November 06, 2025
Volunteers needed for SIU’s Dec. 7 Study Jam
As time for finals approaches, SIU Carbondale’s faculty and staff are collaborating to provide extra support – think pancakes, bacon and tutoring – to students during this busy, stressful time of the year.
Students are invited to participate in the latest edition of Dr. Spector’s Pancake Study Jam, a twice-a-year event sponsored by SIU’s Leadership Development Program and the STEM Education Research Center. It’s happening from 2-5 p.m. Dec. 7 in Room A-111 of the Engineering Building. Open to all majors, the event features a free homecooked meal of pancakes and hickory-smoked bacon, paired with math tutoring.
Volunteers are needed to make the event a success, said Bruce DeRuntz, professor of applied engineering and technology and director of LDP. Faculty and staff can help serve the meal and/or tutor Salukis in math.
“This is how we support our students' dreams: one tutoring session, one encouraging word, one plate of pancakes at a time,” DeRuntz said.
Anyone interested in volunteering should contact DeRuntz at bruce@siu.edu.
Kathy Pericak-Spector, professor emerita of mathematics, created the event more than 30 years ago. After she retired, LDP carried on the tradition, hosting the event for the past eight years, with support from the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences.