Just one week is left to vote for an Illinois Department of Transportation effort with Missouri as the top transportation project in the country. On the line is prestige and $5,000 in prize money that IDOT will award to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Upward Bound program.

“At IDOT, we take great pride in our mission to plan, build and maintain a multimodal system of transportation that’s safe, reliable and improves quality of life,” said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “We urge the public to vote and bring this award to Illinois, where it belongs.”

The departments of transportation in Illinois and Missouri are in the running in the online vote for the People’s Choice honor in the 12th annual America’s Transportation Awards, hosted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Votes can be cast once a day by clicking here or visiting americastransportationawards.org
through Oct. 6.

The partnership between IDOT and MoDOT produced several bridge projects over the past decade to improve connections in the metropolitan area with jobs and tourist destinations.

In addition to the People’s Choice Award, the IDOT-MoDOT entry is competing for the national Grand Prize, which is selected by an independent panel. Both awards carry $10,000 in prize money for a charity or nonprofit selected by the winning states.

The Upward Bound program at the SIUE East St. Louis Center has been designated by IDOT to receive $5,000 if it wins either award. The program has several offerings which provides educational opportunities for middle and high school students in school districts of East St. Louis, Cahokia, the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School, Brooklyn, Madison and Collinsville, with a focus on encouraging low-income, prospective first-generation college students to seek post-secondary education.

Upward Bound and IDOT have long collaborated to teach kids about Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers.

In last year’s America’s Transportation Awards, the Interstate 55-Lake Shore Drive interchange in Chicago took home the Grand Prize, a first for IDOT.

The SIUE East St. Louis Center Upward Bound programs help youth prepare for higher education and serves students from East St. Louis and Cahokia (EC), and Brooklyn, East St. Louis Charter and Madison (BEM), High Schools. Participants receive instruction in literature, composition and STEM subjects on college campuses after school, on Saturdays and during the summer. The quality services provided will prepare the students for successful high school completion and entrance into post-secondary programs. Upward Bound is a college-preparatory program designed to serve low-income and/or potential first-generation college students who are currently in grades 9-12. 

Prospective students were inspired by the possibilities and encouraged to make an informed decision about enrolling at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville during Transfer Visit Day held Friday, Sept. 20.

 The event offered 37 students a tour of SIUE’s beautiful, sprawling campus, shared current students’ perspectives, and provided information such as navigating transfer credit, financial aid and how to ease the transition to becoming a transfer student.

“We want to give prospective students the tools necessary to be successful in their transition to SIUE, and to better understand their transfer credit,” said Ryan Downey, assistant director for new student and campus visit programs in the Office of Admissions. “It’s important that we focus just as much on the transfer student population as our incoming freshman population, since enrollment demographics are shifting.”

During the event, visiting students had the opportunity to interact with representatives from campus organizations and student services, including admissions, financial aid, University Housing and various academic disciplines.

Current transfer students hosted a panel where they shared advice and insight from their experiences. Senior sociology and pre-law major Melody Peterson, of St. Louis, was a panelist.

“I was a transfer student in 2017,” Peterson recalled. “I don’t think I would have been as acclimated with the University if it wasn’t for Transfer Visit Day. Traditional students have events like Springboard and the SIUE Experience, so I appreciated having Transfer Visit Day.”

Jessyca LeGault, of Belleville, attended the event and said she found it quite helpful.

“It provided a lot of insight on things like tuition, which is what I was most worried about,” LeGault said. “Finding out about tuition and where I can look for scholarships has been helpful.”

According to Downey, Transfer Visit Days have been a positive addition to the opportunities SIUE provides prospective students.”

“Transfer Visit Days helps raise awareness of SIUE,” Downey said. “Even if a visiting student does not enroll, they’ll go back to their community college or another institution and talk about their experience at SIUE.”

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville art therapy counseling graduate program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (caahep.org) upon the recommendation of Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education (ACATE). SIUE is one of 12 accredited schools nationally to offer art therapy counseling.

The Accreditation Council for Art Therapy Education (ACATE) and CAAHEP’s board of directors recently conducted a peer review that recognized the program’s substantial compliance with the nationally established accreditation standards. The CAAHEP, ACATE and American Art Therapy Association (AATA) establish the standards. The next program evaluation is scheduled for no later than 2024.

“CAAHEP accreditation means SIUE art therapy counseling can ensure that our educational practices meet standards in order to provide high-quality, entry-level art therapists for the region,” said Megan Robb, ATR-BC, LPC, NCC, associate professor and director of the Art Therapy Counseling Graduate Program. “During the past five years, approximately 95 percent of SIUE art therapy counseling graduate students have jobs within six months of graduation. In 2018, 100 percent of the alumni, who took the board certification exam for art therapy, passed.”

Housed in SIUE’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), the master’s in art therapy counseling program combines classroom instruction, practicum experience and research. “Our mission is to provide experiential learning to foster socio-culturally attuned, creative practices in the theory, reflection and application of art therapy counseling,” Robb said. “Our vision is that art therapy counselors cultivate creative, just and healthy communities. Our goal is to prepare competent, entry-level art therapists in the cognitive, psychomotor skills and affective behavior learning domains.” 

Because the program is based in the Department of Art and Design, there is an emphasis on art-making. Classes are small and experiential learning is integral to the program. In order to ensure individualized instruction, only 10 students are accepted into the program each fall.

“Our students annually provide 13,000 hours of mental health services to the St. Louis and Metro East areas through practicum, programming and curriculum,” Robb said. “Retention rate for students is 98% during the last five years. We strive for a completion rate of three years, and 98% of our students graduate on time.”

Central to SIUE’s exceptional and comprehensive education, the College of Arts and Sciences offers degree programs in the natural sciences, humanities, arts, social sciences and communications. The College touches the lives of all SIUE students helping them explore diverse ideas and experiences, while learning to think and live as fulfilled, productive members of the global community. Study abroad, service-learning, internships, and other experiential learning opportunities better prepare SIUE students not only to succeed in our region's workplaces, but also to become valuable leaders who make important contributions to our communities.

Photo: SIUE art therapy class in progress highlighting art-based learning.

Four hundred years ago, the first Africans landed in Old Point Comfort, Virginia. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Black Studies Program and the Office of the Provost presented its 1619 Commemoration recognition with an opening ceremony at noon Monday, Sept. 30 in the Morris University Center, Goshen Lounge. 

“There are many people who do not know the significance of this date,” said Kathryn Bentley, associate professor in the Department of Theater and Dance and director of the SIUE Black Studies Program. “This week, we will give the attention and recognition that this date deserves. It is important that we recognize how the events in 1619 changed the course of history for the entire world.” 

“This is an event that made America what it is today,” said Anthony Cheeseboro, PhD, associate professor of historical studies in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and keynote speaker. 

Cheeseboro’s presentation was entitled, “The Most Important Event in History with No Date.” 

“We don’t have an exact date. People have generally settled on Aug. 20, 1619, because they knew the ship with slaves came toward the end of August,” said Cheeseboro. “These Africans were brought into the colony of Jamestown involuntarily. They had been captured in what is now Angola, a territory ruled by the Portuguese.” 

“Yet, when Africans were first brought to North America, they weren’t even purchased, they were bartered,” Cheeseboro continued. “The pirate ship that captured the slaves originally from the Portuguese eventually came to Virginia with little food. They traded Africans for food to get to where they needed to go.” 

These Africans, who would become slaves, were actually indentured workers when they arrived in Virginia, according to Cheeseboro. 

“Many people want to point out that 1619 was not the beginning of slavery in the Americas,” he noted. “It would take about 40 years, when in approximately 1660 laws were passed in Virginia to say unless blacks had papers saying they were free, the assumption was that they were slaves. It took a generation or so to where being black became synonymous with being a slave.”

Cheeseboro continued to point out the great skill and fortitude of the African workers that made them a desirable commodity. 

“Africans were also able to withstand many diseases and health conditions in the Americas, because they came from the Eastern Hemisphere like Europeans. They had been exposed to such illnesses as tuberculous, small pox and influenza,” remarked Cheeseboro. “They also had heightened resistance to tropical diseases like malaria and yellow fever, and so it made a lot of sense from a financial standpoint to have African slaves. 

“Also, do not underestimate the skills of Africans. Africans came to the Americas knowing how to grow rice, and they had good cattle and woodworking skills. Africa was also the first part of the world that consistently produced iron as a useful metal.” 

“It is important to understand that slavery did not equal lack of knowledge or stupidity,” cautioned Cheeseboro. “At the end of the day, a slave was an economic investment.” 

“To those who say 1619 is not as important to history, I say you’re dead wrong,” concluded Cheeseboro. “It is not where slavery starts, but it is where Africa Americans and much of American culture today has its origin.” 

Opening and closing Monday’s ceremony was the Spirit of Angela: Traditional West African Dance and Drum of St. Louis. Moma Fatoumata is the founder and creative director. Tiffany Pool is the lead instructor and choreographer. 

Other events this week include: 

Noon, Today – Lovejoy Library / Friend’s Corner
Bryan Jack, PhD, associate professor of historical studies in CAS, will moderate a panel on Faculty Perspectives on 1619. 

Noon, Wednesday, Oct. 2 – Lovejoy Library / Redmond Reading Room
The Black Studies Student Advisory Board will present “How You Comin’?” – a conversation about  the New York Times 1619 Project. Opening performance by SIUE Black Theatre Workshop. 

Noon, Thursday, Oct. 3 – MUC / Goshen Lounge
“What Does Freedom Mean to YOU?” – a 24-hour social media conversation and an interactive art display. 

Photos:
Anthony Cheeseboro, PhD, associate professor of historical studies in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) was the 1619 Commemoration opening ceremony’s keynote speaker.

