April 04, 2023
SIU gears up for 2024 eclipse, has experts in many disciplines
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois University Carbondale will once again be an epicenter for a rare celestial event, when a total solar eclipse darkens the sky one year from this week.
The eclipse, set to hit the area at 1:59 p.m. April 8, 2024, is the second such event in seven years. Uniquely perched at the crossroads of the events, Carbondale saw the previous eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017.
The entire country will see at least a partial solar eclipse. But you must be in the narrow path of totality that sweeps across Southern Illinois to experience the unique features of a total solar eclipse. At this time and in the right location you can watch the sky darken as if it were night as the moon blocks out all direct sunlight and the solar corona, the atmosphere of the sun, reveals itself.
When witnessing this event for the first time, people are often overcome with emotion and awe as the air cools, planets are visible and an incredible 360-degree sunset is visible. The SIU campus and Carbondale in general is on the centerline of the event and will see 4 minutes and 9 seconds of totality for eclipse 2024, nearly double what was seen in 2017.
SIU’s eclipse website is a good resource for members of the media and the public. Along with a countdown clock, you also can find news, a photo gallery of the 2017 eclipse, educational links and content, information for visitors and important updates. You can also sign up for the newsletter.
A special event coming up this week is “Eclipse 2024 – One Year and One Day to Go,” set for 3-4 p.m. Friday (April 7) at the John C. Guyon Auditorium in Morris Library. Mike Kentrianakis, an eclipse enthusiast and 20-year veteran producer for CBS News, New York, will speak at the event. Kentrianakis specializes in advising the media in eclipse coverage and has done numerous high-profile interviews related to his eclipse expeditions and experiences.
Also, two groups from SIU made up of faculty researchers and study abroad students will leave next week for Australia in preparation for the total solar eclipse there on April 20. The trip, which will include research and outreach, will help prepare the personnel for the 2024 event, as well.
SIU employs dozens of researchers and experts who can speak on various aspects of the event, including astronomy, effects on wild and domesticated animals, impact on communities, public health and inspiration for the arts and media. Reporters, photographers and camera crews are invited to reach out to our personnel as they plan their coverage leading up to the main event one year from now.
SIU experts, their specialties and contact information, include:
Gary Apgar, professor, School of Agricultural Science
Contact: pigguy@siu.edu or 618-453-1763
A specialist in swine feed and production with experience in both the private sector and academia, Apgar provides students with an educational experience rooted in research and hands-on experience. He can speak to the impact of natural phenomena such as the eclipse on agricultural animals.
Bob Baer, specialist in the School of Physics & Applied Physics
Contact: rbear@siu.edu
A leader in the university’s eclipse activities, research and outreach, Baer can provide overall background on eclipse science and SIU’s involvement in the event. He is co-chair of SIU’s Eclipse Steering Committee, a member of the American Astronomical Society Solar Eclipse Task Force, a member of NASA Science Mission Directorate, and along with a group of students and faculty, will be traveling to Australia in April to study the total eclipse there on April 20.
Karla Berry, associate professor, School of Media Arts
Contact: kberry@siu.edu or 618-453-5493
An experienced professor and media artist, Berry has created experimental, documentary and interactive media projects for personal mobile screens, for broadcast, cinema, festivals, and for large outdoor public screens in the U.S. and internationally. Berry is leading SIU’s live eclipse show effort.
Corinne Brevik, assistant professor of practice, School of Physics & Applied Physics
Contact: corinne.brevik@siu.edu or 618-453-3659
A new faculty member at SIU, Brevik is an astronomer teaching courses in physics, astronomy and observational astronomy. She is co-chair of the SIU Eclipse Steering Committee’s subcommittee on education and participates in the Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast (DEB) Initiative research project. Brevik is helping lead an SIU team of faculty and students traveling to Australia this month to witness the total solar eclipse there on April 20.
Brian Croft, director, Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center
Contact: ton@siu.edu or 618-453-1121
SIU’s Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center will be providing a family-friendly weekend experience where people can enjoy the eclipse. Croft can discuss the activities planned for throughout the week as well as food and lodging options at Touch of Nature.
Niki Davis, director, Hospitality, Tourism and Event Management program
Contact: ndavis@siu.edu
Davis can discuss the impacts of major events such as an eclipse on local communities, the tourism industry and Carbondale and rural tourism.
Mike Eichholz, professor in the School of Biological Sciences
Contact: eichholz@siu.edu, 618-453-6951 or 618-201-2376
An avian ecologist at SIU’s Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Eichholz can speak to the ways natural phenomena such as an eclipse impact wildlife behavior. He has conducted extensive research on the impact of landscape management on bird behaviors such as habitat selection, reproductive investment, feeding behavior and predator avoidance.
