(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Construction contracts totaling $433,073 have been awarded to four Southwestern Illinois companies to renovate the building at 200 University Park Drive for use by the new Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy.
The action was taken recently by the SIU Board of Trustees Executive Committee, which awarded the contracts to L. Wolf Company of Granite City, for general contracting ($222,550); Pyramid Electrical Contractors of Fairview Heights, for electrical ($76,240); France Mechanical of Edwardsville, for plumbing ($89,800); and GRP Mechanical Co. of Bethalto, for ventilation ($44,483).
Both parts of the project—this renovation of 15,000 square feet at 200 University Park and construction of a new 15,000-square-foot building at 220 University Park Drive—will provide space for labs, classrooms, and offices. Bids for the new construction, totaling $3.26 million, were awarded in October. Total cost of the project is estimated at $5 million and will be funded through issuance of certificates of participation to be retired with revenue generated by tuition from Pharmacy students.
The entire project was approved by the board at its Sept. 11 meeting. The board also earlier this year gave the executive committee authority to award bids to expedite the project's completion by the beginning of Fall Semester 2005.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Robert Legate, associate director of University Housing Facilities Management at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, recently received the Outstanding Facilities Management Award from the Great Lakes Association of College and University Housing Officers (GLACUHO) at its annual meeting in Cleveland on Nov. 8.
Legate was cited for his contributions to SIUE and excellence in his field, including his commitment to student learning, dedication to team building and empowerment, and customer service excellence, among others.
In his 20 years of service to the university, Legate has been involved in the construction of three residence halls and a major renovation of an apartment complex. In addition he has coordinated with SIUE's Environmental Health and Safety committee, a self-sustaining recycling plant on campus, and created stronger relationships with the campus community.
Before accepting his current position at the university, Legate was an undergraduate at SIUE, serving as a resident assistant and residence director for University Housing. He graduated from the MBA program at SIUE.
Criteria for the award include significant contributions to an institution, excellence in overall job performance, initiative/creativity in going above and beyond job description, educating other members of the department on facilities issues, demonstrating an understanding of students' needs and developing projects, programs, or initiatives to meet those needs, building strong relationships with the campus community, and fostering inclusiveness and an appreciation of differences.
GLACUHO, a region within the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International (ACUHO-I), was established in 1973 to support the mission of ACUHO-I on the regional and state levels.
ACUHO-I is the pre-eminent professional association dedicated to supporting and promoting the collegiate residential experience by creating value through services, information, and collegial relationships that are indispensable to its members.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) A team of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Engineering students and alumni won the 2004 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Student Design Contest conducted recently in Southern California.
Members of the SIUE team included: Chad Burns of Bethalto (BSME '04; currently a grad student at U of I); Dennis O'Conner of Columbia (BSME '04; currently a grad student at SIUE); Andrew Rummer of O'Fallon (BSME '04); Jerrod Hock of Minock (BSME '04); Kevin Beck (BSME '04) and Nick Stalker (BSME '04), both of Godfrey; Dan Staake of Staunton (BSME '04); Patrick Zweigart of Evansville (BSME '04; currently a grad student at SIUE); and Chris Nobbe of Alton, Jennie Moidel of Glen Carbon, and Mark Dinsmore of Fairfield, all current SIUE students majoring in Mechanical Engineering.
The national robotics competition, dubbed "Mine Madness," was presented by ASME and sponsored by The Boeing Company. Organizers said the competition attracted some of "today's best and brightest mechanical engineering students from around the world" who demonstrated their model-scale prototype devices, designed and built to retrieve landmines and to "transport them out of harms way."
The competition was conducted in Anaheim, Calif., at ASME's Annual Congress. The SIUE team was pitted against teams from the University of Alabama, Carnegie-Mellon University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, LeTourneau University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, the University of New Mexico, North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, Santa Clara University, the University of Vermont, Villanova University, and Western Kentucky University.
According to the contest rules, the teams were to design remote-controlled, landmine-seeking vehicles to navigate over and around obstacles, retrieve six simulated mines and transport them to a designated receiving area, all within a 3-minute time frame. The ASME contest was designed to showcase "the innovation, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork of mechanical engineering students."
