School of Business

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Amari’ah Carter received the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award, a partnership between the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) and Illinois Secretary of State. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias presented Carter the award during a ceremony at 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 7. 

Carter is a senior studying Business Administration and a founding student member ...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is committed to developing future leaders through rigorous academic programs and dedicated faculty. Each semester, undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement are recognized on the Dean’s List.

To qualify, students must complete at least 12 graded credit hours and earn a semester grade point average of 3.5 or higher. (An A is valued at 4.0, and a B at 3.0.)

The full list of honorees for fall 2025 is available on the SIUE...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Riza Demirer, PhD, was featured in Institutional Investor for his ongoing research in emerging topics that are shaping the future of business and finance. Demirer is a professor in the Department of Economics and Finance in the SIUE School of Business.

In the article, “Was the ESG Investment Boom ‘Impact-Washing?’” which he co-author...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus Cole Milam, CFP, MBA, (’20, ’24), has built an impressive career defined by determination, discipline, and a drive to help others succeed. A former standout pitcher for SIUE Baseball, Milam’s journey from the Cougar mound to professional baseball and now to successful entrepreneur and wealth planner exemplifies SIUE’s mission of shaping leaders who make a lasting impact.

Milam’s time at SIUE was marked by both athle...

Here are some of the stories recently published featuring Southern Illinois University Edwardsville faculty and students:

1. WalletHub: Best Credit Cards to Build Credit
   
   WalletHub featured Riza Demirer, PhD, Graduate Program Director and professor at SIUE, in a guide to credit-building. Demirer emphasized the value of responsible credit card use, smart budgeting, and utilizing secured cards to build strong financial foundations. 
   
   Read the feature on WalletHub.
   
   Photo: Riza Demirer
   
   
   
2. Nepal Raib...

Tyler Unterbrink, Vice President of Operations at the Korte Company, is the recipient of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s 2024 Construction Leadership Institute (CLI) Alumni Leadership Award.

The CLI Alumni Leadership Award recognizes an outstanding graduate who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and service to the St. Louis area building community.

Unterbrink was a member of the CLI’s 2014 class. He knows about hard work, dedication, and what it means to get your h...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business junior Matthew Healy, of Mason, is among 135 students nationwide to receive a study abroad scholarship from the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA).

The FEA granted a record $406,000 in scholarships to its 2019-2020 FEA Scholars with the mission of increasing access to international education. Healy received $5,000 to help advance his business administration, marketing and finance studies while studying at the Foundation for International...

SIUE alumnus Kurt Schroeder, P.C officer and attorney at Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, is the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce 2018 Citizen of the Year. He earned a bachelor’s in business administration in 1980 and followed with an MBA in 1981.

The award recognizes an individual member of the Belleville community for outstanding contributions and service in education, charitable and voluntary service, fundraising, or any other area that contributes to the enrichment of the quality of...

Queen Beedz, a client of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville since 2017, will now have its jewelry available at Restoration Alley DIY Studio & Handmade Market in Ellisville, Mo.

Queen Beedz owner Susan Hackney is thrilled to be able to work together with Restoration Alley owner Jennah Jahn, who is a like-minded, driven entrepreneur.

Throughout her relationship with the SBDC, Hackney has received consistent suppor...

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has equipped Empyre Laundry with the expertise to successfully launch its first laundromat in East St. Louis. Empyre Laundry’s ribbon cutting takes place from 9:30 -11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 3600 State St.

Empyre Laundry owner Maria Jones has been passionately working on her business with guidance and support from SBDC graduate assistant Adrine (Renny) Krikorian for ...

The Princeton Review has named Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Business as one of the best in the country for on-campus MBA for the 13th-consecutive year. The education services company features the School in the 2019 edition of its book, “The Best 252 Business Schools.”

“The gratifying aspect of this ranking is recognition from the Princeton Review is based primarily on feedback from students and alumni about their educational experiences in our Sc...

The Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will host a Spanish language workshop on Starting a Small Business in Illinois from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15 at the Fairmont City Library.  

The SBDC will be available to offer advice to entrepreneurs planning to start a business. The workshop is open to all Latino entrepreneurs in the community and will focus on a variety of general topics designed to instruct new business...

