The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville hosted more than 200 young girls during its sixth annual “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day” Saturday, Feb. 17, in the SIUE School of Engineering building.

Girls from grades 5-8 attended the daylong event that offered exposure to the engineering field. Participants completed a total of five activities, covering the fields of civil, mechanical, electrical, industrial and computer science.

Small groups used teamwork to design and create their projects. The creative problem solving aspects of engineering were discussed and explored. The participants worked collaboratively on projects, were encouraged to ask questions and use their imagination.

Sharon Locke, PhD, associate professor and director of the SIUE Center for STEM Research, Education and Outreach, took time to visit with a group of parents during the afternoon. She addressed the hurdles that females face at different stages of the STEM pipeline, and provided strategies and resources.

One of those challenges being addressed Saturday is a lack of role models and mentors. “Parents can connect girls to women such as professors or an SWE student chapter at universities and colleges like we’re doing today,” Locke said. “They can check out engineergirl.org, a great website that showcases innovative projects, and details how young women can actively work toward becoming professional engineers.”

Locke later took the parent group for a tour of the SIUE STEM Resource Center to showcase resources available to support their children’s interest in STEM, such as robotics kits and the curriculum series “Engineering is Elementary,” where each module has a storybook about a type of engineering and hands-on activities such as designing a solar oven or designing a water filtration system.

Locke also countered those challenging peer norms that it’s not cool to be an engineer. “Parents can always connect girls to out of school learning such as the Girl Scouts, robotics clubs and summer camps like those held annually at SIUE,” she said.

“This event is wonderful for young girls, because women don’t make up a huge part of the engineering field, and we want to get the girls interested in what we do at a younger age, so they can start thinking about it before they go to college or even high school,” said Chrishawna Nash, a senior computer science major and SWE youth outreach chair. “Our goal remains the same - to encourage young women to pursue a STEM-related (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) field.”

Professional women engineers and SIUE students were on site providing support and guidance to program participants. Following the completion of each activity, the professional engineers and the SIUE engineering students offered analysis and asked the participants probing questions about the project.

Photo: SIUE School of Engineering Dean Cem Karacal (upper right) with participants at the annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. Team of Volunteers (lower right) for 2018 SWE IGE Day.

Continental Who’s Who has recognized SIUE alumnus Rance Thomas as a 2018 Professional of the Year in the field of Education and Racial Relations.

Thomas earned a master’s in sociology from SIUE in 1973. He was inducted to the SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame in 2009 and is a past president of the SIUE Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Details on his distinguished career and international recognition are available on MarketWatch.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is ranked 11^th nationally among the National Council for Home Safety and Security’s 2018 Safest College Campuses in the U.S. among institutions with more than 10,000 students. SIUE was No. 1 in Illinois and ranked ahead of all institutions in Missouri.

“We understand that when parents and students select a university, campus safety is a primary consideration,” said SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook, PhD. “We are proud of SIUE’s commitment to safety, and the collaboration of the SIUE Police Department with local and regional law enforcement agencies to provide a safe environment.”

Alarms.org created the ranking using the most recent data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting and the Campus Safety Security Survey put out by the U.S. Department of Education. Nearly all accredited institutions were considered in the project, save for those with enrollment under 10,000 students, and others for which a significant amount of data was unavailable.

Each institution’s safety score was calculated by analyzing crimes reported by universities, including rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, motor vehicle theft and arson. Also factoring into the safety score were violent and property crime rates for the cities in which the schools were located, and the number of law enforcement officers employed by the institution per 1,000 students.

“The safety and security of SIUE’s students, faculty, staff and guests is first and foremost in everything that we do,” said SIUE Police Chief Kevin Schmoll. “It is our responsibility to the SIUE community to maintain a safe campus environment.”

SIUE is committed to safety and has invested in safety technology, such as the Rave Guardian app, to maintain a secure campus. SIUE police officers are academy trained and engaged in a Community Policing program. Under the SIUE Campus Violence Prevention Plan, there are more than 80 emergency phones on campus.

See the complete list at Alarms.org, the official site of the National Council for Home Safety and Security. On Alarms.org, consumers find research, articles and reports about home security and safety.

The National Council for Home Safety and Security is a national trade association comprised of licensed alarm installers, contractors and other relevant trade groups across the U.S. Its goal is to further industry education and public knowledge about home safety and security. Founded in 2006, the council aims to further consumer education and information with a focus on home security, home safety, child safety and senior safety at home. Its primary focus is on legislative initiatives at both the federal and state level, as well as the general safety and security of the public in their homes.

