The Southern Illinois Construction Advancement Program (SICAP) of the Southern Illinois Builders Association (SIBA) has donated $500,000 to the School of Engineering, funding the first professorship in the School’s history. 

The SICAP Endowed Construction Management Professorship will be used to provide annual or multi-year award(s) to one or more faculty members of the Department of Construction to honor excellence in scholarship and to recruit and retain exceptional faculty. 

“The Department of Construction and SICAP have a long-standing partnership to improve the talent pool for the construction industry in our region,” said Dean Cem Karacal, PhD. “This generous gift is a tremendous help in strengthening faculty in the department, and we are sincerely thankful for this support.”

Read more about the endowed professorship.

Academic excellence, dedicated service and outstanding leadership were celebrated during the School of Engineering’s 16th Annual Awards Banquet held Tuesday, March 1, via Zoom. Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD, joined the celebration, which aligned with his first official day as the University’s senior leader. 

“There are many amazing things happening in the School of Engineering," Minor said. "My job will be to continue to facilitate the School’s growth and development. I look forward to working with you.” 

Angela Heise, corporate vice president of defense and intelligence for Microsoft, served as the keynote speaker. Heise earned a bachelor’s in computer science in 1996. She was named the Department of Computer Science’s outstanding alumna in 2017 and was inducted into SIUE’s Alumni Hall of Fame in 2018.

Read more about the awards banquet.

The School of Engineering’s Cougar Baja team achieved 7th place at this year’s Blizzard Baja in February at Michigan Technology University. The president of the SIUE Baja team, senior Samuel Churchill, of Ottawa, together with teammates Matthew Buchholz (treasurer), Curtis Lake and Nathan Buss (secretary), competed against athletes from across the country. This year’s edition had a total of 22 cars competing in dual events of hill climb and a four-hour endurance race where all the cars raced wheel to wheel. 

“We did well considering our resources,” Churchill shared. “We were up against stiff competition with Michigan schools known for having car manufacturers’ support. The most challenging aspect was the low temperature of around 10-15 degrees and wind. After about a half hour we had to swap drivers because it was so cold.”

Read more about the Cougar Baja team.

Attending a new school in a different country is challenging enough, but throw in a pandemic and an abrupt shift to online learning, and you’ve summed up December 2021 graduate Mehakpreet Singh’s first year as a student in the School of Engineering. 

The electrical engineering major transferred to SIUE in fall 2019 to complete his junior and senior years as part of the University’s partnership with Chitkara University (CU) in India. Singh is one of the first CU students to enroll at SIUE as part of a student and faculty exchange program. The School has previously sent two faculty members to CU for week-long courses.

“I chose to transfer to SIUE because it has a study program partnership with Chitkara University, and SIUE also offered me a Geographic Enhancement Opportunity Award so I could afford my studies here in the U.S.,” said Singh. “Moreover, SIUE has a diverse campus and is home for many other international students.”

Read more about Singh's success story. 

Amardeep Kaur, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been named chair of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) St. Louis section.

IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. The St. Louis section has been in existence for over 100 years and currently has more than 2,000 IEEE members.

“One of the most satisfying experiences of being involved in IEEE has been working with students and hopefully motivating them to become more aware of the world around us to not only become better engineers but also better human beings,” Kaur said.

Read more about Kaur's IEEE roles.

Virtual Academic Sessions
March 17, March 31, April 14, March 31
Register here

Preview SIUE
March 18
April 23
Select your check-in time and register for campus, housing, and engineering building tours by visiting our website.

Honors Day
April 3

Senior Design Showcase/Admit Day
April 22

Spring Commencement
May 6-7

School of Engineering Summer Camps
June 6-10
June 13-17

Save the Date: Alumni Trivia Night

Saturday, April 2, 6 p.m.
SIUE Student Fitness Center

Join us on campus for a night of movie-themed trivia while supporting scholarships for SIUE students. Click here to register.

Save the Date: One Day, One SIUE
Giving Day and Reception

Thursday, April 21

Share your support for SIUE during our inaugural 24-hour day of giving and join us for an evening celebration with music and food as we light campus red. Watch your email for more details!

Save the Date: Golden Graduation Reunion Weekend

May 5-7

Mark your calendars and plan to join us in celebrating alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago. More information to come via mail and email soon. Check out siue.edu/alumni/golden-graduates for more details.

Wednesday, March 30
11 a.m. or 6 p.m.
Attend the session(s) of your choice.

Each one-hour session will include:

• A brief overview of graduate studies at SIUE
• Information about the admission process and financial support, including scholarships and graduate assistantships
• The opportunity to learn about the career development services available to SIUE students and alumni

Attend the open house and your $40 Graduate School application fee will be waived!

Registration is required.
A Zoom link will be sent prior to the event. Participants will receive a fee waiver code at the event.

SIUE Student-Athletes Extend Streak to 31 Semesters

SIUE Retains Strong Standing in Latest GSR Report

Tickets Available Now for Red & Black Benefit