SIU President's Communique (11-04-2011)

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Weekly Communiqué (November 4, 2011)

SIUC Student Earns Lincoln Student Laureate Honor
Occupy Movement Coming to SIUE
SIUC’s Physician Assistant Program Ranks among Nation’s Best
SIUC Student Team Wins Award from U.S. EPA
Legislators, Officials Unveiled $3.5 Million in Equipment at NCERC
SIUC Extern Program Application Deadline is Nov. 18
Workshop for Manufacturers Set For Nov. 17 at SIUC
SIUE School of Business Again Named Outstanding Business School
SIU Medical School Professor Named ‘Top Doctor’ For 10th Consecutive Year
Football Salukis to Take On South Dakota State

1. SIUC Student Earns Lincoln Student Laureate Honor

Volunteerism is a way of life — something “near and dear” to the heart of Anthony Graham, a senior at SIUC from Mt. Vernon. But, while giving untold hours and energies helping others, he’s also avid about maintaining academic excellence, serving his country and being involved in causes that matter to him. For this and more, Graham is a 2011 Student Laureate Award recipient from The Lincoln Academy of Illinois. Graham will join a select group of honorees from throughout the state’s universities and colleges at a special awards ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Old State Capitol House of Representatives Chamber. In honor of overall excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities, each will receive the Student Laureate Medallion, a certificate of achievement and a $500 monetary grant. Plans also call for the award winners to attend a luncheon at the executive mansion with Gov. Pat Quinn as host. After earning his bachelor’s degree next spring, Graham plans to pursue a master’s of divinity in either humanist studies or Unitarian Universalist ministry and then a doctorate in anthropology of religion. He said his career goal is to become a professor at a four-year university and become one of, if not the first, secular humanist chaplains in the U.S. Army.

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2. Occupy Movement Coming to SIUE

People wrote their complaints on a “Wall of Grievances” in the Morris University Center (MUC) cafeteria last week and will hold a rally in the Morris Quadrangle on the SIUE campus Nov. 9. The University is one of many sites for the nationwide, organized non-violent demonstration called: “Occupy Wall Street.” The movement has spread to cities, municipalities and schools across the country. According to the movement’s website, the message is that 1 percent of the nation — identified as bankers, politicians and corporate persons — possesses the majority of the country’s wealth and has a stranglehold over the other 99 percent. The site states that mass groups of people are “occupying” outdoor places and holding rallies in support of what began in New York’s financial district Sept. 17. The group describes itself as “a leaderless, people-driven crusade for democracy.” More information about “Occupy SIUE” is available at occupystl.org, occupysiue.tumblr.com, facebook.com/OccupySIUE or youtube.com/user/OccupySIUE. Those interested in learning more can contact occupysiue@gmail.com. For national coverage of “Occupy Wall Street,” visit occupywallstreet.org.

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3. SIUC’s Physician Assistant Program Ranks among Nation’s Best

Recent graduates of SIUC’s acclaimed physician assistant program are among the best in the nation. The 29 graduates who took the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants national certification exam collectively earned the highest national percentile class scores in program history, enabling SIUC to rank among the top three percent of physician assistant programs in the nation. In addition, a recent statistical compilation of graduates dating back to the first graduating class in 1999 shows that 57 percent of the physician assistants work in rural communities, fulfilling one of the program’s goals. The PA program started in 1997. The School of Allied Health in the College of Applied Sciences and Arts offers the program in cooperation with the SIU School of Medicine.

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4. SIUC Student Team Wins Award from U.S. EPA

A team of engineering and science students at SIUC has won an award from the U.S. government for its members’ efforts in finding better, more sustainable ways to promote quality of life for humans while protecting the environment. The students, led by Manoj Mohanty, professor of mining and mineral resources engineering in the College of Engineering, won a “P3” award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. P3 stands for people, prosperity and planet, all of which the agency strives to protect and promote by offering the award and contest. The team’s entry proposal was titled “Sustainable Utilization of Coal Combustion Byproducts through the Production of High Grade Minerals and Cement-less Green Concrete.” Its goals are finding ways to extract valuable minerals from coal ash and manufacturing concrete using coal byproducts. For the past eight years, the U.S. EPA has solicited applications for its P3 program. The proposals are aimed at conducting research and developing and designing solutions for real life issues involving sustainability.

