Working from home, learning from home, teaching from home. These days, people are having to do it all at once, and the juggle is overwhelming.

Hoping to alleviate a bit of the stress while promoting high-quality learning, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Research, Education and Outreach, has launched the STEM @ Home series. Each week, the Center’s STEM educators will share activities, adapted from research-based curricula, to ensure fun and engaging STEM learning opportunities at home.

“A program like this is always important but it’s especially important right now. SIUE is a source of education and resources for this area, and we want people to know that the STEM Center is committed to providing those opportunities whether the public can visit us or not,” said STEM Center Instructor and Outreach Specialist Colin Wilson. “Our activities are designed to use materials that many likely have in their house already. Each week’s lessons can be completed as independent activities, or they can be done throughout the week as continuous learning for an ongoing project.”

“These activities are similar to cooking recipes,” Wilson explained. “The activity may be an hour, but only 20 minutes might be “active” cooking time. As with all great learning, the majority of the effort and time should be on the student, not the teacher/parent.”
The Center will engage learners online through the sharing of unique “What is this?” pictures that spark conversation and videos that answer questions submitted by the public. You can share pictures of your at-home learning or send questions for the STEM Center’s educators via Facebook at facebook.com/stem.siue on Instagram at stem.siue or on Twitter at @siuestem.
To celebrate the beginning of spring, the first STEM @ Home curriculum aims to help kids explore changing weather patterns. Online videos and activities are broken done by grade levels.

• Grades K-2: How does rain happen?
• Grades 3-5: Why does the weather change?
• Middle School: What are weather fronts?
• High School: What is the spring equinox?

Weather-related activities include making temperature and solar stills to track weather and outdoor temperatures, using barometers to learn about air pressure and how it affects the weather, and measuring the wind using a homemade weathervane.

The STEM @ Home series includes links to additional resources the STEM Center offers, and “staff picks,” which include a list of staff approved resources from outside sources.

For more information, visit siuestemcenter.org/stem-at-home.

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Marketing and Communications Department received four awards in the 2019 Collegiate Advertising Awards (CAA) competition.

The CAA program is an elite national program created to honor today’s most talented marketing professionals for outstanding excellence in all forms of advertising, marketing and promotion specific to higher education products and services. The Collegiate Advertising Awards allow for marketing and advertising efforts to compete against similarly sized colleges, universities and other educational organizations nationwide.

Entries are judged on creativity, layout/design, typography, production, quality and overall effectiveness. SIUE earned a gold award for the SIUE International Viewbook in the recruitment category.

SIUE also earned two silver awards for the Arts & Issues Brochure in the brochure-folded/panels category and SIUE Winter Sports Marketing in the sports specific category.

SIUE received a bronze award for its Research & Creative Activities publication in the brochure-multiple pages category.

The 2019 CAA program received entries from the United States and Canada representing small community colleges to large schools and universities. Submissions were reviewed by a national panel of industry experts, with a possibility of 100 total points. Awards were issued for entries that received top marks from judges, placing them in the top 16% of the nation for advertising excellence. Judging criteria included creativity, layout and design, functionality, message effectiveness, production quality and overall appeal.

SIUE competes in the school group of 10,001-20,000 students. View the entire list of winners at CollegiateAdAwards.com.

Managing your emotions is not child’s play, but Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Head Start/Early Head Start is working to make the task simple enough for children to understand and apply, thanks to a $78,000 Violence Prevention grant from the Illinois Criminal Justice Authority. 

The SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start Program and Children’s Home & Aid Society in Belleville are partnering to provide social emotional classroom kits for students, which will include books to be taken home for family use. 

The classroom kits contain a collection of materials and books about emotions and feelings, instructions on how to designate an area for children to be safe and self-regulate, sensory items to promote calm, dolls that represent such emotions as happy, scared, sad and angry, mirrors for children to observe their emotions, and posters relating to emotions and feelings. 

“Because of the increased level of trauma that our families are experiencing, we see the need for more behavioral supports,” said Tammy Wrobbel, SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start special services program coordinator. 

The idea to apply for the grant originated with Children’s Home & Aid Society, which has partnered with the SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start Program for more than 10 years. 

“Ranae Story, regional vice president for Children’s Home & Aid, alerted me of the grant opportunity, and said there was an early childhood piece to it,” said Heidi Elliott, Children’s Home & Aid childcare resource and referral provider services coordinator. “My first thought was the SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start Program. They provided input in writing the grant, and we received the award notification in January.” 

“The grant was written to enhance what we are already doing in the classrooms,” said Wrobbel. “We were expecting to receive the kits soon, but they may be delayed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, with the supplies that we will be receiving, I’m most excited about the social emotional books that will be made available to families.”  

“Each family will receive a set of social emotional books to use with their children at home,” added Elliott. “These books will be an extension of the skills that they are exposed to in the classroom. The home book kits will be the same as the classroom kits to provide a home-school connection.” 

Some of the books included are: “The Feelings Book,” “My Many Colored Days,” “Duck and Goose,” “How are you Feeling?” “I Feel Happy,” “I Feel Sad” and “I Feel Angry.” 

The SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start Program serves more than 1,300 families and children birth through age five, including children with special needs, throughout St. Clair County. The program also provides services to expectant mothers. The program is housed in 13 early childhood centers, seven managed directly by SIUE staff and six collaborations. The program includes a rigorous school readiness program and provides comprehensive services, such as health/ dental screenings and family engagement and support activities.

SIUE School of Pharmacy alumni Harry Zollars, PharmD ’13, and Catherine Zollars, PharmD ’15, shared their perspective from the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic on CBS This Morning.

The story aired Tuesday, March 31. View it in full here.

What started out as trepidation for some social work students over the absence of classroom aides and structure, has resulted in those very students filling in the gaps and broadening their learning experience after their courses were transferred online via Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “Stay-at-Home” order. 

Ariel Jones, PhD, assistant professor in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Social Work, shared how her students are coping, and even expanding their educational experience, during this time of academic challenge for SIUE and the nation.  