Two Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Head Start/Early Head Start program coordinators, along with approximately 50 other participants from across the nation, were selected to participate in the National Head Start Association (NHSA)/Nike Starting Block Leadership Summit, held Jan. 30-Feb. 2 at the Tiger Woods Conference Center, Nike Corporate Campus in Portland, Ore. 

“The purpose of the conference was to share with emerging Head Start leaders and stakeholders foundational principles that contributed to Nike becoming number one in its field,” said Lisa Tate, program operations coordinator, who attended the conference with Denise Brown, health services coordinator. 

“Our mission was to take the information shared by Nike presenters and create practical advocacy strategies that could make a significant impact in our SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start Program and surrounding community,” added Brown.

The late William J. “Bill” Bowerman and Phillip H. Knight founded Blue Ribbon Sports on Jan. 25, 1964. It officially became Nike, Inc. on May 30, 1971.  Nike, Inc. initially began as a footwear manufacturing company that has grown into a corporation that markets apparel, equipment, accessories and services worldwide. 

“Approximately 16 years ago, Ron Herndon, Albina Head Start director and former National Head Start Association board chairman, approached Phil Knight about creating a partnership between Nike and the National Head Start Association that has evolved into an annual leadership program,” said Tate. “Herndon selected certain Head Start staffers from across the country to be part of the first NHSA/Nike Starting Block Leadership Summit, and one of them included John Lovelace, then SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start program director.” 

“This year’s leadership conference was both informational and inspirational,” Brown and Tate, agreed. 

“We were given tangible strategies by several guest speakers such as Lee Weinstein, Weinstein PR; Larry Miller, president of the (Nike) Jordan Brand; and Howard White, vice-president of the Jordan Brand, on how to communicate with our stakeholders and brand our program’s message,” said Tate. 

“Howard White talked about how the seed is the most important part of an orange,” explained Brown. “Those who nourish the seeds are very powerful. I was inspired and empowered by that.” 

Photo:
(L-R) Attending the National Head Start Association/Nike Leadership Summit were SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start program coordinators Denise Brown, health services, and Lisa Tate, program operations; and Yasmini Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association.

You never quite know what historical treasures you’ll find when you peruse Madison Historical: The Online Encyclopedia and Digital Archive for Madison County, Ill. Featuring oral history interviews, photographs, encyclopedia articles and more, the archive brings historical documents to digital life and offers the public unique access to Madison County’s past.

The innovative project is led by Madison County Regional Superintendent of Schools Robert Daiber, EdD. It is managed by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville associate professors Jeffrey Manuel, PhD, and Jason Stacy, PhD, along with faculty emeritus and former interim chancellor Stephen Hansen, PhD.

Among the latest entries on the site is correspondence between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dick Howard Mudge, Sr., a prominent attorney and member of the local Democratic Party. The letters, dated 1928 and 1932, were contributed by Edwardsville’s Steve Mudge.

Upon winning the 1932 Presidential Election, FDR wrote to D. H. Mudge Sr. on Nov. 17, “… our entire efforts must be devoted to the establishment of a better ordered economic life and in this happy task of restoration I invite and shall be deeply appreciative of your continued cooperation.” Signed, “yours very sincerely.”

The materials are available in the government section of the archive.

SIUE graduate student Kelli West has been sorting through the Mudge materials and making the history publically accessible by scanning and digitizing the letters in the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences' Interdisciplinary Research and Informatics Scholarship (IRIS) Center. West is pursuing a master’s in historical studies with a museum studies certificate.

“We were grateful Steve Mudge invited us to his family’s Grantfork farm to gather documents that have been saved for decades,” said West. “It’s incredibly important to uncover these diamonds that otherwise may not be found. The letters between FDR and D. H. Mudge Sr. fit Madison County in the national historical narrative.”

The project is the perfect fit for the Collinsville native who is interested in public history and archival work.

“This is a great opportunity for me to get hands-on experience with archiving and engaging with community members,” West said. “To handle letters that FDR once did is incredibly neat.”

Other contributors on the Mudge project include Madison Historical Developer Ben Ostermeier, master’s candidate Brendon Floyd and doctoral candidate Lesley Thomson-Sasso.

“As a historian, discovering a previously unknown letter from Franklin Roosevelt is a rare treat,” Manuel said. “The FDR-Mudge correspondence illustrates Madison County’s prominence in national politics during the 1920s and 1930s. As a teacher, I am delighted that Kelli got firsthand experience working with community members and digitizing the letters to make them available to the public. Kelli’s work illustrates the type of community-engaged digital history our students are producing at SIUE.”

 “In school, students often only study national politics,” added Stacy. “But FDR’s letters to D. H. Mudge remind us that local and national events constantly interacted, much as they do today. These lost letters of FDR establish just how connected Madison County was to national politics during this time period. We’re thankful to Steve Mudge for helping us explore the ways our community fit into the national narrative.”

Madison Historical invites the public to be content producers. For more information on how to contribute ideas or materials, email the team at madisonhistorical1812@gmail.com.

Photo: SIUE Graduate Student and Madison Historical Research Assistant Kelli West holds a 1928 letter from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Edwardsville native D. H. Mudge Sr. The public can access the letter and other historical materials on the digital archive, Madison Historical.

The Southern Illinois Builders Association (SIBA) is co-sponsoring the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Constructor’s Club to attend the 2018 AGC (Associated General Contractors of America) Convention Feb. 26-28 in New Orleans.

Cody Kruse, a senior from Highland and Constructor’s Club president, appreciates the ability to attend the conference for a variety of reasons. “We are so appreciative of SIBA’s support, because now we will be able to explain to our future members what these conventions consist of and why they are so valuable to attend,” he said. “At the conference, we can engage with construction programs from other universities around the United States and understand what is working for them when it comes to gaining membership or keeping members involved within the club.”

Kruse acknowledges the conference’s educational aspect. “Personally, I want to attend to see some of the newest technology in construction and how it is being implemented,” he said. “This trip is about providing learning experiences that can later be conveyed to construction management students. Attending guest speaker seminars and educational workshops will help us to better understand how the construction industry works, and how to better ourselves within the industry.

“This is also a chance to network with different people and companies from all around the U.S. I would like to learn as much as possible and bring it all back in order to teach future construction management students how to make a career in the industry.”   

Kruse notes that SIUE students attending the conference also bring recognition to the School. “The conference has allowed SIUE to be ‘put on the map,’ when it comes to our construction program and all that we have to offer,” he explained.

 SIBA’s purpose is to advance the construction industry through strengthening of its members by enabling them to do collectively what they cannot accomplish on their own. SIBA offers a full range of services and programs to provide value to its members as “the voice of the construction industry in Southern Illinois.”

AGC of America is the leading association for the construction industry. With over 26,000 member firms, AGC provides a full range of services satisfying the needs and concerns of its members, thereby improving the quality of construction and protecting the public interest.

Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine’s Rick Biethman, DMD, is among four honorees to receive the 2017 Olav Alvares Award for Early Career Scholars Who Published Outstanding Articles in the Journal of Dental Education (JDE). His article “Screening for Diabetes in a Dental School Clinic to Assess Interprofessional Communication Between Physicians and Dental Students” earned the award.

An assistant professor in the SDM Department of Restorative Dentistry, Biethman will receive the award at the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Annual Session in Orlando on Monday, March 19. The four awardees will be recognized as part of the Political Spotlight Plenary Session. Each awardee receives a certificate and a check for $250.

JDE editors annually select four authors of outstanding articles written (as sole or first author) by an assistant professor, instructor, resident or student. Dr. Olav Alvares established the awards when he was JED editor from 2000 to 2009 to honor junior scholars who conduct and publish outstanding research. After his retirement, the awards were named for him to acknowledge his efforts in supporting the research of early career scholars in dental education.

Biethman takes pride in the award both personally and professionally. “This award is significant to me personally, because the article shares my belief that dentists have a role to play in our patients overall health,” he said. “Successful dental care begins with a holistic view of a patients overall health. It is impossible to stop decay and periodontal disease in a patient who has underlying medical problems that are not being treated. Dentists are often the only source of contact for some patients within the medical community. The article demonstrated that dentists could successfully recognize and screen for diabetes. It also demonstrated that a majority of the patients will act on a dental recommendation to seek follow-up care with a physician.”

“On a professional level, this award is important to the healthcare policy makers as they devise new strategies to improve access to care,” Biethman added. “This award also demonstrates that older dentists such as myself do not have to be limited to a ‘clinical path’ after they retire from private practice. The challenges of a ‘tenure track appointment’ and the associated research expectations are well within the skill set of a mature, experienced dentist transitioning into the teaching profession.”

SDM Dean Bruce Rotter, DMD, also noted the award’s significance. “Anytime that an outside agency acknowledges a faculty member’s outstanding work, it is a wonderful reflection on the School,” Rotter said. “Additionally, Dr. Biethman’s work demonstrates another way that dentistry fits into the interdisciplinary medical practice model. This model has been moved forward on a federal level as a best practice and has been adopted in medical education, as well.”

Rotter praised Biethman as a proactive faculty member. “He is passionate about dentistry, as well as health promotion in general, and strives to help our students to be the best they can be,” Rotter said. “His noteworthy article emerged out of this passion.”

Biethman is a Prairie Du Rocher native and 1980 SDM alum, who joined the SDM faculty in 2010 as a part-time clinical instructor. He became a full-time assistant professor in 2012 in the Department of Restorative Dentistry.

Photo: Rick Biethman, DMD, assistant professor in the SIU School of Dental Medicine’s Department of Restorative Dentistry.

Two student organizations at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville collected more than 400 food items in a donation competition for the Community Hope Center in Bethalto. 

The Lambda Theta Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) International Honor Society in Education and the Delta Sigma Pi, Professional Business Fraternity delivered the donation to the homeless shelter on Feb. 10. 

“Makenzi Fee, the president of Delta Sigma Pi, and I became aware of the need for food items at the Community Hope Center, particularly boxed nonperishable items,” said Sierra Hyman, a senior elementary education major and KDP co-president with Kalli Hentis, a senior studying speech-language pathologist. 

“Christmas is generally a big time for donations, but we wanted to make sure food was well-stocked at the Center for the months after,” Hyman continued. “We wanted to make a big impact, and we thought teaming up organizations would be a great way to do so.” 

“In the end, it doesn't matter who won,” she said. “It's all about putting food on the table for our local families in need.” 

Barbara Martin, EdD, is the KDP faculty advisor. 

KDP is an international society whose membership is 1.2 million and is limited to the top 20 percent of those entering the field of education, according to Martin. The student organization was founded in 1911 and was one of the first discipline-specific honor societies. SIUE’s Lambda Theta Chapter started in 1967. The chapter has approximately 80 members, who must maintain a grade point average minimum of 3.0. 

Photo:
Grocery carts of food were the result of a friendly competition between Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) International Honor Society in Education and the Delta Sigma Pi, Professional Business Fraternity. L-R: Sierra Hyman, KDP co-president and Makenzi Fee, president of Delta Sigma Pi.

The Alestle is back among the top three college media organizations in Illinois for General Excellence among non-daily publications from schools of 4,000 or more.

The Alestle editors received the third place honor at the annual Illinois College Press Association convention on Feb. 17 in Chicago. During the past 13 years, The Alestle has only ranked higher in General Excellence once, with a second place in 2014. They were awarded honorable mention in General Excellence in 2001, 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2016.

“I was ecstatic for The Alestle to be back in the top three in General Excellence. The competition in our division is fierce,” Program Director Tammy Merrett said.

The Alestle also brought home nine other awards in a broad range of categories. Lifestyles Editor Miranda Lintzenich earned first place in the General News Photo category for her photo of rapper Snoop Dogg at St. Louis’ 2017 LouFest.

Alestle Editor Ryan Bieri received second place in the large-school division’s News Story category. Sports Editor Trent Stuart took second place for headline writing. Photographer Justin Bristol won second place in the Photo Essay category for large schools.

“It’s been a bumpy year, but I couldn’t be more proud of every member of The Alestle staff,” Bieri said. “They’ve all worked so hard to make our paper as good as it is right now.”

Former Editor Caitlin Lally won two second place awards, one for Column Writing and the other in Feature Page Design.

Former Cartoonist Nicole Patton won third place in the open division’s editorial cartooning category for the second consecutive year. All schools, regardless of size, were eligible to enter their work in that category.

Bristol and Lally also received honorable mention in the Spot News Photo and News Story categories, respectively.

The Alestle competed with 31 Illinois colleges and universities in 15 open categories. Additionally, The Alestle competed in 18 categories against 13 non-daily student newspapers on campuses with more than 4,000 students including Columbia College in Chicago, Loyola University, University of Illinois Springfield, DePaul University and others.

Almost 1,200 entries in the competition were judged for excellence by working journalists across the country.

The Alestle competes nationally against many other newspapers from across the country. Statewide, The Alestle competes regularly against such student newspapers and schools as the Bradley Scout at Bradley University, Columbia Chronicle at Columbia College, DePaulia at DePaul University, Chicago Flame at the University of Illinois-Chicago, the Journal at University of Illinois-Springfield, the Loyola Phoenix at Loyola University and the Independent at Northeastern Illinois University.

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering (SOE) celebrated exceptional students, faculty and alumni for their academic excellence, service and leadership during its 12^th Annual Awards Banquet held Thursday, Feb. 22 in the Meridian Ballroom.

The School recognized an outstanding junior, senior, graduate student, teacher and alumnus from each of its academic programs, including civil, industrial, mechanical, electrical and computer engineering, as well as computer science and construction. Awards were also presented for outstanding performance to a researcher, an adjunct instructor, a faculty member for service and to a staff member for service to the School.

A complete list of the 2018 award recipients is available at siue.edu/engineering/banquet/award-recipients.

 “The advancement of the SIUE School of Engineering is propelled by the outstanding contributions and accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff and alumni,” said SOE Dean Cem Karacal, PhD. “We are proud to celebrate their incredible work and realize the significant potential our engineering community has for future achievement.”

SOE alumnus Ryan Freeman presented the keynote address. Freeman earned a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering in 2001. He is vice president of operations at McCarthy, and leads all commercial, advanced technology and manufacturing, and local education work for the company’s Central Division.

Many people look at the 1960s with a sense of nostalgia and even folklore, according to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus Clarence Lang, PhD. However, while the era saw many Civil Rights struggles and victories, the period does not provide a useful frame of analysis for understanding how to make progressive social change today. 

Lang, a professor of African and African American Studies at The University of Kansas, presented “Black History Studies from Obama to Trump: Reflections and Shadow of the 60s” on Feb. 15 in Lovejoy Library's Abbott Auditorium. SIUE’s Department of Historical Studies and the Black Studies Office sponsored Lang’s visit. 

Lang earned his master’s in history from SIUE in 1997. He was a lecturer in the Department of Historical Studies from 2000-01. His presentation was an outgrowth of one of his books, Black America in the Shadow of the 60s: Notes on the Civil Rights Movement, Neoliberalism and Politics. 

The professor highlighted and illuminated several aspects about the 1960s Civil Rights Movement not widely viewed or considered. 

“When we look at the grassroots of the 1960s leadership, they were not solely men, and the communities were not solely southern,” explained Lang. “We cannot overlook the struggles that occurred in Los Angeles, Oakland, New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis and East St. Louis.” 

“And Civil Rights was not just about individual market-based liberties over group-based social democratic rights,” he added. “It was not just lunch counter sit-ins and bus boycotts, but was also about better employment and economic opportunities, being able to meaningful choose political representation and the ability to shape urban planning and development policy.” 

Many activists and scholars misread the 1960s, according to Lang. “We use the ‘60s in an uncritical way to approach the prospect for social movements today. This undermines our ability to interpret and respond to the unique social and political challenges of our contemporary moment.” 

What protests have developed today, such as the Black Lives Matter movement, should not be wedged into the same criteria – real or imagined – of the 1960s, Lang further explained. 

The 1950s also have nostalgia and myth related to it. “The ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan hearkens back to and is predicated on the ‘50s, where suburban life is emphasized. Only a small segment of white Americans lived in the suburbs.” 

 “If you looked at the 1950s as a house, you would have black people in the backyard tending to work, women in the kitchen and gay people in the closet,” said Lang. “It is harmful to have this kind of unthinking nostalgia when you approach history.” 

“America has always been multiracial, but we’ve imagined it otherwise,” he continued. “That’s very dangerous. It not only subordinates people of color, but the nostalgia of the ‘50s also has a prescribed role for women and for those who fall outside of gender norms.” 

In looking at the presidency of Barack Obama, history may paint it as a moment in time, Lang surmised. “Many people confused the Obama presidency as a social movement, and it was not,” he emphasized. “Some people thought that racial justice work was done when Obama was elected, and it was not.” 

“Black studies, at its best, can be a vehicle for engaging a present informed by, but not stuck, in black people’s imaginative historical past,” said Lang. “I’m hopeful that new paradigms and thought will proceed from the conditions of black life as they actually exist rather than an inaccurate imaginative about African Americans pursuit of racial justice.” 

“I try to remain optimistic about the future,” he added, “because I am hopeful about the capacity of ordinary people to make change.” 

Photo:
SIUE alumnus Clarence Lang, PhD, professor of African and African American Studies at The University of Kansas.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s growing college student personnel administration (CSPA) program, housed in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s Department of Educational Leadership, will host a Visit Day on Friday, March 16 for those considering a career in higher education.

The event will begin at 8:15 a.m. with a continental breakfast and end at approximately 7 p.m. at an off-campus social event. It will also feature a welcome from SIUE Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jeffrey Waple, PhD, assistantship interviews, lunch, a campus tour, a CSPA program information session and a student panel. Prospective students will be given priority consideration for on- and off-campus graduate assistantships through the CSPA program.  

A complete calendar of events and registration details are available at siue.edu/cspa-visit-day.

“The CSPA program has established a reputation for academic rigor and has a focus on social justice and student development,” said Pietro Sasso, PhD, assistant professor and CSPA program director. “Our diverse program prepares students for entry to mid-level positions in college administration, such as student affairs, academic advising or admissions. In addition, our experiential learning opportunities allow students to actively engage contemporary higher education issues facing today’s college students.”