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5. Legislators, Officials Unveiled $3.5 Million in Equipment at NCERC

Legislators, local dignitaries, SIU and SIU Edwardsville administrators, and industry leaders recently met at the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) in SIUE’s University Park to witness the unveiling of nearly $3.5 million in equipment, made possible through the generous support of Cereal Process Technologies, LLC (CPT) of Overland Park, Kansas, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The equipment will facilitate the process of corn fractionation, which will pave the way for the NCERC to conduct training and advanced ethanol research at the country’s only pilot scale ethanol facility. SIU System President Glenn Poshard talked about the importance of the new technology in taking the NCERC to the next level. NCERC Director John Caupert said the gift will help the Center in its efforts to reduce dependence on imported foreign oil and generate jobs, as well as improve the environment through the promotion and use of renewable fuels.

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6. SIUC Extern Program Application Deadline is Nov. 18

Juniors and seniors at SIUC can apply now to participate in the University’s award-winning Extern Program. The application deadline is Nov. 18 at 4 p.m. The SIU Alumni Association and Student Alumni Council, in conjunction with SIU Carbondale’s undergraduate colleges, administer the Extern Program during the University’s spring break March 12-16. Established in 1984 by the SIU Alumni Association, the Extern Program matches juniors and seniors with alumni and friends in professional work environments throughout the country to learn more about their chosen career fields. Throughout spring break, externs are given the opportunity to apply skills learned in the classroom to a professional setting. Externs participate in meetings, attend employee training sessions, and complete projects. Sponsors offer career advice to students and guidance on how to obtain jobs within the industry.

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7. Workshop for Manufacturers Set For Nov. 17 at SIUC

An upcoming interactive educational workshop will provide instruction and production worker roles in a simulated production facility to give small- and medium-size manufacturers the opportunity to learn how to increase productivity and improve quality. “Lean Overview with Simulation” is set for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 17 at the John A. Logan College Workforce Development Building, Room H123, in Carterville. Sponsors include Southern Illinois University Carbondale, the Illinois Manufacturing Extension Center, John A. Logan College, and the Illinois Small Business Development Center/International Trade Center at SIU. Participants will begin the workshop as traditional production workers and will learn to apply techniques to align work areas and business processes for maximum efficiency, quality and safety and to eliminate unnecessary motion and inventory while saving time and resources. They will work in “shifts” and learn from previous shifts, deciding what works best in light of available resources, funding and worker resistance to change. To register, call IMEC at (618)453-3829 or register online at www.imec.org under the “Events” heading. The registration deadline is Nov. 14.

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8. SIUE School of Business Again Named Outstanding Business School

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.”

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9. SIU Medical School Professor Named ‘Top Doctor’ For 10th Consecutive Year

Dr. John Godwin, professor and chief of the hematology and oncology division in the Department of Internal Medicine at SIU’s School of Medicine in Springfield has been named one of America’s Top Doctors for the 10th consecutive year. The award was issued by Castle Connolly Medical, Ltd. Godwin is also the associate director of Simmons Cancer Institute. According to its website, Castle Connolly’s mission is to help consumers find the best health care. Only a tiny percentage of physicians earn the prestigious recognition of America's Top Doctors. Even fewer have earned it 10 years in a row. This truly indicates that Dr. Godwin is one of the best in his profession,” the notification read. Godwin specializes in acute and chronic leukemias, lymphoma, myeloproliferative diseases, myelodysplastic syndrome, bleeding and clotting disorders, head and neck, and lung cancer

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10. Football Salukis to Take On South Dakota State

The SIUC football Salukis travel to Brookings, S.D. for a matchup with the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Nov. 5. Kickoff is set for 2 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. The 2011 season marks the 99th year of football at Southern Illinois and the 96th season fielding a team. SIU, first in the MVFC in passing defense, is the only team in the conference to allow fewer than 200 yards per game passing, but SDSU leads the conference in passing offense by more than 65 yards per game. Jayson DiManche has climbed into the top 20 in school history in career tackles for loss. Head coach Dale Lennon needs one win to tie Carmen Piccone for the sixth most victories in school history with 28.

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