Opening and closing Monday’s ceremony was the Spirit of Angela: Traditional West African Dance and Drum of St. Louis. 

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is co-hosting the Southern Illinois University System Technology and Innovation Expo with its fellow campuses on Thursday, Oct. 10, at 1871 – Chicago Technology and Entrepreneurship Center. The Expo focuses upon health, wellness and innovation.

Two SIUE researchers are showcased. Kamran Shavezipur, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering in the School of Engineering, designs chemical and biological sensors. Ken Witt, PhD, professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the School of Pharmacy, designs and evaluates drug candidates to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

According to Rob Patino, director of the SIU Office of Technology Transfer, “The event gives the SIU System an opportunity to showcase its innovations related to wellness and health, and highlights the strengths of our campuses when pulled together as an asset to our community and industry partners.”

“The Expo provides an opportunity for potential investors and licensees to hear directly from SIU’s inventors of cutting-edge products,” said Susan Morgan, PhD, associate dean of the SIUE Graduate School.

The afternoon main program begins at 2 p.m. followed by the evening program and reception at 5 p.m. Highlights include:

• Google’s Sarah Robinson discussing Machine Learning’s potential in healthcare
• Demonstrations of SIU’s technologies that impact on health and wellness in Illinois and around the world
• The Innovation Interchange, an industry research portal bringing the assets of the SIU and the University of Missouri Systems together as research problem solvers
• Discussion of hemp and cannabis business opportunities in Illinois as the legal landscape changes and new research initiatives at SIU campuses in cultivation and health

For more information and to register, visit tie.siu.edu/. The Chicago Technology and Entrepreneurship Center is located at 222 West Merchandise Mart Plaza, Ste. 1212.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high quality, affordable education that prepares them for successful careers and lives of purpose to shape a changing world. Built on the foundation of a broad-based liberal education, and enhanced by hands-on research and real-world experiences, the academic preparation SIUE students receive equips them to thrive in the global marketplace and make our communities better places to live. Situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the natural beauty of the Mississippi River’s rich bottomland and only a short drive from downtown St. Louis, the SIUE campus is home to a diverse student body of more than 13,000.

 Photo (L-R): Kamran Shavezipur, assistant professor in the SIUE Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, and Ken Witt, professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the SIUE School of Pharmacy.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville continues to be a trailblazer in the Metro East and the state when it comes to constructing and operating cost-saving green buildings. SIUE recently received a Silver Certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for its Science East Building. LEED is a green building certification program used worldwide to recognize sustainable and green building practices. 

“With seven LEED Certified buildings, and one building pending approval, SIUE has the second largest number of LEED buildings on a university campus in the St. Louis metro area and the second largest in Illinois,” said Vice Chancellor for Administration Rich Walker. 

Walker noted some of things that helped the Science East Building obtain its silver rating: 

• Being highly energy efficient
• High levels of wall and roof insulation
• Double insulated, polarized glass windows
• Having the latest technology for the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems
• Lighting motion sensors turn off lights when a room is not in use
• Solar roof panels help reduce consumption and demand from the power grid
• Exterior bracing adds seismic stability 

Other silver-rated LEED construction at SIUE include:

• Engineering Building Addition
• Lukas Athletic Annex
• Multidisciplinary Dental Medicine Laboratory
• Science Building West
• One residential building in Cougar Village 

The Fowler Student Design Center is expected to receive Silver rating in the near future and the Art and Design West Building holds a LEED Gold Certificate. 

“Our longstanding, efficient and innovative work has earned SIUE the title of being a Living Architecture Regional Center of Excellence from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and the Green Infrastructure Foundation,” said Walker. “We are one of only four higher education institutions in the nation to receive that designation.” 

Photo: SIUE Vice Chancellor for Administration Rich Walker.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumna Jerilyn Hassard has received the Women’s Transportation Seminar’s (WTS) 2019 Innovative Transportation Award. The award was presented by the WTS St. Louis Chapter to recognize Hassard’s work as project manager on the Martin Luther King (MLK) Bridge Approach Structure Replacement Project.

Hassard completed a bachelor’s in civil engineering from the SIUE School of Engineering in 1997. Currently, she is a senior associate at Modjeski and Masters, Inc. (MM) and the MidAmerica assistant regional manager. As a product manager, Hassard oversees the analysis, design, inspection and rehabilitation of various transportation structures.

Throughout the project, she led and coordinated a team that provided preliminary design, final design and construction engineering services for the replacement of the original approach structure of the MLK Bridge over IL Route 3. Additionally, the team completed repairs to six other structures in the approach complex.

“I was extremely surprised and honored to receive this award,” Hassard said. “When you work on a project for multiple years, you tend to become attached to the project, team and client. At the same time, we tend to forget how unique or innovative each project is because this is just what we do.”

“I was lucky enough to be the project manager of a great team for a challenging project,” added Hassard. “I would not have received this award without all of the hard work of my project team members.”