Founded in 1880, ASME is a 120,000-member professional organization focused on technical, educational and research issues of the engineering and technology community.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Chuck Harper, assistant professor of theater and dance at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, grew up enjoying what he calls "spatter" films and any film that was billed as a comedy.
So, it's not surprising that he has chosen Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage, Pulitzer Prize-nominee Jane Martin's outrageously funny homage to horror and comic film genres, as his next directorial effort. Purple Sage will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, through Saturday, Dec. 4, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, all at SIUE's James F. Metcalf Theater. The production is a fund-raiser for the SIUE Department of Theater and Dance, and is being produced in addition to the department's full Mainstage season in the Katherine Dunham Hall theater.
"When Hothouse Theater did this play a few years ago," Harper said, "the St. Louis critics called it a political allegory. Most of Jane Martin's work has a political statement, but I have trouble believing that was her intent with Flaming Guns. It's just a joke machine," he said with a grin. "Just pure comedy for the fun of it … but with lots of gore and stage blood."
Martin has astounded the play going world for two decades with her work, but no one's ever met her. Retired Actors Theatre of Louisville artistic director Jon Jory has accepted her awards and served as her spokesman all these years. That fact has led many to speculate that Jane Martin is Jory's nom de plume. But, that's fodder for an entirely different discussion.
Meanwhile, back at the Wyoming ranch at which Flaming Guns takes place, the action revolves around Big-8, an ex-rodeo queen who now uses her "healin' hands" on young, injured rodeo riders. Her current "inductee" is recuperating when SheDevil arrives. She's a pierced, pink-haired punk being chased by Black Dog, a Ukrainian Hell's Angel biker. Big-8's sister, Shirl, and her boy friend deputy, Baxter Blue, get pulled into the rowdy and raucous antics while Memphis Donnie Pride looks on.
"This play starts out on a 'dark and stormy night' so right away you can tell we're in for a lot of satire from Martin," Harper said. "During the first act, we learn about the characters and the second act shows us what transpires when all these crazy people are together in the same place. And, things do get crazy.
"This is the kind of broad comedy that is good experience for our students," he said. "They learn about comic timing and how to gauge audience reaction to comedy," Harper said. "I grew up liking flicks with cheap shocks and, as a performer, I love the immediate feedback you get with comedy."
Immediate audience feedback should be in abundance with Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage, which, by the way, is not suitable for children.
Tickets are $10; students, senior citizens, and SIUE employees, $6. SIUE students with a valid university ID will be admitted free of charge. For ticket information or for reservations, call the SIUE Fine Arts box office (618) 650-2774, or, from St. Louis toll-free, (888) 328-5168, Ext. 2774.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) State, regional, and local officials were on hand today to take part in groundbreaking for a $3.26 million facility at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville that will house the only pharmacy school in downstate Illinois.
The new SIUE School of Pharmacy, which will enroll its first students in August 2005, will be located in University Park. This new facility will house pharmacy laboratories, classrooms, and faculty offices. July is the expected completion date for construction of the 15,000-square-foot building.
On hand for the event were Illinois Sens. Frank Watson (R-Greenville), himself a pharmacist, and William Haine (D-Alton), Illinois Reps. Jay Hoffman (D-Collinsville) and Tom Holbrook (D-Belleville), along with several members of the School of Pharmacy Advisory Board as well as members of the Illinois Pharmacy Association and the Illinois Council of Health-Systems Pharmacists. Also in attendance were representatives of Walgreen's and Albertson's, national pharmacy chains.
SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift and School of Pharmacy Dean Phil Medon spoke at the ceremony and introduced other speakers on the platform. "So far, we have over 300 applications for the 75 spaces available in the new school," Medon said before the event. "There are more job openings for pharmacists than there are pharmacists to fill those jobs, so we expected that this will be a popular program."
The need for pharmacists nationwide is expected to grow by 30 percent in the next eight years, while the need in Illinois also will grow by nearly 20 percent in the next six years.