“I’m happy to say that the first week went well. The students are rising to the challenge of online coursework and also feeling supported through these uncertain times,” said Jones, who is teaching two undergraduate classes and one graduate course. “A large portion of my Social Work Practice with Groups classes consisted of hiring SIUE students as actors to play simulated clients with real-life problems, so students could gain experience interviewing, developing and facilitating various types of social work groups.” 

However, with the transition to online courses, Jones reported that her students have taken on the role of clients themselves, to help meet the learning objectives for the course. When one student serves as the facilitator, other students in the class make up the support group. Then the next week, another student is selected to serve as the facilitator. Each peer facilitator identifies their own topic and works with Jones to develop a curriculum for the group session. 

“The peer facilitators have been doing a great job. They are doing most of the curriculum development by themselves. Everyone is highly engaged in the process,” added Jones. “The support groups are all designed to address students’ concerns in dealing with COVID-19. Last week, students talked about the stress of going online. They discussed their difficulties with the online transition, as they preferred learning in a face-to-face class setting. They also discussed being worried about assignments and grades.” 

Another group last week dealt with self-care, according to Jones, and discussed ways of staying physically, mentally and socially healthy while being confined to the house. 

“This week, we have one peer facilitator discussing grief as it relates to COVID-19 and another addressing managing anxiety during this pandemic,” said Jones. “Although this current situation could not have been foreseen at the beginning of the semester, we are continuing our coursework. I want my students to walk away from this experience, having learned what they set out to and have some practice skills that will be useful in the field. 

“This has been a great way to expose students to some of the dynamics of providing telehealth services, which is an evolving trend in our field, while also meeting their needs by providing personal support to them during these difficult times.”

Photo: Ariel Jones, PhD, assistant professor in the SIUE Department of Social Work.

In acknowledgement of his proven record and continued promise of making significant research contributions to his field of study, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Jon Klingensmith, PhD, has been recognized wit h the Graduate School’s 2020-21 Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Award.

Klingensmith is an assistant professor in the School of Engineering’s (SOE) Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) who specializes in digital signal processing and biomedical imaging.

The award supports his research project, Segmentation and Modeling of Adipose Tissue and Coronary Arteries in Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Images, which involves the development of algorithms for identification of fat in cardiac images to provide a non-invasive assessment of heart disease risk not currently available. Klingensmith will receive a combined $12,500 from the SIUE Graduate School and the SOE to be used in a one-year period.

“I am elated to have received the Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Award,” Klingensmith said. “The list of past recipients is impressive. I continue to be amazed by the wealth of research happening at SIUE and how it is integrated into the student experience.”

“Dr. Klingensmith’s research has already drawn the attention of the American Heart Association, which supports his work through a grant award.” said Jerry Weinberg, PhD, associate provost for research and dean of the SIUE Graduate School. “His research has the potential of making early detection of heart disease cost effective and improving the lives of millions here and around the world.”

As heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, Klingensmith emphasizes his passion for developing imaging-related technologies and algorithms to aid in its assessment.

Klingensmith previously worked in industry developing products to image coronary artery disease from inside-out using catheter-based ultrasound. Upon joining SIUE and connecting with collaborator Maria Fernandez del Valle, PhD, assistant professor of exercise physiology in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior, Klingensmith became interested in the link between the layer of fat around the heart and its potential influence on the disease inside the coronary arteries.

“While I had spent my entire career focused on characterizing coronary plaques with intravascular ultrasound, I hadn’t thought much about the influence of the cardiac fat tissue on the disease inside the arteries,” he explained. “Now, we are focused on using 3D image analysis and deep learning to work toward predicting coronary disease with non-invasive cardiac magnetic resonance.”

Klingensmith also collaborates with a cardiac radiologist at the Washington University School of Medicine. Additionally, he plans to pursue future collaboration with an interventional cardiologist for the proposed project.

A respected teacher-scholar, Klingensmith’s award proposal was strongly supported by ECE Chair and Professor Andy Lozowski, PhD.

“Dr. Klingensmith is a methodical and focused researcher with a clear vision and goals spanning multiple years of future research,” Lozowski said. “He created the Biomedical Imaging Research Laboratory in the School of Engineering, and has been a productive researcher in the area of computer-assisted imaging of the heart. An important aspect of his work in the lab is that a number of undergraduate students who engaged early in his research decided to continue as graduate students.”

“SIUE is uniquely positioned to have the advantages and community-feel of a smaller institution, but access to resources and collaborations that make anything possible,” Klingensmith said. “I have lived in several places and worked in both industry and academia, but I couldn’t be happier with the SIUE campus community. I am honored to be a member of it and look forward to this community continuing to thrive in the years ahead.”

Stephen Hansen, PhD, faculty emeritus, established the Lindsay Research Professorship Endowment that funds the award in honor of Lindsay, who served as graduate dean from 1973-1986. Lindsay was responsible for creating much of the infrastructure that supports faculty research and scholarly activity at SIUE. Faculty and emeriti faculty at the time of the award’s conception donated the funds to endow the award.

Those wishing to help support new investigators through the award may donate to the Graduate School section of the endowment at siue.edu/give/.

By preparing the next generation of leaders in a knowledge-based economy, SIUE’s Graduate School fulfills the region’s demand for highly trained professionals. Graduate school offerings include arts and sciences, business, education, engineering, nursing and interdisciplinary opportunities. SIUE professors provide students with a unique integration of theoretical education and hands-on research experiences. Students can obtain graduate certificates or pursue master’s degrees, and be part of a supportive learning and rich intellectual environment that is tailored to the needs of adult learners. The Graduate School raises the visibility of research at SIUE, which ranks highest among its Illinois Board of Higher Education peers in total research and development expenditures according to the National Science Foundation. Doctoral programs are available in the Schools of Education (EdD) and Nursing (DNP). The School of Engineering and the Department of Historical Studies feature cooperative doctoral programs (PhD), and the College of Arts and Sciences features an Environmental Resources and Policy cooperative PhD.
Photo: SIUE’s Jon Klingensmith, PhD, has been recognized with the 2020-21 Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Award.

Bringing awareness to the issue of violence against women, men and children is critical, and so is allowing the message to be expressed creatively. The Clothesline Project does both as participants convey their emotions by decorating t-shirts. 

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Counseling Services held its annual Clothesline Project online on Wednesday, April 1. 

“We didn’t want to cancel such an important event,” said Samantha Dickens, Prevention Education and Advocacy Center (PEACe) coordinator. “So, we offered an online session, where an artist made t-shirts, and we held a virtual roundtable discussion on the subject of sexual and interpersonal violence.” 

The Clothesline Project started in 1990 with 31 shirts to help educate people about the toll that violence has on the community and to give a voice to the victims, according to Dickens. 

“The symbol of the clothesline was used as a way to repurpose something that felt oppressive and as a way to support all survivors,” she added. “After the shirts have been decorated, they are hung on a clothesline display. The intention of the display is to honor and support survivors and act as a memorial for victims. It is also intended to aid in the healing process for those who were directly affected, and those who have lost someone to violence. Lastly, the clothesline display is to educate society and promote awareness, as well as to document violent crimes against women.” 

Brandace “Brandy” Cloud, MAC executive director conducted the t-shirt decorating tutorial sessions from the studio of the Macoupin Art Collective (MAC). Cloud emphasized that students and other would-be crafters need not be artists to participate and produce a creative and empowering t-shirt. 

Cloud used simple, everyday items such as: fabric, cardboard, alcohol, perforated bubble wrap, paint, paint brush, markers, pencils and scissors. 

“Have fun with it. Use whatever you have. Just express yourself,” said Cloud. “If a white shirt is not available, use whatever is handy.” 

Participating in the virtual discussion were Cloud, Lisa Thompson-Gibson, MA, LPC, staff counselor and coordinator for outreach and prevention initiatives for SIUE Counseling Services, and SIUE alumna Amanda “Mandy” Montayne, Call for Help Sexual Assault Victims’ Care Unit counselor. Montayne earned a bachelor’s and master’s in psychology from SIUE in 2014 and 2017, respectively. 

“I was first involved in the Clothesline Project in 1991 when I was a hall director in housing at another college campus. It was cutting edge at the time. No one had been creating a public witness around sexual violence,” said Thompson-Gibson. “I have watched the Project over the past 30 years, and am glad to see it become less controversial. It has been helpful in creating community and encouraging healing.” 

“I’m always excited to see the messages on the t-shirts,” added Montayne. “Their messages and experiences are empowering.” 

“This is a great event to continue to have for a number of reasons,” concluded Dickens. “It is easy for students to take part in. It includes art, which many people love. It is also highly visual, and survivors can see they are supported, and our campus community can recognize that sexual violence is not tolerated on our campus.” 

Photos:
Brandace “Brandy” Cloud, Macoupin Art Collective executive director, created these two t-shirts during SIUE’s annual Clothesline Project held online on Wednesday, April 1.  

“Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” This portion of a Fred Rogers famous quote is as true now as always. Such helpers are making a dramatic positive impact as people join together, virtually or at appropriate distances, to get through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Early Childhood Center (ECC) and the Head Start/Early Head Start Program are among the helpers. In cooperation with SIUE Dining Services, both are maintaining their commitment to offering meals to the numerous children and families they serve amid closures and other challenges associated with the health and economic crisis.

“It is important to support our families during this time,” said Lealia Williams, ECC program assistant and parent educator. “We want to make sure our parents’ needs are being met. When meals are provided for our families, it is one less thing that the parents have to worry about. We want to be sure no one is without food.”

The ECC has organized a meal pick-up opportunity every two weeks, during a short morning timeframe, for the parents of approximately 20 children. The meals are prepackaged by Dining Services and include breakfast, lunch and snack items, such as apples, milk, bread, turkey lunch meat, cheese, yogurt, muffins and more.

Dining Services has also prepared and safely transported meals for Head Start/Early Head Start, which provides services to more than 1,300 children and families. All Head Start/Early Head Start families were notified that sack lunches and bulk meals would be made available for pick-up through the end of March at each of the seven managed Head Start locations, as well as the administrative offices in East St. Louis.

“We are aware that many of our children get a large percentage of their daily meal requirements while in our centers,” said Carolyn Jason, MPA, assistant program director for SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start. “We know that childhood hunger is a problem throughout the country, and with parents being unemployed or under-employed, this service can help relieve the financial burden of limited budgets.”

In a video testimonial shared on March 19, Darlesha Pickens, whose 4-year-old daughter attends the Cahokia Head Start Center, expressed her appreciation for the meals, after having rushed from work to pick up a nutritious meal the Center had reserved for her.

“I want to thank you very much for all the help you guys are doing in the community,” Pickens said. “I just started a new job. I haven’t even gotten a first paycheck yet. I made it here, and by the grace of God … he is helping. He gave food for me and my baby. I just want to thank everybody who is handing this out and had the idea. Thank you, guys. I really appreciate it.”

According to Jason, during the ongoing closure, the program has also made families aware of other community organizations and local restaurants offering free meals.

“While we comply with the Governor’s “Stay-at-Home” order, we will continue to reach out to our Head Start/Early Head Start families in an effort to assist in any and every way possible,” she said.

Photo: Lealia Williams, program assistant and parent educator at the SIUE Early Childhood Center, organizes bags filled with two weeks’ worth of meals to be picked up by parents on Friday, April 3.

With aspirations to work in clinical psychology, specifically neuropsychology, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville senior Josie Wright, of Collinsville, has been competitively selected to participate in the prestigious Summer Program on Neurological Diseases and Aging at Washington University in St. Louis’ Institute for Public Health.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to learn about dementia, stroke and Parkinson’s disease,” said Wright, a psychology major, with a minor in Spanish. “Through this program, I will experience completing a research study about one of the diseases, while working with a Washington University professor. This experience will prepare me for future research and allow me to learn more in-depth about neurological diseases.”

