A Message from the Dean - February 2020
The days are getting a bit longer. The morning frost lingers less. The magic of Spring is in the air. Pitchers and catchers have reported.
I must admit, I am a huge baseball fan. I grew up playing the game and later coached my sons when they started playing Little League. Growing up in Florida, Spring Training was such a great time of the year. In terms of access to professional athletes in a relaxed setting, there is really nothing else like it in sports. The monetization of athletes’ signatures has ruined that atmosphere somewhat, with players less apt to casually interact with the fans, but it’s still pretty special.
SIUE senior Ethan Hill is pretty special as well. Ethan is triple majoring in Spanish Language and Literature, French Language and Literature, and International Business. He has taken advantage of the study abroad program twice and these experiences been transformative. In addition to the study abroad program, Hill has been working with different faculty members in the URCA program and has decided to pursue a career in academics.
Congratulations are in order for Kathryn Bentley, associate professor in the Department of Theater and Dance and director of the Black Studies program. For her work at SIUE and in the community, Bentley recently received a 2020 Saint Louis Visionary Award in the Outstanding Working Artist category. In her “spare time,” she is director of our Black Studies program, artistic director of SIUE’s Black Theatre Workshop, and directing “XTIGONE,” a play opening this week which examines the politics of violence.
Our spotlight is on the visual arts as well. SIUE Assistant Professor of Ceramics Joe Page turned the installation of his current art exhibit, “Flow Chart,” at the William and Florence Schmidt Art Center on Southwestern Illinois College’s Belleville campus into a learning opportunity for his students. “Flow Chart” is a series of sprawling, immersive landscapes derived from video games, pinball machines, mass transit maps and schematic diagrams. Manifesting the best aspects of experiential education, Professor Page left each piece’s composition to the assistants - including several student volunteers - to decide.
Stephen Wilke is giving back to his alma mater. He gained valuable knowledge and skills while earning his bachelor's degree in Philosophy from SIUE. Now he's drawing upon his college experiences to recruit new students to SIUE through his role as an admissions counselor. Wilke believes high school outreach is vital, especially in philosophy, because the resources at universities are often underutilized by area high schools.
Retired faculty member and chair of the SIUE Department of Mathematics and Statistics Chung Wu Ho, PhD, recently learned that he has an “Einstein number” of four, meaning only three collaborators separate him from Albert Einstein. Ho retired from SIUE in 2000 after teaching here for 30 years, but he continues to stay active in his field. Professor Ho fondly remembers his time at SIUE, including the friendships he formed with his colleagues and students.
You can read all about these outstanding folks in February’s This Month in CAS.
Best wishes until the next time,
Greg Budzban, PhD
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
