There is no more central hub for SIU students than Morris Library, and John Pollitz plans to keep it that way.

“The library is a place to explore. It’s a place for curiosity,” said Pollitz, dean of library affairs. “Every student engages with the library. It has always been the place for students to gather and collaborate.”

Since taking over as dean in 2017, Pollitz has shared a forward-thinking vision for the library. With a focus on technology and innovation, he sees big things on the horizon.

“Students from every college and school utilize the library’s services,” he said. “It must be a one-stop shop where every student can access the information and technology they need to have a well-rounded educational experience.”

Through fundraising success, including money raised during recent Days of Giving, the library has added many technological improvements, including 3D printers, a podcasting booth, and a digital scanner.

More recently, Pollitz opened space in the library for the Digital Narratives Lab run by professor Pinckney Benedict. The 600 square-foot classroom in the library’s sixth floor offers students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with virtual reality, podcasting, Twitch streaming, and much more.

“The next step is providing an even larger, more advanced space where students can expand their horizons even further,” Pollitz said.

Library staff has already worked with architecture students to redesign a large chunk of the library’s first floor. The area where stacks of print reference guides currently sit would be transformed into the Digital Scholarship Commons.

“Our goal is to provide an area and equipment for students to collaborate as they design and create,” Pollitz said. “The are so many exciting, innovative projects to give to.”

The possibilities are many, from expanding VR and 3D printing to streaming services to podcasting to video game production and beyond.

“I have always wanted to move in this direction,” Pollitz said. “The library is named for SIU’s greatest visionary, Delyte Morris, and we must strive to further that vision.”

To support Morris Library, visit siuf.org/library.

COECTM will use funds to purchase 3D laser scanner

By Jeff Wilson

With a single donation, the Southern Illinois Construction Advancement Program of the Southern Illinois Builders Association improved the educational opportunities for SIU students and strengthened its partnership with the College of Engineering, Computing, Technology, and Mathematics.

The $25,000 gift will be used to add a 3D laser scanner, which will help train the next generation of Salukis in the School of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering.

“This gift from the Southern Illinois Construction Advancement Program (SICAP) of the Southern Illinois Builders Association (SIBA) was made to improve the talent pool for the construction industry in the region,” said Donna Richter, CEO of SIBA/SICAP. “SIBA/SICAP believes it is imperative that SIUC has the resources to teach and train future generations. We want these students to have state-of-the-art equipment to train with and hopefully remain in the Southern Illinois area working for SIBA member companies.”

On its website, SIBA/SICAP states that its purpose is to advance the construction industry through strengthening its members and offering a full range of services and programs to its members. There are around 150 SIBA/SICAP member companies in Southern Illinois.

“Our college appreciates the generosity of SIBA/SICAP and looks forward to building and strengthening a long-term partnership with it,” said Dr. Xiaoqing “Frank” Liu, dean of the College of Engineering, Computing, Technology, and Mathematics. “SIU has produced many outstanding engineering talents for builders in Southern Illinois and beyond for a long time and will continue to do so in the future.”

The 3D laser scanner allows for high-definition surveying technology for mapping an area or large object with a high level of accuracy.

“This donation provides students in our college an opportunity of learning this modern technology and its applications in constructions and other related domains in a hands-on education and training environment,” Dean Liu said.

With a focus on increasing enrollment, ensuring that the college has the most up-to-date technology is imperative.

“As digital technology continues to evolve, many traditional processes in the engineering sector are being replaced by their quicker, safer, and more accurate counterparts,” said Dr. Jale Tezcan, interim director of the School of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering. “3D laser scanning technology has already revolutionized the surveying industry and is becoming increasingly prevalent in the construction industry.”

Expanding its partnership with SIBA/SICAP, has effects that stretch well beyond the classroom as well.

“Coupled with the internship and networking opportunities through our partnership with SIBA/SICAP, this gift will make our students better equipped to secure employment upon graduation,” Dr. Tezcan said. “We are very fortunate to have such a committed partner as SIBA/SICAP on our side, sharing our vision and goals.”

To learn more about how to make a similar gift, visit siuf.org.

Youchoff fund will help students finish

By Jeff Wilson

Seventy years after Johnny Youchoff’s graduation from SIU, his family is honoring his memory by establishing the Johnny Youchoff and Mary Agnes Youchoff Finish Line Endowed Scholarship.

His cousin, John Savio, and John’s wife, Anita, donated $250,000 to create this endowed scholarship honoring Youchoff and his wife, Mary Agnes. The term “finish line” refers to the goal of the fund, which aims to help students complete their degrees.

The scholarship is designed for SIU juniors and seniors who are graduates of his former high school in West Frankfort or his mother’s high school in Christopher and have experienced a major life event that may prevent them from graduating.

“Johnny had every sticker the SIU Alumni Association had sent him on his garage wall,” said John Savio. “He hoped to be a member of the Alumni Association for at least 50 years, and was proud to exceed that goal.”

Youchoff, a West Frankfort native worked at his family business, Heights Bakery, as a youth and graduated from Frankfort Community High School. At SIU, he majored in geography and graduated in 1952. In May of 2021 he passed away at age 91 and was buried with his SIU 150th anniversary pin.

“Education was very important to Johnny, and he was particularly eager to help students from his and his mother’s hometowns,” Anita Savio said. “He would love that his legacy will be supporting these students on the brink of completing their degrees.”