According to Elizabeth Meinz, PhD, professor of psychology in the SIUE School of Education, Health and Human Behavior, Wright was one of 10 from across the country selected for the two-month, paid program at WashU.

“Josie is an excellent student,” Meinz said. “She’s bright, hardworking and inquisitive. I’m not surprised that she was chosen for such a prestigious program, but it’s incredibly impressive. Such programs, designed to give students’ research experience at leading research universities, are highly competitive.”

“Josie is one of the hardest working and motivated students with whom I have worked in my career,” added Dan Segrist, PhD, SIUE psychology professor and associate department chair. “She is an extremely mature, conscientious and gracious student, who does not shy away from any obstacles. It has been a true privilege to be her instructor.”

A future in psychology has been in the cards for Wright since seventh grade. She notes that the show Criminal Minds first piqued her interest in the subject. It was later solidified through her studies at SIUE.

“I came to SIUE since it is a smaller school, and I knew I would have the opportunity to become close with students and professors,” Wright explained. “I plan to pursue a graduate degree in clinical psychology and work in the field of neuropsychology. I will conduct therapy with those who have brain traumas, developmental and neurological diseases.”

“I want to thank Dr. Meinz and Dr. Segrist for their support,” she added. “As a result of learning so much from the psychology department, I have come to realize the focus of my future career.”

Photo: SIUE senior Josie Wright has been accepted to the prestigious Summer Program on Neurological Diseases and Aging at Washington University’s Institute for Public Health.

Applying one of the country’s oldest rights to the ever-changing nature of speech, expression and community is a topic of discussion during Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Department of Mass Communications’ celebration of First Amendment Week, Monday-Friday, April 6-10.

The first of two live Facebook events, #AppreciateThe1st, was held Monday, April 6. The two speakers were Mass Communications faculty members Gary Hicks, PhD, professor, and Mark Poepsel, PhD, associate professor. Mass Communications graduate student Madison McKinley was the moderator. 

The weeklong campaign, which offers SIUE student organizations an opportunity to win as much as $300, was organized by SIUE’s Media Campaigns class, taught by Suman Mishra, PhD, associate professor and graduate program director in the College of Arts and Sciences’ (CAS) Department of Mass Communications. The campaign is supported by the 1 For All grant that Mishra received from the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University. 

Among the issues Hicks and Poepsel discussed, was social networking sites and speech censoring. 

“I think it is a problem that the courts don’t want to tackle,” said Hicks. “There was an interesting Supreme Court case in 2017, where the state of North Carolina wanted to ban all people who had been convicted of sex crimes from getting onto any social media platform. The court unanimously said it was unconstitutional, because in this day and age social platforms are the ways in which we communicate.” 

 “I used to think malls were public spaces, because that’s where everyone goes or used to go, but malls are private spaces,” remarked Poepsel. “I see social media like malls. If a social media platform exercises limitation on speech, it is not necessarily going against the First Amendment. Still, they should do a better job of policing. I wish they wouldn’t promote advertisements that are clearly misleading and not enable political campaigns to target people based on race, ethnicity, gender, income and more.” 

McKinley asked the professors: “Has social media become the new town square?” 

“Yes. It is a de-facto public square, because that is how people are using it,” replied Poepsel. 

“I think it is the new town square,” agreed Hicks. “Some of the lower courts have tried to say it’s equivalent to a designated public forum, which has a very high level of First Amendment protection. But it has failed, in that we see fewer voices in ownership, which allows fewer voices to be heard.” 

McKinley followed up with the question, “Are social networking sites doing enough to combat violent or false speech?” 

“No. They like to say they are not responsible for anything that is put in and taken out,” answered Hicks. “I find that it is a real failure on the part of the government to not understand how extremely powerful these social media platforms are. They should be able to say that social media must take some responsibility for their content.” 

“Social media can do three things better,” said Poepsel. “The first is to treat the employees whose jobs it is to get rid of illegal content better. Give them more breaks, better pay and hire more of them. Second, change the algorithms, so that they are not funneling people into nastier and nastier corners of conversations of the web. It’s a public square, and we do need to keep those public spaces clean. Finally, try to maintain the same policies globally. Do not be one Facebook in China and another one in the U.S.” 

The second facebook.com/MassCommSIUE/ live event will occur from 11 a.m.-Noon Wednesday, April 8, featuring international students’ perspectives on the First Amendment. 

Classes and organizations can attend and comment, by signing-in during the live sessions. SIUE student organizations with the most members present during both events will receive $300. The second-place winner will receive $200. 

For more information, contact Media Campaigns Class Manager Christina Carretta at csanche@siue.edu. 

Photo:
Featured on the Facebook live events, #AppreciateTheFirst, were SIUE Department of Mass Communications faculty Gary Hicks, PhD, professor, (left) and Mark Poepsel, PhD, associate professor.

SIUE alumna Anne Moseley has been named director of engagement and curator for the University of Illinois Springfield’s new Sangamon Experience and acting director for the Center for Lincoln Studies, pending official board of trustees approval.

Moseley earned a bachelor’s in history from SIUE in 2009.

Learn more about her professional advancement in The State Journal-Register.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Nursing (SON) has managed the WE CARE Clinic in East St. Louis for more than 20 years, with the mission of providing comprehensive evidence-based primary care services to people in the Metro East area.  

Longtime clinic contributor Jerrica Ampadu, PhD, RN, CCP, has been named the Clinic’s new director. Under her leadership, the Clinic seeks to improve patient access to care through increased connection with potential clientele, boost student participation and offer virtual and telephonic access. 

“I am excited to be director at the WE CARE Clinic,” said Ampadu, an SIUE alumna and native East St. Louisan. “It will better allow me the opportunity provide healthcare services to underserved and vulnerable populations, specifically residents of East St. Louis and surrounding communities.” 

“We plan to develop a marketing plan tailored specifically to the residents of East St. Louis,” said Ampadu. “East St. Louis is a strong faith-based community. Therefore, we will partner with local churches and faith-based organizations to provide health education.” Ampadu, who has been a nurse for the past 23 years, earned her bachelor’s and master’s in nursing from SIUE in 1997 and 2002, respectively. 

“The Clinic’s full-time health educator will spend a significant amount of time in the community providing education and resources,” she continued. “We will work with residents, community leaders and local organizations to identify the needs of the community, potentially expanding the services we currently provide. We hope to increase access to care by being more visible within the community.” 

The WE CARE Clinic is located in Building D at the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus, 601 James R. Thompson Blvd. in East St. Louis. 

“Our physical location may contribute to the lack of community awareness, as we are not visible on a main thoroughfare,” explained Ampadu. “Recently, I had the privilege of attending several local events, and I spoke with residents, some of whom did not know about the WE CARE Clinic or the services we provide.” 

The clinic partners with both the SON and the SIUE School of Pharmacy to provide undergraduate and graduate nursing and pharmacy students experiences in primary healthcare, with a focus on chronic conditions. It has an interprofessional team, which includes a nurse practitioner, patient advocate (registered nurse), medical assistants, health educator, social worker and pharmacist. Ampadu is working to increase the level of SIUE student participation with the clinic, which includes involving students from the Department of Social Work. 

Another enhancement Ampadu is planning is to provide patients with virtual and telephonic access. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged us to identify ways to interact with our patients, other than face-to-face,” she added. 

Ampadu began working at SIUE as a part-time clinical instructor in fall 2003, a full-time instructor in fall 2007 and an assistant professor in fall 2016. She began teaching Nursing 475 Community Health and managing the asthma program at the WE CARE Clinic in August 2018. Ampadu is the primary investigator of the Clinic’s nurse educator and asthma grants. In August 2019, she was named as the Clinic’s interim director and was selected Feb. 1 as the director. 

The WE CARE Clinic provides primary patient care on the SIUE East St. Louis Higher Education Campus, located on campus in Building D. Advanced Practice Nurses, a collaborating physician, a licensed clinical social worker, certified health coaches and a doctorly prepared pharmacist provide full services to diverse clients in the Metro East or other local communities.

Photo:
WE CARE Clinic Director and SIUE alumna Jerrica Ampadu, PhD, RN, CCP.

The educational experience looks a bit different these days, as current and prospective teachers transition to online learning environments amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Southern Illinois University Edwardsville seniors currently completing their student teaching requirements, the ability to adapt, support and overcome may be their biggest lessons learned this semester. Not only are they adjusting their commitments and schedules, but they’re also working hard to ensure their students are receiving adequate communication, instruction and mental health support during this difficult time.

“Student teaching has been quite the adventure so far,” said Tyler Herron, a senior double-majoring in English, with a major concentration in secondary English language arts, and theater history, literature and criticism. Herron is a student teacher at O’Fallon Township High School, the Milburn Campus, where he works with 9^th grade students.

“The main challenge with remote online learning is communication,” he explained. “By this grade, students haven’t developed an understanding of how essential e-communication is. Emailing or instant messaging is the main way we communicate with each other. You never know when students will respond, either because they seldom check their email or because they may not always have access to internet.”

Herron hosted a mental health check-in on Zoom for his students, after quickly realizing that online instruction misses the valuable face-to-face interactions with students that help him gauge emotions and mental health, especially with regard to how they’re handling this new situation.

“I want to continue to create a safe space for students to freely think and behave,” he said. “I don’t have the luxury to informally check on them after class, or joke around with them as they walk down the hall. It’s something I didn’t realize I closely relied on until now.”

“The first mental health check-in went wonderfully,” Herron added. “As soon as a student joined with video, everyone’s faces smiled. When I asked if we should do another one, there was an overwhelming amount of positive feedback. As an educator, you develop a bond to the population you are shaping. When you don’t see them for a few weeks, your mind can play nasty games on you, making you wonder ‘How are they doing?’ ‘Are they eating?’ or ‘I hope they are finding ways to take care of themselves.’”

Herron is not alone in his unprecedented student teaching experience. Program faculty from the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior and the College of Arts and Sciences are working hard to ensure teacher candidates’ success and providing support during this challenging time.

“During this emergency situation, I have adjusted my support of student teachers to be more individualized,” said Jessica Krim, EdD, associate professor and chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning and secondary education program director. “I immediately scheduled individual Zoom meetings with each student to check in, making sure they are healthy and doing well, and that they are adjusting to the new requirements demanded of them as they finish their student teaching placements.”

“Our instruction of student teachers depends upon our ability to respond to what our community schools are doing, and to create assignments that support and supplement learning for our students, so that they are provided with as many skills as possible prior to graduation,” she added.

“Dr. Krim, as well as Dr. Jill Anderson in the College of Arts and Sciences, have constantly remained in communication with us,” Herron said. “They are continually reminding us to reach out if we need help or guidance, and are actively trying to modify their instruction to help us succeed. Even though there are a lot of unknowns, both of them have bent over backwards to make sure we are getting the necessary information we need to graduate.”

“Even under the best of circumstances, we want to keep the lines of communication open,” said Jill K. Anderson, PhD, professor and assistant chair in the Department of English Language and Literature and secondary English education program director. “While incredibly rewarding, student teaching is also difficult and stress-inducing.”

Over SIUE’s Spring Break when it became clear that schools across Illinois would move entirely online, Anderson sent an initial email check-in with all of the information she had at the time. “I could feel the tension rising,” she said. “I didn’t want our current class of student teachers to worry that their graduate and licensure would be compromised.”

“We’ve been using SIUE email for formal announcements and the Messenger app and texting to keep informal communication flowing,” Anderson added. “I know everyone is anxious, and my colleague Dr. Heather Johnson and I enjoy chatting back and forth with the English student teachers. We don’t have all the answer, but we’re happy to chime in!”

Both of Herron’s cooperating teachers, Caitlyn Shearman and Kristen Schuhardt, are SIUE alumnae, each having earned a bachelor’s in English with secondary English education licensure in 2014. As they navigate the situation themselves, they’ve been extremely supportive of Herron’s efforts, as well.

