SIUE alumna Stacy Robben, MHA, FSMPS, LEED AP, has been named executive vice president and chief marketing officer of the Boldt Company. Robben joined Boldt in 2018 as vice president of health care business development and has previously held development and marketing positions at firms such as McCarthy Building Cos., Turner Construction Company and HOK. 

Robben graduated with a bachelor’s in liberal studies and mass communications from the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences in 2000. Read more about her new leadership appointment in The Daily Reporter.

The International Trade Center (ITC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is partnering with the Southwestern Illinois Trade and Investment Council (SWITIC) to offer a new virtual roundtable series to businesses located in the Southern Illinois region on the topic of Growing your Business through Exports.

The first roundtable discussion will focus on jump-starting and improving export sales, and will take place from 11 a.m.-Noon Thursday, Sept. 24 via Zoom.

Registration is free, but required by Monday, Sept. 21, with a cap at 20 participants. To register, visit https://siue.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEldeGrqTMuGdIzMgYunr7cxOglKyg8Y1CN or email international-trade-center@siue.edu with your name, company name, email address and company website.

“Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Southern Illinois-based companies are facing new hurdles related to exporting,” said Illinois Small Business Development Center ITC at SIUE Director Silvia Torres Bowman. “I hear stories daily of how hardworking business owners in our region are struggling during this uncertain season. I want to reassure those leaders that they are not alone. The ITC at SIUE stands ready to serve as a resource.”

“Virtual gatherings such as this upcoming roundtable will allow exporting experts and peers across Southern Illinois to discuss challenges, share ideas and develop solutions to navigate these unchartered waters and remain successful in selling goods and services to international markets.”

According to Torres Bowman, forward looking business leaders are preparing now to take advantage of exporting to increase sales and expand market share. She emphasizes the actionable recommendations focused on exporting success that attendees will gain from the roundtable discussion.

Moderating the session is Tom Dustman, an international sales executive with more than 25 years of experience who serves on the National District Export Council for the Midwest region. Additionally, SWITIC President Craig Eversmann, a Collinsville exporter as president of MSSC, LLC, will share specific strategies that have enabled his company to thrive in the wake of COVID-19.

“The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented disruption to the global economy and world trade, as production and consumption are scaled back across the globe,” Eversmann said. “My business, along with so many others in the region who depend on foreign customers to flourish, need help to survive and continue to be profitable during these trying times.”

“During this roundtable of regional exporting business leaders, we will discuss unique challenges being faced and receive tips and strategies on how to thrive in this new COVID world,” he continued. “We will also learn about the potential for new relief programs for small businesses affected by the pandemic. By participating in this virtual discussion, participants will have the opportunity to influence the makeup of those programs within the context of their business needs. 

Participants will also hear the latest on the ISTEP program, which includes a 50-75% reimbursement and increased cap amounts for activities such as virtual shows, product compliance and website localizations. They will also learn about available CARES Act supplemental funds.

For more information, contact Torres Bowman at sitorre@siue.edu.

The Illinois SBDC International Trade Center at SIUE serves businesses in Southern Illinois by providing individualized, no-cost export advising, identification of foreign buyers, agents and/or distributors through trade leads, international market analysis, and more.

The ITC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It has a longtime partnership with the Illinois Office of Trade and Investment (OTI), which maintains a full-time staff of both foreign and domestic-based international trade and marketing experts. OTI also manages six foreign trade offices located in Belgium, Japan, Mainland China, Mexico, Canada, and Israel.

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is proud to celebrate the one-year anniversary and growth of its client Arch Equipment Group (AEG) LLC. Owner and President Lisa McQuade has worked with the SBDC and Director Jo Ann DiMaggio May since December 2019 to successfully build a fleet sales and service company.

AEG is a proud, woman-owned business providing professional, comprehensive management solutions for the entire lifecycle of a customer’s fleet equipment. Their work involves consulting, administration assistance and various fleet services, including selling and servicing heavy-duty trucks, and providing customization to install accessories such as safety items, light kits, required graphics and other mounted equipment.

McQuade is no stranger to this business. Her father was a heavy-duty diesel mechanic with his own shop. She recalls getting a commercial driver’s license at a young age, as well as taking a high school mechanic’s class to be able to help her father. After pursuing a different career path, she found herself supervising the fleet department for another company. At that point, she knew this was something she wanted to do on her own.

Her passion continued to evolve, and Arch Equipment Group officially opened in September 2019.

Like many businesses during this time, Arch Equipment Group has faced its share of challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Having only been open for a few short months, the state of Illinois Stay-at-Home order last spring made it difficult to get the business going. It affected marketing and networking opportunities, such as canceled truck shows and business events, and halted the employee hiring process.

Despite the difficulties, McQuade is grateful to be on the upswing now.

DiMaggio May provided McQuade assistance with a business plan, Small Business Association loan preparation, Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certification, marketing research and networking.

“Jo Ann has been a great sounding board, especially regarding our challenges with COVID,” McQuade shared. “She has always been available to talk me through any difficulties and provide a multitude of assistance along the way.”

“Lisa is always willing to learn and ask questions,” DiMaggio May says. “She is a strong business woman with a sound business plan. I am happy to have offered help when needed and look forward to Arch Equipment Group’s future success.”

McQuade is especially proud to be a WBE certified business. This has provided a wide variety of educational and networking opportunities, business information, and financial assistance she has found extremely beneficial.