Major corporate sponsors have stepped up to help the SIUE School of Pharmacy with its initial start-up goal of $2 million over the next two years. "We are pleased to have two important corporate partners who are showing their commitment to our programs," said Bill Mauer, development director for the School. "Both Walgreen's and Albertson's have made initial substantial donations to help cover some of our start-up costs." Maurer can be reached at (618) 650- 5154.
Contracts for the new facility were awarded in October to L. Wolf Company of Granite City, for general contracting ($2,006,001); Pyramid Electrical Contractors of Fairview Heights, for electrical ($333,970); France Mechanical of Edwardsville, for plumbing ($446,300); Hock Mechanical Inc. of Belleville, for ventilation ($421,845); and Bi-State Fire Protection, for fire prevention ($49,135).
The SIUE School of Pharmacy, which offers a professional program leading to a Doctor of Pharmacy, values excellence in teaching, pharmacy practice, research/scholarship and service. The program of study is based on current knowledge and technology from pharmacy and other disciplines, and is delivered through a variety of innovative teaching strategies.
The School will collaborate with rural and urban health care institutions to meet the health care needs of Central and Southern Illinois and the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Established in 1957, SIUE is located on 2,660 acres of woodlands and rolling hills, situated on the bluffs near the Mississippi River, about 20 miles from St. Louis. The university is a fully accredited public institution offering bachelor's and master's degrees in seven different academic units including Arts & Sciences, Business, Dental Medicine, Education, Engineering, Nursing, as well as accredited programs coming in Pharmacy. SIUE enrolled 13,493 students for the 2004-05 academic year.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy will offer a Drug Information and Wellness Center (DIWC), serving as a resource for Pharmacy students, as well as a resource for the SIUE community, health professionals, and the general public.
Therese Poirier, associate dean of the School, explained the DIWC will coordinate wellness programs offered by the School of Pharmacy, which will include educational programs, immunizations, and health screenings for hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes, and osteoporosis. "These programs will provide a valuable service to the community, while offering School of Pharmacy students valuable hands-on practical experience," Poirier said.
"The center will not only serve as a training resource for students but also will play a role in the School's health and wellness promotion efforts," she said. "Unlike other wellness centers in the region, the DIWC will be unique in that it will offer health education from pharmacists' perspectives, with their unique knowledge of drugs, herbal products, and over-the-counter medications," Poirier said. Plans also include immunization services as well as a drug information hotline for questions from health care professionals and the community.
The SIUE School of Pharmacy, which offers a professional program leading to a Doctor of Pharmacy, values excellence in teaching, pharmacy practice, research/scholarship and service. The program of study is based on current knowledge and technology from pharmacy and other disciplines, and is delivered through a variety of innovative teaching strategies.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The 33rd Annual Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is set for Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 1-2, in SIUE's Morris University Center.
Vendors may rent booth space, based on a juried evaluation of arts and crafts to be exhibited and space available. Those interested in becoming a vendor should do so soon because spaces tend to be rented quickly.
Sponsored by the Morris University Center Print and Design Shop, the fair will be open from 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. both days. There is no admission charge to attend the fair and the public is invited.
Items at the fair will include original works produced by local and regional artists and crafts persons.
Many types of handmade goods will be available for purchase, including pieces made from clay, weaving, fiber, fabric, wood, paper, metal, glass, leather, graphics, painting, photography, and other materials. Selections for purchase will include many articles suitable for holiday gifts.
For more information about obtaining booth space or about the fair itself, call Tom Ostresh in the Print and Design Shop, (618) 650-2178.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Winners of the 10th Annual Mississippi Valley Family Business of the Year Awards were honored at an awards banquet Friday night sponsored by the School of Business.
The Mississippi Valley Family Business of the Year Awards are presented to companies with a strong commitment to both business and family. In addition to business success, those recognized demonstrate positive family business values, have multi-generational family business involvement, use innovative business strategies, and make personal contributions to their industries and communities.