The 36-hour program includes 27 hours of coursework in college student personnel administration, a comprehensive exam, six hours of practicum and a final research project.

Priority consideration for admission and assistantships will be given to candidates who attend the CSPA Cougar Visit Day. The application fee will be waived for those who apply at the event. For admissions details, visit siue.edu/apply.

“I am proud. I am strong. I am special because, I am somebody,” sang a group of three-to-five-year-old Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Head Start/Early Head Start students. 

The preschoolers were part of the black history program, “Because They Did, We Can,” presented Friday, Feb. 23 by the Discovery Center for Little Scholars (DCLS). 

“The Discovery Center recognizes the importance of everyone’s culture and history,” said Heidi Eichenseer, DCLS Head Start Center coordinator. “This is one day we have chosen to celebrate, but every day is a celebration of who we are and who our children are.” 

DCLS students from six weeks to five years were part of the performance for family and friends. 

Some other songs the children sang included “If You’re Free, Clap Your Hands,” “Martin Luther King,” “You Got Rights in this World” and “Freedom, Freedom.” 

A group of three-to-five year olds performed “History is a Part of Me” and told of African Americans who created such inventions as the elevator, dryer, fire extinguisher, traffic light and fountain pen. 

Photos:
SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start students (ages 16 months-2) from Discovery Center for Little Scholars perform “If You’re Free Clap Your Hands,” with the assistance of teacher Benny Lewis. 

Discovery Center for Little Scholars students (ages 3-5) present “History is a Part of Me,” with the help of teacher Megan Redman.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is introducing online organizational talent management courses that provide instruction and practical applications for incorporating industrial/organizational psychology into organizational decision-making. Enrollment is open now for the non-credit course modules that are underway. 

Topics include gathering high-quality survey data, analyzing and interpreting survey results, and designing structured interviews to improve the selection process accuracy. Courses are taught by Joel Nadler, PhD, associate professor of psychology in SIUE’s School of Education, Health and Human Behavior, an experienced professor and practitioner of industrial/organizational psychology,

“Self-paced online courses can help you effectively use data to drive better decision-making in your organization,” said Megan O’Loughlin, a master’s candidate and teaching assistant in industrial/organizational psychology. “Courses provide both theory and practical applications, so content can be applied directly in your role.”

For more information, contact otm.siue@gmail.com or visit siue.edu/educationaloutreach.

Register at siue.edu/educationaloutreach/register.

An awareness and educational program to prevent opioid abuse in the schools was one aspect of a presentation that Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Nursing (SON) students gave to City of Highland representatives to help the town combat the drug crisis. 

Ten students from the Care of Populations clinical groups of Charlotte Chance, DNP, clinical assistant professor, presented “The Opioid Epidemic: Community Engagement and Awareness” on Feb. 21 at Highland City Hall. 

The students’ presentation was the second in a series of SIUE’s Successful Communities Collaborative (SSCC) initiative with Highland, a town of approximately10, 000 people. 

“The opioid crisis is real. There isn’t a single community immune to it, and to that end, we have an obligation to do something about it,” said Lisa Peck, Highland assistant city manager. “When SIUE asked us what we wanted to partner on, I thought here is our opportunity to be on the forefront of addressing the opioid problem. By Highland coming forward and acknowledging that we are actively dealing with the issue, hopefully other communities will begin to act progressively to address this harrowing issue.” 

A growing number of overdose deaths occur in the U.S. every day due to opioid addiction, reported SON senior Shannon McGinnis, in her portion of the presentation. 

“It’s vital to be aware of the problem, so we can fix it,” McGinnis said. “It’s important to get information into the school to educate children and prevent the problem before it starts. We found in our research that the age of children who start using drugs is 13.” 

The SSCC opioid education and prevention project in Highland will target teens, ages 14-18, according to Chance. 

“The overall purpose of the project for the second student cohort was to build on the needs assessment conducted in fall 2017, and identify references, resources, and tools using best practices for drug use prevention and supporting families with addicted members,” added Chance. 

Emergency Medical Services Chief Brian Wilson is one of many town officials and representatives working in the fight against the opioid epidemic in Highland and surrounding cities. Wilson’s daughter is now drug-free from a long battle she had with drug and opioid abuse. 

“In the last two years, we have administered NARCAN 33 and 32 times in 2016 and 2017, respectively in the Highland area (approximately 30,000 people),” said Wilson. “That is an average of us administering it once every 11 days.” As of Feb. 21, 2018, Wilson said he had used NARCAN, which is an opioid antagonist, in the Highland area seven times, for an average of once every 7.28 days. 

“When we see a crisis, and this is a crisis, we want to try and help either the users, the families or both,” said Wilson. “When you have an addict in a family, the ripple effect is felt throughout the entire family. We want to get the addict the resources to get well. We also want to help the family find resources to cope.” 