“WBE Certification is important to my customers, and having it has given us an edge over the competition,” McQuade said. “It has presented numerous opportunities that we otherwise may not have had.”

McQuade is grateful for the relationships AEG has built with its customers and is proud that their customers are highly satisfied with their work.

“Building trust with customers is a huge plus for us, as we strive to be a trusted partner for the industries that never sleep, and where days off are not an option,” McQuade shared.

McQuade strives to maintain a workplace where her mechanics receive the credit and respect they deserve, know they are appreciated and feel as if they are making a difference. She plans on growing AEG by adding implement sales and affiliating with additional heavy duty/medium duty/light duty truck up-fitters.

For more information, contact AEG at 618-972-1224 or lisam@archequipmentgroup.com, find AEG on Facebook at Arch Equipment or visit archequipmentgroup.com.

The Illinois SBDC for the Metro East assists start-up ventures like Arch Equipment Group as well as existing businesses headquartered in the nine-county region of Calhoun, Jersey, Madison, Bond, Clinton, St. Clair, Washington, Monroe and Randolph. It is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and SIUE as a service to Illinois small businesses.

By aiding entrepreneurs and companies in defining their path to success, the SBDC network positively impacts the Metro East by strengthening the business community, creating and retaining new jobs and encouraging new investment. It enhances the region’s economic interests by providing one-stop assistance to individuals by means of counseling, training, research and advocacy for new ventures and existing small businesses. When appropriate, the SBDC strives to affiliate its ties to the region to support the goals and objectives of both the SIUE School of Business and the University at large.

To learn about the SBDC, contact the IL SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE at 618-650-2929.

Photo: Arch Equipment Group LLC Owner Lisa McQuade (courtesy Shaina Rae).

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees today created of the SIU System Commitment, a system-wide initiative beginning fall 2021 that will cover tuition and mandatory fees for new four-year undergraduate students who have a family income of less than $63,575 and meet basic requirements.

SIU System President Dan Mahony said the program would fill the gap these students might have after other financial aid and scholarships have been applied.  The program will be available to new students at both the Edwardsville and Carbondale campuses.

The amount paid from the SIU System Commitment will not exceed the cost of tuition and mandatory fees, and will not cover other costs, such as housing, meals, course fees, books and supplies. It will apply to new, full-time undergraduates beginning in fall 2021 and will cover eight semesters of continuous enrollment. Participants must maintain satisfactory academic progress in order for the program to be renewed.

To be eligible, participants must have an annual family income less than $63,575 with assets less than $50,000 based on a submitted Free Application for Student AID (FAFSA). They must be an Illinois resident who attended an Illinois high school, apply for admission by the priority deadline of March 1 and enroll in a baccalaureate degree program.

 “From our Board of Trustees all the way through our system and campus leadership, this has been a priority, and it signals an important message we want to send to students and their families that the SIU campuses are doing all they can to make college available, especially for those who have the most challenging time paying for it,” said Mahony.

Mahony noted a 2017 report by the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) that found that students from lower income backgrounds could only afford 1 to 5 percent of the 2000 colleges included in the study.

“A student’s zip code or economic status should not prevent them from achieving their goal of obtaining a college degree,” Mahony said.

“I want to commend President Mahony, Chancellor Lane, Chancellor Pembrook and their enrollment management teams who have worked very hard to ensure we have this opportunity ready to offer prospective students and their parents as they begin looking at college choices,” said SIU System Board of Trustees Chair Phil Gilbert. “This is a great announcement coming on the heels of the important enrollment and retention gains our campuses made this fall. This is one more example why an SIU campus should be a top consideration for students across Illinois.”

“Higher Education changes lives, but access to higher education can be limited because of financial challenges,” said SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook. “The SIU System Commitment program will provide that access and open doors for future SIUE students.  We are excited to be part of this transformational initiative.”

Another important item on the board’s agenda was the presentation of the annual Underrepresented Groups Report, which will become part of the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s (IBHE) annual report to the governor and General Assembly on the status and participation of underrepresented groups in higher education. Students identifying as African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian-American, Pacific Islander, American Indian, Alaska Native, or an individual with a disability are covered in the report.

According to IBHE, the report examines trends, challenges and achievements regarding the status of post-secondary underrepresented student groups through data on student services and participation, including support programs that promote successful outcomes of underrepresented student groups provided by Illinois higher education institutions.

SIUE highlights of the SIU System report include:

• For the fall 2020 student cohort, the proportion of under-represented students is the highest in SIUE’s history.
• The Strategic Hiring Initiative was used to support a cluster hire of four Black female faculty and two Black male faculty in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior. This cluster represents 38% of the new faculty hires for fall 2020.
• Graduation rates of African American students are lower than those of their white peers; new Associate Dean of Students for Diversity and Inclusion and Social Justice Scholarship program are among the initiatives focused on improving this graduation rate.

“The Southern Illinois University campuses have a distinguished record of service to underrepresented groups and it takes a multiplicity of campus offices and dedicated employees to serve our students,” said Gireesh Gupchup, SIU System vice president for academic Innovation, planning, and partnership. “This report shows the extraordinary work of so many on our staff who contribute to the success of our great students.

“The information used in this report helps faculty and administrators better shape programs targeted at   underrepresented groups and provides our statewide policy makers with information to monitor our successes and challenges,” said Dr. Ed Hightower, Vice Chair of the SIU Board of Trustees.

Photo: SIU System President Dan Mahony.

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees today approved an alternate tuition program for Department of Defense (DoD) civilian personnel, who are SIUE undergraduate or graduate students and are eligible for the DoD Tuition Assistance program.  

During spring 2019, the board approved an alternate tuition program for SIUE active duty military students. This applied to undergraduate and graduate students who are active duty military members or serving in a reserve unit or National Guard component. The alternate tuition rate paid per credit hour is equal to the maximum allowable benefit provided to those students by the DoD’s Military Tuition Assistance Program.

SIUE’s region includes 5,000 federal civilian employees at Scott Air Force Base. Extending the alternate tuition rate to undergraduate and graduate students, who are civilian employees for the DoD, positions SIUE more competitively in the marketplace. All mandatory fees will be waived for these students.

“Last year, SIUE approved the military tuition rate for our active duty, reserves and National Guard,” said Kevin Wathen, director of military and veteran services. “Now, we will be able to provide that same rate to the military’s equal partner in the defense of our country. This is the next building block in educational support to not only Scott Air Force Base specifically, but also to civilian personnel around the globe.”

In addition, School of Business and School of Engineering differential tuition surcharges will not be applied to these active duty military students or the DoD civilian employee students.

In life, circumstances can change in a moment, and all too often those unexpected changes lead to financial challenges.

A recent fire at an off-campus apartment complex in Edwardsville has impacted Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students, including the loss of most of their belongings. The SIUE General Student Emergency Assistance Fund (#7243) is being used to support the affected students and their emergency needs. 

Instances like this underscore the importance of ensuring monies are available to students through such funds. Donations to the SIUE General Student Emergency Assistance Fund (#7243) are appreciated, as the fund provides year-round support to students facing unexpected challenges.

For more information and to give, visit siue.edu/student-emergency-assistance.

“Supporting our students is always a top priority for the University. We have ample opportunities for individuals to give to funds that directly benefit students, including our emergency assistance fund,” said Rachel Stack, Vice Chancellor for University Advancement and CEO of the SIUE Foundation.

“Every gift is generous,” Stack noted, “and we extend our gratitude to those who choose to donate to this incredibly important fund to support SIUE students in their times of need.”

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Business has opened registration for its 2020 SIUE Virtual Project Management Symposium. The two-day event is 8 a.m.-noon Friday, Nov. 13 and 20. The annual event focuses on cultivating the art and science of project management. 

SIUE’s Project Management Symposium traditionally provides excellent continuing education topics for project management professionals and the project management industry. The SIUE Project Management Symposium provides a forum for project managers in the St. Louis metropolitan area to exchange ideas and knowledge with peers and industry practitioners on complex project management issues and topics. 

Topics include:

• COVID-19 Challenges in Project Management
• Creating A Better Partnership with Your Business
• Diversity and Inclusion in Project Management
• Strategic Portfolio Management
• Project Management at Twice the Speed of Sound
• “Agilosophy:” Your Focused Mindset for Transformational Change

This year, the Project Management Symposium will be held via Zoom. Earn 7 professional development units (PDU) by participating in this event. Cost is $95.

To view the program and register, visit siue.edu/business/executive-education/project-management/symposia or call 618-650-5440.

The SIUE School of Business is a recognized leader in project management education. It prepares the next generation of PM practitioners through academic programming in project management in undergraduate and graduate degree programs. It also provides continuing education for PM professionals through Project Management Training through Executive Education. 

SIUE’s Executive Education Project Management program is guided by the SIUE Project Management Advisory Board, a consortium of project management experts from more than 20 of the area’s top businesses committed to PM in their organizations. The group meets monthly to share best practices and solutions to common challenges, and collaborates with the School of Business to develop the annual SIUE Project Management Symposium.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has hired Geoffrey Edwards, EdD, as its new director of retention and student success after a national search chaired by Jessica Harris, PhD, assistant provost for academic equity and inclusive excellence and associate professor of history.

The search committee identified Edwards from a group of more than 40 qualified candidates. Edwards most recently served as associate vice president for student engagement and innovation at the University of Evansville. His responsibilities included “connecting students to various forms of engagement on and off campus and incorporating campus change-making initiatives into the co-curriculum.” He was concurrently serving as Evansville’s interim Title IX deputy coordinator, and he was also part of that institution’s COVID-19 response leadership team in the months preceding his arrival at SIUE.

Since arriving at SIUE Aug. 1, Edwards has worked closely with Office of Retention and Student Success staff and advising units across campus to understand the issues SIUE students were encountering this summer as they considered re-enrolling under new COVID restrictions and guidelines.

“While our first-year student retention goal was to match or exceed last year’s record return rate, all things considered, ending up a half a point down was not too disappointing,” Edwards said. “I was impressed by everyone’s sincere interest in student success from the moment I arrived on campus. I know SIUE has made some significant statistical strides over the past few years, and we plan to build on those successes.”  

Edwards will have director oversight of general academic advising and learning support services, including testing services, tutoring and the delivery of academic developmental courses. The unit, which is housed under the Office of Enrollment Management, also coordinates broader retention planning and implementation in support of undergraduate and graduate retention efforts.

“We are extremely pleased with the breadth and depth of Geoff’s 17 years of retention experience, including his appointments teaching first-year students,” said Scott Belobrajdic, EdD, associate vice chancellor for enrollment management. “In addition, we will benefit from his extensive experience working with his former institution’s leadership team implementing change initiatives at the University of Evansville.”

