create a sense of trust among community agencies and SIUE.

"It's important that the community see SIUE giving something back, because we, as a University, are committed and invested in this community," Thimsen said.

SIUE Women Win Back-to-Back Club Basketball Titles

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Women's Club Basketball team won its second consecutive National Intercollegiate Recreation Sports Association (NIRSA) championship last weekend by defeating Penn State 47-31 in the National Campus Championship Series (NCCS) at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. SIUE finished its title run with a 42-2 record.

The Cougars defeated Columbus State handily before beating University of California San Diego and Penn State in pool play to move on to the Sunday championship bracket.

"UC San Diego was a quick team that pressed us, but we handled the pressure well and controlled the game," said head coach Stewart Ringer, a senior business administration major from Virden, Ill. "We jumped out on Penn State early and built a 20-point first half lead, but they cut the lead to two in the second half. We pulled together and managed to get the win."

The Cougars had their toughest game against Ohio State in the semi-finals, but survived 49-45 as sophomore Kelly Korza poured in 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while graduate student Georgia Mueller added 15 points and six boards. "We built a rivalry with OSU over the past two years, and they pushed us to the limit," Ringer stated. "We cut down on our mistakes and that led to the win."

In a rematch from pool play, SIUE ran away from Penn State in the championship game by expanding a four-point halftime edge into a rout. "I just thought we wanted it more," Ringer said. Mueller contributed 14 points and six boards, while Korza tossed in 15 points and team captain Jenny Bealmear added 11.

"We had a nucleus of girls who played well together," Ringer explained. "With four starters back from last year, we had that experience that made this championship run a little easier the second time around. We had a talented group to start, and then we added some new people who we could trust coming off the bench."

SIUE relied on its pressure defense to force their opponents into errors and used a versatile offensive style at the other end. The Cougars ran when the opportunity was presented, but were able to execute effective halfcourt sets when opponents attempted to slow them down.

Mueller was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after averaging 12.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game. Korza earned a berth on the All-Tournament team by averaging 16.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

SIUE Research Professor Honored With Prestigious Award

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Research Assistant Professor Pamela Gay is the recipient of one of two St Louis Academy of Science 2012 Science Educator awards. She will be honored Thursday at the 18th Outstanding St Louis Scientists Awards Dinner. She shares the award with Michael W. Friedlander, Ph.D., professor emeritus from Washington University in St. Louis.

The Science Educator Award recognizes individuals and organizations in the St Louis area responsible for making outstanding contributions to science education or to the public understanding of science, engineering and technology. Gay receives this award for contributions to online science education through podcasting, citizen science projects and the effective use of social media.

Gay has been on the SIUE faculty since 2006 and currently works in the Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Research, Education and Outreach. She is project director for the CosmoQuest online citizen science community (http://cosmoquest.org), and cohost of the Astronomy Cast podcast (http://astronomycast.com).

The Science Educator award and several other regional awards will be presented at the 18th Outstanding St Louis Scientists Awards Dinner, which is being hosted by the Academy of Science - St. Louis. Gay will join representatives from Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis University and other institutions being recognized during the event.

"The evening is a unique opportunity for an interdisciplinary celebration of the public, private and academic STEM leaders in our region," stated Mary Burke, CEO of the Academy of Science - St. Louis in a release.

The event will take place in the Starlight Ballroom of the Chase Park Plaza Hotel and also will serve as a salute to the Academy of Fellows, a prestigious association of St. Louis area scientists and engineers of national note.

The Academy has sought nominations for the last 18 years to recognize men and women who are outstanding in the fields of science, technology and engineering. Those recognized are individuals and institutions "known worldwide for their scientific contributions to research, industry and quality of life," the release stated. "In keeping with the academy's 156 year-old mission of promoting the understanding and appreciation of science, those recognized also have a record of excellence in communicating with the public and/or mentoring colleagues."

For more information, visit http://www.academyofsciencestl.org/initiatives/outstanding_scientists.php.

SIUE Hosts 6th Annual Greater St. Louis Botball Tournament

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Morris University Center is the site for the 6th annual Greater St. Louis Botball Tournament on Saturday, April 21.

Seventeen teams from Illinois, Indiana and Missouri middle and high schools are registered to compete. Doors at the Meridian Ballroom will open at 8 a.m. and admission is free.

This is an autonomous (no remote control) robot competition. This year's competition is focused on reef renewal. Robots score points by building reef walls, placing coral polyps in reef starters, collecting kelp and building a fish farm.

Seeding rounds begin at 10 a.m. Double-elimination (i.e., robot-to-robot) rounds begin at roughly 1:30 p.m. The tournament is expected to conclude by 5 p.m.

Public parking is available in Lot B on the SIUE campus. For a campus map and directions, visit www.siue.edu.

Martinson Family Foundation Supports SIUE Entrepreneurial Program

A $120,000 contribution during the next three years from the Martinson Family Foundation of Lawrenceville, N.J. to the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business will assist in strengthening the academic and co-curricular entrepreneurship specialization in business administration.

The gift to the School of Business' entrepreneurship program reflects the Martinson family's personal and professional interests. John Martinson is the director of the foundation, and founder and managing partner of Edison Ventures in Lawrenceville. Eileen Martinson is chief executive officer of Sparta Systems in Holmdel, N.J., which is a leading provider of enterprise quality management software.

"Job growth is the result of entrepreneurs who build innovative businesses," said John Martinson. "I firmly believe that the secret to ending recession is increased entrepreneurship."

Edison Ventures has been instrumental in enabling business creators to realize their entrepreneurial dreams. The company has financed and guided 185 information technology businesses, including 44 growth companies in Pennsylvania, helping companies grow from $5 million to between $25 and 100 million in five to eight years.

School of Business Dean Gary Giamartino said he believes the partnership with John and Eileen Martinson will enable the school to capitalize on the interest of students who plan to start their own businesses. Entrepreneurship is a burgeoning area of emphasis in all majors University wide.

"Our entrepreneurship specialization focuses on the special challenges of new venture development," Giamartino said. "The generous gift from the Martinsons will enable SIUE's School of Business to truly act as a catalyst for entrepreneurship in the region."

The Martinson's gift contributes to Defining Excellence-the Campaign for SIUE toward reaching its goal to raise $50 million by garnering alumni and community support. To date, $32 million has been raised. Publically launched in March 2011, the major gifts campaign is about taking SIUE to a new level of prominence and performance. For more information, visit siue.edu/definingexcellence.

The SIUE School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (ASCB), representing the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. The Princeton Review has ranked the SIUE School of Business as one of the best MBA programs in the country for the past six years. Annually, the School of Business serves 1,300 undergraduate and graduate students.

For more information on the SIUE School of Business, visit http://www.siue.edu/business.

SIUE School of Engineering Professor Awarded the 2012 Distinguished Research Professor Award

Keqin Gu, chairman and professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering, recently was named the 2012 recipient of the Distinguished Research Professor Award.

The award is an academic rank rewarding faculty members who have demonstrated outstanding and sustained contributions to research and creative activities. Gu will be recognized with the rank of SIUE Distinguished Research Professor for the duration of his tenure at SIUE.

"I find Keqin highly qualified and deserving of this award; not only for his excellence in scholarship, but also for his teaching, service, collegiality and overall intellectual capacity," said School of Engineering Dean Hasan Sevim.

Gu was promoted to professor in 2002 and has made consistent contributions to the engineering field of control systems, particularly as it applies to the topic of time delay systems. He has earned an international reputation as one of the top experts in the stability of time delay systems. Additionally, he has published one monograph, one edited volume, eight book chapters, four book reviews, 20 journal papers and 23 conference papers since 2002. Gu's reputation has resulted in editorial positions in two prestigious control systems journals. He regularly serves as an invited keynote or plenary speaker, and has served on the program committee for several national and international conferences.

Gu developed a method to discretize Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals, which are used for the stability analysis of time-delay systems. The system is known worldwide as Gu's discretization.

SIUE Associate Professor Appeared On Regional Cable Program

Andy Lozowski, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering (ECE) in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering, recently discussed solar energy and battery technology on local cable Conversation with Lee Presser.

During the half-hour segment, Lozowski discussed the development of alternative energy systems, the equipment needed for a home to utilize solar power, and how neighborhoods can share captured energy thus becoming less dependent on the utility's power grid.

Conversation with Lee Presser is a half-hour television interview program that has been aired in St. Louis and southwestern Illinois for eleven years. Lozowski's interview aired April 9 at 7 p.m. on Charter channel 18.

The episode with Lozowski is available for viewing through YouTube.

SIUE Women's Philanthropy Group Hosts Spring Social At Fairmount Park

Women from the region are encouraged to attend a derby party hosted by the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Meridian Society and IMPACTpr from noon-3 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, at Fairmount Park Racetrack's Top of the Turf in Collinsville.

The Meridian Society is a women's philanthropic organization dedicated to promoting the cultivation of community groups and the initiatives they support. The event is the organization's annual spring social and all money raised through new memberships will be used to support local projects.

Past projects that have received assistance have included the SIUE Early Childhood Center and the SIUE School of Engineering's Engineers Without Border program.

The spring social is an opportunity for society members to gather and celebrate the organization's accomplishments and activities throughout the year, as well as a chance to reach out to potential new members who are committed to SIUE and the enhancement of the region.

Those planning to attend this year's event are encouraged to don their Kentucky Derby best for the function. To learn more, visit www.siue.edu/meridiansociety.

Glen Carbon Resident Wins Kimmel Award For Special Populations

Marc E. Mitchell, of Glen Carbon, is the recipient of the 2012 Kimmel Community Service Award for Special Populations.

The awards are sponsored by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the Belleville News-Democrat.

Mitchell describes his work with the Special Olympics and Great Destinies Cooperative, and as the president of the Riverbend Down Syndrome Association, as a rewarding opportunity.

"My service to the special needs community has made a positive impact on many lives," he said. "This is really the motivating factor that keeps me going. I get great pleasure in giving my time, gifts and talents that God has given me to help others strive and do more than they thought they could do."

Not only has Mitchell served as a coach for Special Olympics teams for basketball, soccer and golf, he has volunteered many countless hours helping to chaperone and mentor athletes, said Linda Wunder, Southern Regional Area Supervisor, Special Olympics.

"Marc gives of himself, teaching by doing, showing others the power that caring individuals can make in the lives of many," said Sue Brown, chair of Great Destinies, Inc., which is an organization committed to enhancing future opportunities for youth with developmental disabilities.

The award recipients will be recognized at a 4:30 p.m. ceremony Wednesday, April 25, in the SIUE Morris University Center Meridian Ballroom. Light refreshments will be served following the event. For more information or to RSVP, call the Kimmel Leadership Center, (618) 650-2686. While the event is free, an RSVP is requested.

Collinsville, East St. Louis & O'Fallon Residents To Receive Kimmel Awards

Terry "Bones" Allan, of Collinsville, Roderick Keith Willis, of East St. Louis, and Raymond E. Marbury, of O'Fallon, are recipients of 2012 Kimmel Community Service awards.

The awards are sponsored by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the Belleville News-Democrat.

Allan has said "you can never give back too much to your community. My goal is to help those less fortunate in our community have a better life." He is the recipient of a Kimmel Agency/Organizational Concerns award.

Rosemarie Brown, executive director of The Chamber of Commerce of Southwestern Madison County, described Allan as "a true champion for the Hospice movement." "Terry took a real chance the first time I called him in 1983 asking for his help with the first Hospice event in this area," she said. "(He) is a valuable and tireless volunteer who has earned the deepest respect of the people he works with and is an invaluable asset to his community."

For his dedication to volunteerism, Allan has received numerous awards, including the 2010 Spirit of Excellence Award from the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce. For more than 20 years he has served as an active member of the Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob Chamber of Commerce. He volunteers in many ways-as Santa Claus or an auctioneer-for a variety of causes, including cancer research, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, lupus, injured pets and more.