The award was designed to recognize innovative transportation projects designed and led by women in the industry.

“At one of the coordination meetings for this project, it just so happened that all participants were women,” noted Hassard. “This does not happen often in our industry. However, I have met and had the privilege of working with many talented female engineers from various clients, other consultants and internal to MM.”

While reflecting on her time at SIUE, she claimed that the University provided the right learning environment to allow her to achieve her goals.

“SIUE gave me the knowledge and experience I needed to start my career and grow into the professional that I am today,” Hassard said. “It also gave me the opportunity to develop lifelong friendships with many of my classmates who also work in the engineering industry.”

“Since graduation, I have worked for MM for over 20 years, and they have given me the opportunity to work on challenging projects with a wonderful group of professionals both locally and nationally,” Hassard said. “I am extremely grateful for all the opportunities SIUE and MM have made possible for myself and my family.”

Photo: SIUE alumna Jerilyn Hassard, senior associate at Modjeski and Masters, Inc.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Dean Greg Budzban, PhD, today announced that he is stepping down effective July 31, 2020. He has served as dean since Aug. 1, 2015.

“The University community has been so appreciative of Greg’s leadership and collegiality,” said Denise Cobb, PhD, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “Greg’s ability to articulate the value of the arts and sciences, the benefits of integrative thinking, and the power of interdisciplinarity and innovation have been invaluable.”

 “We are truly grateful for his commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity initiatives. His thoughtful approach and collaborative spirit have been an asset to academic affairs and SIUE.”

“It is an honor and privilege to be dean of CAS,” Budzban said. “I will continue to work tirelessly for the college over the next 10 months. While I will step down as dean, I intend to remain connected to the University and look forward to continuing to work together as a faculty member of the college.” 

Among Budzban’s accomplishments are the following:

• He developed the Targeted Funding Initiative (TFI) to support innovative and engaging teaching, research and service activities. The TFI distributed more than $750,000 to faculty and staff for such work, and for new high impact community engagement activities. 
• He developed the Innovation Grant Proposal that provided the blueprint and received start-up funding for the new Center for Predictive Analytics. 
• He supported and engaged in fundraising to greatly expand the scholarship offerings for CAS students. This past year, more than 300 scholarships were awarded, the largest number in its history.  
• He helped secure external funding to create innovative classrooms and labs across the college, including the Foster Adaptive Learning Classroom, and the Mass Communications Media Integration Lab. Additionally, the IRIS Center experienced expansion, while the GIS Lab and Foreign Language Training Center received upgrades.
• He implemented an ICR sharing program in the college to facilitate and support faculty scholarship, and encourage grant activity.
• He has worked to maintain an active research program being primary investigator (PI) or co-PI on more than $5 million of external grant funding.
• He helped create the Alton Math Games league with external funding. The project allowed elementary students to learn mathematics through engagement with problem-based learning and with fun. 

Budzban brought more than 25 years of academic experience, along with six years of professional experience from Martin Marietta Aerospace, to SIUE. He served as chair of the Department of Mathematics and acting director of the STEM Education Research Center at SIUC before arriving on the SIUE campus.

Budzban received a bachelor’s in mathematics, a master’s in theoretical computer sciences and a doctorate in mathematics from the University of South Florida.

 Photo: Greg Budzban, SIUE College of Arts and Sciences dean.

SIUE international graduate student Westenior Valmera launched HAITI-ED: Haitians for Advancing and Improving the Impact of Educational Development in 2017, and has grown the non-profit into a successful endeavor that provides school supplies to Haitian children in need and helps them grow both personally and professionally.

KMOV reporter Steve Harris featured Valmera in this story.

In its first year, the organization donated 24 backpacks with school supplies. Since then, an outpouring of support for HAITI-ED’s efforts has developed, allowing Valmera and his team of other young Haitian professionals to provide backpacks filled with school supplies to 218 kids in 2019.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Friends of Theater and Dance (FOTAD) will present its fall fund raiser “FOTAD Dinner Theater” on Saturday, Nov. 2. The evening will include a buffet dinner and special live performance at Fixin’s Restaurant in SIUE’s Morris University Center. Doors open at 6 p.m., with dinner served at 6:30 p.m. followed by the performance at 7:30 p.m.

Director Diana Enloe presents the hilarious theater performance of Love, Loss, and What We Wore. This play by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron is based on the 1995 book of the same name by Ilene Beckerman. It is organized as a series of monologues and uses a rotating cast of five women, Carol Hodson, Christy Luster, Debbie Maneke, Dianna Pallas and Donna Wilson. Through a series of touching and humorous vignettes and monologues, the quintet shares its characters’ stories, exploring themes of relationships, oppression and sexuality, loss of loved ones, divorce, and the fullness of life through the metaphor of the characters’ love/hate relationship with clothes.

Love, Loss, and What We Wore was originally performed Off-Broadway at the Westside Theatre in New York City. The cast originally included Rosie O'Donnell and Tyne Daly. The show won the 2010 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience, as well as the 2010 Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite New Off-Broadway Play. 

