Carbondale Calendars and Events
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East St. Louis Calendars and Events

SIUC is making final preparations for the SIUC Technology and Innovation Expo, which will feature speakers, networking opportunities, great food and a new product launch.  The event, set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, at the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, will cater to a broad audience of researchers, business professionals, entrepreneurs and the general public. Inventors will show off their creations that they developed at SIUC and have patented and prepared for commercialization. The inventions on display span the spectrum of architecture, biotechnology, medical devices, energy and environment. The inventors will be available to answer questions and demonstrate their wares.  At day’s end, event organizers will play host at a reception from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Those attending will have the opportunity to network and browse the many exhibits and sponsor displays, as well as get a glimpse into the progress of technology at SIUC.  Tickets for the event are $15 each. To register, go to http://techtransfer.siuc.edu/tie/ or call (618)536-7751.

“Eighty Moods of Maya Angelou,” a photographic exhibit from Lovejoy Library’s Eugene B. Redmond Collection at SIUE, focuses on the poet, educator, performer and best-selling author Maya Angelou. The exhibit recently opened and is on display at Lovejoy Library on the SIUE campus, and will run through the end of October. The exhibit has been described as a testament to the rich and enduring friendship between Angelou and Redmond, professor emeritus of English language and literature at SIUE. Howard Rambsy II, assistant professor of English language and literature, is the exhibit’s curator. Angelou was born April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, spending part of her childhood there before moving to Stamps, Ark., where she endured the effects of racial discrimination but began developing a deep awareness of the value and values of black folk culture as well as African American artistic thought. Over the years, Angelou increased her interest in the arts, taking up dance, acting, singing and creative writing. In 1970, her bestselling autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, was published. Since then she has authored dozens of other celebrated books.

Five undergraduate engineering programs at SIUC recently underwent accreditation review and received approval from a top accrediting organization.  The Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology Inc. approved the College of Engineering undergraduate programs.  Those programs include degrees issued by four departments in the college, including the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering & Energy Processes and the Department of Mining & Mineral Resources Engineering.  U.S. colleges and universities use a peer review process to ensure program quality and institutions undergo reviews voluntarily. ABET accreditation means a program meets quality standards established by the profession for which it prepares students.

A recent public hearing to address cuts to the state’s Monetary Award Program (MAP) funding this spring drew personal stories about the importance of the program from student perspectives. About a dozen students offered public testimonies about the relevance of the funding in helping them achieve their goals of earning undergraduate degrees. The public hearing was held prior to a meeting on campus of members of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), the group that administers the funding. ISAC recently launched saveillinoismapgrants.org, a Web site dedicated to educating the public, as well as the media and lawmakers, about the MAP program and the roughly 138,000 college students in Illinois who benefit from it.

There’s going to be a big birthday party at the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center at SIUC and the “guest” of honor is the Illinois Small Business Development Center, best known as the ISBDC.  The Sept. 29 celebration recognizes 25 years helping create, develop and grow Southern Illinois, one business at a time. The reception is 4:30-6 p.m. at the ISBDC, located in the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, 150 E. Pleasant Hill Road in Carbondale.  Plans call for SIU President Glenn Poshard to speak at 5 p.m. Honored guests include past and present clients, former directors, financial institutions and all those who have played a part in the success of the ISBDC. Many of the center’s clients will be showcasing their services and products during the festivities. The public is welcome.  For more information about the ISBDC or the celebration of the services the ISBDC provides call (618)536-2424 or check the Web site at www.southernillinois.biz.