“Tyler and I check in almost each day via text or email,” Schuhardt explained. “This situation will prepare him for his future, because the world of education is always changing. We are incorporating more technology and dealing with more obstacles each year. This experience will ensure he is always prepared for whatever the classroom throws his way.”

“Tyler is rising to the occasion with using technology in new ways,” added Shearman. “He is leading instruction on utilizing the app FlipGrid in our speech class, and using that app as a way for students to record required speeches for class. Although this is not what any of us envisioned for his student teaching experience, we are all making it work in the best ways we can.”

A kind-hearted and motivated teacher candidate, Herron notes his salutation to every email includes reminding his students to stay healthy and wash their hands. No matter the challenges, and despite his own pressures, he is committed to putting his students first – a trait that confirms his calling as an educator.

“School is important, but students need to take care of themselves first and foremost,” he concluded.

Photo: SIUE senior and student teacher at O’Fallon Township High School Tyler Herron and his cooperating teachers communicate via Zoom to coordinate instruction plans.

It wasn’t a pajama party, and they weren’t up all night, but that didn’t stop supporters from hosting a virtual session during the annual St. Jude Up ‘til Dawn (UTD) event to help raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. 

Students from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville joined other college and university campuses across the country in fundraising efforts to help kids battling cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. 

SIUE UTD’s fundraising efforts began in August 2019 with a planned finale of an all-night pajama party set for Saturday, March 21 at the Morris University Center Meridian Ballroom, according to Renee McTee, SIUE UTD executive director and School of Pharmacy third-year student. 

“Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we had to cancel our event and create an online version,” said McTee. “We hosted an afternoon Facebook Live event on Saturday, April 4. We shared our reasons for supporting St. Jude’s Children Hospital, gave a brief history of the hospital and drew names for prizes donated by local businesses. 

“St. Jude Up ‘til Dawn is my favorite extra-curricular activity at SIUE. It is so rewarding and amazing that patients and families never get a bill for treatment, travel, housing and food.” 

So far, SIUE UTD has raised approximately $12,000 of its $25,000 fundraising goal. Contributions are being accepted through Thursday, April 30 at St. Jude Up ‘til Dawn SIUE. 

Photo:
Renee McTee, SIUE St. Jude Up ‘til Dawn executive director and School of Pharmacy third-year student.

When Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Environmental Sciences Assistant Professor Ben Greenfield, PhD, learned that residents of nearby Centreville were living with raw sewage in their yards, he knew he needed to help.

       The infrastructure of the town’s sewer system is in disrepair, causing raw sewage and flood water to seep into residents’ yards and homes. Additionally, residents are concerned about the impact of the overflowing sewage on the town’s drinking water supply.

       “It was clear to me that there was an environmental injustice happening in the Metro East, and I wanted to see if I could help find a solution to the problem,” said Greenfield. “SIUE is a public university that has been extremely important in providing education and service to Metro East residents. As such, the ability to help with a meaningful public health issue in this region was quite important to me.”

       In January 2019, Greenfield joined a multidisciplinary coalition of researchers, scholars and attorneys working to support the Centreville residents. He provides guidance on environmental study and design, public health and data interpretation.

       Last summer, Greenfield recruited SIUE environmental sciences alumnus Eric Gray, BS ’19, and current SIUE environmental sciences graduate student Eloho Unufe to join him in conducting samples of the surface water in Centreville. Their findings indicated elevated coliform bacteria levels in drainage ditches and flooded areas around the community, suggesting these publicly accessible spaces are contaminated with sewage.

       These findings, along with the preliminary results of the water quality tests completed by students from Williams College in Massachusetts, were presented last fall when residents met with their attorneys to discuss their options for resolving the sewer and flooding problems.

       While the problems relating to the Centreville sewer system are ongoing, the town has seen an increase in media coverage about this issue, drawing attention to the living conditions of its residents, and the impact the flooding has had on their homes and yards. Greenfield believes the coalition’s work has led, in part, to this media attention.

       “Every participant on this project, including team members and the residents themselves, wants the same thing. We want the residents of this community to have access to safe and clean drinking water which they can trust, and the ability to live in an environment that is free from terrible odors and aesthetic problems associated with flooding and raw sewage,” explained Greenfield. “We are trying to collect scientific information in order to delineate and quantify the problem, and we also want to draw public attention to it, because many people in the region are not aware of what their neighbors are facing.”

       In terms of his future involvement in this project, Greenfield is committed to supporting the work of the multidisciplinary coalition for the long term. But for the sake of Centreville residents, he hopes this issue can be resolved much more quickly than that.

       “I plan to help as a member of the Centreville project indefinitely,” added Greenfield. “Based on the recent media attention, I am hoping there will be some government or other funds allocated to help fix the damaged infrastructure in the region and provide relief for the Centreville residents.”

Photo:  Department of Environmental Sciences Asst. Prof. Ben Greenfield assisting Centreville residents dealing with pollution. (credit: Nicole Nelson, Equity Legal Services)

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing (SON)’s mission is to educate and develop care providers and leaders who will meet the health challenges of a diverse and complex world.

That mission rings abundantly true as nurses and other healthcare professionals bravely work on the front lines of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, offering skilled, compassionate care for patients in critical need. SON Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) student, Brooke Buffington, RN, of Staunton, is one such professional.

Buffington has selflessly agreed to travel to New York to bring help and relief to patients and her medical colleagues who are “overworked and emotionally stressed.” She departs Friday, April 10 through NuWest travel, a travel nursing group that arranged the opportunity.

“I chose to pursue a career in nursing, so that I could serve people in their most vulnerable state,” Buffington said. “I will be working in one of the Intensive Care Units (ICU) treating COVID patients at NYC Health+Hospitals in North Central Bronx. My contract is at least four weeks long. I will be working a rotation of seven days on with two-day breaks in between.”