Goals for Edwards’ first semester at SIUE include, but are not limited to, developing and supporting initiatives to achieve retention equity for all students, regardless of race or ethnicity, the creation of a retention committee, and direct involvement in the development of SIUE’s permanent shift to test optional admission.  

“As we create these new admission standards, we need to understand the variables which will impact student retention and success beyond traditional standardized testing,” Edwards said.

This is a return to the area for Edwards, who graduated from Alton Marquette High School and previously served as assistant director of student development at Fontbonne University in St. Louis.

Edwards earned a bachelor’s from Monmouth (Ill.) College, a master’s in college student personnel from Bowling Green State University, and a doctorate in higher education and organizational change from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois.

Edwards resides in Maryville with his wife, Christina, and their two children.

Photo: SIUE Director of Retention and Student Success Geoffrey Edwards.

SIUE Alumnus William White wants to makes sure that Air National Guard Airmen are mentally and emotionally prepared to serve. 

White is a licensed clinical social worker and director of psychological health in the 116^th Air Control Wing at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. He has developed a program that addresses mental health issues, and advocates for and supports Guard men and women and their families. 

White received a bachelor’s and master’s in social work in 1995 and 2004, respectively. 

Read more about White’s Psychological Health program in Robins Air Force Base online. 

Photo:
SIUE Alumnus William White

While Zoom fatigue is real for some during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is one digital connection that is eagerly awaited by students and families in the Metro East. The hosts are with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) student organization, which is offering free online tutoring for grades K-12 in all subjects. 

The Lambda Theta Chapter of KDP International Honor Society began providing the free service on August 31, and the assistance will continue through the pandemic, according to Barbara Martin, EdD, KDP faculty advisor. 

“With all the changes and challenges of the pandemic, students had the idea to help those in the Metro East with learning,” explained Martin. “Students and families have been excited about the help. All of the comments on social media have been extremely positive.” 

Each tutoring session is one hour. Registration is required at SignUpGenesis or email kdp.siue@gmail.com. Tutoring availability is published each Sunday on SignUpGenesis. After students register, a link to a Zoom session is emailed. Parents may also send any related documents or assignments prior to the tutoring session. 

“We are growing our tutor pool quickly and hope to have nearly 25 education majors tutoring this semester,” said Martin. 

“Volunteering is one of the hallmarks of Kappa Delta Pi,” said Meghan Kleeb, KDP vice president and senior elementary education major. “We all have a passion for serving the community! To assist parents in the transition to hybrid and remote learning, we decided to utilize our knowledge in these crazy times and offer our services to all students.” 

“By working at a daycare, a strong concern many parents communicated with me was that their child was going to fall behind when they began e-learning,” said Amanda Frisch, KDP co-president with Taylor Winner, and senior elementary education major. “It’s difficult for a teacher to set aside extra time to work one-on-one with students. Parents are also in a tough spot, because many do not have enough time after work to go through lessons and problems with their students.” 

“One-on-one tutoring through remote learning is beneficial,” added Kleeb. “We are able to directly teach the student in their preferred learning style, answer questions quickly, offer strategies and support the student through their schoolwork.”

“Parents have told me that their child’s school work seems like a foreign language to them sometimes,” confided Frisch. “The tutoring puts their mind at ease, and they love knowing our services are free! We do our best to make sure students are learning in a happy environment, because we know that’s when they will do their best.” 

The tutoring sessions are also helping the tutors. 

“I am able to bond with the students, and do what I love most ... teach!” said Kleeb. “I am being exposed to a variety of curriculums, lesson plans and activities. I am able to absorb all of this information and save it for when I have my own classroom in the future.” 

Photos:
Amanda Frisch, KDP co-president with Taylor Winner and senior elementary education major, observes the work of a student during a tutorial session. 

Meghan Kleeb, KDP vice president and senior elementary education major, explains a concept to her student in a free tutorial session.

The DREAM (Dismantling Racism through Education, Advocacy and Mobilization) Collective at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has launched the podcast, “Blacktivism in the Academy.” 

The podcast is one by scholar-activists for scholar-activists. Episode 2: Student Activism. PERIOD. discusses the role faculty play in student activism. DREAM Collective member Nate Williams, PhD, interviewed five of the six student activists he supported through their action on Knox College’s campus during 2019-20 academic year. Hosted by DREAM Collective member J.T. Snipes, PhD, guests include Myla Boyd, Isaiah Simon, Rose Martines, Trevon Tyler and Dejah Kent. 

Listeners can tune into the podcast on Spotify, Stitcher and Apple podcasts. Podcasts encourage and facilitate learning, activism and anti-racist action. Featured will be prominent speakers from communities of color, who will address how to step out of the societal cyclical patterns of the past. 

Other DREAM Collective members include the SEHHB’s Dean Robin Hughes, PhD, Jessica Krim, EdD, and Jennifer Hernandez, PhD.

For more information, visit the DREAM Collective on Facebook at @DREAMCollective20, Twitter at @DREAMcollect20 or Instagram at @DREAMCollective20, or email TheDREAMCollective@siue.edu.

In these most difficult times, BARBERMURPHY Broker Associate Mike Pierceall continues providing real estate advice to start-ups and existing businesses in his voluntary capacity as a trusted affiliate partner for the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

BARBERMURPHY is the largest commercial real estate brokerage firm in downstate Illinois, while the SBDC serves as an essential resource for struggling business owners.