The buffet dinner will include a house smoked beef brisket, blackened salmon, fettuccini alfredo, roasted maple sweet potatoes, roasted broccoli and cauliflower, sautéed shaved Brussel sprouts, Greek salad, and light and tasty mousse. A cash bar will be available.

Tickets for the dinner and show are $50, with a $5 discount for FOTAD members and their guests, and SIUE students. Tickets for the performance only are $15. Admission for the show is free for SIUE students.

A portion of the price is tax deductible. The tax-deductible amount is $20 for FOTAD members who attend the dinner and performance, and $25 for non-members. The tax-deductible portion is $15 for those who attend just the performance.

Reservations must be made by Tuesday, Oct. 29. For reservations, call the SIUE Theater and Dance Box Office at 618-650-2774 or toll free at 1-888-328-5168, ext. 2774

Photo (L-R):  Love, Loss, and What We Wore cast members Dianna Pallas, Donna Wilson, Christy Luster, Carol Hodson, Debbie Maneke.

For 50 years, international students have been welcomed, supported and celebrated at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. SIUE’s International Hospitality Program (IHP) applauded that fact and re-emphasized its mission at its 50^th anniversary, held Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Morris University Center, Conference Center. 

SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook, PhD, and Director of the Office of International Affairs (OIA) Mary Weishaar, PhD, presented certificates to the IHP founding members and members representing the different decades. 

The celebration was entitled, “Global Welcoming,” according to Gaby Renteria-Poepsel, OIA international student programming advisor. 

“Since its inception in 1969, the International Hospitality Program (IHP) has served as a community organization whose mission is to enrich the lives of their member families and international students at SIUE,” said Renteria-Poepsel. “From what we know about the history of IHP, as SIUE’s enrollment grew, students from various countries chose the Edwardsville campus to pursue their academic interests and those new international students faced many challenges, changes and adjustments.” 

Based on the IHP history written by one of the early members in the 1970s, Doris Gvillo, the program started with the goal to develop a program to assist international students get settled with fewer difficulties. Dr. Fred Chambers, SIUE academic advisor for foreign students, and his wife, Dr. Dorothy Chambers, joined other SIUE professors and staff, and other interested families to form the International Hospitality Program.   

“It has been my privilege and my blessing to be acquainted with young people from all parts of the world,” said Reba Klenke, an IHP founding member. “It is extremely important that IHP continues, and provides opportunities for students and host families to expand their world.” 

Over the years, Klenke has hosted students from Australia, India, Iran, Pakistan and China. 

“We have had a wonderful time,” added Klenke. “I consider Meise (Fahsl) Lam (of Hong Kong and SIUE alumna), one of my children, and she considers me a mom. Hosting international students expands your world, and expands your heart to love people from everywhere. Because of this, my children have grown up with a broader understanding of people and life. My grown children have also hosted international students.” 

Today, IHP is comprised of approximately 122 community members, who are paired with SIUE international students, as a “family away from home” friendship program. IHP families include international students in family activities like holiday celebrations, family dinners and sightseeing. The OIA works closely with IHP by providing financial and logistical support. IHP organizes events for SIUE international students, and regularly collects and distributes apartment and housing supplies to international students.  

Photos:
Reba Klenke, an International Hospitality Program founding member, visits with her “daughter” SIUE alumna Meise Fahsl Lam, of Hong Kong. Lam earned a bachelor’s in business administration in 1973. 

SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook visits with IHP founding member Klenke.

Vast amounts of information have been generated about one of the country’s most celebrated U.S. presidents, much of which is housed in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM). In an effort to continue to advance the efforts of ALPLM, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has appointed Jessica Harris, PhD, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville interim assistant provost for Inclusive Academic Excellence, to the ALPLM board. 

Harris is one of 11 trustees selected by Pritzker to the new board. “I was contacted by Governor Pritzker’s office and asked if I would be interested in a potential appointment to the ALPLM board, after which I went through an extensive vetting process,” she said. “I feel honored to have this opportunity to serve and look forward to working with other members of the board to advance the mission of the ALPLM.” 

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is dedicated to telling the story of America’s 16th president through old-fashioned scholarship and modern technology. The library holds an unparalleled collection of Lincoln books, documents, photographs, artifacts and art, as well as approximately 12 million items pertaining to all aspects of Illinois history. The museum uses traditional exhibits, eye-catching special effects, and innovative storytelling techniques to educate visitors. Appointments to the ALPLM board are pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate. 

“The role of the board is to set policy and advise the executive director on programs related to ALPLM,” said Harris. 

