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SIU Today - March 06, 2023

Salukis take over St. Louis during Arch Madness

For the second straight year, the Saluki Takeover Tour in St. Louis brought together SIU alumni and friends to celebrate their shared school spirit. Coinciding with the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Arch Madness Tournament, Saluki maroon flooded the streets of downtown St. Louis March 1-4.

SIU becomes the first university-based mortuary science program in the U.S. with on-site crematory 

A love of science and the desire for a career that really helps people drew Emily Bender toward mortuary science. With the decision made, she knew her educational preparation “could only be Southern Illinois University Carbondale” as SIU offers the state’s only mortuary science and funeral services bachelor’s degree program and one of just six in the country. Now, Bender said, the program’s recent addition of the only university-housed crematory in the United States has made her even happier with her choice. 

SIU business prof: AI as a tool for hiring, layoffs can be wonderful or dangerous 

Jim Nelson, Rehn Professor of Business Analytics, coordinator of the analytics program in the College of Business and Analytics and the director of its Pontikes Center for Advanced Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, says managers need to be careful using AI and big data in making layoff and hiring decisions.

Give Kids a Smile Day celebrates

The dental hygiene program celebrated 20 years of the popular Give Kids a Smile Day on March 3 by providing free dental care for about 75 children in the region who do not receive regular dental treatment and who do not have regular access to dental care. In addition, vision and hearing screenings were provided to participants through the mobile unit of the Lions Club of Carbondale, and SIU’s nursing program provided free blood pressure screenings for participants and their parents. Madison Harris, a junior in the dental hygiene program from Kenosha, Wisconsin, attends to a 5-year-old patient from Du Quoin.

School of Law Diversity Prelaw Summer Institute seeks students

High achieving college sophomores and juniors who want to gain insight into legal careers and prepare for law school are invited to attend the Southern Illinois University School of Law Diversity Prelaw Summer Institute, May 21-27.

Sign up now for SIU’s Little Grassy Songwriter Retreat March 10-12

If you are a songwriter or interested in becoming one, you won’t want to miss the inaugural Little Grassy Winter Songwriter Retreat, set for March 10-12 at the Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center.

SIU Today spring break schedule

SIU Today will also take a spring break next week. The last issue before spring break is Thursday, March 9. SIU Today will then resume on March 20.