In reflecting on his family’s struggle with opioid use, Wilson said, “Probably the biggest hurdle we faced was the enabling part. Many times you confuse loving your child and trying to help your child with enabling them.” 

“It’s extremely tough to draw those lines,” he continued. “At some point the addict has to realize that their recovery rests with them, but we as a family and community are here when they are ready.” 

SSCC is a yearlong partnership between SIUE and a regional community. The community partner identifies sustainability and livability projects that would benefit from SIUE expertise. Faculty from across the University incorporate these projects into their courses, and engage graduate and upper-level undergraduate students in the projects, reported Tim Engelman, SSCC program director and associate director of Educational Outreach. 

SIUE’s Successful Communities Collaborative initiative is fashioned after the Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities (EPIC) model created in 2009 by the University of Oregon. The University joined EPIC, a network of more than 30 colleges and universities in March 2017. 

Photos:
SIUE School of Nursing senior Shannon McGinnis delivers her portion of the presentation, “The Opioid Epidemic: Community Engagement and Awareness” Highland representatives. 

Some of those working on the addressing the opioid epidemic in the City of Highland are (left-right) Lisa Peck (Highland Assistant City Manager), Ivy Kusi, Charlotte Chance (Clinical Assistant Professor in the SIUE School of Nursing) Jessica Kearns, Chief Brian Wilson (EMS), Brianna Cox, Jared Galeener, Morgan Nason, Mick Straub, Shatara Ellis, Shannon McGinnis, Emily Gabbard, Taylor Dunnette, Connie Frey-Spurlock (SIUE Successful Communities Collaborative faculty director and associate professor in the Department of Sociology) and Tim Engelman (SIUE Successful Communities Collaborative – SSCC-- program director and associate director of Educational Outreach). All students are seniors in the SIUE School of Nursing (SON).

Diversity and inclusion are values of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville that the campus has demonstrated, been awarded for and is committed to improving. Now, these attributes can also be found on display on the University’s new Diversity Wall. 

“The Diversity Wall is designed to showcase our Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Awards, the diversity of our campus, compliment the world flags, highlight our diversity commitment and highlight our flying of the United Nations Flag,” said Venesssa A. Brown, PhD, associate chancellor for the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion and chief diversity officer. 

The Wall is located on the second floor of Rendleman Hall, near the Admissions Office. HEED Awards from 2014-17 are posted on a wall, along with a freestanding block. Some of the inscription reads, “SIUE is committed to education that explores the historic significance of diversity in order to understand the present and to better enable our students to engage the future.” 

“It is good for the University to take every opportunity to celebrate the diversity and inclusion of our campus and our role in the world,” Brown continued. “Also, the Wall will provide an opportunity for new students and parents to see our commitment to diversity when they visit SIUE.” 

Photo:
Venesssa A Brown, PhD, associate chancellor for the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion and chief diversity officer, is shown in front of SIUE’s new Diversity Wall.

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering and SIUE’s Center for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Research, Education and Outreach made their annual contribution to Worden Elementary School’s Space Day by entertaining and educating fifth grade classes on Wednesday, Feb. 27.

Gary Mayer, PhD, associate professor of computer science, discussed robotics and, along with members of the Autonomous Robotics Club (ARC), provided robotics demonstrations during the morning. STEM Resource Center Manager Colin Wilson gave Star Lab science demonstrations during the afternoon.

“Our goal is to engage students at a young age, specifically minority and female students, and raise their interest in STEM,” Mayer said. “Given the level of consistent engagement in the 50 minutes we saw each class, including excited faces, smiles, questions and creative answers, and the annual feedback we receive from teachers, I believe Worden Elementary Space Day puts students on the right path to consider future possibilities in STEM fields.”

Worden fifth grade teacher Tonya Gurley said the students were excited to see various robot demonstrations. “They loved the opportunity to test the robots’ abilities,” Gurley said. “A huge favorite was Puppy-bot, which could roll over, do a handstand, or dance upon hearing a specific number of hand claps. Students learned that robots sense, think and move.

“They were impressed with the robots’ abilities to help people and complete dangerous tasks. Gary Mayer and his robotics team inspired students to make their own robots and possibly pursue degrees in computer science and engineering.”Along with Puppy-bot, students were visited by Darwin, a bipedal robot who plays soccer. They also interacted with Taz, a navigation robot capable of mapping a new environment and traversing it when given goals.