As a community servant, Willis has been a member of the East St. Louis Community Board of Directors since 1990. The recipient of a Kimmel Award for Social Service/Social Welfare, he has organized regular youth and community activities, including roller skating parties, laser tag outings and YMCA swimming classes, wrote and secured grants to strengthen and improve the community, and led a neighborhood housing demolition project. He is a recipient of the Mallory Jerome Cross Humanitarian Award and the National Council of Negro Women Dorothy Height Award.

"Roderick works diligently at volunteering his service to anyone," said Dorothy M. Smith, vice president of banking service at Cass Commercial Bank. "I can't think of a more deserving person to receive the (award.)"

Also as a recipient of a Kimmel award for Social Service/Social Welfare, Marbury, who is a retired U.S. Air Force major, said his philosophy for life is "to provide hope, nourishment and encouragement to others in need." He added, "I have tried to make a difference in the lives of people in the local community-young and old-in which I live, work and recreate."

As a member of non-profit organizations, including Call for Help, Inc., which helps people in crisis situations, and Delta Economic Development Center, Inc., committed to furthering regional economic prosperity, and through the East St. Louis Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Marbury has been actively involved in promoting many events that benefit the community, including the Komen Race for the Cure, the Prostate Cancer Awareness annual walk in St. Louis and the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.

"I can attest to the fact that Raymond's involvement in organizations, community activities and programs is not (a) 'token,'" said Charles Q. Brown, retired U.S. Army Colonel. "If he commits, he is 'all in.' He is an excellent example of selfless service."

The award recipients will be recognized at a 4:30 p.m. ceremony Wednesday, April 25, in the SIUE Morris University Center Meridian Ballroom. Light refreshments will be served following the event. For more information or to RSVP, call the Kimmel Leadership Center, (618) 650-2686. While the event is free, an RSVP is requested.

Former Judge Receives Kimmel Community Service Award

The Hon. Ellar Duff, former associate judge for Illinois' Third Judicial Circuit, is the recipient of the 2012 Kimmel Community Service Award in the area of agency/organizational concerns.

The awards are sponsored by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the Belleville News-Democrat.

Duff, of Alton, who was a judge for more than 20 years, is a member of many organizations, including the National Council of Negro Women, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Riverbend Rotary, the Alton Education Foundation, the Madison County Urban League and the YWCA of Alton Board of Directors. For more than 30 years she has contributed her time and resources to area volunteer initiatives.

"The quality of a community turns on its citizens' willingness to freely provide their talents, knowledge, expertise and time to enhance and encourage its residents to be the best they can be," Duff said of her volunteer efforts. "The opportunity to provide a service for someone; address a critical need; or give a voice to someone who otherwise would go unnoticed and unheard is an honor and a privilege. I believe that time is our most precious resource. Giving of one's time and resources to serve others presents one of life's greatest rewards."

Duff said she believes her volunteer service has made a difference by helping set a solid example of leadership for younger people in the community, providing resources to those in need and creating opportunities for others, when possible.

Minister Joyce Y. Elliott, president of the Alton section of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. described Duff as a "drum major for justice" and stated that she has been "a positive influence to many who accept her wisdom and knowledge from 'the school of hard knocks.'"

Duff will be recognized at a 4:30 p.m. ceremony Wednesday, April 25, in the SIUE Morris University Center Meridian Ballroom. Light refreshments will be served following the event. For more information or to RSVP, call the Kimmel Leadership Center, (618) 650-2686. While the event is free, an RSVP is requested.

SIUE Historical Studies/Education Major Wins Kimmel Scholarship

Katelynn Alexander, of Carrollton, a junior majoring in historical studies and secondary education at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, has been named recipient of the university's 2012 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 Kimmel, a former member of the SIU Board of Trustees, who for many years donated freely of her time and talent to volunteerism.

Criteria for winning the scholarship includes maintaining a 3.0 cumulative grade point average and demonstrating volunteer contributions within the last two years in leadership, service, and/or citizenship, including leadership in a student organization or at least one elected office; and more than 30 hours of nonpaid service to a community agency or community organization. The scholarship provides one full year of tuition at the SIUE in-state rate.

An active volunteer through the Kimmel Student Leadership Development Program on campus, Alexander has devoted many hours working through the SIUE Homeless Program/Alliance of Students Against Poverty (ASAP), serving on the organization's executive board, and as a medical advocate for Call for Help, Inc., which is an organization that assists sexual assault victims in neighboring communities. She also has provided assistance through the University's Holy Angels Shelter Project and by taking part in the 2011 Alternative Spring Break Trip to the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma.

During her tenure at the University, she has been employed as a resident assistant in Cougar Village. Her academic achievement-maintaining a 4.0 GPA-has led to her selection as a member of the SIUE School of Education's Dean's Dozen, which recognizes the school's top student academic achievers.

"Kate has held many leadership positions during her time at SIUE," said Sarah Laux, SIUE's assistant director for Civic Engagement. "(She) is a model student and community member-always seeking different and exciting ways to raise awareness on the many issues of social justice. She is always eager to serve others, regardless of her needs and demanding schedule. She is certainly deserving of this honorable award."

Alexander will be recognized at a 4:30 p.m. ceremony Wednesday, April 25, in the SIUE Morris University Center Meridian Ballroom. Light refreshments will be served following the event. For more information or to RSVP, call the Kimmel Leadership Center, (618) 650-2686. While the event is free, an RSVP is requested.

SIUE Alumnus Retires After 26 Years in the Alton School System

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus Brenda Vernatti will retire in June after working in the Alton School District for 26 years. The Alton native earned her bachelor's in elementary education and her master's in education administration from SIUE in 1986 and 1996, respectively. She became an elementary school teacher in Alton for Eunice Smith Elementary in 1986. She taught fifth grade for 10 years before accepting a position as principal for Eunice Smith Elementary in 1996. She became principal of the North Elementary school in 2006.

More information about Vernatti is available in an April 5, article titled "Education Excellence" at thetelegraph.com.

SIUE Alumnus Is Named New Richmond Heights Police Chief

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus Roy Wright has been named the new police chief of Richmond Heights. Wright earned his master's in public administration from SIUE in 1992. After receiving his master's, Wright studied at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va., and has taught criminal justice courses at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park.

Wright has been with the Richmond Heights Police Force since 1973, where he was a sergeant, captain of the patrol division and assistant chief. Before accepting his title as police chief, Wright served as interim chief since January 2012.

More information is available about Wright in an April 4 article titled "Richmond Heights Names New Police Chief" in STLToday , the online component of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

SIUE 2012 Student Employee of the Year Recognized

Jennifer Bealmear, of Aledo, was named the 2012 Student Employee of the Year at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for her outstanding work in Campus Recreation during her tenure with the University.

"When you find a student employee like this, it elevates the entire University," said Kim Durr, executive assistant to SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift. Durr presented Bealmear with an award certificate, a $75 gift certificate to the SIUE Bookstore, a coffee mug and a T-shirt. She noted that SIUE strives for excellence and that Bealmear is an example of that.

Bealmear was recognized for her role as an intramural sports supervisor during a reception today in the Student Fitness Center to celebrate National Student Employee Week, as designated by the National Student Employment Association. Campus recreation specialist Nathan Scott nominated Bealmear and described her as a leader among the student staff, as well as someone who possesses a "self-starter attitude and dedication to success."

Bealmear has been nationally recognized as an outstanding student through the prestigious Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities, and at the University as an Emerging Student Leader and an Outstanding Student Leader. She also has received recognition for her contributions through athletics. She has served as president and vice president of the Women's Basketball Club, president of the Sports Club Executive Council and vice president of the Recreational Sports Advisory Council at SIUE.

"In these positions she has played an integral role in the planning, development and growth of the department and led the Women's Club Basketball Team to a National Championship title during the 2010-2011 Season," Scott said.

Bealmear possesses a 3.5 cumulative grade point average as a senior majoring in elementary education in the SIUE School of Education.

"On behalf of campus recreation, thank you for being exemplary," Mick Ostrander, director of Campus Recreation, told Bealmear in front of a conference room full of her coworkers at the SIUE Student Fitness Center.

Bealmear has been instrumental in speaking to donors as part of Defining Excellence-The Campaign for SIUE, the University's current major gifts campaign. She has served as an important voice among her peers, taking part in speaking with legislators during the annual Rally Day activities in Springfield.

This year's first and second runners-up for the prestigious award were Emily Heikes, of Columbia, who works in Intercollegiate Athletics and is a graduate student working on a master's in education, specializing in kinesiology, and Victoria Lyons, of Joliet, who works in SIUE's Department of Marketing and Communications and is a senior majoring in English.

SIUE's Haydon Featured In HEC-TV Jazz Program

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Professor of Music Rick Haydon is featured in a segment of Higher Education Channel Television's (HEC-TV) "I Love Jazz" program, which is being aired this month.

Haydon, who, in addition to teaching at SIUE also is the head of the University's guitar program and manages the recording studio, talks about jazz and performs with a quartet during the piece. It can be viewed at the link: hectv.org/programs/series/i-love-jazz/1557/april-2012/#play1444

Haydon, who is one of the first SIUE jazz program graduates, said he has been pleased with its evolution since its inception in 1982.

As St. Louis' leading producer of education, arts and cultural television programming, HEC-TV, which, according to its website reaches an audience of 630,000 subscribers each minute of each day, is the only television station in the metro area with the mission statement "to strengthen and promote the education, arts and cultural communities in the St. Louis Metropolitan area." Major funding for the station comes from the St. Louis County Commission for Educational Media. It is programmed by the Higher Education Consortium, which is a compilation of the 12 colleges and universities and 62 cooperating school districts in Greater St. Louis. The HEC-TV Board of Directors is comprised of the presidents, chancellors and leaders of member colleges and universities.

For more information, visit hectv.org/programs/series/i-love-jazz. For show times, click on the "TV Schedule" tab.

SIUE Renaissance Musical Fest Postponed; Free Musical Event Offered In Its Place Sunday

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's first Renaissance Musical Fest and Feast, which was slated to take place from 2:30-5 p.m. Sunday, April 15 at the Holiday Shores Clubhouse and Grounds, 1 Holiday Point Parkway in Edwardsville has been postponed. In its place, the SIUE Department of Music will offer a free concert featuring beautiful voices at 4:30 p.m. on campus in Dunham Hall, room 1109.

Light refreshments will be served following the performance.

The original event will be rescheduled at a later date. Details will be forthcoming.

For more information, please call the Department of Music, (618) 650-3900.

Leadership Council Honors SIUE Chancellor Vandegrift

In an evening that was devoted to honoring the career of U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello, the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois also presented Southern Illinois University Edwardsville chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift with a meritorious service award last Thursday night at the council's annual awards dinner at the Four Points Sheraton in Fairview Heights.

St. Louis Public Radio General Manager and master of ceremonies Tim Eby said that the executive council attempted to surprise the Chancellor with the award; he then went on to highlight Vandegrift's many achievements during his eight-year tenure. Vandegrift is a member of the Leadership Council's executive board. "Vaughn has been a tremendous asset to not only SIUE, but also this region," Eby said. "We will miss working with him, but wish Vaughn and his wife, Sue, all the best in his retirement."

"I am surprised, but I'm never speechless," Vandegrift said. "The reason SIUE is a great university is because of your sons and daughters, and your brothers' and sisters' children, who comprise our student body. We would not have been able to make all the progress that we have during my tenure without your help. The possibilities for SIUE are limitless because of the support of the people in this room and our region."

The evening was a tribute to Congressman Costello's lengthy and successful service to the region. Nevertheless, he still took a moment to acknowledge Vandegrift. "Although my career has been recognized tonight, I want to say that it's a privilege to share the podium with Vaughn," Costello said. "He deserves every accolade that comes his way for SIUE's successes."

Among Vandegrift's many achievements at SIUE, the following were noted during the ceremony: bringing SIUE to a place of national recognition; moving Intercollegiate Athletics to NCAA Division I in the Ohio Valley Conference; overseeing the completion of nearly $300 million in construction and infrastructure improvement; raising SIUE's regional economic impact to $471 million per year in 2010; and steadily improving enrollment to a record 14,235 students for fall 2011.