Buffington earned a bachelor’s in nursing from SIUE in 2017, and began the DNP FNP program in 2018. She is slated to graduate in May 2021. She has worked in healthcare for five years, first as a student nurse technician in a cardiothoracic ICU and then as a registered nurse in a cardiovascular ICU.

Her decision to aid in New York will leave her juggling healthcare service and her studies. Upon learning of Buffington’s plans, SON lecturer Greg Jennings, MS, APRN, FNP-C, noted his first reaction was one of admiration. Jennings and DNP program director Valerie Griffin, DNP, PPCNP-BC, FNP-BC, PMHS, FAANP, have discussed ways to allow Buffington to take a pause and then complete her studies, and continue through the program as scheduled.

“What Brooke is doing is truly amazing,” Jennings said. “I know her skills will be put to good use, and she will help save many lives. She has been trained for this, both with her education and on-the-job training.”

“Brooke’s new work schedule is going to be extremely demanding, and even though she has two days off, those days are going to need to be spent recovering both mentally and physically,” Jennings noted. “She is going to see, experience and feel things she may never have before, and will need to process that. As important as school is, she felt an internal calling to help others, and we in the School of Nursing support and respect that.”

“When students apply to our FNP DNP program, they participate in an interview session,” Griffin added. “At this session, even before being accepted into the program, applicants are told that SIUE faculty will work with them in various manners to help them be successful in this program. If that means a student needs time off to care for a sick family member or whatever the reason, our goal is to see those students cross that stage with their degree in the future.

“Brooke’s request to serve patients and other healthcare providers in New York is an example of compassion and love, the core of why nurses are so proud of this amazing profession. In this past month, I have seen human kindness reflected in many ways, and Brooke’s decision to request time off from her program to volunteer in this manner is an exceptional act of kindness. 

While doing her part, Buffington hopes the public will stay home and practice social distancing to help flatten the curve of COVID-19.

“It’s important that we think about the many families who have been affected by this pandemic, as well as the numerous healthcare professionals who are working tirelessly to treat these patients,” Buffington said. “My hope is that everyone will do the best that they can to stay safe during this very difficult time.”

Photo: SON Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) student, Brooke Buffington, RN, of Staunton, earned her bachelor’s in nursing from SIUE in 2017. She is traveling to New York to work on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Environmental Sciences Assistant Professor Ben Greenfield, PhD, learned that residents of nearby Centreville were living with raw sewage in their yards, he knew he needed to help.

       The infrastructure of the town’s sewer system is in disrepair, causing raw sewage and flood water to seep into residents’ yards and homes. Additionally, residents are concerned about the impact of the overflowing sewage on the town’s drinking water supply.

       “It was clear to me that there was an environmental injustice happening in the Metro East, and I wanted to see if I could help find a solution to the problem,” said Greenfield. “SIUE is a public university that has been extremely important in providing education and service to Metro East residents. As such, the ability to help with a meaningful public health issue in this region was quite important to me.”

       In January 2019, Greenfield joined a multidisciplinary coalition of researchers, scholars and attorneys working to support the Centreville residents. He provides guidance on environmental study and design, public health and data interpretation.

       Last summer, Greenfield recruited SIUE environmental sciences alumnus Eric Gray, BS ’19, and current SIUE environmental sciences graduate student Eloho Unufe to join him in conducting samples of the surface water in Centreville. Their findings indicated elevated coliform bacteria levels in drainage ditches and flooded areas around the community, suggesting these publicly accessible spaces are contaminated with sewage.

       These findings, along with the preliminary results of the water quality tests completed by students from Williams College in Massachusetts, were presented last fall when residents met with their attorneys to discuss their options for resolving the sewer and flooding problems.

       While the problems relating to the Centreville sewer system are ongoing, the town has seen an increase in media coverage about this issue, drawing attention to the living conditions of its residents, and the impact the flooding has had on their homes and yards. Greenfield believes the coalition’s work has led, in part, to this media attention.

       “Every participant on this project, including team members and the residents themselves, wants the same thing. We want the residents of this community to have access to safe and clean drinking water which they can trust, and the ability to live in an environment that is free from terrible odors and aesthetic problems associated with flooding and raw sewage,” explained Greenfield. “We are trying to collect scientific information in order to delineate and quantify the problem, and we also want to draw public attention to it, because many people in the region are not aware of what their neighbors are facing.”

       In terms of his future involvement in this project, Greenfield is committed to supporting the work of the multidisciplinary coalition for the long term. But for the sake of Centreville residents, he hopes this issue can be resolved much more quickly than that.

       “I plan to help as a member of the Centreville project indefinitely,” added Greenfield. “Based on the recent media attention, I am hoping there will be some government or other funds allocated to help fix the damaged infrastructure in the region and provide relief for the Centreville residents.”

Photo:  Department of Environmental Sciences Asst. Prof. Ben Greenfield assisting Centreville residents dealing with pollution. (credit: Nicole Nelson, Equity Legal Services)

“Life has changed in dramatic and unforeseen ways. As a result, perceptions, sensations, feelings, thoughts, behaviors and interactions outside of the norm are to be expected. High doses of grace are needed as we think about ourselves and those with whom we are in personal and professional contact.”

 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Director of Counseling Services Dr. Courtney Boddie, a licensed and board-certified fellow in counseling, suggests we step back and think about the responses many are having as the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changes our daily lives, bringing about great challenges and uncertainties.

Counseling Services is maintaining its commitment to students as they manage those obstacles and experience anxiety and many other emotions. To maintain its availability, Counseling Services has shifted completely to teletherapy through its secure Therapist Assisted Online (TAO) program.

Boddie and his team are also sharing extensive resource information with students and the campus community on topics such as psychological crises, accessing counseling in the community and psychoeducation resources. Resources are listed at siue.edu/counseling/in-an-emergency. Recommendations on how faculty and staff can direct students to support has been shared via campus wide email updates.

“The last few weeks have been challenging for us all,” Boddie said in an email to the SIUE campus community. “Despite the challenges, I find myself inspired and grateful for our talented community, who have demonstrated creativity in the face of unprecedented shifts on such a short timeline.”