Pierceall has presented during the SBDC’s monthly “Starting a Small Business” workshops on what to look for when searching for the ideal property in which to launch a business or expand an existing one. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, Pierceall advises SBDC clients as to how the timelines have changed regarding the real estate process.

“We do the best we can to help small business owners through the process of acquiring or selling a location,” said Pierceall. “Right now, due to COVID restrictions that title companies, banks and others are facing, it’s taking longer than usual to get deals done. We’re helping small businesses anticipate and plan for these delays, so they’re still able to meet their goals.”

Pierceall emphasizes that the SBDC is a gem of a resource to any small business owner, because it offers one-on-one expertise at no cost in areas such as writing or fine-tuning a business plan, preparing financials to take to a lender, cash flow management and more.

“The first thing start-ups and existing businesses should do is make an appointment with the SBDC and spend time developing their business plan,” he said. “They’ll want to be as detailed as possible with regard to real estate, including line items and projections for the cost of utilities, taxes and more.

“They’ll want to seek expertise from the SBDC and additional affiliate partners – such as an attorney, lender and CPA – and plan early for those considerations. Tap into the SBDC for value-added expertise from the network of professional relationships available to assist entrepreneurs and established business owners.”

SIUE SBDC has been busier than ever, according to Director Jo Ann Di Maggio May, assisting start-ups and operational small businesses in navigating tough waters in the wake of COVID.

“Business specialist Marti Wieland and I helped a lot of small businesses apply for the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans and the Payment Protection Program loans,” said May. “We spent more than 230 hours in complimentary one-on-one counseling sessions, helping small business owners stay abreast of the changing applications and requirements. Our records tell us that the SBDC helped clients gain a total of more than $1 million in federal assistance since the pandemic began.”

Providing expertise in how to pivot during these uncertain economic and regulatory times is often the crux of how the SBDC assists small business owners and solopreneurs,” noted Di Maggio May.

“Sometimes our expertise is pretty intuitive,” she said, “but to a weary and anxious small business owner, who is trying to navigate it all, it can be difficult to discern what to do next. We’re happy to serve as a third-party resource and another voice in the room to suggest strategies that the business owner might want to consider employing.”

One idea that recently surfaced during a counseling session, according to Di Maggio May, involved an established service business that was restricted from seeing clients at her storefront due to state of Illinois COVID policies. The business owner, who had been an SBDC client years earlier, reconnected with Di Maggio May’s office to seek assistance.

“As with many small businesses during this time, her business cash flow is restricted due to occupancy-related regulatory restrictions,” May said. “We worked to quickly connect her with the SBA, who helped provide her with CARES Act relief in the form of a 30-year, low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loan. We also counseled her in effective cash management strategies and helped her institute her own policies, such as an appointment cancellation fee.”

Di Maggio May is intent on making sure all small business owners know that the SBDC is ready and willing to assist them routinely throughout the life of their business, not just during the start-up phase.

“We want to work with an entrepreneur and a small business for the whole life of their operation,” she said. “We can come in at any point and assist them. We want to be sure that small business owners have the SBDC on their speed dial and think of us whenever they have a need.”

The Illinois SBDC for the Metro East assists existing companies as well as new businesses headquartered in the nine-county Metro East region of Calhoun, Jersey, Madison, Bond, Clinton, St. Clair, Washington, Monroe and Randolph. It is a no-cost service to the community supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and SIUE. 

   By aiding entrepreneurs and companies in defining their path to success, the SBDC network positively impacts the Metro East by strengthening the business community, creating and retaining jobs and encouraging capital investment. It enhances the region’s economic interests by providing one-stop assistance to individuals by means of counseling, training, research and advocacy for new ventures and existing small businesses. When appropriate, the SBDC strives to affiliate its ties to the region to support the goals and objectives of both the SIUE School of Business and the University at large. To learn how the SBDC can help your small business, contact the Metro East SBDC at 618-650-2929 or sbdcedw@gmail.com.

The DREAM (Dismantling Racism through Education, Advocacy and Mobilization) Collective at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will air its next episode of the podcast, “Blacktivism in the Academy,” on Thursday, Sept. 24. 

Episode three, “CRiT Walkin,” will feature DREAM Collective member J.T. Snipes, PhD, as the host. Snipes will facilitate a conversation with School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB) Dean and DREAM Collective member Robin Hughes, PhD, and her guest, Mark Giles. 

Hughes and her long-time friend and co-author, Giles, will have a conversation about Critical Race Theory in action. Learn what it means to “CRiT walk” in the academy. 

Listeners can tune into the podcast on Spotify, Stitcher and Apple podcasts. Podcasts encourage and facilitate learning, activism and anti-racist action. Featured will be prominent speakers from communities of color, who will address how to step out of the societal cyclical patterns of the past. 

Other DREAM Collective members include Jessica Krim, EdD, Jennifer Hernandez, PhD, and Nate Williams, PhD. 

For more information, visit the DREAM Collective on Facebook at @DREAMCollective20, Twitter at @DREAMcollect20 or Instagram at @DREAMCollective20, or email TheDREAMCollective@siue.edu.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Serdar Celik, PhD, will present “Designing HVAC Systems with Surrounding Environmental Challenges and Opportunities in Mind” on Sunday, Sept. 27 during the ZeroBuild Virtual Forum ’20. Celik, professor in the SIUE School of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, is also serving as a moderator during the live-stream event that began Wednesday, Sept. 23.

