Carbondale Calendars and Events
Edwardsville Calendars and Events
East St. Louis Calendars and Events

The SIUC Debate Team cleaned up at Berkeley.  SIUC sent two duos to the University of California at Berkeley, a major tournament that immediately precedes the announcement of season standings for debate teams in the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence.  The rankings place one SIU Carbondale duo second in the nation, and the other duo at third.  At the tournament, the duo of Josh Rivera, a freshman political science major, and Sid Rehg, a sophomore business major — both new to the SIU Carbondale debate program — went undefeated in the preliminary rounds, and mowed down the competition on the way to the final round.  Ultimately they defeated a team from Washburn University to take the top spot in the invitational tournament.  The duo of Ben Campbell, a junior political science major, and Mike Selck, a sophomore speech communication major, winners of the major William Jewell tournament earlier this season, put in a good showing, but did not make it to the final rounds.  However, Selck won an individual award as the top debater of the tournament.

SIUE’s Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Research, Education and Outreach recently was awarded a $10,000 grant from Vernier Software & Technology, based in Beaverton, Ore. SIUE’s STEM Center, as it is called, will use the money for tools to enhance its summer camp programs for area youth. Vernier selected 30 schools in the nation — 10 elementary or middle schools, 10 high schools and 10 colleges or universities — to receive grants to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The awards were given to each institution, based on demonstrated financial need, as well as the inspiring stories each entity provided to explain how the money, if given, would be used. Vernier develops easy-to-use, affordable science interfaces, sensors and graphing/analysis software.

The SIUC Flying Salukis earned the chance to defend their national title by winning the weather-shortened 2011 National Intercollegiate Flying Association’s Region VIII championship on Friday.  The Flying Salukis won each of the five ground events en route to the team’s fourth regional title in five years in the competition, Oct. 17-22, at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn.  The finish marks the 42nd time in 43 years that the Flying Salukis qualify for national competition, and allows the team the opportunity to defend the 2011 NIFA national title it earned in May. The Flying Salukis have a total of eight NIFA titles.  NIFA’s national competition is set for May 14-19, in Salina, Kan.  Kansas State University will host the event.

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.

“Alt.news 26:46,” the student-produced television news program at SIUC, continues to earn praise from industry professionals.  The award-winning half-hour alternative TV news magazine earned an Emmy on Saturday, Oct. 22, from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Mid-America Regional Chapter during ceremonies at the Renaissance Grand St. Louis.  Alt.news 26:46 earned the Emmy in the specialty program category.  In addition, Jan Thompson, an associate professor in radio-television, earned an Emmy in connection with her half-hour documentary, “The Tragedy of Bataan,” which originally aired in spring 2010 on WSIU-TV.  Thompson is also the alt.news 26:46 faculty adviser.  Thompson earned an Emmy in the writer: program/program feature (non-news) category.  This is the 30th overall regional Emmy for alt.news 26:46 dating back to 2001.  Of those awards, 28 are from NATAS’ Mid-America chapter in St. Louis and two are from the Chicago Midwest Chapter.

An award named in memory of a former SIUC administrator known for his generosity to international students has been presented for the first time.  Yuan Bingxin, doctoral student from China studying chemistry and biochemistry, is this year’s recipient of the Willis Swartz Graduate Student Award.  Scholarships will be presented on an annual basis through income generated from the Willis Swartz endowment.  Preference is given to international and incoming graduate students.  The Willis Swartz Graduate Student Award Endowment was established to honor the work of Willis Swartz, who was hired to chair the department of government at SIU Carbondale in 1930.  He became the first chairman of the graduate council in 1943, and seven years later, Swartz was named the first dean of SIU Carbondale’s Graduate School.  Additionally, Swartz, who served the University for 35 years, was chosen to direct foreign student programs at SIU Carbondale in 1947.

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.”

SIUC’s University Housing is recognized for its efforts toward sustainability and being “green.”  The Lighten the Load initiative award from Mac-Gray, a leading campus laundry service, recognizes the University as “Carbon Neutral.”  The goal of the effort is to reduce laundry equipment greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible and offset unavoidable emissions.  Through the installation and use of energy and water-efficient washers and dryers, the Carbondale campus laundry has drastically reduced its carbon footprint and energy consumption.  SIUC is the second institution of higher learning in the state and the first public university to earn the Carbon Neutral recognition.  The University’s commitment to sustainability is strong and long-standing.  SIUC joined the University Leaders for a Sustainable Future and in 1999 was the first school in Illinois to sign the Talloires Declaration -- a statement by university administrators in support of sustainability and sound environmental teaching and research.

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.

Ceremonies for SIUC’s fall 2011 commencement are set.  The ceremonies will be at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 17.  Graduate School students will participate in the ceremony of their individual academic unit.  The schedule is as follows:

• 9:30 a.m.  -- College of Agricultural Sciences, College of Applied Sciences and Arts, College of Business, and College of Education and Human Services.
• 1:30 p.m. -- School of Law, College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts, College of Mass Communication and Media Arts, and the College of Science.

Native American Heritage Month at SIUC is a celebration of the diverse Native American population and also a chance to learn more about and enjoy a rich culture.  Throughout the month of November, there are special events including meals, presentations, films, a farrier clinic, beading, dancing, music and even a bison cookout.  For more information about the activities, contact Nichole Boyd at (618)201-7953 or by email at siunaso@hotmail.com.  Learn about the Native American Studies minor at SIU Carbondale by contacting Gray Whaley at (618)453-4391 (email gwhaley@siu.edu) or Anthony Webster at (618)536-6651 (email awebster@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.

A research scientist at the SIU School of Medicine in Springfield has been awarded two federal grants from the National Cancer Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health.  These grants will fund the study microRNAs or master gene regulators in cancer. They have a combined budget of $2,094,508.  Yin-Yuan Mo, associate professor of medical microbiology, immunology and cell biology, is the principal investigator for the projects.  He also is a member of the Simmons Cancer Institute at SIU.  Mo’s research has been funded for seven years by NIH, the U.S. Department of Defense and private industry and totals $4.8 million.

The SIUC football Salukis host Illinois State on Saturday, Oct. 29, for the Maroon Out game.  Kickoff at Saluki Stadium is set for 2:30 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 watch the game on WSIU, Channel 8.  Head coach Dale Lennon needs one win to tie Carmen Piccone for the sixth most victories in school history with 28.