Two events involving SIUC’s Morris Library will mark the annual observance of Banned Books Week.  This is the 28th American Library Association celebration of the freedom to read. Morris Library is hosting a campus discussion about that very freedom Oct. 1 in the library auditorium. Megan Lotts, fine arts librarian, will discuss censorship and banned books with her University 101 class from 12:35 to 1:50 p.m.  You can also hear excerpts from a variety of “challenged” materials at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 1, at Longbranch Coffeehouse in Carbondale. Morris Library faculty and staff will be reading selections from books as diverse as “King Lear,” “The Age of Reason” and “The Lord of the Rings.” There will be free cookies and coffee for those attending.  For more information about either of these activities, or participating, contact Melissa Hubbard, Morris Library’s rare book librarian, via e-mail at mhubbard@lib.siu.edu or by calling (618)453-3269.

SIUE has reached the largest overall enrollment in the history of the school at 13,940, breaking the previous high of 13,700 recorded in 1970. The record enrollment numbers were released on the heels of U.S. News & World Report ranking SIUE as one of the “Top Up-And-Coming Schools” in the nation, fifth among Midwest master’s granting institutions and among 77 schools from all degree categories throughout the country. In the “Top Up-And-Coming Schools” category, SIUE was cited in U.S. News by its peers and reported as an “up and coming school firmly focused on improving the job they’re doing today.” All the rankings are in the magazine’s Best Colleges of 2010 issue that hit newsstands last month. SIUE Provost Paul Ferguson released the fall numbers, which include undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. The new freshman class of 1,940 is up from 1,922, representing the largest group of new freshmen ever. The figures represent the fifth consecutive year of growth in new freshmen enrolled at SIUE.

A man remembered for his deep commitment to SIUC students will continue to have an influence on the lives of young people in the College of Agricultural Sciences.  Walter J. Wills, professor emeritus of agricultural economics, bequeathed more than $1 million to the University’s College of Agricultural Sciences. This gift will support various areas within the College of Agricultural Sciences and endow scholarships according to the specifications and wishes of the estate.  Wills was hired in 1956, just a year after the University established its College of Agriculture. He chaired the agricultural industries department for 15 years and served the University for 27 years until his retirement in 1983.  He died in 2000 at the age of 84.

SIUE’s International Trade Center (ITC) will present two sessions — at SIUE and then at SIU Carbondale — of a seminar that will help area businesses and lenders take full advantage of export lending and credit protection programs from the U.S. Government. “Illinois Export Finance” will be presented on the SIUE campus from noon-6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, in the Hickory-Hackberry Room, on the second floor of the Morris University Center, and on the SIUC campus from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, in the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center. Registration begins 30 minutes before each session. Representatives from Associated Bank, the Small Business Administration and the Export-Import Bank will make presentations. All speakers will be available for one-on-one meetings during the program. Appointments will be arranged on a first-come-first-served basis.

A book that looks at the journalistic and early political career of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon is now available, with a book signing featuring the author set for early October.  “Paul Simon: The Political Journey of an Illinois Original,” is written by former newspaper editor and Illinois political historian Robert E. Hartley.  The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is hosting a book signing and reception from 10 to 11:30 a.m., Monday, Oct. 5, with Hartley delivering brief remarks at 10:30 a.m. The SIU Press published the book.  The 304-page book looks at Simon’s early career as a weekly newspaper editor and publisher, and also closely examines Simon’s years in the General Assembly and as lieutenant governor.  The Bookworm, 618 E. Walnut St., in the Eastgate Shopping Center, Carbondale, is coordinating book sales for the Oct. 5 event at the Simon institute. Copies of the book will be available for sale at the institute or before the event at The Bookworm, which has copies available.

The No. 8 SIUC football Salukis host North Dakota State in the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for both schools at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, in McAndrew Stadium.  The Salukis are looking to avenge their loss to NDSU last season - it was their only conference loss on the year.  An offensive outburst could be on hand, as both the Bison and Salukis are ranked in the top six nationally in scoring offense.  SIUC has won its last seven conference openers and are 12-12 all-time in MVFC openers.  The Dawgs are coming off one of the most prolific offensive outbursts in school history. In the 59-7 win over Southwest Baptist Sept. 19, SIUC stacked up the second most yards (699) in a game in program history.  The Salukis enter the game seeking their 399th all-time victory.