“ZeroBuild Forum ’20 is an international event with 136 speakers from 35 countries in 48 sessions,” Celik said. “It is a premier global event held in a virtual environment, convening key private and public leaders worldwide and enabling network among top industry leaders.”

The organizing committee approached Celik as a result of their familiarity with his work with SIUE’s annual Energy Symposium and the Ilgaz Energy Symposium in Turkey.

Celik will present during the Zero Energy Buildings and Climatic Data session. “My presentation will cover my industrial experience and research at SIUE in the HVAC field,” he said. “For enhanced building energy efficiency, I will also be including some of our green roof studies I have been conducting in collaboration with Dr. Susan Morgan and Dr. Bill Retzlaff.”

Additionally, Celik will moderate the Zero Energy Buildings in Hot Climates session.

ZeroBuild Forum ’20 presents the latest in building science combined with real-work application and problem-solving. The digital conference provides exclusive networking opportunities and keynote presentations on how to leverage zero energy building business. Senior private and public sector leaders from around the world engage with top industry leaders through interactive and intuitive capabilities. The intent is to deliver net zero carbon buildings and is dedicated to supporting market transformation towards 100% zero energy buildings.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Head Start/Early Head Start students and families began the school year on Tuesday, Sept. 8 with the same mission to provide quality preschool education, and its staff with an intense commitment to provide programming in various platforms and approaches during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 Through Friday, Oct. 2, the Head Start teaching staff is conducting services such as developmental and social emotional screenings, transportation and pedestrian safety, and health information, via telephone, email and families picking up activities and materials from their centers, according to Carolyn Jason, interim program director. 

“The teaching staff will also interact with families through the use of Zoom meetings and FaceTime,” said Lisa Tate, assistant program director/center operations. “All families will be provided with an SIUE-issued iPad. We expect the iPads to be delivered in a few weeks. 

“Once the iPads arrive, we will distribute them to our families. The program’s plan is to phase in our in-person services in October, which will enable us to use a hybrid approach (in-person and virtual) to provide instructional services to all.” 

The centers will let families know which students will receive in-person learning and which will be selected for virtual learning. No more than 10 Head Start students and four Early Head Start students will be allowed in a classroom at a time with at least two teaching staff assigned to each room. Virtual learning sessions with iPads will be based on the time availability of the families, the age of the child and will last no longer than 10-15 minutes per session, explained Tate. 

“The teaching staff will implement the Creative Curriculum CLOUD for Infants, Toddlers, Twos & Preschoolers,” added Tate. “Home visitors will continue to implement the Parents as Teachers curriculum for Head Start and Early Head Start children, and the Baby Basics curriculum for expectant mothers.” 

“Head Start and Early Head Start has been providing sack meals since Sept. 8 that include lunch and a snack,” said Jason. “Weekly lunches are delivered to the centers, and families are asked to pick them up.” 

“For several months, The SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start Re-Opening Committee, led by Denise Brown, health services program coordinator, convened to discuss and develop a plan with health and safety as priority one,” continued Jason. “The committee utilized best practices and ever-changing safety protocols from multiple entities including, the Centers for Disease Control, Restore Illinois, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Occupational Health and Safety, and SIUE COVID-19 guidelines. 

“Overall, our final plan addresses the safety of staff, students and families, as our staff provides essential services to foster school readiness.”  

The SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start Program serves more than 860 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 12 early childhood centers, seven managed directly by SIUE staff and five collaborations. The program includes a rigorous school readiness program and provides comprehensive services, such as health/ dental screenings and family engagement and support activities. 

Photo:
Kristin Moore, SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start home visitor, conducts an Ages and Stages questionnaire with a family member.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy (SOP) alumnus Cody Sandusky, PharmD, was sworn in as president of the Illinois Pharmacists Association (IPhA) Saturday, Sept. 26 during a virtual conference.

A Carrier Mills native, Sandusky has worked in the pharmacy industry for eight years with experience as a community pharmacist, consultant and now director of pharmacy at Harrisburg Medical Center. 

“I am honored and excited to be the first alumnus of the SIUE School of Pharmacy to hold this office,” Sandusky said. “The School of Pharmacy students, faculty, and alumni are increasingly involved in our state pharmacy associations, decision-making and leadership. It always makes me swell with pride when I travel to a pharmacy meeting, lobbying day, etc. and see what looks like a small army of SIUE trailblazers making a clear, positive impact on our profession. I’m excited to bring SIUE’s tradition of excellence to the Illinois Pharmacists Association and beyond.”

“As IPhA president, Dr. Sandusky will be leading the advocacy efforts to advance patient care through access to pharmacists,” said IPhA Executive Director Garth Reynolds, BSPharm, RPh, MBA. “Pharmacists are the most accessible and the most underutilized healthcare provider in the country. And COVID-19 has shown the essential value of pharmacists in our communities and within the healthcare system. Cody’s experienced leadership as a student, a new practitioner, and now as president will continue the momentum to enact positive change for pharmacy in Illinois.” 

Sandusky will focus on three key issues: 1) Attaining pharmacist provider status, being recognized as healthcare providers in the state; 2) State regulation of pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs); and 3) Fostering unity in our profession during a time of social, economic and healthcare crises. “The first two goals will focus on introducing legislation and getting it written into Illinois law,” Sandusky said.  