Other ALPLM board member appointees include:

• Ray LaHood will serve as chairman
• J. Steven Beckett will serve as the historian  
• Joan Brodsky will serve as the historic preservation expert 
• Kathryn Harris will serve as a library and museum expert
• Gary Johnson 
• Jason Lesniewicz will serve as the cultural tourism expert
• Dan Monroe will serve as the Illinois historian
• Martin Sandoval, CPA, will serve as a business administration expert
• Eunice Santos
• Melinda Spitzer-Johnston will serve as a digitization, conservation and historic preservation expert

Photo: Jessica Harris, PhD, interim assistant provost for Inclusive Academic Excellence.

Last month, the First Lego League (FLL) Robotics Team at St. John Neumann School had an opportunity to spend an afternoon with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Department of Engineering. The team consists of fourth through eighth graders interested in developing their skills in engineering and robotics.

St. John Neumann School’s program encourages students to go on field trips and share their project ideas with experts in the field. SIUE alumna Michelle Spillers, PE, contacted Brent Vaughn, PE, laboratory specialist and lecturer in the Department of Engineering, with a request to bring her son’s team on a trip through the Department.

“Bringing my son to campus was a great experience for both of us,” claimed Spillers. “It was a bit surreal to see past, present and future converge. My son was able to walk through the engineering building and sit in labs where I spent so much time as a student.”

The team plans to participate in this year’s FLL competition, which features different challenges regarding robotics. Part of the competition requires teams to solve a problem in the community. For this task, one of the team’s groups plans to design a gas-free car, and the other plans on designing a portable ramp for wheelchairs.

Another part of the competition asks teams to design and program a Lego robot that can complete various tasks. This year, the tasks have a civil engineering (CE) theme and include: moving a bridge inspection drone, placing a green roof, “lifting” traffic congestion and moving a crane.

In line with these goals, Vaughn and colleagues planned an afternoon of activities suitable for the team. Vaughn provided a brief walking tour of the CE labs and guided discussions about different engineering topics. Next, the team met with SIUE Solar Car team captain Sydney Stogner to see a solar car in person and gain insight on the materials used in its creation.

“The students were most excited to see the solar car,” noted Spillers. “They were impressed by the size of the car and the fact that it can actually run on the highway.”

Afterwards, the team moved to the Autonomous Robotics Club lab and watched a student demonstration of the different types of robots the club has built and programmed. The afternoon ended with the St. John Neumann team showing Vaughn a prototype of their work.

“The SIUE student teams learn a lot by working on their projects, and they enjoy sharing their enthusiasm with other students,” explained Vaughn. “Many of our students were probably on teams like the one from St. John Neumann, so they can identify with those younger students.”

“The idea of ‘college’ is abstract to most kids, and giving them a chance to visit a university campus allows them to visualize themselves as future students,” added Spillers.

“This is our way of giving back,” said Vaughn. “We are an important educational resource for our community. We want to continue to encourage our neighbors to reach out to us as part of our educational mission.”

“SIUE is such an asset to our community,” claimed Spillers. “It is amazing to have a top-notch university nearby with students and staff who go above and beyond by volunteering to share their expertise with local elementary students. The St. John Neumann School FLL Robotics Team greatly appreciated this opportunity.”

Photo: (Top Right): Sydney Stogner (center) talks about the SIUE Solar Car.

(Below right): Brent Vaughn (far right) visits with students in a civil engineering lab.

The SIUE community mourns the loss of Assistant Athletic Trainer Kristin Weller, who passed away Tues., Oct. 1, due to complications from a medical procedure. She was 25.

“Kristin was an extremely talented and dedicated athletic trainer,” SIUE Head Athletic Trainer Gerry Schlemer said. “She used her compassion and listening abilities to touch the lives of so many of our student-athletes even in just a short time. She will be greatly missed.”

Weller joined the SIUE Sports Medicine staff in September 2018 and had worked closely with SIUE student-athletes, specifically assigned to the women’s basketball and tennis teams.

Weller, a native of Centennial, Colorado, was a 2016 graduate of Northern Colorado and earned her master’s from Texas A&M Kingsville.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville faculty, staff and invited students engaged in inspiring discussions surrounding the possibilities of global health research, teaching and service project collaborations during a Global Health Speaker Event and Reception held Wednesday, Oct. 2 on campus.

Michelle Cathorall, DrPH, assistant professor and public health graduate program director, and Kathleen Vongsathorn, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Historical Studies, organized the event that brought in accomplished speakers to share their ideas and experiences.

Featured speakers included Dr. Suzanne Maman, professor and co-leader of the MPH in Global Health at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Yolana Pringle, senior lecturer in the Department of Humanities at Roehampton University in England, and Rhonda BeLue, co-director of the Institute for Global Health and Well Being at Saint Louis University.

“This event brought together campus community members who share an interest in global health research, travel study or service programs,” said Cathorall. “Our goal was to inspire faculty and staff to consider the potential of developing a network of colleagues around a shared interest. New collaborations could benefit students via the offering of new global health opportunities.”

The event was made possible by an Emeriti Faculty Association Award. The Association’s awards program supports projects that strengthen the academic quality of programs and enhance the University’s reputation.

