School of Business

Nicholas Walker, Vice President of Project Development and Strategy of IMPACT Strategies, is the recipient of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s 2026 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.

At IMPACT Strategies, Walker plays a pivotal role in advancing strategic initiatives and guiding projec...

The Construction Leadership Institute (CLI) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville celebrated 39 graduates of its program Friday, March 6 as a part of the CLI Graduation celebration. Developed by the SIUE Schools of Business and Engineering, the CLI provides the knowledge, skills and strategies that individuals and companies need in today’s challenging construction industry.

Program Co-Directors Chris Gordon, associate dean of the SIUE School of Engineering, and Kristine Jarden, dir...

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...

Eighteen Southwestern Illinois-based entrepreneurs and their innovative business concepts have been selected to move into the second round of the Metro East’s 12th annual business plan competition.

The Metro East Startup Challenge, a product of the Illinois SBDC for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, welcomes entrepreneurs and new businesses from a nine-county area of Southwestern Illinois with further expansion into Fayette, Montgomery and Macoupin counties. Nea...

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is proud to announce the appointment of Schneidine Louis as the new Director of the International Trade Center (ITC).

Louis brings a wealth of international experience to the role, having served as a diplomat and holding a master’s degree in international business with a concentration in global supply chain and logistics from Georgia State University. Her expertise in expo...

Entrepreneurs and new business startups are invited to compete in the 2025 Metro East Start-Up Challenge (MESC), Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's 12th annual regional business plan competition.

The MESC is organized by the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at SIUE. The purpose of the Challenge is to identify, encourage, and support entrepreneurs and business startups across the SBDC’s service area, including Jersey, Calhoun, Madison,...

The Latino Roundtable of Southwestern Illinois (LRT), The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), SIUE’s Office of Online Services and Educational Outreach, and sponsors Busey Bank, FCB Banks, AJ Legal Services, and Revity Credit Union, along with additional partners will host the Immigrants in Our Midst Conference on Friday, September 22. The conference focuses on how to better serve the U.S. Immigrant Workf...

Megan Grandone, a determined mother and working professional from Western Illinois, moved to the Glen Carbon area with her family 10 years ago and has recently embarked on an exciting entrepreneurial journey with the assistance of the Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Driven by her desire to bring positivity to her community and foster connections among the people of Southwest Illinois, Megan successfully launched her magaz...

Entrepreneurs and new business startups are invited to compete in the 2023 Metro East Start-Up Challenge (MESC), Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s 10th annual regional business plan competition.

The MESC is organized by the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at SIUE. The purpose of the challenge is to identify, encourage and support entrepreneurs and business startups across the SBDC’s service area, including Jersey, Calhoun, Madison, Bond...

Dorothy McCoy, an entrepreneur and Army veteran from Illinois began her journey with Metro East Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in May 2022. With the guidance and support of the SBDC, she successfully launched her business, Mo’z Sweet Treat.

McCoy received guidance from the SBDC about her business registration process, mentorship, guidance on health department regulations, assistance in obtaining a micro loan for her business, as well ...

In 1961, President Kennedy signed an executive order reviving the World War II “E” symbol of excellence to honor and recognize America’s exporters. On Tuesday, June 6, the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and International Trade Center (ITC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville received the “E” award for export service at the 62nd anniversary of the award ceremony at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The award is the highest recognition a ...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Business, and The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and International Trade Centers (ITC) for the Metro East at SIUE are proud to announce the inaugural Fuel the Future event. The event will offer local small business representatives the opportunity to learn about the no-cost services available to them through these SIUE centers for business development and in particular exporting. Additionally, the event will pro...

Two Sisters Upholstery and Fabrics, in Carlyle, Ill., an Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville client, was founded by two best friends, Tonya Drake and Amy St. John.  Drake and St. John have a strong passion for bringing new life into furniture, but even more so for stitching together their community with their storefront. Two Sisters sells quilting fabric and supplies and also provides furniture upholstery servic...

Cheri Mansfield, a dreamer and client of the Illinois SBDC for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, has opened her dream café in Carlyle. Oh So Sweet Bakery and Café has created a place for a community to come together and enjoy the sweeter things in life with high-quality baked goods and beverages.

Mansfield began working with the Illinois SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE in 2021 after hearing about the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the SBDC, throug...

Lindsey Wold, founder of Amygdala Co., client of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, has won Justine Petersen’s 2022 Small Business of the Year Award.

Amygdala Co. is a local company that specializes in helping children who have negative unwanted externalizing behaviors, along with their families, by implementing parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT). Founded by Wold, this company focuses on positive an...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is introducing three new concurrent degree programs to provide students with greater opportunities for learning and career advancement in the health sciences while saving time and money.

The new concurrent degree programs, which will begin in fall 2022, include:

• Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (MSPS)
• PharmD and Master of Public Health (MPH)
• MPH and Master of Business Administration (MBA)

“Today'...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will honor nine remarkable graduates at the 2021 SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame ceremony, A Night Among the Stars, on Thursday, Sept. 23. The impressive alumni have made exceptional contributions in their chosen fields, in their communities and at SIUE through their leadership, character and hard work.

 “Those selected for the Alumni Hall of Fame represent the best of SIUE,” said Andrew Ravanelli, PhD, SIUE Alumni Association president. &#822...