“Dr. Sandusky will bring many significant actions to the Board of IPhA and be asked to address critical issues in pharmacy for the state of Illinois with legislators and stakeholders during the 2020-2021 year,” said Jessica Kerr, PharmD, SOP associate dean in the Office of Professional and Student Affairs. “I had the honor of working with Dr. Sandusky as a student. He was active in legislative efforts from the beginning, serving as the American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists policy vice president. He was also an IPhA board member, during my tenure as president and chairperson of the IPhA board of directors.”

“Dr. Sandusky possess many of the key ingredients for being an effective leader in the pharmacy profession, including a positive attitude, a sense of duty, integrity and humility,” said SOP Dean Mark Luer, PharmD, FCCP. “It is amazing to see the transformative changes being made by our alumni, and Dr. Sandusky’s decision to step up and lead at the state level exemplifies how one can make a difference.”

SOP Director of Clinical Programs Chris Lynch, PharmD, was one of Sandusky’s mentors. “Cody Sandusky is a truly exceptional young pharmacist with a natural ability to build trust, and forge dynamic personal and professional relationships,” Lynch said. “Although he has always behaved and dressed as if he were a much older – some might say elderly –  man, I am so glad that he has many years of practice and pharmacy leadership ahead.”

Photo: SIUE School of Pharmacy alumnus Cody Sandusky, PharmD, is president of the Illinois Pharmacists Association.

At least a dozen vehicles lined up near the roundabout on the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus awaiting the beginning of a giveaway on Thursday, Sept. 24 that included school supplies, food items, cleaning materials and midterm progress report cards. 

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS) handed out items to 115 families during its Drive-Up, Pick-Up Day, according to Gina Jeffries, EdD, CHS director. 

“We are more than happy to continue showing love, support and encouragement to the wonderful students and their families at the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School,” said Jeffries. 

Items given away during the two-hour event included:

• Pizza
• Fresh fruit
• Fresh vegetables
• Bread
• Turkey slices
• Snacks
• Sketch books and other school supplies
• Phone holders
• Toilet paper
• Paper towels
• Bleach wipes

“We were also able to keep students updated on their academic performance by providing their midterm progress report cards. Our students have adapted well to virtual learning, and their grades were proof of that,” added Jeffries. “In addition, students received an encouraging letter from the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s (SEHHB) Student Support Services.” 

Part of the letter read, “We hope your school year is off to a good start! We know that learning in this new format is challenging, but you are establishing a good foundation for your future in college or the job market! You are learning great skills that many grown-ups are struggling to learn. So, you will be ahead of the game in the next few years.” 

The SIUE Charter High School is a school-of-choice for families in the East St. Louis School District 189. The mission of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School is to prepare students who are career- and college-ready upon graduation. To achieve this mission, the school and its staff will positively impact the educational and economic lives of East St. Louis, Illinois youth through individualized instruction in core academic subjects, exploration of career interests and aptitudes, assistance in realizing students’ talents, high academic goals, and expectations that graduates will become competitive employees for the 21st century. 

Photos:
SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School Director Gina Jeffries gives out a bag full of supplies. 

CHS English teacher Bridget Nelson hands out school supplies. 

A grateful CHS student receives a box of pizza from CHS resource teacher Edith Laktzian.

There is a global shortage of cybersecurity professionals, according to the 2019 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Workforce Demand Report, including more than 25,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in Illinois and Missouri alone.

To meet this critical demand, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Business has launched a new undergraduate cybersecurity specialization.

“The School of Business recognizes how critical cybersecurity has become for businesses of all sizes,” said Tim Jacks, PhD, associate professor and computer management and information systems (CMIS) undergraduate program director. “Various threats, such as denial of services attacks, ransomware, phishing, and cryptojacking are all on the rise. Our program deliberately emphasizes a combination of business and technology skills while offering industry standard certification opportunities.”

Curriculum for the new specialization has been developed by the Department of CMIS following rigorous guidelines published by the Joint Task Force on Cybersecurity Education, the IEEE Computer Society, and the Association for Information systems (AIS). To ensure real-world relevancy of coursework, the department is also leveraging strategic partnerships with local law enforcement, the FBI, Scott Air Force Base, and the Gateway Higher Education Cybersecurity Consortium (GHECC).

Students specializing in cybersecurity will take required coursework in information security while having the opportunity to select electives such as security and analysis, IT audit and control, ethical hacking and penetration testing, and cybercrime. Throughout the program, students will be provided with industry certification opportunities such as Security+, Certified Ethical Hacking, and Certified Information Systems Security Professional.

To provide students with immersive, hands-on cybersecurity experiences, the program offers a unique cyber classroom that emulates a Network Operations Command Center (NOCC). The Ralph and Donna Korte Cyber-Analytics Classroom makes use of large, flat-paneled monitors to display lecture slides, software demonstrations, and real-time dashboards of cyber incidents occurring around the world. A rack of functioning telecommunications equipment provides students with the experience of seeing how firewalls, routers and servers interact and physically connect.

“Having a dedicated space sends a clear signal of how important this is for the School and our students,” said Jacks. “We intend to educate the next generation of students that will protect businesses and keep them operational and safe. These future cybersecurity professionals will enter the workforce having had immersive, interactive learning experiences.”

The Department of Labor forecasts 0% unemployment in the cybersecurity industry in the next 5-7 years. Students completing a bachelor’s in business administration with the cybersecurity specialization will be prepared for entry level positions such as security analysis, security operations, incident response, IT auditing, security provisioning, and threat detection.

For more information, visit siue.edu/business-administration/cybersecurity.