According to Boddie, the current situation and Counseling Services’ shift to teletherapy has brought a number of revelations on well-being, the amalgamation of which have contributed to increases in utilization of TAO, the number of Care Reports per day, and in case management for social service needs.

When reviewing the revelations, Boddie notes that circumstances have brought to the forefront the role of trait factors like personality characteristics (i.e. openness to new experiences, extroversion, neuroticism).

“For example, while those of us with a preference toward introversion may be fairing reasonably well with the reduction in human contact, the same may not be true for our extroverted counterparts,” Boddie explained. 

Also emerging, is the importance of situational, or state, factors in psychological health, such as shifts in access to live student activities, navigating relationships with roommates, learning digitally versus in-person and more. Boddie notes that “for some students, being at home is beneficial. For others, it may be central to the need for psychotherapy during their college experience.” 

A crucial lesson about the relationship between social class status and access to resources is also unfolding.

“With the ubiquity of technology, it is easy to presume that everyone lives in a situation where WiFi, smart phones, smart. TVs, headphones and other related technology elements abound,” Boddie stated. “The present circumstance has taught us that this is simply not the case.”

Finally, the circumstances have demonstrated the significance of accessibility as a central topic in 21^st century education.

“We certainly have a lot to think about as we plan for transitioning back to life on campus,” Boddie added. “A major question will be: How can what we learned about remote operations create opportunities for members of the campus community to thrive?”

Boddie advises students to pepper in emotion-rich experiences throughout the day.

“Feelings and thoughts are amazingly interconnected,” he said. “For many, motivation level seems to have plummeted. Emotional activation is often needed in order for something to be interesting and lead one to lean in versus away. I recommend adding moments for music, brief videos, poems, meditations, conversation and other readings that elicit joy and excitement. If one thing doesn’t work, try something else. You may find that this helps you to increase time on task, reduce procrastination and boost motivation during low moments.”

According to Boddie, accountability and support are needed now more than ever. He recommends students find a way to establish frequent, brief contact with peers and mentors.

“This will remind individuals that they are not alone in attempting to adjust to a novel situation,” he explained. “It may also help disrupt the feelings of isolation that are now prominent for all of us and restore our sense of belonging in communities of it.”

Anyone worried about a student or their mental health is encouraged to submit a Care Report for follow up by Counseling Services and the Office of Student Affairs. If a student is believed to be at risk for harming self or others, please contact SIUE Police at 618-650-3324 to request a welfare check.

Though a service designed for students, Counseling Services supports University personnel through psychoeducation (i.e. outreach and prevention education) and consultation. Even remotely, outreach activity has occurred since Governor J. B. Pritzker’s Stay-at-Home Order. These opportunities continue to be available upon request at siue.edu/counseling/contact.

Photo: SIUE Director of Counseling Services Courtney Boddie, PhD.

In an ongoing effort to build, solidify and improve collegial and community relationships, an honest look at the past is needed, according to Bryan Jack, PhD, associate professor in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Department of Historical Studies. Jack led the effort of SIUE becoming one of the newest schools, and the first in Illinois, to join the University of Virginia’s growing international Universities Studying Slavery (USS) consortium. 

“The USS consortium provides opportunities to work together to address both historical and contemporary issues dealing with race and inequality in higher education and in university communities, as well as the complicated legacies of slavery in modern American society,” said Jack, USS program coordinator. “At SIUE, we can both learn from what other institutions are doing and contribute to the consortium. Additionally, the USS mission fits well within the framework of the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) work that SIUE is already doing.” 

The University of Virginia started USS in 2013 as an effort to delve into its history relating to slavery, and in hopes of partnering with other universities and colleges to address racial disparities. In Jack’s work with TRHT, he learned of the USS, and informed Jessica Harris, PhD, interim assistant provost and associate professor in the Department of Historical Studies. Jack and Harris presented the partnership proposal to the Offices of the Chancellor and Provost, and SIUE came on board in February as USS’s 59^th school. 

“One of the powerful things about USS, is that there is not one template for how it works,” said Jack. “It is tailored to each individual institution, which then collaborates and shares best practices. Some universities have put together presidential commissions to study the impact of slavery at their campuses, some have housed this work in specific centers, others have housed it in their offices of diversity and inclusion, while other institutions have focused more on work with community groups. 

“At institutions like The Citadel, The University of Virginia, Georgetown University and others, where slavery was not only historically existent on their campuses, but also was integral to the early success of the universities, much of the work has been inward-looking. The first step was acknowledgement of their respective university’s role in perpetuating enslavement of human beings.” 

SIUE, being founded nearly 100 years after slavery, is in a different position. 

“At SIUE, we will focus on the role slavery played in our region (and on the land that became the SIUE campus) before the founding of our University,” added Jack. “We will specifically focus on the historical legacies of slavery and racial inequality in our region.” 

Jack is organizing a group that will map out a direction for the program, which will be under the umbrella of the TRHT. Also involved in forming SIUE’s USS is Robert Paulett, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Historical Studies.

“Chattel slavery might be long past, but the effects of slavery are long-lasting and still affect today’s world,” said Jack. “Chattel, race-based slavery existed in the United States and its antecedents for 246 years, while emancipation happened 155 years ago. When we consider that legal Jim Crow segregation existed for approximately 100 years after slavery, we are not talking about ancient history. We are talking about legally-codified racial inequality that existed within the lifetimes of people who are still alive today. Not to mention the de facto racism that is still occurring.

“James Baldwin said, ‘Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.’” 

Parents, teachers and students locally and across the nation are trying their best to juggle the new normal of e-learning and completing school at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School Director Gina Jeffries, EdD, reminds everyone to practice empathy, find structure, take a pause and redirect as they work through associated challenges.

Jeffries shared her expertise on Friday, April 10 on St. Louis Public Radio during St. Louis on the Air hosted by Sarah Fenske and titled “Surviving School at Home.” Listen here.