Accomplishments - October, 2025
“Mortality Crisis at Akhetaten? Amarna and the Bioarchaeology of the Late Bronze Age Mediterranean Epidemic,” by Gretchen R. Dabbs professor, anthropology, and Anna Stevens, Monash University and Cambridge University’s McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, examines the long-claimed idea that the ancient Egyptian capital city of Akhetaten (Amarna) was affected by an epidemic. It was recently published in the American Journal of Archaeology, and the full text is available open access. It’s written with an eye toward a broad, nonspecialist audience and has been highlighted in several popular media sources, including Archaeology Magazine, IFLScience.com and Phys.org.
Wasantha Jayawardene, associate professor, School of Human Sciences, is part of a Sri Lankan research collaboration studying alcohol use and its effects among diverse groups in Sri Lanka. Their work, which aligns with SIU’s strategic efforts to strengthen partnerships with Sri Lankan universities and reflects the country’s strong student/faculty representation at SIU, is featured in “Epidemiology of alcohol use in Sri Lanka: Findings of the SLHAS national survey,” published in the October edition of “Global Epidemiology.”
Andrew Pardieck, SIU Simmons Law School Alumni Professor of Law, recently received a 2025 Innovation Award in the legal education category from Relativity, a global technology company. Students use the company’s software in Pardieck’s electronic discovery class and in the law school’s eDiscovery Pro Bono Project, which participates in Relativity’s Justice for Change program and is currently working with the Georgia Innocence Project.
SchoolStory, published by Regional Office of Education 30, highlighted University Housing’s Culinary and Nutrition Services program’s involvement with the Pre-Employment Training Services program, operated by the Tri-County Special Education District in partnership with Illinois’ Division of Rehabilitation Services. The program has put 15 students into working at Lentz Hall and five of them are now civil service employees.
Four communication disorders and sciences faculty members have authored the textbook “Communication Disorders in Schools: Collaborative Scenarios,” published by Cognella. Maria Claudia Franca, professor; Valerie Boyer, associate professor and director of the School of Health Sciences; Denise Croft, program director, assistant lecturer and director of the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders; and Juhi Kidwai, assistant professor, bring extensive experience and research to the project, which features supportive materials for efficient service delivery in schools. The book is already being used in two CDS courses on campus, and the authors anticipate its use will grow as the field is trending toward dynamic application of interprofessional practices and education.
Olusegun Ojewuyi, professor, School of Theater and Dance, is one of the featured directors in the 2025 Cambridge Encyclopedia of Stage Directors, published by Cambridge Press.