“Due to its advantageous location, SIUE is well-positioned to foster interdisciplinary and inter-university research on global health issues,” said Paul Rose, PhD, associate dean of the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior. “SIUE also arranges health-focused studies abroad for students. This speaker event and reception successfully drew together many professors interested in global health, and encouraged fruitful brainstorming about future projects.”

Photo:  Suzanne Maman, professor and co-leader of the MPH in Global Health at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Rhonda BeLue, co-director of the Institute for Global Health and Well Being at Saint Louis University. and Yolanda Pringle, senior lecturer in the Department of Humanities at Roehampton University in England.

New Innovation Loft

New Innovation Loft

New Innovation Loft

The agile, reconfigurable space is designed to support collaboration and innovation for the SOE’s extensive array of project teams. The loft features six collaboration zones that include projection screens, mobile wirelessly connected flat screen displays, mobile white boards and writeable wall surfaces. See the video.

“The Grady Family Foundation Innovation Loft is a transformative addition to our innovation infrastructure in the School of Engineering,” said SOE Associate Dean Chris Gordon, PhD. “Our student teams will thrive in this collaborative environment as they formulate designs and develop their projects. This exciting new space reflects the open and collaborative workspaces that School of Engineering students often encounter upon graduation.”

The Innovation Loft is already attracting more students to become involved in organizations thanks to the on-campus space for project development, located directly above installation work bays.

“Previously, student organizations had to work on their projects throughout the Engineering Building, which was often challenging for the flow of productivity,” said junior mechatronics major and Solar Car project manager Sydney Stogner, of Shiloh. “Some teams have also used space at partner companies. These spaces were incredibly helpful, but often made it difficult for all of our members to commit to the travel involved off campus.”

“Now, with the Innovation Loft, we can hold meetings on campus and work on the white boards to lay out our designs and write our equations,” she added. “It’s been a positive way to maintain membership and get people involved. Working on project teams is beneficial, because it offers students the opportunity to improve themselves and figure out exactly what they want to do in engineering.”

Student input was sought for the loft’s design, furniture and equipment needs, according to Holly Liebel, a senior mechanical engineering major and president of the Joint Engineering Student Council.

“We helped decide on it being called a loft and on the type of furniture that would be best for moving around in different configurations,” Liebel explained. “This will be a great new space for students to come up with ideas, work out their designs and then go downstairs and make those ideas come true.”

A ribbon cutting ceremony for the Fowler Student Design Center will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with students, tour the downstairs working bays and explore the second floor Grady Family Foundation Innovation Loft.

The School of Engineering’s Fowler Student Design Center and the Grady Family Foundation Innovation Loft were made possible by generous private contributions.

Photo: SIUE School of Engineering students collaborate on a variety of projects in the new Grady Family Foundation Innovation Loft.

Young people and adults gathered on a vacant lot in Washington Park on Saturday, Sept. 28. Some brought black trash bags and shovels. Others carried coolers. All had a vision of the village’s first community garden being created in partnership with sociology and construction departments at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. 

“We have been in ongoing conversations with village and community leaders in Washington Park about sustainability opportunities we could collaborate on,” said Connie Frey Spurlock, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Sociology. “I spoke to Derissa Davis, an educator in the city, who had some vacant property. Derissa is heavily involved in community and restoration work in the area.” 

Davis, a native of East St. Louis and a third grade teacher at James Avant Elementary School in Washington Park, is using her one-third of an acre located on 4701 Forest Boulevard in Washington Park, for a community garden. 

“We are using the community to help develop the garden,” said Davis. “The garden will not only be for Washington Park residents, but also those in the surrounding communities. 

“It’s important to be able grow your own food for healthy reasons. We need more access to fresh, nutritious food. Community gardening also brings a sense of togetherness and allows the children to have a sense of belonging. I’ve told the children that there is no idea too big for this garden.” 

“Food from a community garden will be more organic and natural, and we can control what gets sprayed on it,” said Elizabeth Scott, Washington Park resident and SIUE alumna (BS in Sociology, 2013). “The food also represents love that you’ve planted and grown.” 

“The garden will help the community grow and instill a value of working together for the betterment of the community,” added Alvin Smith, of Washington Park. 

“The land is big enough for doing something productive, but it has been left abandoned for a long time as a dumpsite,” noted Antonio Rowling, of Washington Park. “I wanted to participate in the cleanup because the land can be used for a good cause.” 

 “It is important to bring the community together, and have a safe place for people to come and spend time,” said LaTaysha Jackson, junior and president of the SIUE Sociology Club. “It can provide a healthy alternative to junk food. Also, since SIUE is involved, the community garden will be a platform to unite people for the same positive impact in the community.” 

Many SIUE students are working to make the garden a reality. 

“My Research Methods and Study Design class (SOC 515) is the lead team on a collaboration with Ms. Davis to design, fund raise, and build a community garden,” explained Frey Spurlock. “The project is a collaboration between four SIUE classes across three disciplines, and the Washington Park community.” 

