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SIU Today - May 07, 2026

Saluki Takeover Tour Southern Illinois blankets region

SIU Carbondale undergraduate admissions, university officials, faculty and staff proved to be road warriors in April during the Saluki Takeover Tour Southern Illinois. Undergraduate Admissions visited 51 high schools in just 14 days, engaging directly with more than 300 students and 51 counselors, principals, and superintendents across the region.

Saluki Pride: James Garvey receives SIU’s Scholar Excellence Award

James Garvey is an internationally known scholar and researcher with countless publications and grants to his name. For those accomplishments and his transformative teaching, he has earned recognition as SIU’s 2026 university-level Scholar Excellence Award winner.

Commencement weekend starts Friday

The academic achievements of nearly 2,100 SIU Carbondale students will be celebrated during spring 2026 commencement exercises Friday and Saturday, May 8-9. Festivities start with the SIU Simmons Law School commencement at 1 p.m. Friday at Shryock Auditorium. On Saturday, Banterra Center will host ceremonies at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Pinckneyville mother and son will graduate together Saturday

James Reiman thinks he’ll be the first in his family to earn a baccalaureate degree when he walks across the stage at SIU Carbondale on Saturday to claim his agribusiness economics diploma. If he is, he jokes that it’s only because J comes before T in the alphabet as his mother, Tibretta Reiman, will be receiving her bachelor’s degree  in organizational learning, innovation, and development.

SIU student shattering glass ceiling for female engineers

In a field typically led by men, Halley Frailey is ready to take on the engineering industry and make way for more women. She graduates from SIU Carbondale on Saturday with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with a specialization in aerospace.

SIU celebrates historic grand opening of Tedrick Welcome Center

SIU Carbondale and the SIU Foundation drew a crowd of more than 1,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members on May 1 to celebrate the grand opening of the Tedrick Welcome Center — marking a major milestone and a new front door to the university at its main entrance.

CTE technology team achieves industry certification

The Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) is celebrating a major milestone that will strengthen classroom innovation across the campus. Each of CTE’s instructional media systems technicians is now a certified technology specialist — a globally recognized credential in the audiovisual industry.

England Student Center Lounge dedicated at SIU, honoring student vision and donor generosity

More than 100 students, faculty and staff packed the fourth floor of the SIU Student Center on April 30 to celebrate the dedication of the England Student Center Lounge, a student-driven project made possible by a $250,000 gift from alumni Bob and Pat England.

SIU launches expanded “Give Before You Go” program to benefit local community

SIU Carbondale is strengthening its commitment to sustainability and community engagement through an enhanced “Give Before You Go” initiative, which encourages students moving out of residence halls to donate gently used and unused items at designated campus drop-off locations.

Spring 2026 SIU senior art exhibition on display 

An exhibition this week is highlighting the work of 16 seniors in the School of Art and Design.

SIU hosting a free workshop exploring AI in education, the workforce 

A group of artificial intelligence experts is holding the AI@SIUC workshop on Thursday, May 14. The free event explores how AI is shaping teaching, learning, research, productivity and real-world problem solving.

Saluki softball hosts MVC tournament

The No. 2-seed Saluki softball team hosts the Missouri Valley Conference softball tournament this week, May 6-9, at Charlotte West Stadium. The Salukis are scheduled to play No. 3-seed Murray State at 3 p.m. today (May 7). The baseball Salukis host SIU Edwardsville at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, at Itchy Jones Stadium. For complete Saluki schedules, visit siusalukis.com.

New Arts Jazztet to perform Sunday 

Members of the New Arts Jazztet, a Southern Illinois jazz group comprising SIU faculty and guests, will perform at Jazz Vespers, an evening prayer service, at 5 p.m. Sunday, May 10, at Epiphany Lutheran Church, 1501 W. Chautauqua St., Carbondale. NAJ was formed in 1984 by several School of Music faculty and has been in residence since that time. The performance will feature works by eden ahbez, Conrad Herwig, Gail Jhonson, Mike Nock, Michael Pedecin, and McCoy Tyner. The service will also be livestreamed on the Jazz Vespers at Epiphany Facebook page.

SIU Today begins summer schedule May 14

SIU Today will begin its summer schedule and come out once a week, each Thursday excluding holidays, beginning May 14. Submission deadlines will remain the same: two business days before the desired publication date. The deadline for the next edition will be Tuesday, May 12.