News

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students are among the inaugural recipients of the 2021 SIU System Distinguished Student Service Awards. Awardees were honored during the Board of Trustees meeting held via Zoom Thursday, July 15.

During the meeting, Dianah McGreehan, chair of the award selection committee, announced the recipients and shared brief highlights of their outstanding acts of service. Each will receive $100 and an honorary plaque.

Winners included:

• Madalynn McKenzie – SIUE graduate student
• Taylor Jeans – SIUE undergraduate student
• Nourah Abdul Kader – SIU School of Dental Medicine (SDM)
• Justin Shiau – SIUE School of Pharmacy (SOP)
• Alexander Worix – SIU School of Medicine
• Daniel Asonye – SIU School of Law
• Otis Duncan – SIUC graduate student
• Nelson Fernandes – SIUC undergraduate student

“The accomplishments of these students are incredible,” said SIU System President Dan Mahony. “We thank you for all that you have done as students, and for everything you’ve done for the SIU System. I could not be more impressed with your tremendous dedication to our campuses and communities.”

McKenzie is pursuing a master’s in industrial/organizational psychology. She is a graduate assistant in the Inclusive Excellence, Education and Development Hub (The Hub), formerly the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion (CSDI). She has served on several important SIUE and SIU System search committees, and participated as a panelist in the first Conversation of Understanding, sponsored by the SIU System and Mahony.

Jeans is studying public health. She serves as a peer support volunteer within the public health program, and was selected to serve the SIUE CORE TEAM, which works with low-income high school students and first-generation students to prepare them with resources to excel both in high school and to prepare for college. Jeans is also an Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) assistant.

Abdul Kader is pursuing the SIU SDM’s International Advanced Placement Program (IAPP). Over the past year, she launched a non-profit organization that simplifies the admissions process for international students into U.S. dentistry programs. She also serves as the community service chair for the Special Care Dentistry Association, which increase access to oral healthcare for special needs patients.

Shiau is a fourth-year student in the SOP. He’s made a tremendous impact as a campus leader serving as president of the Student Society of Health System Pharmacists and as leadership and development chair of Phi Lambda Sigma, the pharmacy leadership society. He is co-founder of the Industry Pharmacy Organization. Additionally, he volunteers to provide patient care at the St. Louis Chinese Center, a free monthly clinic that provides pharmaceutical care to underserved Chinese speaking patients from the greater St. Louis area.

Noting the strong applicant pool featuring exemplary students from all SIU System campuses, McGreehan also acknowledged several students who received honorable mention, including, but not limited to SIUE graduate student Amanda Depew, SOP third-year student Aneesh Asokan and SIU SDM student Allison Lang.

Photo: 2021 SIU System Distinguished Student Service Award winners (L-R) Madalynn McKenzie, Taylor Jeans, Nourah Abdul Kader and Justin Shiau.