Accomplishments - June, 2026
Brandy Johnson, an assistant professor of law at SIU Simmons Law School, was appointed June 5 by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to the state’s Guardianship and Advocacy Commission. The appointment is pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate. Johnson is a two-degree SIU Carbondale alumna, Johnson’s appointment for the term that expires June 30, 2028, is pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.
The New Arts Jazztet (NAJ) will have two performances Feb. 23-24, 2027, at the Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries in St. Louis. The performances are part of the venue’s Coffee Concerts Series. Tickets go on sale Monday, June 8. Since 1984, the NAJ has been in residence at SIU Carbondale, where all but one of its current members are active or retired SIU School of Music faculty. The lineup includes Dick Kelley, reeds; Bob Allison, trumpet/flugelhorn; Isaac Lausell, guitars; Phil Brown, bass; and Jimmy Beers, drums/percussion.