Jim Garvey, director of the Fisheries and Illinois Aquaculture Center
Contact: jgarvey@siu.edu
An expert on local and marine fish, Garvey can address the ways natural phenomena such as an eclipse impact wildlife behavior. Garvey had conducted extensive research in Illinois rivers, sturgeon and Asian carp populations, as well as marine life.
Harvey Henson, director of SIU’s STEM Education Research Center
Contact: henson@siu.edu
As director of SERC and co-chair of the Eclipse Steering Committee’s education and outreach and research subcommittees, Henson brings a wealth of science and education knowledge to eclipse preparations. He is helping lead several research initiatives, including Einstein’s Incredible Universe and the DEB Initiative, and is part of the SIU team traveling to Australia for the total eclipse there on April 20.
Dick Kelley, director, School of Music
Contact: kelley2@siu.edu or 618-546-8742
Kelly has been at SIU since 2008 and serves as an associate professor of saxophone and director of jazz studies. He performs numerous engagements across the United States, Mexico, Canada, much of Europe and several Caribbean countries. Kelley can speak to artistic issues related to the eclipse.
Antonio Martinez, associate professor, School of Art & Design
Contact: antonio.martinez@siu.edu or 618-559-6483
A fine art photographer teaching photography and intermedia arts, Martinez is heading up an eclipse art project funded by the Simons Foundation Triangle Program with Artspace 304 in Carbondale. Martinez defines himself as a traditional and digital image-maker whose work combines old and new imaging technologies.
Justin McDaniel, associate professor, School of Human Sciences
Contact: jtmcd@siu.edu or 618-453-1856
A faculty member and researcher with dual appointments at SIU Carbondale and the SIU School of Medicine, McDaniel is focused on engaging populations in the eclipse regarding public safety. He teaches graduate-level data science classes in public health, coordinates the doctoral program in population health and conducts research in veterans’ affairs.
H.D. Motyl, director, School of Theater and Dance
Contact: hdmotyl@siu.edu
With years of experience and expertise in video production, Motyl co-produced the official SIU 2017 eclipse documentary film. He can speak to media issues related to such events.
Clay Nielsen, professor, Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory
Contact: kezo92@siu.edu
Nielsen has done extensive research on wild animals, including cougars, bison, tigers and deer. He can address how natural phenomena such as the eclipse impact wild animals and their behavior.
Jenny Pape, associate professor of practice, School of Media Arts
Contact: jennypape@siu.edu or 618-319-0608
Pape teaches courses in music production, podcast and broadcast audio, audio documentary, sound art, music business, and entertainment industries. She also serves as the adviser for the student run record label, Digidog Records. She can speak to media issues related to such events.
Brent Pease, assistant professor, School of Agricultural Sciences
Contact: bpease1@siu.edu, 618-453-7474 or peaselab.com
A member of the faculty in the forestry program, Pease’s research centers on addressing applied issues in wildlife conservation and management. He can speak to the ways natural phenomena such as an eclipse impact wildlife behavior.
Matt Penn, adjunct assistant professor of practice, School of Physics & Applied Physics
Contact: matthew.j.penn@siu.edu
A new faculty member at SIU, Penn is a solar scientist and former member of the faculty at the National Solar Observatory. He is the lead investigator of the Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast Initiative and a former primary investigator on the Citizen CATE Experiment, which organized a nationwide array of telescopes to observe and record the 2017 eclipse. Penn also assists with SIU eclipse planning.
Erin Perry, associate professor, School of Agricultural Sciences
Contact: erin.perry@siu.edu or 573-489-0291
Perry’s specializations include equine and canine nutrition and working animal performance. She can speak to the ways natural phenomena such as an eclipse impact agricultural animals’ behavior.
Guillaume Bastille-Rosseau, assistant professor, Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory
Contact: 618-453-6946 or gbr@siu.edu.
An ecologist focused on understanding what drives animal habitat selection and movement, Bastille-Rosseau uses spatial data technology, such as GPS telemetry, to conduct research. He can speak to the ways natural phenomena such as an eclipse impact wildlife behavior.
Stephanie Speiser, senior lecturer, School of Agricultural Sciences
Contact: 618-453-1773 or sspeiser@siu.edu
With a lifelong love and a wealth of experience working with horses, Speiser has special interests in horse psychology, form to function of the horse, horse breeding and horse judging. She can talk about the effect of natural phenomena such as the eclipse on horses and other farm animals.
Mark Stoffel, specialist, College of Arts and Media
Contact: mstoffel@siu.edu
As director of the media center and a digital media specialist, Stoffel co-produced the official SIU 2017 eclipse documentary. He can speak to media issues related to such events.
Robin Warne, associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences
Contact: rwarne@siu.edu or 618-453-4126
Warne’s research centers on how animals maintain homeostasis (a stable state of equilibrium) through physiological and behavioral responses to ecological variation and disease dynamics. He can speak to the ways natural phenomena such as an eclipse impact wildlife behavior and physiology.