Carbondale Calendars and Events
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East St. Louis Calendars and Events

An internationally known expert on preserving one of Europe’s most important rivers will give a presentation during an afternoon of watershed conservation discussions at SIUC next month.  SIUC’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program in Watershed Science and Policy, along with the University’s Center for Ecology, is sponsoring Philip Weller, executive secretary of the United Nations-based International Commission for the Protection of Danube River, Austria.  Weller’s presentation will follow a workshop, sponsored by the IGERT program and the SIUC Global Media Research Center, on rivers, watersheds and conservation issues.  The workshop, which includes several presentations, is set for 1-4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7, in Ballroom B at the Student Center.  Weller’s presentation is set for 4-5 p.m. at the same location.  The IGERT program at SIUC, funded with a $3.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation, reaches across disciplines to educate new watershed scientists in a variety of experiences and opportunities as they earn their doctorates.

SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift recently served as a panelist during a round table event, “Chemistry and Society:  Enlightenment and the Responsibilities of the Enlightened,” at the regional meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) held in St. Louis. Other panelists included Mark S. Wrighton, chancellor and professor of chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis, Susan Fitzpatrick, vice president of the James S. McDonnell Foundation and Bassam Shakhashiri, professor of chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who also is the president-elect of the ACS. Leah O’Brien, distinguished research professor of chemistry at SIUE, was the meeting’s general chair. Several SIUE faculty members offered presentations and participated. The meeting, which took place at the Sheraton Westport Chalet, featured many prominent education and industry leaders.

Greg M. Cayon, the director of aviation and business travel for the Kohler Co. and a former presidential pilot for Air Force One, is the featured speaker at the 2011 “Aviation in the Future” banquet later this month at SIUC.  The banquet is Friday, Oct. 28, and coincides with the aviation program’s 17th annual career fair earlier in the day.  Banquet doors open at 6:30 p.m. in the Student Center’s Ballroom D, and there is a reception that starts at 5:30 p.m.  The aviation career fair is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Student Center Ballrooms A, B. and C, and approximately 25 aviation-related firms are expected.  In addition, an aviation career panel featuring several speakers from various aviation fields will hold a discussion at 2 p.m. in the Student Center Auditorium.  The career fair and career panel are free to students and open to all majors, not just aviation majors.

SIUE is an outstanding business school, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company features the school in the new 2012 edition of its book, “The Best 294 Business Schools.” According to Princeton Review Senior VP-Publisher Robert Franek, “We chose the 294 business schools in this book based on our high opinion of their academic programs and offerings, as well as our review of institutional data we collect from the schools. We also strongly consider the candid opinions of students attending the schools that rate and report on their campus experiences at their schools on our survey for the book.” “The Best 294 Business Schools: 2012 Edition” has two-page profiles of the schools with write-ups on their academics, student life, and admissions, plus ratings for their academics, selectivity, and career placement services. In the profile of SIUE, The Princeton Review editors describe the school as: “convenient, affordable and located close to a metropolitan area.” They quote students attending SIUE who say “The School is great for students who want a great education but cannot afford to pay inflated tuition.”

Human rights activist Deborah Brown will present a lecture on “The Arab Spring and Its Impact on U.S. Foreign Policy” at SIUC.  Brown’s presentation is at 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 24, in the Hiram H. Lesar Building auditorium at the SIU School of Law.  The lecture is free and open to the public.  A reception at the law school will follow.  The lecture is on United Nations Day, which celebrates the 66th anniversary of the U.N.’s founding. The Southern Illinois chapter of the United Nations Association of the U.S.A., the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, and SIU School of Law are event sponsors.  Brown is the first Leo Nevas Human Rights Fellow of the UNA-USA, a program of the United Nations Foundation, said Olga Weidner, president of the Southern Illinois Chapter of UNA-USA.  Brown has a “strong interest in human rights and governance issues in the Middle East,” and lived and traveled throughout much of the region, according to a recent UNA-USA news release.

If something you have created could be defined as visual art, the ninth annual SIUC Process, Performance, Projection (PPP IX) art show may well be place for you to share it with area artists and art lovers.  PPP IX is an event highlighting new and experimental work in alternative media.  Artists, broadly defined, from the SIU Carbondale School of Art and Design, School of Music, departments of Theater and Speech Communication, and the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts -- or from any department, school or college on campus -- including undergraduate and graduate student and faculty are all welcome to offer submissions for the art show.  The exhibition runs Nov. 15-18 at the Surplus Gallery (in the Glove Factory at 432 S. Washington Ave.).  Gallery hours for this exhibit are noon to 5 p.m. with a closing reception 6-9 p.m. on Nov. 18.  Direct questions to Alex Lopez at alxlpz@siu.edu, Travis Janssen at travisj@siu.edu, or Mark Pease at markpease@siu.edu.  To download an application, go to http://www.artanddesign.siuc.edu/ and click on the PPP IX icon.