AADR President To Speak At SIU/SDM April 10

Dr. Jeffrey L. Ebersole, president of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) and the associate dean for Research at the University of Kentucky (UK), College of Dentistry, will be the guest speaker at the 2012 Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU/SDM) Research Day and Table Clinic Competition on Tuesday, April 10, on the Alton campus.

Speaking about "Salivary Biodiagnostics in Oral and Systemic Diseases," Dr. Ebersole will appear at 1:15 p.m. that day in the auditorium of the SIU/SDM Center for Professional Advancement in Building 280.

Prior to his afternoon talk, Ebersole will present "Ontogeny of the Innate Immune System in the Oral Cavity" from 10:30-11:30 a.m. in Roller Hall on the Alton campus.

Along with being an associate dean, Ebersole is an Alvin L. Morris Professor of Oral Health Research and director of the Center for Oral Research at UK. His laboratory focuses on the immunobiology of oral infections emphasizing in vitro and in vivo studies of host-pathogen interactions.

Ebersole earned his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh and developed an interest in dental research during his postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Immunology at The Forsyth Institute. He was a faculty member at Forsyth and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine until 1985 when he became a professor in the Department of Periodontics and Microbiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

He oversees the UK College of Dentistry Outreach and Engagement Program, which includes the operation of multiple mobile dental vans, the Head Start and elementary school-based dental service, and research programs. Through the Kentucky Oral Health Network, the program partners with public health departments, community health centers and primary care centers across the state providing dental care to nearly 12,000 students in 2011.

He has authored more than 250 publications, reviews and book chapters in microbiology and the immunology of oral diseases. Ebersole also has achieved major National Institute of Health grant support for the Center for the Biologic Basis of Oral/Systemic Diseases. His work supports a broad range of oral-systemic disease studies, including HIV, pregnancy, gestational diabetes, cardiovascular disease and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as genetic and environmental challenges that increase the risk for other diseases.

Klein Named Teaching Excellence Award Winner; Teaching Distinction Award Winners Named

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Office of the Provost today announced that Nicole Klein, Ph.D., is the recipient of the annual Teaching Excellence Award for tenure-track faculty. Klein is an assistant professor of kinesiology and health education in the School of Education. It is the most prestigious teaching award that a faculty member can receive at SIUE.

Klein received a $2,000 prize as part of the award. She will be recognized during SIUE's May commencement ceremony and will speak at the December commencement exercise. She will be nominated for the Advancement and Support of Education for the National Professor of the Year Award.

Chair of the Teaching Excellence Awards committee Denise DeGarmo, Ph.D., an associate professor of political science, cited Klein's ability to help students to become critical thinkers, to be able to reflect upon their own performances and to develop their understanding of important course concepts. The committee also noted Klein's deep respect for her students and ability to provide constructive feedback that guided students to continuous improvement. The committee complimented Klein's curriculum development, classroom instruction and scholarly publications on effective pedagogy.

Klein earned both her bachelor's and master's of science in health education from SIU Carbondale in 1989 and 1991, respectively. She achieved a Ph.D. in health education from the University of Texas at Austin in 1995. She was both a teaching assistant and graduate assistant at UT before arriving on the SIUE campus in August 1995.

Recipients of Teaching Distinction Awards for tenure-track faculty included Serdar Celik, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and industrial engineering in the School of Engineering; Jennifer Miller, assistant professor of history in the College of Arts and Sciences; and Jessica DeSpain, assistant professor of English language and literature in the College of Arts and Sciences. All received $500 prizes. School of Nursing lecturer Virginia Eason received a Teaching Distinction Award for non-tenure track faculty that also carried a $500 prize.

The committee acknowledged Celik's ability to break down complex concepts into clear, simple explanations by using real world examples to illustrate course content. Students highlighted his clear, enthusiastic communication skills along with an approachable nature. Celik also was highlighted for his variety of assessment tools to elicit feedback and then acting upon those comments to improve course presentation.

Celik earned a bachelor's of science in mechanical engineering in 2001 from Yıldız Technical University in Turkey. He achieved a master's of science in mechanical engineering in 2003 from Istanbul Technical University in Turkey. He earned a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from SIU Carbondale in 2007. He joined SIUE as an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering in August 2007.

The committee pointed to Miller's passion and enthusiasm as her greatest strengths. Her students are actively engaged in the materials and activities which she presents utilizing a wide variety of multi-media tools. Her teaching philosophy is clearly articulated through her course design and student interactions. Her colleagues highlighted her integrity, work ethic and genuine interest in her students.

Miller earned a bachelor's of science in German with a minor in gender studies in 1998 from Davidson College in North Carolina. She achieved her master's of science in women's and gender studies in 2002 from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, where she also earned a Ph.D. in history in 2008. She joined the College of Arts and Sciences faculty in August 2008.

DeSpain's articulate, creative, enthusiastic and engaging classroom approach impressed the committee, which also noted her tremendous energy and commitment to student learning. Students actively participate in her rigorous classes that incorporate various disciplinary approaches. Her students are on an educational journey through DeSpain's clear, thoughtful classroom examples.

DeSpain earned a bachelor's of arts in liberal arts with a concentration in language arts in 2001 from Mount St. Clare College in Clinton, Iowa. She achieved a Ph.D. in English from the University of Iowa in Iowa City in 2008. She also joined the College of Arts and Sciences faculty in August 2008.

The committee spotlighted Eason for being a knowledgeable educator who encourages students to view the world through the multiple lenses of nursing and patient care. Her ability to engage students both inside and outside the classroom is particularly effective in her clinical work with students. She has earned high praise for providing an engaging learning environment, while serving as an outstanding mentor and role model to nursing students.

Eason earned a bachelor's of science in nursing in 1982 from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. She achieved a master's of science in the nursing care of children in 1987 from Saint Louis University. She has always taught part-time and currently teaches the clinical portion of the course nursing care of children and adolescents at SIUE where she joined the faculty in January 2003. She also has worked as a registered nurse for SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center since 1982.

Topic For SIUE CSS Symposium: "Awakening The Dreamer, Changing The Dream"

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Friends of the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability (CSS) and La Vista Ecological Learning Center will present a symposium-"Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream"-from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 14.

The event, which will examine environmental sustainability, social justice and spiritual fulfillment, will take place in the CSS on the SIUE campus. Questions about what might happen in the future will be explored and addressed through video clips and group participation. The Awakening the Dreamer organization hosts events aimed at changing the world.

The symposium will be presented by an international network of "Awakening the Dreamer" members, including Rockhaven Ecozoic Center co-directors -Jan Stocking, who is a member of the religious institute of Catholic women, the Religious Sisters of Mercy (RSM), and Diza Velasco; Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Committee for the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) staff member Paulette Zimmerman; and director of La Vista Ecological Learning Center Maxine Pohlman, SSND.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The event is free for SIUE students with a current student ID. A fee of $15 is encouraged for non-student participants. Advanced registration is possible online at lavistaelc.org or via mail to: La Vista Ecological Learning Center, 4300 Levis Lane, Godfrey, IL 62035. Free parking is available in visitor lot B, located west of SIUE's Morris University Center.

Refreshments will be provided. For more information call La Vista Ecological Learning Center at (618) 466-5004 or email info@lavistaelc.org.

The Graduate School Presents the 16th Annual Spring Symposium

The daylong 2012 Graduate School Spring Symposium featuring speakers, award presentations, a tour of East St. Louis and receptions will take place April 9 on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus and at the SIUE East St. Louis Center.

A tour group led by Dr. Andrew Theising, SIUE's director of the Institute for Urban Research and associate professor of political science, will leave the Edwardsville campus bound for East St. Louis at 9 a.m. from Hairpin Drive, under the flagpoles. Those participating in the tour will see significant economic, political and cultural landmarks of East St. Louis, and have a better understanding of what happened in this "All American City." Reservations are required for the group and can be made at vhicks@siue.edu or by calling (618) 650-5262. The group will return to Edwardsville at noon.

The symposium's keynote address: "Pilgrim's Progress: The True Story of How the SIUE Initiative to Articulate a Teacher-Scholar Model Lost Its Way and Why Its Redemption is Needed Now More than Ever," will begin at 9 a.m. in SIUE's Morris University Center Maple/Dogwood Room. Dr. Stephen Hansen, professor of historical studies and former dean of the SIUE Graduate School, is the keynote speaker.

Hansen will discuss the challenges that SIUE faculty have faced since the innovative Teacher-Scholar Model for learning was first introduced on campus in 2006. He contends that now is the time to re-introduce that model. The presentation will be held in the Maple/Dogwood Room of the MUC at 9:00 a.m., and is open to the University Community. Those interested in attending should contact cflo@siue.edu to make reservations.

At 10 a.m., the Graduate School will offer a Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) workshop titled "Protecting Human Subjects in Research," presented by Ann Dirks-Linhorst, professor of sociology and criminal justice studies and chair of the University's Institutional Review Board (IRB). The workshop will partially satisfy the RCR requirements for instruction for students who are employed on a research grant. Students are encouraged to attend. To register for the workshop, individuals should email cflo@siue.edu.

Scholarly and creative publications by SIUE faculty will be displayed during the Symposium. University Archivist and Special Collections Librarian Stephen Kerber will be on-hand to answer questions about the collection. Bibliographies of the works on display will be available. For information on having your works displayed and donating them to University Archives, Kerber can be contacted at skerber@siue.edu.

The Paul Simon Outstanding Teacher-Scholar Award Luncheon will feature a presentation titled "Synergies between Teaching and Research: Adventures in Chemistry" by Michael J. Shaw, professor of chemistry. Shaw is the 2011 recipient of the Paul Simon Outstanding Teacher-Scholar Award. The 2012 Paul Simon Outstanding Teacher-Scholar Award recipient, George L. Engel, professor of electrical and computer engineering, will be acknowledged at the luncheon. Those wishing to attend the luncheon are asked to contact cflo@siue.edu to reserve a meal/seat.

The Graduate Student Research Symposium will be held from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in the MUC's Goshen Lounge and on the building's second floor. The event will feature paper presentations and poster exhibits by graduate students and students in the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) Program. A reception to honor student presenters, and to announce Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi and URCA awards, will be held at 4 p.m. in the MUC's Maple/Dogwood Room. The event is open to the public and instructors are welcome to bring their classes.

The Chancellor's Researcher's Reception, honoring faculty and staff who submitted external grants from March 1, 2011-February 29, 2012, will begin at 4:30. The event is by invitation only.

For more information about Spring Symposium events, contact cflo@siue.edu, or visit siue.edu/graduate.

SIUE's Kate Eckert Receives Fulbright Award

Kate Eckert, a senior at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship to Germany. She was notified recently by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. The Belleville native has a double-major in German and history and a minor in European studies.

Eckert is the second SIUE student to be selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. She is one of more than 1,700 U.S. citizens who will travel abroad for the 2012-2013 academic year through the program. A firm departure date has not yet been determined.

The German academic year runs from late September through June. Eckert will serve as a teaching assistant, educating English-to-German students at a variety of educational levels.

"My goal is to become perfectly fluent in German," said Eckert, who is planning her eighth trip to Germany. She first studied abroad in 2006 as an undergraduate at Murray State University where she studied for two years before transferring to SIUE. In a sister cities program with Belleville, she was located in Paderborn and hopes to be close to her previous host family.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for Kate and a signal that she has done good work in the past," said Ronald Schaefer, director of the SIUE Center for International Programs. "Kate had strong support from faculty in the Department of Foreign Languages as her experiences in learning German will be beneficial to German students learning English. We hope that her success will encourage other students to apply and take advantage of the opportunity to be funded."

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the federal government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries, and in the United States, also provide direct and indirect support. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The program operates in more than 155 countries worldwide.

Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given approximately 300,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Fulbright recipients are among more than 40,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. For more than 60 years, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has funded and supported these programs. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is administered by the Institute of International Education.