This year's recipients were announced in three categories: large (250 or more employees), medium (50 to 250 employees), and small (fewer than 50 employees). The winners are:
Illinois Small Business Category—White's Greenhouse Inc., Godfrey—White's Nursery sold its first bedding plants in the spring of 1976 as an extension of Jim White's hobby. By 1980, the business was the sole support of the White Family, with 5,000 square feet of retail space. When the company was incorporated in 1985, husband and wife team Jim and Diane White became president and secretary/ treasurer, respectively. Today, White's has approximately four acres of greenhouses, a double-level service building, and about 6,000 square feet of retail greenhouses. In 1999, White's opened Season's Garden Center in Alton that carries a line of gift items and holiday home and garden décor in addition to the plants for which White's is known. This division was conceived by Beth Paule, the Whites' oldest daughter. This year marks Whites' 27th year in business.
Illinois Medium Business Category—Korte & Luitjohan Contractors Inc., Highland—Cyril "Pete" Korte founded the company in 1958 at the age of 19. The following year, his wife's brother, Joe Luitjohan, became a partner, forming Korte & Luitjohan Excavating Contractors Inc. As brothers-in-law, they worked side-by-side pouring countless hours into building a foundation for what would one day become a multi-million dollar construction company. Throughout the years, the company grew and changed, and today Korte & Luitjohan Contractors Inc. is in its third generation of family members in the business. Company projects have included the Highland Dairy Queen, Mid America Airport in Mascoutah, the city of Grafton's New Visitors' Center, the O'Fallon YMCA, and the Marion County Law Enforcement Center.
Illinois Large Business Category—Luhr Brothers Inc., Columbia—Founded in 1939, Luhr Brothers has grown considerably since its humble beginnings. Initially digging basements with one tractor, a scoop, and three employees, Luhr Brothers has grown to include 200 pieces of earth-moving equipment, 25 boats, and 180 barges. There are 500 full-time employees and the company has expanded into four offices across the South. Three generations of the Luhr family have been actively involved in the business. The principal owners are Alois and Twyla Luhr.
Missouri Small Business Category—Branneky Hardware in Bridgeton, Mo.—Branneky Hardware has been serving customers in and around Bridgeton since 1857. C.C. Branneky began as a stock boy in a general store located along St. Charles Rock Road, which was at the time a supply station for covered wagons traveling from St. Louis to St. Charles on the Oregon Trail. Brothers Tim and Jeff Branneky are the current owners of Branneky Hardware and represent the fourth generation of the business. Over the years, their values have remained the same-to serve their community and its members in the best possible way. The business sponsors sports teams, contributes to various organizations, and are members of several charity organizations. The family prides itself on offering great service and competitive pricing. The company began by delivering products and services by horse and carriage and by keeping track of customers in a hand- written account book. Today, they cater to large commercial accounts as well as the individuals looking for more than the large home centers offer, including hard-to-find items and a smiling face.
Missouri Medium Business Category—Da-Com Corp. of St. Louis—Da-Com offers office machines and digital solutions to the St. Louis area. Owned by the second generation of the Tipton family, Da-Com was purchased by Jack Tipton in 1993. His sons, John and Bill Tipton, and daughter, Lorie Bean, are now the owners, as Jack remains CEO, overseeing long-term planning and strategy. In 2003, Da-Com was named one of the best companies in St. Louis for which to work by the St. Louis Business Journal. Da-Com has grown 66 percent over the last two years, mainly as a result of employee involvement at all levels, incentive programs, and lack of turnover. Da-Com is actively involved with education, children, and the overall enhancement of the St. Louis area. The Tipton family and Da-Com Corp. have imbedded two philosophies in the way they do business, which go hand-in-hand- unconditionally guaranteeing 100 percent of every product or service sold and never having an unsatisfied customer.
Missouri Large Business Category—The Western Group of St. Louis—The Western Group, founded in 1915, is owned by the third generation of the Bishop family. For 90 years, the Western Group has been the nation's largest specialty contractor in masonry and concrete restoration, and new-construction preventive waterproofing. The privately-owned company specializes in the construction of building restoration and preservation services. Now, joined by five other companies, this business offers more capabilities than ever. It has grown from a single office in 1915, to 37 offices across the country. Contribution to the community is also a priority for The Western Group. They are involved with organizations such as The United Way, The Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts. Offering both services in new construction and restoration, The Western Group has the ability to "go where few (if any) have gone before." Over the years, the Bishop family has placed its own signature on service, but certain characteristics such as human kindness, communication, and opportunity have always been constants.
Sponsors of this year's awards include Colarelli Meyer & Associates, Lexow Financial Group, MassMutual Financial Group, Moto Inc., Partners Bank, Polsinelli Shalton Welte Suelthaus PC, Sheppard, Morgan & Schwaab Inc., the St. Louis Business Journal, and TheBANK of Edwardsville.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Boyd Bradshaw, assistant vice chancellor for Enrollment Management at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, has been elected coordinator-elect of the state and regional Presidents Council for the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).
The NACAC, founded in 1937, is an organization of 8,000 professionals from around the world dedicated to serving students as they make choices about pursuing postsecondary education.
As coordinator-elect, Bradshaw chairs the organization's grant selection committee, coordinates the organization's Rising Star Awards program, helps in setting the agenda for the four annual meetings of the state and regional President's Council, and chairs the meetings in the absence of the coordinator. Next year, Bradshaw will become coordinator of the council.
Bradshaw is currently president of the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC). The IACAC is made up of more than 1,600 counseling professionals throughout the state, who are dedicated to serving students as they explore options and make choices about pursuing post secondary education.
IACAC members are counselors, admission or financial aid officers, active retirees, or students who are concerned about the future of education in Illinois and in the nation.
Bradshaw has served as an NACAC delegate since 2000 and has been a member of the organization's Membership Committee, Reading Committee for the Assembly, and the General Membership Meeting Committee, and currently serves on the Ad Hoc Committee on Assembly Structure.
In other professional activities, Bradshaw has been secretary of the Illinois ACT Council and is currently coordinator-elect for that organization (2004-05). He also is a member of other state and national organizations, and has been a presenter at both the state and national levels.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Exciting South African rhythms and song will ring out during Dance In Concert 2004, set for Nov. 10-14 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville—but any similarities to The Lion King ends there.
J. Calvin Jarrell, professor of Theater and Dance at the university, has choreographed a piece, Madiba Swing: Indumiso (A Song of Praise), that captures the spirit of African music as realized through the compositions of Corneille Hutten-Burger from Pretoria, South Africa.
Dance In Concert runs at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 10-13, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14, all in Katherine Dunham Hall theater.
But Jarrell's piece also might surprise the audience with a few jitterbug moves. "I've tried to create a fusion of African rhythms and contemporary African music with modern dance and traditional African movement," Jarrell said. "The name 'Madiba' was a nickname given to Nelson Mandela."
Jarrell said he gave a lecture at CIDA University in Johannesburg, South Africa, while on sabbatical last spring and became acquainted with Hutten-Burger and his music. The composer's song that Jarrell is using to accompany his dance is currently being considered as the official theme of the World Cup soccer match to be played in South Africa in 2010.
Hutten-Burger's melody is based on a traditional African folk song and is reminiscent of themes written for Disney's The Lion King. "In fact, Shaluza Max, the singer on Hutten-Burger's CD, was a consultant on the original production of The Lion King," Jarrell said.
The concept for the dance piece uses a theme of a "coat" that is made up of the colors of the South African flag, which in turn are the colors of the South African landscape. "Just like the Biblical Joseph and his coat of many colors, the dancers 'create' a coat from the African soil, connecting it to the sky," he explained.
"The dance is built around the coat," Jarrell said, "and the thematic movement develops as more and more 'coats' appear." The piece is very colorful and the movement of its nine dancers also is reminiscent of choreographer Katherine Dunham's technique that Jarrell studied several years ago. "It's celebratory and very exciting."
Other pieces in the show are being choreographed by guest artist Heather R. Harris, dance faculty members Kerry Shaul and Michael Thomas, and students Ashley Manzo and Tyler Smith.
Tickets are $10; students, senior citizens, and SIUE employees, $6. SIUE students admitted free with a valid university ID. For tickets, call (618) 650-2774, or, from St. Louis toll-free, (888) 328-5168, Ext. 2774.
