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

The State Farm® Companies Foundation has donated more than $44,000 to update and enhance technology programs at SIUC.  The grant is going to three different departments within SIUC.  The information systems and applied technologies school in the College of Applied Sciences and Arts is getting $23,360, while $20,000 is going to the College of Business and Administration for its global e-commerce back-end technology integration lab.  The mathematics department receives $1,000 for a classroom response "clicker" system for its Introduction to Contemporary Mathematics course.  Both undergraduate and graduate management students utilize the e-commerce lab.  The donation brings to the lab five new workstations, along with networking and interfacing equipment for their utilization.  Essentially, the enhanced lab allows students to explore development of web software, enterprise resource management systems and databases as well as simulate the entire supply chain from initial supplies to end users, and much more.

SIUC student Jarin E. Dunnigan has a nice addition to his resume.  Not only is he the 2008 SIUC Student Employee of the Year, he is also the 2008 State of Illinois Student Employee of the Year.  Dunnigan receives a $400 scholarship.  As the statewide winner, Dunnigan also receives a $75 cash award from the Midwest Association of Student Employment Administrators and a certificate of award in conjunction with the National Student Employment Association.  Dunnigan will graduate next month with two bachelor's degrees, one in administration of justice with a minor in forensic science, and the other in psychology.  Dunnigan joined the SIUC Department of Public Safety Saluki Patrol in April 2006.  He started as an officer and is now a lieutenant with the patrol.  In his current position, he supervises 16 other student employees.

Even during summer, the SIUE campus is a hive of activity, as the University offers a wide range of courses designed for the summer student’s schedule, as well as camps, art and music activities, and a variety of science-related activities for children ages eight to 18.  The deadline for enrolling in summer courses is April 25.  Those who want to stretch their education dollar will find that summer session is an excellent time to enroll because summer fees are less expensive than fall and spring semesters.  And, for more savings, living on campus during summer term is significantly less expensive than fall or spring semesters.  The deadline for degree-seeking students to apply for financial aid for summer 2008 is June 30.  For more information, visit the Web site:  www.siue.edu/summer

SIUC will host a symposium that looks at Illinois' fiscal condition and how the current state budget affects its citizens.  The symposium, "The State Budget: Priorities and Pressures," is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday, April 23, in Student Center Ballroom D. Illinois Comptroller Daniel W. Hynes will present the keynote address.  The panel discussion will look at Illinois' budget woes and analyze the state's response in addressing the issue.  Participants will examine the gap between the state's spending and revenue and consider the impact today's decisions will have on the long-term fiscal health of the state.  The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, and the Donors Forum are sponsoring the symposium.

Gordon C. Bruner II, a marketing professor in SIUCs College of Business and Administration, has been named one of the "Most Cited Internet Advertising Authors" by the Journal of Advertising.  Two of Bruner's articles were also among the Journal's list of "Most Cited Internet-Related Papers."  The Journal of Advertising is the premier publication devoted to the development of advertising theory and its relationship to practice.  The Journal provides a public forum where ideas about advertising are expressed.  All papers published in the Journal go through a rigorous, double-blind, peer review process.  Bruner is renowned for his books that provide a compilation of measurement scales used in market research.  Bruner has also made a name for himself through his cutting-edge research on technology and consumer behavior.  Since 2002, Bruner has partnered with a major telecommunications company on several projects.

The SIUE School of Engineering has announced three exciting summer programs for high school students who currently have freshman, sophomore or junior standing.  The programs, to be conducted by Engineering faculty, will include thought-provoking and fun activities involving soccer-playing robots, video game programming, digital audio and video, alternative energy sources, designing and building a bridge with the help of high-tech laser scanners, and simulation games.  Engineering Dean Hasan Sevim said high school students don’t often think in terms of pursuing an engineering career.  Recent studies suggest that only a small percentage of teenagers think that engineers are sensitive to societal concerns, and an even smaller percentage think that the work of engineers contribute to saving lives.  Details of the programs, including application materials and instructions, also are available on the Web site: www.siue.edu/engineering

In recognition of the problem of medically uninsured, the SIU School of Medicine, its affiliated hospitals, Memorial Medical Center and St. John's Hospital, and the Sangamon County Medical Society and its alliance have again joined a national grass-roots campaign known as Cover the Uninsured.  Nearly 47 million Americans, more than 15 percent of the U.S. population, were without health insurance in 2007.  The local CTUW effort is part of a campaign sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, including an awareness week during April 27 - May 3.  The group will hold a free public program to spotlight the plight of the uninsured in conjunction with CTUW.  The forum is at 6 p.m. Monday, April 28, at Bunn Auditorium, St. John's Hospital, 800 E. Carpenter St., Springfield.

You never know what the day's mail might bring.  For Carma Gorman, associate professor of art history and head of the academic area of the School of Art and Design at SIUC, it was notification that the Organization of American Historians named her essay from "American Quarterly" one of the 10 best American history essays of the year.  The book, "The Best American History Essays 2008," is the third annual volume in a series published through the OAH.  This volume includes history articles published between the summers of 2006 and 2007.  The collection provides an overview of the top work and important trends in the study of American history.  Gorman's essay is titled, "Educating the Eye: Body Mechanics and Streamlining in the United States, 1925-1950.”  Her article seeks to explain why, after 1925, the products of "formerly artless industries" - such as eyeglasses, typewriters and automobiles - shifted from purely utilitarian to more streamlined and attractive models.

The SIU Board of Trustees recently awarded more than $18.3 million in contracts for two proposed construction projects on the SIUE campus.  In addition, the board awarded a $218,960 contract for electrical work in an upgrade to the SIUE School of Engineering's Environmental Resources Training Center (ERTC).  Contracts worth $10,910,055 were awarded to several companies to construct the proposed SIUE Student Success Center approved by the SIU Board in September.  In January, a contract worth $1,965,000 was awarded to L. Wolf Company of Granite City to relocate utilities in anticipation of construction of the proposed center.  The entire project is being funded through a student success center fee, created in 2006 by a student referendum, and by the sale of revenue bonds to be paid off through center fees.  The new 68,000-square-foot center, to be constructed adjacent to SIUE's Morris University Center, will consolidate academic support service functions currently spread throughout campus.

"Good Night From Carbondale," the long-awaited CD audio book, is now available through the SIU Alumni Association.  The CD audio book chronicles some of the best moments from the past 30 years of SIUC football and basketball through the broadcasts of SIUC alumnus Mike "Voice of the Salukis" Reis.  The CD also features narration from former WCIL radio personality and also an SIUC alumnus John Riley.  The CD is available through the SIU Alumni Association's Web site at www.siualumni.com, by visiting the association's campus offices in Colyer Hall or the SIUC Student Center, or by calling (618)453-2408.  A portion of the proceeds will fund the new "Mike Reis Scholarship," to be awarded to select members of the SIUC Dawg Pound, the name given to the vocal Saluki student fan base.

The Saluki football team, under the direction of new head coach Dale Lennon, will hold its annual spring scrimmage on Saturday at 1 p.m. at McAndrew Stadium.  Admission to the scrimmage is free, and players will be available afterward to sign autographs for fans.

The SIUE School of Nursing is bringing Pandemic Flu: Are You Ready?  to campus during a seminar from 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, May 2, in the Hickory-Hackberry Room on the second floor of SIUE’s Morris University Center.  The event will focus on developing a pandemic plan for businesses; establishing planning efforts to tackle global pandemics; examining the history of pandemics in the United States; differentiating between pandemic flu and seasonal flu; and using personal protection equipment.  Admission is free and lunch will be provided.