For more information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, visit http://fulbright.state.gov or contact James A. Lawrence, Office of Academic Exchange Programs, (202) 632-3241 or e-mail fulbright@state.gov.

SIUE Music Department To Present Big Band Jazz Concert At Wildey

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Music will present the annual Spring Big Band Jazz Concert featuring the SIUE Concert Jazz Band directed by Brett Stamps at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 17, at the Wildey Theater in downtown Edwardsville.

Stamps, who is a professor of music, has been the director of jazz activities at SIUE since the formation of the jazz degree program in 1982. He directs SIUE ensembles, including the Concert Jazz Band, and teaches jazz improvisation, jazz arranging, jazz brass, jazz education and jazz history.

This performance will mark Stamps' final appearance with the Concert Jazz Band before retiring after 32 years of employment at SIUE. The concert will offer a variety of big band music styles, including work from such notables as Doc Severinsen and Woody Herman, as well as Stamps and SIUE graduate Mike Dee. The audience can expect a grand finale featuring graduates of the SIUE Jazz Program from the last 30 years.

Admission is $10 general, $7 for seniors and those under the age of 18. SIUE students with a student ID are admitted free, compliments of Arts-for-All. All tickets can be acquired at the SIUE Fine Arts Box Office, (618) 650-2774.

The IERC At SIUE Releases Study on College Readiness

The Illinois Education Research Council (IERC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville released a report today highlighting the associations between college readiness and college outcomes.

Understanding how college readiness relates to college enrollment and degree completion has direct policy implications, particularly for states such as Illinois. According to the IERC, many states currently are developing definitions of and metrics for college readiness to meet requirements for a No Child Left Behind waiver. Understanding how college readiness is distributed and relates to postsecondary outcomes also could help pinpoint problem areas in the educational pipeline, said Eric Lichtenberger, associate director for research for the IERC and an assistant research professor at SIUE.

"This knowledge could assist policymakers as they define college readiness and develop ways to measure it, not only to obtain an NCLB waiver, but to support the state's goal to increase the proportion of individuals with quality postsecondary degrees and credentials to 60 percent by 2025," he said.

The report focuses on 115,677 graduates from the Illinois high school class of 2003 and follows them through postsecondary education. It starts by describing how college readiness, as measured by the college readiness benchmarks set by the ACT, is distributed among the Class of 2003. The report also establishes the college readiness of various groups based on select demographic characteristics. Finally, the relationships between college readiness, student characteristics and college enrollment, persistence, and bachelor's completion are analyzed.

Findings from the report indicate the following:

• About half the Class of 2003 was adequately prepared to have a high probability of postsecondary success in at least two of the subject areas covered by the ACT;

• Given the relatively high benchmark in Science (24), those who met this benchmark had a high probability of meeting all of the other benchmarks: English (18), Reading (21), and Math (22);

• Missing a benchmark in either English or Math had a much more detrimental impact on the rates of enrollment at four-year colleges and bachelor's degree completion relative to missing a benchmark in Science or Reading.

• Although a higher proportion of male students met all of the college readiness benchmarks, they lagged behind female students in terms of bachelor's degree completion;

• Minority students meeting all of the benchmarks had significantly higher rates of four-year enrollment and enrollment at the most competitive colleges relative to their white peers;

• However, African-American and Hispanic students had significantly lower rates of bachelor's completion relative to white and Asian students.

• It should be noted that enrolling at a more competitive college appeared to narrow the racial gap in terms of bachelor's completion, particularly for underserved minority students enrolling in a highly competitive institution.

The study provides evidence to show that for college enrollment and bachelor's completion, college readiness matters. Meeting three or more-and in some cases two (Math and English)-of the benchmarks was related to increased rates of postsecondary success. This was particularly true for students from wealthier families and those enrolling at more competitive institutions. However, differences in the importance of meeting the benchmarks varied across demographic groups and the outcome being measured. This suggested that the definition of college readiness should be multi-dimensional.

According to Lichtenberger "future work will explore how non-academic factors, such as first generation college status, could help explain the difference in bachelor's completion rates for students meeting the same number of college readiness benchmarks."

For more information, contact Lichtenberger, the author of the report, (618) 650-2840 or (866) 799-4372. A complete report is available at ierc.siue.edu.

SIUE's Jazz Station To Begin 'From The Sidelines' Feature Series

WSIE-FM (88.7) The Jazz Station-broadcasting from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville-begins a new feature, From the Sidelines, on April 3 just after the 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. news on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The series of vignettes-musings, memories and humorous anecdotes-is written and anchored by Tom Dehner, retired WSIE news and public affairs director and a veteran of 40 years in broadcasting, public relations and higher education in the St. Louis area. The series is being underwritten by TheBANK of Edwardsville and The Simmons Firm of Alton.

"Dehner presents slice-of-life stories and personal reflections on experiences as well as observations, all designed to inform, entertain, inspire and hopefully motivate our St. Louis area listeners," said Greg Conroy, WSIE general manager. "Tom's style is personable, using humor, anecdotes, human interest and events past and present in conveying thoughts and ideas about both common, everyday goings on and the people and events of day-to-day life," Conroy said.

From the Sidelines finds Dehner waxing eloquent about many topics, including how technology is not his friend, about students and co-workers and about others who have over the many years made an impression. "From time-to-time I offer different perspectives on issues from what might be considered the norm or politically correct," Dehner said.

From the Sidelines focuses on such diverse topics as Sniglets, Spitwads, Separation Anxiety and the Secret Service; Grandpa's Oatmeal and Ostrich Racing; Pancakes, Performance Enhancers and Political Action Committees; Baseball, Bucket Lists and a special lady known affectionately as Ms. Blue. Content ranges from serious to tongue-in-cheek.

"For example, there's an episode from my college days, in the '60s, when a group of us marched 60 miles, carrying blank signs to 'Protest Nothing' and another about how public relations is more challenging than rocket science," he said. "I share work experiences and the lessons learned from people I've been fortunate enough to meet and work with-some celebrities, some not.

"Successes and failures in radio and during my time in PR also are chronicled, with a moral to each story discussed at the end. Yet, it's not preaching," Dehner assures. "The programs present what I think are thought-provoking, often funny, occasionally inspiring glances at life.

"My son asked why anyone would be interested in anything I have to say. That's a good question. I replied that the From the Sidelines tells stories that everyday people can identify with-because I am 'Joe Lunchbucket' myself." Conroy said the title is derived from Dehner's recent retirement. "Tom has moved from being on the field and in the game, so to speak, to viewing life more as an observer." Says Dehner: "But I'm not ready to just sit idly in the bleachers."

According to Conroy, those who know Dehner are enthusiastic about hearing what he has to say because "while at the station he always seemed to have something to say. The segments last a couple of minutes each and we think the audience will find them enjoyable listening and time well spent," he said.

SIUE To Launch Dream Machine Recycling Initiative

The PepsiCo Dream Machine recycling program will be arriving in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Morris University Center (MUC,) providing students, faculty, staff and guests with a convenient and rewarding way to recycle bottles and cans on-the-go.

The Dream Machine recycling initiative, created by PepsiCo in collaboration with Waste Management, is introducing thousands of recycling bins and kiosks at popular public locations across North America. Dream Machine kiosks are computerized receptacles that include a personal reward system, powered by Greenopolis, which allows users to earn points for every bottle or can they recycle in the kiosk and redeem those points for local discounts on entertainment, dining and travel at www.greenopolis.com.

"We are excited to have the Pepsi Dream Machines in the (MUC) and we want to encourage all of our customers to take advantage of this exciting new initiative to encourage recycling plastic bottles on our campus," said Joseph Pearson, MUC director.

The more bottles and cans people recycle in the Dream Machines at SIUE and in Dream Machine kiosks and bins across the nation, the more support PepsiCo will provide to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV), a national program offering free experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 U.S. veterans with disabilities.

"We are so pleased that (SIUE) has partnered with the Dream Machine program to make Dream Machines available to students and faculty," said Jeremy Cage, senior vice president and head of the Dream Machine Recycling Initiative at PepsiCo. "Those who recycle in a Dream Machine can earn rewards and help make a real difference for our planet, and in the lives of disabled U.S. veterans."

The Dream Machines on SIUE's campus are located in the MUC, the campus' main hub for student dining. The machines can be found in the lower level of the building and outside Center Court dining.

With approximately 4,000 Dream Machine bins and kiosks currently located in 40 states, the program aims to create strategic partnerships to help increase the U.S. beverage container recycling rate to 50 percent by 2018.

"Experience tells us that people are much more likely to recycle if it's convenient and they are rewarded for doing so," said Paul Wolff, operations manager at Greenopolis. "We look forward to working with (SIUE) to enable a recycling experience that is fun and rewarding on many levels."

To learn more about the Dream Machine, please visit facebook.com/DreamMachine.

SIUE School of Pharmacy Is National Runner-Up

During the annual meeting for the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APh-ASP) in March, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy student chapter received the national runner-up Chapter Achievement award in the AAA Category. The Chapter Achievement Award recognizes outstanding activities of the APh-ASP chapters in pharmacy programs across the United States. The AAA Category is classified as having a student enrollment of fewer than 350 students.

According to its website, the APhA-ASP organizes the award system to recognize "superior programming among chapters that envision the future of pharmacy by creating opportunities for student participation. The awards program also embraces the core ideas of APhA-ASP's mission to create new standards of leadership, professionalism, membership, patient care and legislative advocacy among student pharmacists nationwide."

"Our students are seeing their educational work compete with big name schools, and for our smaller school to be recognized on a national level is huge." said Dr. Jessica Kerr, associate professor of Pharmacy Practice in the SIUE School of Pharmacy and co-faculty advisor of the SIUE APhA-ASP Student Chapter.

The APhA-ASP organizes more than 20 events annually. Students work with the public on a one-on-one basis at events such as Operation Immunization, a program that allows student pharmacists to expand their education outside the classroom and practice in a clinical setting, while educating the public about the benefits and safety of vaccinations, and Generation Rx, a re-occurring event in local communities during which student pharmacists educate middle- and high-school aged students about the dangers of prescription drug abuse, and answer prescription drug questions.

More information about the Chapter Achievement Award can be found at http://www.pharmacist.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Chapter_Achievement_Awards.

ASEE Data Names SIUE Engineering School Among Its Top 20

Recently the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) released data highlighting the past year and named Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's School of Engineering 17th of 258 public and private institutions for students graduated per faculty member. The data indicated that for every tenured/tenure-track faculty member, 4.93 bachelor's degrees were awarded.

"This is simply a well-deserved testament that our programs are operating most efficiently and maximizing their resources," said SIUE School of Engineering Dean Hasan Sevim. "We should credit our dedicated faculty and staff for such an impeccable accomplishment."

According to its website, the ASEE is "a nonprofit organization of individuals and institutions committed to furthering education in engineering and engineering technology" through "promoting excellence in instruction, research, public service and practice; exercising worldwide leadership; fostering the technological education of society, and providing quality products and services to members."

Through the development of policies and programs, the ASEE works in collaboration with national and international organizations in pursuit of academic excellence, the site stated.

Through hands-on training and instruction from highly qualified faculty, SIUE's School of Engineering prepares students for careers in the growing fields of engineering, computer science and construction. The School supports the technical growth and economic development of the region, placing nearly 100 percent of its graduates in engineering careers.

SIUE Donates Hundreds Of Cases Of Food To Area Shelter

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students recently had an opportunity to champion the needs of hungry people in the area by just purchasing a bowl of cereal. SIUE teamed up with Kellogg cereal's Food Away From Home initiative and Feeding America, the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief organization, to participate in the six-week food program, "Be A Hero Everyday."

Kellogg's agreed to donate an eight-ounce bowl of dry cereal to a shelter for every bowl purchased. The results netted 8,520 bowls of cereal, or 213 cases, which were donated to the St. Louis Area Food Bank.