Family memories

John Savio never lived in Southern Illinois, but as a youth he and his parents often visited his grandmother, and aunt and uncle there.

“That was a vacation our family took every summer for at least a week, sometimes 10 days. I had so much fun with Johnny and his brother Louis,” said John Savio, a longtime Michigan resident. “We would go fishing, boating and hiking, and travel all around the area … to Crab Orchard, Cave-in-Rock, Shawnee National Forest.”

After earning his degree, Youchoff joined the Army and served proudly during the Korean War. Upon his return he went to work at General Motors in Atlanta, and, before meeting his wife-to-be, spent his evenings studying law at John Marshall Law School.

“That was the kind of guy Johnny was,” John Savio said. “He had no interest in practicing law and never mentioned his degree. I didn’t even know he went to law school until I saw the diploma on his wall about 10 years ago. Even at SIU, he studied Russian for the fun of it. He just loved learning.”

Always a Saluki

Through the years, Youchoff never lost his Saluki spirit. Although he lived in Georgia and Tennessee, he followed Saluki Athletics closely, particularly Saluki Men’s Basketball. For years, until Mary Agnes became ill, they would travel to Carbondale for the SIU Homecoming games. Later, it was a 2014 trip to campus that reignited his plan to help students.

“After so many years, Johnny wanted to visit his alma mater,” Anita Savio said. “So, he and John went on a road trip to SIU, where they ran into the associate athletic director of marketing. Their conversation brought back many great memories, reminding him of how much he loved the school.”

Youchoff then began working with the SIU Foundation on making a large-scale gift, but, due to life-changing events, it was never finalized. The Savios knew it was important to make this dream a reality.

“He had talked often about doing this,” John Savio said. “I reached out to the SIU Foundation and had lengthy discussions about what this fund would be. Of course, Johnny passed away before it came to fruition.”

Now, with the establishment of his fund, John and Anita Savio are confident that Youchoff would be pleased with the outcome.

“He really wanted to make sure that other young people could benefit from an education like he received at SIU,” Anita Savio said. “We are thrilled that we are able to fulfill this wish in his honor.”

To learn more about making a gift, visit siuf.org.

M Cecil Smith had big plans as the first dean for the new School of Education, despite arriving in July 2020 amid a pandemic.

“I feel as if the past 30-plus years of my career have prepared me well for this position. Now, we can accelerate and implement the exciting initiatives,” he said.

Smith said he wants to revitalize and enhance the school’s existing community partnerships and establish new relationships.

“This is my vision, my mantra for SIU’s School of Education: ‘Always learning, always leading,’” he said. “My goal is to work with the faculty and staff to assure we have a high-quality, rigorous program.”

While the School of Education has a dedicated legion of supporters, Smith said it’s more important than ever to ensure students are fully supported.

“We are fortunate to have many scholarships for our students, and we are grateful. But we need other kinds of funding support,” he said. “The pandemic took a toll on our students’ well-being and their ability to manage the various aspects of their lives.”

“We also need to recruit teacher candidates from underrepresented groups. We need teachers to reflect the diversity that is growing in the Southern Illinois region. Research shows that students of color who have teachers who are persons of color are much more likely to stay in school.”

Implementing initiatives

Smith is especially excited about an initiative known as the Saluki Teacher Residency Partnership, funded by a recent award from the Illinois State Board of Education.

It awarded $50,000 to plan the partnership and $200,000 to implement the residency partnership. Currently, the school is working with five local districts: Cairo, Meridian, Vienna, Murphysboro, and Carbondale’s two school districts.

“The plan is to create a teacher residency, much like a medical residency, geared toward recruiting students from under-represented racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups,” Smith said.

Christie McIntyre, director of teaching and education and an associate professor, wrote the grant. In it, a student resident teacher collaborates with a community mentor and works in the school for an entire school year.

“We are proud to be implementing the fruits of Christie’s efforts this fall with three teacher residents placed in each of those five communities. The community mentors will provide the residents with advice on professionalism, inform them about the larger community, and will give the teacher residents overall support,” Smith said.

During the pandemic, students suffered a significant amount of learning loss. To get these students up to speed, the School of Education will employ retired teachers, community mentors, and university students to provide afterschool tutoring as part of the Illinois Tutoring Initiative, a statewide project funded through the governor’s office. Thus far, the school has partnered with four local districts with plans to expand the program this fall.

Smith is especially excited about the Illinois Grow Your Own (GYO) initiative, which provides funding to prepare local community members for teaching careers in early childhood education and special education. GYO supports racially and economically diverse individuals who have a desire to become teachers within their home communities. The goal is to prepare teachers who will become leaders inside and outside their hometown classrooms.

The funding pays up to $25,000 for tuition, books, childcare, and transportation for each qualified student. The school graduated 17 special education teachers who were supported by the program. Eight students will graduate in December 2022 and seven will graduate in 2023. The school also has a cohort of 12 early childhood educator candidates who will graduate in 2023.

To support scholarships and initiatives such as these, visit ehs.siu.edu/giving.

Enjoying a new home

Smith and his wife, Ellin, are finding Southern Illinois a great fit for their lifestyle.

“We enjoy cycling, kayaking and visiting local wineries, and this region provides a wide array of opportunities for us to enjoy those activities,” Smith said.

Smith is also enjoying the close camaraderie he is experiencing with the other SIU deans.

“We had everyone over for dinner recently, and it is great that we all get along and support one another. The future looks bright for our colleges and schools at SIU. I’m proud to play a part,” he said.