Students in SOC 493, taught by Sandra Weissinger, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Sociology, will develop research proposals around the project and are supporting the project in numerous ways. 

Students in SOC 390, taught by Ezra Temko, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Sociology, are preparing a fundraising guide for SOC 515 students to use. 

Students in CNST 452, taught by Anne Werner, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Construction, are creating the work plan, which involves cost estimate, timeline, materials list, etc. 

“SOC 515 students are practicing applied and public sociology by carrying out this project,” continued Frey Spurlock. “They are also developing 21st century digital skills through a website project, a social media campaign on Facebook and Instagram, a mapping project (to be added to the website), and creation of videos. We’ve relied heavily on the IRIS Center to help us with the digital pieces.” 

“The community garden is going to make the area look beautiful,” said Jayel McDaniel, a student at Mason Clark Middle School. “It will be an inspiration for other communities to build similar gardens. I am expecting that the garden will be colorful and pretty, and we will be able to grow lots of strawberries, and other fruits and vegetables.” 

Photos:
SIUE students and Washington Park residents spend the day cleaning a vacant lot in preparation of creating a community garden. The project is initiated by the SIUE Successful Communities Collaborative (SSCC).

Lakesha Butler, PharmD, clinical professor in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmacy Practice and president of the National Pharmaceutical Association, addressed the need for immunizations in the video,  “Immunizations: What You Should Know,” on the Pharmacists for Healthier Lives website’s new Impact Stories page.

“I went to a homeless clinic and provided immunizations,” said Butler. “I found myself having to provide a number of education sessions on dispelling the myths of what immunizations do and don’t do.”

Photo: Dr. Lakesha Butler, clinical professor in SOP’s Department of Pharmacy Practice.

There are so many different types of salt and ways in which they are utilized in cooking. In addressing that challenge, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Kathy Mora, PhD, RD, assistant professor in the Department of Applied Health’s nutrition program, breaks down better salt on Show Me St. Louis.

View the segment that aired Thursday, Oct. 3, and get the recipes, here.

Attending and presenting research at a professional society meeting can be an inspiring and eye-opening experience for college students. In late August, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville senior and forensic chemistry student Darzanae Crite shared her research at the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Fall National Meeting.

“I have been to conferences before, but the ACS meeting was bigger than any other conference or lecture I have presented at or attended,” said Crite. “I was a little nervous, but excited to present.”

Crite, of Kankakee, participated in the ACS’ fall event held Aug. 25-29 in San Diego. She joined fellow chemistry students and scholars in company with SIUE’s Sue Wiediger, PhD, professor in the Department of Chemistry within the College of Arts and Sciences.

Along with presentations, the national meeting featured workshops on career and technical topics, and provided opportunities to see the latest instrumentation and materials in the field.

“Participating in meetings of professional societies provides opportunities for academic, personal and career development for students,” Wiediger said. “They have a chance to see and hear about the most recent research from the full breadth of the chemistry profession, from students similar to themselves up to award-winning industry, academic and government scientists.”

“At the meeting, I saw that the field of chemistry is much more diverse than just molecules and elements,” noted Crite. “There were people finding ways to better diversity and accessibility in the field of chemistry. There were even people creating instruments to better analyze and solve different chemistry problems.”

The pair previously worked together on an Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URCA) project. Afterwards, Wiediger encouraged Crite to continue researching and helped her design a project allowing her to explore her interest in forensic chemistry.

Crite’s project was based off an SIUE general chemistry lab in which students conduct a spectrophotometric analysis of cranberry juice. When students were getting abnormal results after performing the experiment, she was inspired to find a way to investigate the absorbance results and develop a better understanding of the lab.

Using a spectra-vis and principal component analysis, Crite and Wiediger’s research focused on using a variety of cranberry juices and freshly squeezed fruits to quantitatively analyze why the absorbance of cranberry juice was sometimes lower than the absorbance of cran-apple juice. They found that using cranberry juice with added components such as apples, pears and grapes affects the absorbance concentration. These findings addressed issues in the original experiment and will help students develop a better understanding of the spectrophotometric analysis lab.

Crite has been supported by the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Research Scholar’s Program, which purchased some of the software she uses in her research and provides opportunities for her to present her work.

“Darzanae has been great to work with,” Wiediger said. “She can work independently and is comfortable tackling new topics to improve her knowledge.”

In the future, Crite hopes to work in a forensic lab, analyze crime scenes and evidence, and eventually work towards a PhD in forensic toxicology.

“No one, even someone who does not study chemistry, should feel scared or intimidated to engage themselves in science,” said Crite. “At the end of the day, everything that everyone does is to keep pushing science forward.”

“Working with Dr. Wiediger and attending the national meeting have been very special opportunities,” Crite added. “I have seen my chemistry skills improve, and my understanding and thinking action have made me a better analytical chemist.”

Photo: SIUE senior forensic chemistry student Darzanae Crite.