U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R, Illinois-19, received the “Fueling Growth” award, a national award for his dedication and support of the ethanol industry. The award is from Growth Energy, a national organization of producers and supporters of ethanol. The award was given during a 3 p.m. reception held at the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC), which is located in SIUE’s University Park. Illinois ranks third in U.S. ethanol production, which will total more than 14 billion gallons this year. Ethanol now accounts for more than 10 percent of the nation’s domestic fuel consumption.

A conference at SIUC later this month will offer local educators and school officials a chance to share ideas for increasing student interest in social studies and civics education.  “Putting Action in Civics Education: We Can Do Better,” is Wednesday, Oct. 26, in the Student Center Ballrooms. The conference, sponsored by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, will focus on successful approaches for teaching civics in rural school districts, curriculum and teacher development, and using information technology in the classroom.  The conference is from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.   Gery J. Chico, chair of the Illinois State Board of Education, will deliver the keynote address, discussing the need for civics education and his experiences as an educational leader.  Chico’s address will be available via live stream for free on the Institute’s website, paulsimoninstitute.org/.  Pre-conference online registration is required and available on the Institute’s website.  The registration deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 24.  For more information, contact Emily Burke, Institute program coordinator, at (618)453-4009, or by email at eburke@siu.edu.

In just a little more than 5 years, Dr. Jessica Kerr, a pharmacist and associate professor of pharmacy practice in the SIUE School of Pharmacy, has written curriculum, trained pharmacists to become diabetes coaches in collaboration with the Illinois Pharmacists Association (IPhA), been instrumental in establishing immunization programs throughout Illinois — including ones at SIUE — and has created a statewide student competition for patient counseling. So it came as no surprise when IPhA recently selected Dr. Jessica Kerr to receive the Illinois Pharmacist of the Year Award, said Dr. Gireesh Gupchup, a pharmacist and dean of the SIUE School of Pharmacy. Kerr also is a past recipient of the Illinois Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year Award, which she received in 2007. She earned her doctorate in pharmacy in 2001 from the St. Louis College of Pharmacy and joined the SIUE faculty in 2005.

SIUC’s Core Institute, which holds the country’s largest database about drinking and other drug use by college students, is now partnering with EverFi, Inc., the nation’s leading online alcohol education company.  The partnership promotes the integrated use of the partners’ services, bringing together the Core Alcohol and Other Drug Survey and the AlcoholEdu for College course.  Thus, the Core endorses and promotes AlcoholEdu, the only intervention program that a National Institutes of Health-funded study found effective in reducing alcohol problems among college freshmen.  In addition, as EverFi works with its campus partners, the company will actively promote use of the Core survey to assess student substance use.  With funding from the U.S. Department of Education, the Core Institute developed the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey to measure the use of alcohol and other drugs as well as attitudes and perceptions among college students at both two-year and four-year institutes.  EverFi also offers educational platforms focusing on financial literacy, student loan management, digital responsibility and cyber bullying, in use by more than 3,000 high schools and institutions of higher learning this academic year.

Andreas Stefik, assistant professor in the department of computer science at SIUE, received the 2011 Java Innovation Award at the recent JavaOne Conference in San Francisco, Calif. The award, also known as the Duke’s Choice Award, recognizes extreme innovation in the world of Java technology and is granted to the most innovative projects using the Java platform. Stefik and his team of researchers were recognized for working to make the NetBeans development environment accessible to the blind and visually impaired.  NetBeans is a specialized computer program that facilitates software development. Computer programming is more challenging for the blind and visually impaired due to its visual orientation.  With support from the National Science Foundation’s Broadening Participation in Computing program, Stefik’s research team aims to empower blind and visually impaired individuals to overcome the barriers of programming and ultimately obtain careers in the computing profession.

A personal trainer will be available to develop an exercise program for individuals experiencing cancer treatment through the Side-by-Side program at Simmons Cancer Institute at the SIU School of Medicine.  The program is free to cancer patients at SCI’s Side-by-Side Wellness Center, 315 W. Carpenter St., Springfield, beginning October 14.  Certified personal trainer Charlie Davis, who also is a cancer survivor, has worked with patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, heart conditions, and Alzheimer’s Disease.  He said his own experience with cancer led him to work with others who have a life-threatening illness.  To schedule an appointment with Davis, call Ellen Brotzman-DeSart at (217)545-0798 weekdays.

The football Salukis head to University of Northern Iowa on Saturday, Oct. 22, for a matchup with the No. 2 team in the nation.  Kickoff is set for 3:05 p.m.  Fans can listen to the game on the Saluki Sports Network with the call of Hall of Fame broadcaster Mike Reis, who will be joined by Gene Green and Joel Sambursky.  Tune into WVZA 105.1 in Carbondale to hear Reis' call.  Fans can also watch the game on WSIU-TV, Channel 8.  The 2011 season marks the 99th year of football at Southern Illinois and the 96 season fielding a team (SIU did not have teams in 1918, 1920 and 1943 because of the World Wars.