"This is the first time we've done this kind of promotion," said Melissa McEldowney, production manager for the SIUE Morris University Center. "But our Kellogg's representative knew how passionate we were about contributing to food shelters." McEldowney and SIUE Dining Services employee, Joy L. Stevens, have long wanted to routinely donate left-over University food to local pantries. The concern, however, was the University's liability in sharing food with those in need. McEldowney researched the subject and discovered Operation Food Search, based out of St. Louis. Operation Food Search is the largest distributor of free food in the St. Louis bi-state region. The agency receives food from various providers and takes 100 percent of the liability. Operation Food Search picks up the food from contributing vendors and delivers it to specified pantries and shelters. According to Feeding America, nearly one out of six people in the U.S. do not have enough to eat.

SIUE began working with Operation Food Search in 2010 and is one of the program's 265 partner agencies. Operation Food Search covers 20,000 square miles and 31 counties in Missouri and Illinois. Since November 2010, the University has weekly donated left-over food to the Community Care Food Shelter in Granite City, which serves more than 350 hot meals per day.

"Kellogg's 'Be A Hero Everyday' program fit right into our vision and provided us with an opportunity to expand our community outreach," McEldowney said. Kellogg has supported food banks across the U.S. for almost 30 years. On average, the company annually donates $20 million of products. Last year, Kellogg provided an estimated 530,000 servings of cereal with the support of 118 universities across the country.

SIUE Launches Free Mobile App, Brings Interactive Campus Experience to Smartphones

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville today announced the launch of SIUE Mobile, a free mobile campus application that brings university life to popular smartphones and mobile devices.

SIUE Mobile lets the SIUE community get and stay connected wherever they are. The app offers mobile access to campus maps, the entire course catalog, event calendars, sports schedules and more. It even has a directory that allows students to email or call professors and classmates.

Students, faculty and staff can download the application for free through app stores. Developed by Blackboard Mobile, a division of education technology company, Blackboard Inc., the app also is expected to be popular with prospective students, parents, alumni and other members of the University community.

"We want to offer our students and other members of our community the best in technology and access, and that means making SIUE services and information available to mobile users," said Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology Jennifer Vandever.

Current features include:

• Courses-Access the current term course schedule. Each course includes information such as descriptions, prerequisites, times, days of the week, building location and instructor. The course listing can be used to locate the course on the campus map or add the instructor to a contacts list.

• Campus Map-Search for buildings by name to see physical campus location. Users can see where they are on the Edwardsville campus in relation to the building they're looking for, and even get a photo of, and information about, the building.

• Campus Directory-Search for faculty, staff and student contact information. When users find the person they're looking for, adding them to their device contacts is as simple as clicking a button.

• Event Calendar-View events happening across campus by category.

• Athletics-Get news, schedules and scores for favorite Cougar sports.

• Mobile Web-Get access to the latest mobile web content directly from the SIUE Mobile app with the click of a button.

For questions about the SIUE Mobile App, please contact the ITS Help Desk at 618-650-5500.

SIUE Mobile is available free from Android™, BlackBerry®, and Apple® iOS application stores. For all other browser-enabled phones and devices, browse to http://m.siue.edu. For more information about Blackboard's mobile solutions, please visit http://www.blackboard.com/mobilecentral.

SIU Board of Trustees Approves SIU Edwardsville Projects

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees today approved several projects scheduled for the SIU Edwardsville campus. The action came today at the Board's regular meeting at the SIU Carbondale campus.

The Board approved planning and obtaining cost estimates to renovate the Union Station store in the Morris University Center (MUC). The project will be funded from the MUC's reserve, repair and replacement fund. Final project and budget approval, and award of contracts will require further Board consideration. The facility faces issues with congestion, Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility, re-stocking functions and customer point-of-sale systems.

The Board approved a cleaning contract for three residence halls-Bluff, Prairie and Woodland halls-and the Cougar Village Apartments on the SIUE campus. Alpha Building Maintenance, of Homer Glen, received the four-year contract at a cost of $678,908 per year. The contract will be funded from University Housing Operating funds.

The University retains a cleaning service to prepare student apartments for occupancy. While partial cleaning is required after conference housing and short-term occupancies, a full cleaning is required whenever students move out. Evergreen Hall will be bid separately and awarded in accordance with the state and the University's purchasing policies.

The Board approved a 36-month lease program with the Illinois Public Higher Education Cooperative (IPHEC) to manage computer workstations on the SIUE campuses. This program will service some 2,700 workstations at a cost of approximately $1,400 per workstation funded through departmental operating funds. SIUE has had a successful computer-leasing program for the past 12 years.

This program provides for the leasing of computer workstations for administrative and academic use, as well as maintenance and service support for each workstation. Leasing provides high-quality computing service for a fixed, predictable monthly expenditure, which includes shipping, installation, repair parts, financing and service.

Every 36 months, leased workstations are replaced with new ones. As a result, the University receives the benefits of equipment that incorporates the advantages of the latest technology, and assists in the elimination of obsolescent, failure-prone computers.

The Board also approved a project and the budget for the renovation of the National Corn to Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) in SIUE's University Park. The renovation will involve installing up to six fermentation tanks. The estimated cost of the work is $2.5 million and will be funded through a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Award of contracts will require further Board approval.

The fermentation renovation will provide additional small and intermediate scale fermentation capacity for the NCERC. This project will enable the NCERC to serve a broader, diverse client base to perform cell mass growth and specialty chemical development; thus, continuing biofuels research.

In other business, the Board's Executive Committee has been authorized to award contracts related to the resurfacing of the existing track at Korte Stadium. The estimated cost of the project is $1.3 million and will be funded with University Plant funds. Bids are expected in late March and the resurfacing is estimated to be completed by Aug. 9, to be ready for fall semester competition.

During its December 2011 session, the Board approved the Korte project, which will involve resurfacing the track and the associated runways and pits, and making needed drainage improvements.

The Board's Executive Committee has also been authorized to award contracts related to the resurfacing of North University Drive. The estimated cost of the project is $1.5 million and will be funded from the University Plant fund. Bids are expected before the May meeting of the Board.

The proposed project calls for the resurfacing of a portion of North University Drive and the addition of asphalt shoulders along North and East University drives. Project completion is expected prior to the start of fall semester.

SIUE Fee Changes Considered By SIU Board Of Trustees

During its meeting on the Southern Illinois University Carbondale campus today, the SIU Board of Trustees considered fee-related changes that will affect the SIU Edwardsville campus, including changes in the student fees for Information Technology, Intercollegiate Athletics and textbook rental.

Other student fee changes considered include those for University Housing occupancy rates, the Student Fitness Center, the Student Welfare and Activity (SWAF) fee, Textbook Rental, the University Center and the Facilities fees. The fees will be on the May meeting agenda for final approval.

If approved by the Board in May, a full-time undergraduate student taking 15 credit hours would pay an Intercollegiate Athletics fee of $165.70 per semester beginning in the fall, a change from the current rate of $160.85. The proposed increase of $4.85 per semester would support the annual operating expenses associated with an NCAA Division I program and would move the program toward established fund balance targets.

If approved in May by the Board, the Information Technology fee would change from $6.65 per credit hour to $6.85, resulting in a full-time undergraduate student paying $205.50 annually-two academic semesters of 15 hours each-compared with $199.50 currently paid for two semesters. This fee helps defray the costs of supporting computing resources and networking infrastructure on campus.

Textbook Rental fees are proposed to increase $9 per semester effective in the fall. The fee is assessed at the same rates during a semester and the summer session. The semester rate for 15 hours would increase from $166.50 to $175.50 and would offset other inflationary

operating cost increases in salaries and general administrative costs, provide necessary levels of service and maintain an appropriate fund balance.

Below is a chart of the proposed changes in other student fees:

Annually (for a full-time student enrolled in 15 hours or more during fall and spring)

FY12 FY13 Change

• SWAF $219.90 $225.80 +$ 5.90

• Student Fitness Ctr. $159.60 $163.50 +$ 3.90

• Facilities Maint. $540.00 $555.00 +$15.00

• University Ctr. $303.90 $313.50 + $ 9.60

The Board also considered changes in SIUE's housing rental fees for the fall term.

Under the proposals, rental rates for a shared room at Woodland, Prairie and Bluff residence halls would be $2,635 per semester compared with the current charge of $2,560. A deluxe single room would cost $10,540 annually compared with $10,240 now. Housing rates at Evergreen Hall would be $5,600 annually for a shared apartment compared with $7,480 for a private apartment or a private suite rate of $6,340 annually.

Upperclassmen residing in Cougar Village Apartments would pay $4,010 per year for a shared room compared with $3,890 paid currently per year, while a single room would cost $5,950 annually compared with $5,780 now. A deluxe single room would be assessed at $8,020 per year compared with $7,780 per year now.

Families in Cougar Village, now paying $960 per month for a two-bedroom, unfurnished apartment, would pay $990 in the fall and $1,020 in fall 2013. The same family paying $1,125 per month now for a furnished two-bedroom apartment would pay $1,160 per month in fall and $1,195 in fall 2013. Families in a three-bedroom unfurnished apartment now paying $1,080 per month would pay $1,110 per month in fall and $1,145 in fall 2013; a three-bedroom furnished apartment is now $1,260 per month and would be $1,300 in fall and $1,340 in fall 2013.

SIU Board Of Trustees Considers Proposed SIUE AY 12-13 Tuition

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees today considered a proposed tuition plan for the 2012-13 Academic Year calling for a $318 increase, or a 4.8 percent increase, over last year for in-state undergraduates. A $192 annual increase, reflecting a 3.0 percent increase, also was considered today for graduate students at SIUE for the fall.

In addition, the board also considered other tuition change proposals for SIUE that would mean an annual increase for students, including nursing accelerated students and graduate students, as well as for students enrolled in the professional schools of Dental Medicine and Pharmacy. The overall tuition proposal was considered today during the board's regular meeting conducted on the campus of SIU Carbondale.

Under the guidelines considered, if approved by the Board in May, the annual tuition rate would be $6,948 for new undergraduate students entering this coming fall. Undergraduate students currently in a guaranteed tuition plan would see no increase in their annual tuition rate. Students in the SIUE Graduate School would pay $6,504 in tuition.

The board also considered a 4-percent increase to $22,100 annual tuition for the SIUE School of Pharmacy, a 5-percent increase to $27,720 annual tuition at the SIU School of Dental Medicine and a 4-percent increase to $18,249 annual tuition over 66 credit hours for the accelerated Bachelor of Science in nursing program.

Four SIUE Chancellor Candidates to Visit Campus

Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard is pleased to announce that the search to secure the successor to retiring SIU Edwardsville Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift will continue as four candidates, recommended by the Chancellor Search Advisory Committee, will visit campus beginning Sunday, March 25. The original pool of 37 candidates has been narrowed to the following:

• Raymond W. Alden III, Ph.D., (siue.edu/chancellorsearch/alden.shtml) has served as executive vice president and provost at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb since 2006. He was executive vice president and provost at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas from 2000-2006 after serving as UNLV"s dean of College of Sciences from 1997-2000. He holds a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Florida in Gainesville.

• Julie A. Furst-Bowe, Ed.D., (siue.edu/chancellorsearch/bowe.shtml) has served as provost and vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wisc, since 2005. Since joining UWS as a faculty member in 1990, she has progressed through the administrative ranks as chair of the department of communications, education and training; associate vice chancellor, academic and student affairs; and assistant chancellor, assessment and continuous improvement. She holds a Ed.D. in work, family and community education from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

• Gloria J. Gibson, Ph.D., (siue.edu/chancellorsearch/gibson.shtml) has served as executive vice president and provost at the University of Northern Iowa since 2009. She also is a professor in UNI's department of communication studies. Prior to her UNI tenure, she was dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Ark., for five years. She holds a Ph.D. in folklore, ethnomusicology concentration from Indiana University in Bloomington.