“In my outreach experiences, I’ve never seen a group as engaged and responsive as the students at Worden Elementary,” said ARC volunteer Jacob Novosad, a junior in the SIUE School of Engineering. “They offered creative answers and solutions to problems presented by Dr. Mayer. Their excitement served as a great reminder to never be afraid to voice your opinion or idea, because even if it isn’t a practical answer, it may lead to a creative solution.”

Gurley added that the students were amazed by the star and constellation projections in the Star Lab. “They were fascinated by the topic of exploding stars and learned the stages of a hypernova,” Gurley explained. “Equally interesting was the history of constellations and the display of different constellations during different times of the year. Colin Wilson’s Star Lab show was out of this world!”

Photo: SIUE student presenter Zachary Anderson looks on as Worden Elementary students interact with Taz, a navigation robot.

SIUE STEM Resource Manager Colin Wilson engages with fifth grade students from Worden Elementary during the School’s Space Day.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will host a free Community Health Clinic from 3:30-6 p.m. Thursday, March 15 at the Fairmont City Library Center located at 4444 Collinsville Road in Fairmont City.

A similar event will be held from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 7 at the Technology Learning Center located at 111 South Appleknocker Drive in Cobden.

Services will include diabetes, hearing, cholesterol, oral health, and height, weight and body mass screenings, as well as blood pressure measurement, diabetes A1C screening and diabetes foot inspection. Nutrition, dental care and public health education will also be offered.

The interdisciplinary event involves University experts and students in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Schools of Nursing, Pharmacy, Dental Medicine, and Education, Health and Human Behavior. The project received $10,300 in funding through SIUE’s Excellence in Education program that supports innovative projects in undergraduate education.

“This is the first time that the range of different professions are involved in providing services to an underserved Hispanic community, while also learning to collaborate as a team,” said Project Director Terri Poirier, PharmD, MPH, professor of pharmacy practice and senior scholar in the SIUE School of Pharmacy.

“We are excited to bring different professional students together to learn about meeting community health needs,” she added. “The evaluation will provide data that will not only demonstrate the value on student learning, but also the impact of the program on the community served.”

The high impact community engagement practice will enact a co-curricular and experiential learning model, and provide students with the unique opportunity to gain experience working with medical interpreters.

Photo: SIUE Community Health Clinic Project Director Terri Poirier, PharmD, MPH, professor of pharmacy practice and senior scholar in the SIUE School of Pharmacy.

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougar Baja team had two cars make successful runs at Michigan Tech’s annual Blizzard Baja during the weekend of Feb. 17-18 in Houghton, Mich.  

Senior Seth Kirchner, president of SIUE Cougar Baja, combined with 14 teammates to see their No. 94 car finish ninth overall, while their No. 34 car placed 23^rd in a field of 47 cars.

“The team’s goals for the trip were to get our members that have not been able to drive in competition a chance to race,” Kirchner said. “Overall, the competition was quite successful, everyone was able to participate during the race and both of our cars survived the entire four-hour endurance race.” 

Kirchner noted that the track was not implementing the Black Flag rule where after a car gets stuck on a certain obstacle three times, that competitor is removed from the race. “Many of the teams were getting stuck and clogging up the track, not allowing us to fully use our four-wheel drive capabilities,” he said. “That contributed to finishing lower than we’d expected.”  

The Michigan Tech Blizzard Baja Enterprise is a student-led organization that designs, builds and tests single-seat, off-road vehicles in a national competition. Students use modern engineering and manufacturing processes to enhance vehicle performance by focusing on reduction of vehicle mass, maximization of drive train efficiency, improvement of driver visibility and comfort, and optimization of off-road vehicle handling and maneuverability.

Photo: SIUE Cougar Baja competed in Michigan Tech’s annual Blizzard Baja during the weekend of Feb. 17-18 in Houghton, Mich.  

Representatives from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Campus Recreation will share their knowledge on fitness floor layouts with industry professionals from across the nation during the NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation’s Annual Conference being held March 4-7 in Denver.

Fitness Coordinator Amanda Couch, will speak alongside Estelle Gyimah, a fitness graduate assistant pursuing a master’s in college student personnel administration, and Kari Kolle, a facilities graduate assistant pursuing a master’s in exercise and sport psychology. They will expand on “The Psychology of the Fitness Floor Layout. A view of our observations and changes to maximize use.”

“I’m thankful to continue to work with Kari and Estelle from concept to presentation, refining and collecting more information to presenting again,” Couch said. “It has been an enjoyable topic to dive into and discuss with our professional peers. We are excited to continue our conversation at the national level. We’re not only discussing our findings, but also hearing different perspectives and learning about what others have observed in their facilities.”

The trio presented on the same topic at the Annual State Workshop for the Illinois Intramural-Recreational Sports Association held in October 2017.