For the ninth-consecutive year, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is in Washington Monthly’s Top 100 for master’s universities in the nation. SIUE is fourth among 27 master’s institutions in Illinois on the national magazine’s list.

Unlike conventional college rankings, Washington Monthly evaluates an institution’s “contribution to the public good” in three broad categories: social mobility – educating low-income students; resear...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s campus was full of vibrant smiles and informational exchange on Monday, Aug. 20 as the fall 2018 semester got underway.

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, as well as faculty and staff from across campus served lemonade and offered words of encouragement to students passing to and from classes.

“I stepped out of class and was greeted with a cup of lemonade,” said transfer student Angela Manganelli, of Florissant. ...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will honor eight remarkable graduates at the 2018 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame ceremony, “A Night Among the Stars,” on Friday, Sept. 28 in the Morris University Center. The impressive alumni have made exceptional contributions in their chosen fields, in their communities and at SIUE through their leadership, character and hard work.

A cocktail reception in the Meridian Ballroom will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and an awards presentati...

Polynesian Breeze owner Michele Goldsmith has been working with the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville since last summer to prepare and perfect her business. Goldsmith will soon open Polynesian Breeze in Collinsville and introduce Polynesian culture to the area with treats such as shave ice.

The Polynesian Breeze idea first came from an experience Goldsmith had when getting ice cream from an ice cream truck. Her husb...

The Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will host a workshop on Advancing the Development of Minority Entrepreneurship (ADME) in May. This workshop is open to all entrepreneurs in the community and will focus on a variety of general topics that are designed to instruct new business start-ups as well as individuals who have an interest in entrepreneurship.

The topics will include:

• Business Planning
• Business Entity Formatio...

In 2017, Tara and Jacob Lowry established a partnership with Karen McGarvey and David Wiegand to expand their business with a new brand, The Wealthcare Group, offering services in navigating through insurance benefits and financial planning for the Riverbend area. They know that investments, insurance and employee benefits can be complex. Their teams of advisors are here to assist each client in fulfilling their specific needs.

The Wealthcare Group reached out to the Illinois Metro East Small B...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Office of the Provost announced that Sandra Weissinger, PhD, is the recipient of the annual Teaching Excellence Award for tenure-track faculty. It is the most prestigious teaching award for an SIUE faculty member. Three additional faculty members were saluted for their teaching skills and accomplishments with Teaching Distinction Awards, and seven more received Teaching Recognition Awards.

Weissinger, PhD, is an assistant professor of sociology and ...

Josh Colclasure and Sammie Williams have been friends since childhood. They have always talked about starting a business together and finally had the chance to put their idea for bar and restaurant draft line cleaning services to the test in the Metro East Start-Up Challenge (MESC).

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) introduced the competition in 2014. The Start-Up Challenge engages multiple sponsors and b...

Owner Bruno Nobre of Minas Espresso, Inc., with the guidance of his business partner and father-in-law Norberto Torres, approached the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville (SIUE) late last year about marketing his Brazilian aromatic coffee.

Nobre had been working with the SBDC since November of 2017, so he was able to move quickly through the startup process. Additionally, he has ample experience in farming coffee b...

Fact or fiction? African Americans have disproportionately higher rates of cardiovascular disease-related risk factors such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes. A group of students attending Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Black Heritage Month community health fair on Tuesday, Feb. 13 were split in their responses. The answer is true. 

“Studies show that African Americans are at a higher risk of hypertension, obesity and diabetes than someone of Caucasian descent ...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is introducing online organizational talent management courses that provide instruction and practical applications for incorporating industrial/organizational psychology into organizational decision-making. Enrollment is open now for the non-credit course modules that will begin in February. 

Topics include gathering high-quality survey data, analyzing and interpreting survey results, and designing structured interviews to improve the selection pro...

SIUE alumnus David Hopkins has joined Town and Country Bank as executive vice president and community bank president in the Metro East.

Hopkins earned a bachelor’s in business administration, specializing in economics and finance, in 1982 and a master’s of business administration in 1989, both from SIUE.

The Illinois Business Journal highlighted his new role in this article.