• Carl Anthony Stockton, Ph.D., (siue.edu/chancellorsearch/stockton.shtml) has served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Houston-Clear Lake in Houston, Texas, since 2007. He also is a professor in UHCL's School of Human Sciences and Humanities. Prior to his current post, he was dean and chair for education, in the School of Education at the University of Texas at Brownsville. He holds a Ph.D. in health education from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Search advisory committee chairman John Navin, Ph.D., a professor of economics and finance in the SIUE School of Business, has led the 16-person committee through the 3-month process. Each candidate will participate in forums with various groups across campus during their visits. The committee is composed of representatives of various groups across the campus and the community. The new chancellor is expected to be confirmed at the SIU Board of Trustees meeting in May.

For more information on the search process, their visit schedules and a list of committee members, please visit siue.edu/chancellorsearch.

SIUE Renaissance Musical Fest Welcomes Spring

Bring the family and experience a melodic time from the past when Southern Illinois University Edwardsville presents the University's first Spring Renaissance Musical Fest and Feast.

The fun is set for 2:30-5 p.m. Sunday, April 15 at the Holiday Shores Clubhouse and Grounds, 1 Holiday Point Parkway in Edwardsville.

The Renaissance Musical Festival will feature the popular SIUE Madrigal Singers and Concert Choir, directed by Dr. Joel Knapp, professor of music. Also included in the afternoon will be other University top musicians and theatrical performers.

Guests taking part in the "renaissance village" will celebrate the arrival of spring, complete with jugglers, a magician, face painting and dancing. Guests will also mingle with the "King and Queen," lords and ladies, the Dancing Bear and even Robin Hood. In addition, there will be archery, numerous games and a craft area for children. Adding to the merriment will be various kinds of food and drinks.

The festival is being presented, courtesy of the SIUE Department of Music and the Friends of Music, a volunteer organization dedicated to raising scholarship money for SIUE music students.

"What's different and exciting is gearing the festival toward families and for the first time having ticket prices available for children," said Kathy Mendelsohn, SIUE Friends of Music event committee chair. "Our first spring Renaissance Festival promises to be engaging and enjoyable for everyone." Ticket prices are $40 for adults, $20 for students with valid identification and $12 for children ages 13 and under. Adult tickets include a $20 gift to be used to provide scholarships for talented music students and help build the Friends of Music Endowment Fund at SIUE. This gift is considered a tax deductible contribution.

For tickets and reservations, call the SIUE Department of Music, (618) 650-3900 or go online at www.siuemusic.com. Reservations are required by April 6.

SIUE Students Engage In Alternative Spring Break, Help Community

The SIUE group of students on the final day of the service project, pictured are John "Alex" Wilson, Arjun Sabhaya, Alex Howell, Cathy Dye, Rosie Keith, Chris Felchlia, Sheena Mathis, Sarah Laux, Travis Herman, Merry Baldwin, Kate Alexander, Micah Duncan, Jessica Lewis-Walton, Lawandria Freeman, Antinique Graham, Victoria Little, Olivia Parker, Brianne Graunke and Brooke Smith.Students repairing the siding on a storm-damaged church. Pictured: Brianne Graunke, Brooke Smith, Olivia Parker, Jessica Lewis-Walton, Rosie Keith, Micah Duncan, Arjun Sabhaya and Travis Herman

Students repairing the siding on a storm-damaged church. Pictured: Travis Herman, Arjun Sabhaya, Micah Duncan, Rosie Keith, Olivia Parker, Brooke Smith, Jessica Lewis-Walton, Brianne Graunke, Sheena Mathis, Kate Alexander, Victoria Little and Cathy Dye

This year, several Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students chose to bypass the stereotypical college Spring Break experience, instead volunteering their time for a community service trip to New Orleans.

SIUE Volunteer Services offers an alternative spring break trip to students who wish to participate in an extended community service opportunity. These overnight trips provide students with a truly unique and fulfilling volunteer experience, bringing together service and learning. Students immerse themselves in communities and cultures with issues, such as urban and rural poverty, racism, hunger, inadequate housing and environmental damage. The purpose of the trip is to promote lifelong community involvement and critical thinking about societal problems.

This year, students traveled to New Orleans to assist homeowners displaced by Hurricane Katrina, helping them return to their homes, restoring community pride and increasing community involvement through community service.

Students worked with The United Saints Recovery Project, a disaster response agency dedicated to long-term recovery assistance in communities that have been affected by a natural disaster. The organization's mission is to assist economically distressed neighborhoods in recovery from disaster and become more resilient to the disasters of the future. The agency does this with the help of local, national and international volunteers.

During the trip, SIUE students worked on three houses and one church. To aid a local church, students repaired the wood siding of the building. The congregation had raised enough money to fix the inside of the church, allowing them to continue service, but the outside was still noticeably storm-damaged. SIUE students assisted in returning the church to its former glory.

The students also took advantage of a Social Justice Tour offered by the United Saints, focusing on the historic neighborhoods of New Orleans, specifically the 9th Ward where the students did most of their service. It was during this tour that students learned of the social justice issues that New Orleans residents faced immediately following the storm and still are facing today.

"Many students were angered by the social injustice," said SIUE Assistant Director of Civic Engagement Sarah Laux. "They expressed a common interest in returning next year, due to their lack of acceptance of these unfortunate issues."

The alternative spring break trip is one of several community service activities available at SIUE, which has been nationally ranked consistently for its commitment to the public good. For the second consecutive year, Washington Monthly, a national magazine, ranked SIUE among the Top 50 master's universities in the nation-13th among public institutions-for its contributions to the community.

The Corporation for National and Community Service again recognized SIUE students' commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. For the third consecutive year, SIUE was named to the annual President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll-for the second time listed in the Distinction category.

"This national recognition reflects our commitment to creating vibrant campus life," said SIUE Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Narberth Emmanuel. "It also recognizes the invaluable contributions of our students in serving their communities."

SIUE offers a number of volunteer projects in which students can participate. For more information, contact Laux (slaux@siue.edu) or explore Volunteer Services at siue.edu/kimmel/volunteer. Visit Kimmel Leadership Center to sign up for a project or to discuss other volunteer opportunities.

SIUE's Friends of the CSS Hosting Awards Dinner

Activists of the spiritual, humanitarian and community kind will be honored at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Friends of the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability Annual Awards Dinner at 7 p.m. Friday, March 23 in the LeClaire Room of the Lewis and Clark Community College N.O. Nelson Campus, 600 Troy Road in Edwardsville.

The honorees are Claudia Calzetta, a Catholic Sister of Loretto, who has guided student spiritual development and community outreach at SIUE for 11 years; George "The Shoeman," Hutchings, a retired U.S. Marine sergeant, who converted millions of shoes into clean water projects in Kenya; and organization St. Louis Habitat for Humanity, which built hundreds of high energy-efficient homes for St. Louisans in need of housing.

Calzetta will receive the Spiritual Leadership Award. The sister has guided the spiritual growth and helped with the service projects of hundreds of SIUE students through the Catholic Newman Student Union. Calzetta has led Bible studies, retreats and discussion groups. Because of her leadership and influence, many students have become involved in such organizations as Habitat for Humanity, the St. Vincent DePaul Society in East St. Louis, Glen-Ed Food Pantry, Bread for the World, Plowsharing Crafts, and The Heifer and Shoeman Water projects.

Also under Sister Calzetta's guidance, The Catholic Newman Student Union was honored as the SIUE Outstanding Student Organization of the Year in 2011 and won an Exemplary Social Justice Award from the National Catholic Ministry Association for its work with Shoeman Water Projects.

Hutchings, "The Shoeman," also will be honored with a Spiritual Leadership Award. Hutchings is being recognized for establishing and running Shoeman Water Projects, which was a ministry designed to alleviate human suffering. The project involves collecting donated new and used shoes from churches, businesses, schools and community shoe drives. Then the shoes are exported to retailers in developing countries, which in turn provides jobs and offers affordable footwear. Proceeds from shoe sales are used to purchase well-drilling equipment and water purification systems. The monies also support micro-businesses that repairs hand pumps in areas with a desperate need for clean water.

St. Louis Habitat for Humanity will receive a Sustainability Leadership Award for building green, energy-efficient homes. Habitat for Humanity, an ecumenical Christian housing ministry, was established in 1976 to provide housing for families in need of shelter. Recipients partner in the building of their homes. The houses are then sold to them at no profit and financed with affordable loans.

St. Louis Habitat for Humanity completed its first home in 1998 and as of October 2010 has built 300. Typically, more than 20 Habitat homes per year are built in St. Louis. Since 2008, all homes have been certified at the highest category, the LEED Platinum level. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which is a rating system for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

The Friends of the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability promote interfaith and planet-preserving activities in the spirit of R. Buckminster Fuller, the designer of the geodesic-domed center on the SIUE campus. The organization also works to preserve and maintain the building, its programs and surroundings.

Admission to the awards dinner is $50. It will be catered by Bella Milano and includes a vegetarian option. Attendees will receive a receipt for the amount that is tax-deductible. To register for the event, or for more information, contact Juli Jacobson, (618) 650-3246, jjacobso@siue.edu.

SIUE To Host 2012 College of Arts & Sciences Spring Colloquium

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will host the 2012 College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) Spring Colloquium "Thinking About Space," with activities slated to take place Tuesday and Wednesday, March 27-28, on the SIUE campus.

Poster presentations, panel discussions, sessions and events will be held throughout the day, starting in the morning and continuing into the evening hours with keynote speaker Story Musgrave, an astronaut offering a keynote address at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, in the Maple-Dogwood Room, on the second floor of SIUE's Morris University Center.

In addition, a 6 p.m. presentation that Wednesday, "The Massacre at Wounded Knee Creek-A Two-Hour Multimedia Event," will be offered by Dr. Lani Van Eck, a cultural anthropologist who cofounded Wounded Knee: The Museum in Wall, S.D. Van Eck's presentation also will take place in the Maple/Dogwood Room.

At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Out of this World will be presented by the combined orchestras of SIUE and SIU Carbondale, as part of SIUE's Arts & issues series, in the theater in Dunham Hall. The evening will feature a performance of Gustav Holst's stellar musical depiction of the solar system, The Planets. Also featured will be the world famous Philadelphia Orchestra's phenomenal concertmaster, David Kim, performing Saint-Saëns' 3rd Violin Concerto.

Out of this World is a ticketed event; contact Arts and Issues, 618-650-5774.

The colloquium will feature 160 faculty and students presenting papers, posters, performances and panels. Faculty members from all disciplines, along with students, will cover a broad range of topics relating to space, including white, nano, poetic, negative, Hilbert and Urban space, as well as space/time, virtual spaces and more.

A complete program is available online at siue.edu/artsandsciences/colloquia. With questions, contact Larry LaFond, associate dean of CAS, (618) 650-5058, or llafond@siue.edu.

SIUE To Welcome Astronaut To Speak At 2012 Spring Colloquium

As part of the 2012 College of Arts & Sciences Spring Colloquium, "Thinking About Space," Story Musgrave, famous and accomplished astronaut, a, member of numerous honorary organizations and recipient of several distinguished awards, will be the keynote speaker during a presentation at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 27 in the Morris University Center Maple/Dogwood rooms on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus.

According to his official biography, Musgrave, who originally is from Boston, Mass., graduated from several educational institutions, including Syracuse University, the University of California at Los Angeles and Marietta College, with degrees in math, computers, chemistry, medicine, physiology, literature and Psychology. He has been awarded 20 honorary doctorates and served as a part-time trauma surgeon during his 30-year career as an astronaut.

Musgrave was a member of Alpha Kappa Psi, Phi Delta Theta and other honorary organizations during his educational career. He earned a doctorate in medicine and master's degrees in areas including physiology and biophysics. He has received Air Force Wings, NASA Space Flight Medals and a NASA Distinguished Service Medal as part of his many great accomplishments.

The colloquium will feature 160 faculty and students presenting papers, posters, performances and panels. Faculty members from all disciplines, along with students, will cover a broad range of topics relating to space.