Photo: Tim Jacks, PhD, associate professor and computer management and information systems (CMIS) undergraduate program director.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has selected MaKesha Harris Lee, EdD, as its first director of the new SIUE CORE TEAM (College Readiness: Transition, Engage, Achieve and Mentor) office in enrollment management.

As assistant director for the SIUE Precollegiate Programs two years, Harris Lee led the implementation of precollegiate partnerships with high schools in East St Louis and Collinsville, and developed the Summer Success program at SIUE.

“We have been honored to serve and engage with students during the past two summers through the summer success program,” said Harris Lee. “As a dedicated office, CORE TEAM is committed to the continued success of our precollegiate programs and partnerships.”

“Dr. Harris Lee leads by example,” said Scott Belobrajdic EdD, associate vice chancellor of enrollment management. “She has designed and implemented multiple new initiatives that benefit students and support the SIUE mission. Her work and the work of her unit have a positive impact on the University’s relationship with surrounding communities, new student recruitment and student retention. We appreciate her professional expertise.”

As SIUE CORE TEAM director, Harris Lee will continue to deliver precollegiate student success support through partnerships with local schools and the summer success program. Additionally, the office will launch a financial literacy program with its precollegiate partner schools in collaboration with Ramsey Education, a Dave Ramsey program. The office aims to provide holistic support for high school and incoming SIUE students through a variety of educational and mentorship opportunities.

During her nearly seven-year tenure at SIUE, Harris Lee has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in education and student success. At the start of her role as assistant director, she stated “My mission as the assistant director for pre-collegiate programs and the implementation of a summer success program is to provide support for access to post-secondary education, as well as promote the many resources at SIUE to help them thrive in their holistic development as future college students.”

Harris Lee maintains this mission today and believes the work of SIUE CORE TEAM will not only continue to achieve her original goals in the early stages of her work, but will also allow for growth and expansion of precollegiate efforts.

A Centralia native, Harris Lee joined SIUE in January 2014 as an advisor in the Office of Academic Advising. In 2015, she became a co-facilitator of the Sister Circle mentoring program for first-year women of color, which received the 2017 Great Lakes Association of College & University Housing Officers (GLACUHO) Outstanding Project of the Year Award. In 2016, she became a board member-at-large for the SIUE Black Faculty and Staff Association.

Prior to SIUE, Harris Lee served as the academic advisor for the TRIO Student Support Services program at Kaskaskia College, and a study skills and career development instructor at both Eastern Illinois University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Harris Lee earned a bachelor’s in education and a master’s in college student affairs from Eastern Illinois University. In 2017, she earned a doctorate in higher education leadership at Maryville University in St. Louis.

Photo: MaKesha Harris Lee, EdD, director of the new SIUE CORE TEAM.

“I am large, I contain multitudes,” wrote Walt Whitman in Song of Myself, one of the many poems found in his renowned Leaves of Grass. Whitman’s multitudes have been studied for generations by scholars nationwide, including Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Jason Stacy, PhD.

In his most recent scholarly endeavor, Stacy is joining the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s (UNL) Walt Whitman Archive as an editor contributing to UNL’s three-year, $250,000 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant-funded initiative, entitled “Walt Whitman’s Journalism: Finding the Poet in the Brooklyn Daily Times.”

Stacy and fellow researchers will uncover more of the late poet’s work, by exploring Whitman’s employment at the Brooklyn Daily Times from 1856-1859. Due to the obscurity surrounding Whitman’s career with the Times, the team has decided to utilize computational linguistics to identify his writings and provide clarification on what his work entailed.

“Whitman’s articles from the Brooklyn Daily Times form an important backdrop to Whitman’s changing ideas about sexuality and the American republic in the three years before the Civil War,” said Stacy, professor in the Department of History. “We hope that identifying these editorials and editing them for online publication will further scholars’ work on Whitman’s significant third edition of Leaves of Grass and his evolving understanding of the American republic.”

Beginning in 2021, Stacy will work as an editor alongside Whitman scholars from the UNL, the University of Iowa, Marshall University, New York University, the University of Idaho, and the Pedagogical University of Kraków. During the three-year project period, the team will analyze over 1,500 editorials from the Times, hoping to identify Whitman’s work for publication.

Through this work, contributors hope to settle the debates surrounding when Whitman began and ended his work for the Times, while determining what topics were of special interest to him during such a significant time period. With Stacy’s assistance, the grant team will publish the entirety of Whitman’s identified Times editorials online, in addition to providing a framework for other projects seeking to attribute authorship to anonymous periodical materials.

“Since my graduate work, I’ve been interested in Whitman’s journalism as a way to understand the unusual structure and style of his poetry,” Stacy explained. “My first book concentrated on the ways in which Whitman’s work as a journalist shaped his first edition of Leaves of Grass.”

Stacy later published an annotated version of Whitman’s third edition of Leaves of Grass in 2009. The work’s third edition is considered significant among scholars due to Whitman’s emerging interests in phrenology, sexuality, and the United States during the growing divisions in the years leading up to the American Civil War.

In 2012, the Walt Whitman Archive first scouted Stacy to participate in an NEH Grant entitled “Walt Whitman Before Leaves of Grass.” During the grant period, Stacy and his research assistants edited, annotated and encoded key series from Whitman’s journalism career to be published in the Archive. Since then, Stacy has continued his work with the Archive to edit and publish Whitman’s editorials from the New York Aurora, where he served as editor in the spring of 1842.

Photo: SIUE’s Jason Stacy, PhD, professor in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of History.