Colloquium sessions will be held throughout the day Tuesday and Wednesday, March 27-28, with featured presentations each evening. A complete program is available online at siue.edu/artsandsciences/colloquia.

SIUE Research Team Awarded 2012 ICT "High Impact Project"

An Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT) research project completed by Huaguo Zhou and Ryan Fries, assistant professors of civil engineering in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering, has been selected as the first recipient of the ICT High Impact Project Award.

Collaborating with Brent Vaughn, civil engineering laboratory specialist and lecturer at SIUE, and a team of student researchers, Zhou and Fries developed a Highway Incident Management Operational and Training Guide for incident responders in Illinois.

"This award recognizes the outstanding level of research accomplished by the SIUE research team," Zhou said. "It was the first ICT/IDOT funded research project Ryan and I completed. Six graduate students from three different departments have worked on this project for more than three years. The training guide, published at the ICT website and cited by the National Transportation Research Board e-newsletter, has helped train over 300 first responders in Illinois to date."

The team was selected for the award based on its commitment, teamwork and technical expertise, and was formally presented with the award in February at the 98th Annual Transportation and Highway Engineering Annual Conference.

SIUE Alumnus Recently Featured On American Idol

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Alumnus Ethan Jones, a 22-year old inspiring musician, hopes to land a hit on the Billboard Charts. He recently was among the 250 of 113,000 auditions in the St. Louis area, with his vocal talent featured recently on the successful reality television show "American Idol."

While his passion is music, Jones, from Pontoon Beach, attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for 3 years and plans to come back to graduate with a business degree. Jones sings, and plays the guitar and violin. He currently is raising money for the release of his first solo album. More information is available about Jones in a March 13 spread titled "Pontoon Beach Idol" on STLToday, which is the online component of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

SIUE NRHH Big Red Volleyball Event to Benefit American Diabetes Association

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) Red Storm Chapter will host its Annual Big Red Volleyball event starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 31, to raise financial support and awareness for the American Diabetes Association (ADA.)

The mission of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by the disease. The ADA funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes, delivers services to hundreds of communities, provides information and gives a voice to those with diabetes.

The single-elimination tournament will take place at the Cougar Village sand volleyball courts. The first 20 teams to sign-up are guaranteed to play at least one game. Teams consist of 6-8 players and cost for participation is $18 per team. Registration includes a complimentary hot dog, chips and soda at the event.

Teams may consist of students, faculty and staff, and participation also is open to anyone in the community. Spectators are welcome and donations will be taken at the event.

Big Red Volleyball is not a typical volleyball game-the ball is approximately 40" wide. Players of all levels of skill are welcome.

For more information, visit siue.edu/housing/studentleadership or contact Kyle Rice, (618) 650-4629 or Debbie Simmerman, (618) 650-0584. Online registration is available.

Camp Introduces Kids to Robot Design

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering, in conjunction with the Edwardsville High School Computer Team, will conduct a Robotics Mini-Camp from 9 a.m.-noon, Saturday, March 24.

The robotics workshop, for students from grades 3-5, will be held in the SIUE Engineering Building, room 2029.

The focus of the camp is to introduce students to robotics. Students will have a hands-on experience in designing and constructing robots to save ducks from an oil spill.

The cost of the camp is $35, which includes a camp T-shirt. Proceeds will go to the EHS Computer Team.

For more information and a registration form, please contact Scott Hagin at ash56@sbcglobal.net or (618) 656-7100, ext. 20886. A registration form also is available online at www.ecusd7.org/ehs/ehsstaff/shagin. The camp is limited to the first 24 students who return a completed application.

SIUE Alumnus Running For Political Office

SIUE Alumnus Running For Political Office

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Alumnus Brad Harriman is running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, hoping to replace Rep. Jerry Costello.

Harriman, 58, from O'Fallon, is running as a Democrat in the 12th Congressional District. The former professional athlete and educator is standing on a platform that includes good jobs, good schools and safe communities. The emphasis of Harriman's life's work, the candidate said, is to teach, coach and motivate at-risk youth in the Belleville area.

Harriman graduated from SIUE with a master's in K-12 General Administration in 2000 and with a bachelor's in Secondary Physical Education in 1978.

The information recently appeared in an article titled, "Brad Harriman: Democratic Party Candidate for the 12th Congressional District" on the Channel 5 NBC Chicago website.

SIUE To Interview Three Graduate School Dean Candidates

Three final candidates recently were selected from a rich pool of applicants to be interviewed for the position of dean of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Graduate School and associate provost for research.

Candidates include the following:

• Interim Graduate Dean and Associate Provost for Research Jerry Weinberg, who is a professor in the SIUE School of Engineering's Department of Computer Science. Weinberg will interview for the position March 22-23;

• Ambrose Anoruo, director of a biological field station at Texas A&M Kingsville and a professor of forestry. He also has served as the dean of the Graduate College at Texas A&M. Anoruo will interview for the position April 5-6;

• Clifford Fedler, associate dean of the Graduate School at Texas Tech in Lubbock and is a professor of agricultural engineering. Fedler will interview for the position April 12-13.

The committee tasked with choosing the candidates is scheduling interviews with the Graduate Council, the deans, the Graduate School and staff, as well as arranging open forums for the faculty, staff and students to meet and engage the candidates. Copies of the candidates' curriculum vita will be available prior to each interview. The committee chair is Stephen Hansen, professor of historical studies.

ESTL Charter High School STEM Efforts Featured In St. Louis Media

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School students Brandon Rice and Amber Johnson recently were featured in an article published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and stltoday.com.

The high school students talked about their love for math and science and their excitement on using the new $1 million STEM classroom, named the William Frederick Graebe Sr. Learning Center, at the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus.

Sharon Locke, director of the Center for STEM Research, Education and Outreach at SIUE, spoke about the importance of exposing and encouraging high school students in the areas of math and science.

According to Gina Washington, the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School director, more African American high school students should be exposed to the areas of math and science and the STEM Classroom in East St. Louis will assist in that.

To read more about the STEM Classroom in East St. Louis, check out the front-page article which was published March 3, titled "Schools are Aiming to Boost Interest in Science and Math."

SIUE School of Engineering To Hold Open House

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering will host its annual Open House from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, March 24 at the Edwardsville campus.

The Open House is for prospective students, their families and the general public.

Check-in will take place in the Morris University Center (MUC). There will be a general presentation from 9-9:45 a.m. in the MUC Conference Center. All other activities will take place in the Engineering Building starting at 10 a.m. Lunch will be provided to all prospective students.

Guests will have the opportunity to attend informational sessions in our various departments, including: Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Construction Management, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Faculty, staff and industrial professionals will be available to answer questions.

Current engineering students will be in attendance to share their experiences. Student projects such as the Formula Race Car, Solar Car and Mini Baja will be displayed, and team members will be on hand to answer questions.

Guests will have the opportunity to tour the Engineering Building throughout the day. Laboratory and classroom facilities will be open with interactive laboratory demonstrations and exhibits. Guests also can sign up for an SIUE Campus tour.

For more information about the School of Engineering, please visit siue.edu/engineering or call (618) 650-2541.

WSIE Comeback Featured In St. Louis Publication

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's jazz radio station, WSIE-FM 88.7, recently was highlighted in an issue of the Riverfront Times, titled "St. Louis' Only Jazz Radio Station Rises from its Deathbed," that appeared March 7.

The issue focused on the efforts of the University, through the direction of Station Director/General Manager Greg Conroy, to overcome financial difficulties and obstacles to promote jazz enjoyment among St. Louis area listeners. Located on the SIUE campus, WSIE has digitized its music collection, added local jazz artists to its play lists, re-instituted local music programming, brought student DJs to the airwaves, made online streaming broadcasts available and held its first on-air fundraising drive in more than two decades. All this progress has been made in a little more than a year. Conroy has worked closely with part-time Consultant Dick Ulett, and the radio station staff, many who are students committed to the initiative.

SIUE Receives What's Right with the Region Award

FOCUS St. Louis today honored Southern Illinois University Edwardsville among 21 metropolitan St. Louis organizations and individuals with a "What's Right with the Region" award.

SIUE received recognition in the category of Improving Racial Equality and Justice for its work through the SIUE East St. Louis Center. Awards will be presented at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 3 at the Sheldon Concert Hall in downtown St. Louis.

"On behalf of all our personnel at the East St. Louis Center, we proudly accept this award acknowledging the effectiveness of their hard work and dedication," SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift said. "SIUE is steadfast in its commitment to providing educational opportunity and assistance to our region. Our expectation is to continue to make a positive difference every day both now and in the future."

SIUE's East St. Louis Center has been empowering people and strengthening the community with quality programs and excellence in education for more than 50 years. The Center offers public service activities that enhance the quality of life for individuals and families in East St. Louis and surrounding communities. More than 6,000 citizens are served each year through the Center's educational, social and cultural programs, which are available to individuals faced with educational and economic disadvantages.

The Center provides health care and enrichment services to all ages through a number of programs, including: East St. Louis Performing Arts Program; PALS/Latchkey; Project Success; SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School; SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start; and the TRIO Programs, including Upward Bound Math & Science, Upward Bound East St. Louis/Cahokia and Upward Bound Brooklyn/East St. Louis Charter High School/Madison/Venice.

SIUE recently dedicated the William Frederick Graebe Sr. STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) Learning Center, a 21st century, high-tech classroom located at the East St. Louis Charter High School, constructed with a $1 million gift from Robert H. and Norma J. Graebe.

FOCUS St. Louis is a local organization dedicated to positive community change by developing leadership, influencing policy and promoting community connections. It makes a difference through successes, including new legislation, organizations and initiatives that make the St. Louis region a better place to live for everyone. To view honorees, visit www.focus-stl.org.

SIUE Electrical & Computer Engineering Professor Wins 2012 Paul Simon Outstanding Teacher-Scholar Award

George Engel, professor of electrical and computer engineering (ECE) in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's School of Engineering, recently was named the recipient of the SIUE Paul Simon Outstanding Teacher-Scholar Award for 2012.

"I believe the award is recognition of not only my efforts, but also of the outstanding job that all of us here in the School of Engineering and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering do to bring our research into our undergraduate and graduate classrooms," Engel said.

The Simon Award is presented annually to an SIUE faculty member who shows a significant contribution in the area of research and demonstrates the ability to incorporate that research activity into the classroom. Since joining the faculty in 1993, Engel has developed an outstanding research program in the area of integrated circuit design. Together with his students he has designed several integrated circuits that have been successfully fabricated.

In addition he has supervised 19 master's theses, is widely published and holds nine U.S. patents.

"George has been an outstanding teacher and scholar for many years," said Luis Youn, chair and professor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "The ECE department is thrilled that he is being recognized for his hard work."

Engel will be presented the award April 9 at the Annual Paul Simon Luncheon.

Associate Judge, SIUE Alumnus, To Retire From Bench

SIUE Summer Session Registration Begins March 12; Come 'Dive In'

With more than 700 classes from which to choose, now is the best time to "dive in" and enroll in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Summer Session, a smart move that could mean lighter class loads in the coming semesters and also a chance to attend classes with an even lower teacher-student ratio than usually offered at SIUE.

According to Dr. Charles Berger, professor of English language and literature and coordinator of the summer session, attending class in the summer provides students with a number of flexible options.

"SIUE offers a great variety of courses at all levels during the summer: introductory general education courses, required upper-division classes for the Major, graduate seminars," he said. "We also provide a growing number of online offerings for students who can't make it to campus. Most of our courses run for five weeks, and we offer two five-week sessions during the summer. SIUE has one of the most academically vibrant summer programs in the country, providing students with a great opportunity to continue learning and making progress toward graduation."

Berger also pointed out other benefits of enrolling in summer session:

• Fees are lower;
• Less expensive campus housing is available;
• Access to classes that might otherwise be difficult to enroll in during the fall or spring;
• It's a beautiful time to be on the SIUE campus, with foliage in full bloom, lush green landscaping; a perfect setting for biking, walking, or swimming at the pool
• Students can break from studies and enjoy Summer Showbiz on the mainstage at SIUE's Dunham Hall, or any of the area attractions such as the St. Louis Cardinals, the St. Louis Zoo, and a variety of museums
• There are numerous student job opportunities on campus during the summer session

Registration for SIUE's Summer Session begins Monday, March 12. For more information visit the website: siue.edu/summer, or call (618) 650-2080, or e-mail: summersession@siue.edu. Those interested also can visit SIUE's Service Center on the first floor of Rendleman Hall for more information.

SIUE Alumnus Named President Of Helmkamp Construction Co. Inc.

Rob Johnes, a 1998 graduate from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a bachelor's in construction management, recently was named president of Helmkamp Construction Co. Inc.

Johnes has worked for Helmkamp since 1997. He is the first company president who is not a relative of Gilbert Helmkamp, who founded the company in 1938.

Johnes previously served as a company vice president. As vice president, he coordinated numerous technology improvements, such as the integration of systems for project management, accounting, and customer relationships. He also led training and continuing education. Johnes is the first Helmkamp Construction president not related to Gilbert Helmkamp, who founded the company in 1938. The announcement appeared Feb. 28 on STLToday.com, the online vehicle for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

SIUE Volunteers Help Tornado Cleanup Efforts In Harrisburg

Numerous volunteers, including Southern Illinois University Edwardsville graduate students, recently traveled to Harrisburg to assist with cleanup efforts from the Feb. 29 tornado that resulted in massive devastation.

According to a news broadcast from KSDK News Channel 5, the volunteers arrived the same day as two people killed in the tornado were laid to rest. "Operation Blessing" was one of several organizations that coordinated volunteers and helped organize resources. Many of the volunteers were Harrisburg residents who had not lost their homes in the tragedy.

"I had something come over me that said 'Love your neighbor more than yourself, or as yourself,'" said volunteer Tyler Rueter, a senior nursing major. "Those people are my neighbors even though it's three hours down the road."

Any Harrisburg residents needing assistance can visit the Southeast Illinois College Foundation Center in Harrisburg. The spot is serving as a volunteer coordination center.

Information on the effort involving the students appeared on the KSDK website March 3.

FW Warehousing Promotes Alumnus To Director Of Operations

FW Warehousing of St. Louis recently promoted Frank Dickerson to the position of director of operations.

Dickerson, who graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and is the former mayor of the village of Worden, has more than 15 years of experience supervising operations management, inventory control, transportation management and freight brokerage. He previously was a project manager for Dial Corp.

The news appeared March 2 in the business section of STLtoday.com, the online vehicle of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Annual SIUE Staff Employee Banquet Set For March 15

The 50th annual Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Civil Service/Staff Employee Banquet is slated to take place at Thursday, March 15.

A social hour will begin at 5 p.m. at the Edwardsville Moose Lodge with dinner to follow at 6 p.m.

A great evening of entertainment has been planned. Tickets are $18 per person and guests are welcome. Contact Diane McKaig, (618) 650-3588, or via email at dmckaig@siue.edu to make a reservation.

Bullying In Schools Topic Of Next Hoge Memorial Lecture Series

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Education and the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders will host "Bullying in the Schools: Effective Strategies for Prevention and Intervention," featuring renowned keynote speaker Dr. Dorothy Espelage from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Friday, April 27 in the Morris University Center Oak Room on the SIUE campus.

The event is part of the Debra Reichert-Hoge Memorial Lecture Series Spring 2012 Conference. Breakout sessions on a variety of topics also will be offered, including sessions on increasing social communication and functioning in children with disabilities, encouraging acceptance of culturally and linguistically diverse children, addressing bullying issues related to children with disabilities and providing services to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) children and families.

This conference is of particular interest for any professionals working in the schools. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association continuing education units and Illinois State Board of Education continuing professional development units are available. Additional information and a registration form can be downloaded directly at http://www.siue.edu/education/secd/pdf/flyer_Hoge_2012.pdf

SIUE Among Winners Of 27th Annual Educational Advertising Awards

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Marketing and Communications recently won seven awards in the 27th Annual Educational Advertising Awards competition.

SIUE was among 201 institutions recognized with a gold award for total public relations campaign for the Head Start program.

The University also received the following recognitions:

• Two bronze awards-for a College Fair Brochure and the Defining Excellence Capital Campaign collection;

• Four merit awards-for the Chancellor's Report, search postcards, the radio advertising series titled "Energy," and the Student Viewbook.

The competition's panel of judges consisted of national higher education marketers, advertising creative directors, marketing and advertising professionals, and the Higher Education Marketing Report's editorial board.

"These awards are indicative of the very talented staff that SIUE has in our Marketing and Communications area," said SIUE Vice Chancellor for University Relations Patrick Hundley. "These talented people work extremely hard to market SIUE's outstanding programs to ensure that we continue to attract the best students and provide the utmost support to our most deserving areas of study and research."

Sponsored by the Higher Education Marketing Report, the competition, which drew more than 2,900 entries from more than 1,000 colleges, universities and secondary schools from all 50 states and several international institutions, recognizes the field of educational marketing and advertising. The Educational Advertising Awards is the largest competition of its kind in the country.

The publication is in its 27th year and is read each month by thousands of marketers at colleges and universities across the country.

Engineering Building Construction Contracts Awarded $9.7 Million

The Executive Committee of the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees has awarded more than $9.7 million in contracts to four Illinois companies and two Missouri companies for the Engineering Building expansion and renovation on the SIU Edwardsville campus. The project will begin in spring 2012 with targeted completion during summer 2013.

The expansion will incorporate a new building providing approximately 32,000 square feet of space and connect to the existing facility via an enclosed bridge. Additional offices, classrooms, and teaching and research space will be created to accommodate the more than 1,200 engineering students currently enrolled in SIUE's engineering programs, including: civil engineering, computer science, construction, electrical and computer engineering, and mechanical and industrial engineering. The renovations include moving some offices and classrooms into the new building and then renovating the vacated space entirely into engineering laboratories.

Funding will come from the University Plant Funds for the new construction and Facilities Fee revenues for the renovation work.

"This is another exciting step forward toward completing our $300 million plan to improve facilities, further underlining the University's strong commitment to enhancing the educational experience for our students," SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift said. "Our relationships with local and regional businesses make that possible."

The contracts were awarded to:

• Interior Construction Services, St. Louis; $6,448,000 for general contracting

• Guarantee Electrical, St. Louis; $1,837,969 for electrical work

• France Mechanical, Edwardsville; $499,700 for heating work

• AMSCO Mechanical, Granite City; $380,000 for plumbing work

• Hock Mechanical, Millstadt; $395,500 for ventilation work

• Superior Fire Protection Systems, Forsyth; $148,540 for fire protection work.

"This extension was absolutely necessary to cope with the growth we have been experiencing during the last few years," said SIUE School of Engineering Dean Hasan Sevim. "The new classrooms and laboratories will provide a much more conducive environment for effective teacher-student interaction that is so essential in educating today's engineers. The construction of the new annex will be another cornerstone event in the history of the School for its continued efforts to become the center of engineering in the region."

The approved project budget for the new construction is $12.6 million, and the approved project budget for the renovation is $1.6 million for a total project cost of $14.2 million.

"We have experienced steady growth in our Engineering programs and we expect that the demand for the programs will continue to expand," said SIUE Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Ann Boyle. "The new addition will allow the School of Engineering to accommodate that growth and continue to provide an excellent academic program for its students in an optimal environment for learning."

Other projects that are part of the University's $300 million expenditures include improvements to the Science Building, the Art and Design Building, the Vadalabene Center expansion, Korte Stadium, Cougar Village, the SIU School of Dental Medicine and the SIUE School of Pharmacy.

SIUE Finance Professor's Research Featured in the Wall Street Journal

Understanding corporate stock buybacks can be a tool in an investor's arsenal, if investors closely examine the trades made by insiders leading up to the buyback announcement. Dr. Shrikant Jategaonkar, an assistant professor in the School of Business at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, has studied the relationship between share repurchases, insider buying and stock performance between 1991 and 2006. His working paper entitled "If it's good for the firm, it's good for me: Insider trading and repurchases motivated by undervaluation" was highlighted in a Wall Street Journal article on Saturday, January 21 ^st, 2012 (Buy Signals: How to Decipher Stock Buybacks).

Smart Money.com columnist Jack Hough explored share buybacks and the possible implications of this activity for investors in his article. Hough cited a variety of reasons why managers choose to repurchase their stock and how in some cases this can be a signal to invest in that company. He posed the question: How do you know when a company feels that their stock is undervalued?

"Valuation ratios are useful, but company insiders are in a particularly good position to know when their shares are cheap or undervalued," according to Jategaonkar. His study shows that stock repurchases associated with unusually low insider buying outperformed other stocks by almost 9 percent over a four-year period. In contrast, firms with unusually high insider buying prior to stock repurchases earned an abnormal return of 29 percentage points over the same period. "If managers are spending their own money on shares, it is a good indicator of value because their actions matter more than their words."

Jategaonkar, who is an alumnus of SIUE's School of Business, earned an M.S. degree in Economics and Finance in 2004. Prior to returning to SIUE, he received a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Arizona.

The SIUE School of Business is among an elite 10 percent of business schools worldwide that have earned the prestigious seal of approval from the Association to Advance Collegiate School of Business (AACSB) International. The School's accounting program is accredited through AACSB International. Less than 30 percent of AACSB accredited business schools also hold the accounting accreditation. For the sixth consecutive year, the SIUE School of Business is named an outstanding business school by The Princeton Review. The publication's The Best 294 Business Schools: 2012 Edition recommends the School as one of the best institutions in the U.S. to attend to earn an MBA.

Poet to Inspire and Challenge SIUE Charter High School Students

Many young people love the music and message of such hip hop superstars as Jay-Z, DMX and Snoop Dogg. But when dealing with rap, as well as other cultural influences, young people should consider what goes into both their hearts and heads, according to Chicago-area poet and motivational speaker, Reggie Legend.

Legend, 33, will visit students at the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School on Friday. The young poet will be at the school all day, beginning with an assembly at 9:35 a.m. in the Multipurpose Room, Building D, at the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus, 601 James R. Thompson Blvd. in East St. Louis. The theme for the school activity is "Authoring Your Destiny - Taking you from what you think you can be to what you never thought you could achieve!" Legend will challenge students to broaden their perspectives on how to make the best of their education, take hold of hope and shape it into destiny. The poet will also hold sessions with students to help improve their writing skills.

Legend is author of the book, Steel Waters Volume 1: DUPLicate AuthentICITY. In the book, the Christian poet deals with his duality and being torn between two worlds: light and dark, spirit and flesh.

"My mission is to help give young people of this generation a new voice and direction," Legend said. "Rap influenced me because it was a dominant medium for my culture. But now as a Christian poet, I am dealing with the ill effects that can be associated with rap."

The poet said he's not trying to "demonize" the popular music or the culture. Legend does, however, point out that there is a dark side of rap, and that the artistic expression has strayed from its original beginnings of calling attention to injustice and giving a voice to the voiceless.

It is for those people, especially youth, who were disenfranchised or felt marginalized, that early rap music first sought out to encourage and uplift, Legend said. To that end, Legend has put his pen to paper.

An excerpt from the poem "Afraid of My Own Strength," which is featured in his book reads:

"…The untapped potential of our young people

Is unmatched and exponentially unequaled.

Some peak through, but others never scratch the surface.

Stymied by either a lack of resources

Or an untimely lapse in recourses,

Last resorts have blasted fortunes into a status that's worthless.

Forfeited self-worth is a bankruptcy of the soul

That's a forlorn, shell-torn vacancy to behold.

To ignore your core is a flagrancy too bold and foul to sense.

So as the stench's fragrancy is condoned,

A trail of tears heinously unfolds…

As the cadence tolls from blatant doles roused in the pits…"

More information about the poet can be found at his website: http://www.steelwaterspoetry.com.