By Jeff Wilson

Venture inside SIU’s beef and swine centers, and one will find students gaining hands-on experience and dedicated faculty and staff. Look a bit closer, though, and one will see a great need for improvements and expansion.

That’s exactly what University Farms Director Greg Osman is hoping a recent $50,000 donation will bring, even if it takes a little time.

The gift, made by Paul Georgy ’73, will bring a new lot of pigs and cattle to the farm. The short-term effect will be the immediate improvement of the quality of the livestock, but the long-term benefits are expected to go much further.

“This opens 100 other doors for teaching,” Osman said. “To make the necessary improvements, this is the kind of thing we’re going to need.”

GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING

The pigs were delivered to University Farms in October. They are of a higher genetic quality than previous litters. Simply, this means a higher profit down the road when they are sold.

“These are show-quality pigs,” Osman said. “They’re going to help us improve the foundation of our program.”

Bringing in show-quality pigs will also mean an improved experience for the Livestock Judging Team.

“Before, our students were going to shows and looking at the high-quality pigs brought by other teams, and thinking ‘What the heck?’” said Colten Collier, manager of the beef and swine centers. “Now they’ll know what it’s like to be on the other side of that.”

As for the cattle, that’s more of a numbers game.

Georgy’s donation will bring more cattle onto the farm, and the increase will bring in more money and help the beef center become more self-sustaining.

“We’ll be able to better utilize our pastures and fill them with our own calves,” Osman said.

The profit from selling more and higher-quality animals will inject new money into the farms and allow for much-needed improvements.

Collier and Osman were quick to point out that they’re not talking about major overhauls, but repairing and replacing some of the farms most basic needs, such as fences.

FILLING THE NEED

Georgy, a Trenton native, came to SIU as a transfer student. His dorm room for the first year at SIU was located at the beef center.

“Each farm had a dorm room,” he said. “We were able to experience farm life and student life at the same time.”

As a student, he was a member of SIU’s Livestock Judging Team, which managed to win their first competition despite their members’ lack of experience. Georgy believes the access to quality livestock is very important to building a winning team.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in animal science, Georgy spent several years managing a purebred Simmental operation before starting a research/brokerage firm, Allendale Inc., which helps producers become better marketers of their products. He spent 18 years serving the futures industry on the board of directors of the National Futures Association.

His connection to SIU Farms spurred him to take action.

“How can I impact the most people?” Georgy said. “In this venture, we have the ability to impact thousands of people.”

Georgy encourages others to get involved and make a difference, pointing out that gifts don’t have to be only monetary in nature.

“Any type of donation can benefit the whole project,” he said. “Donations of manpower, time, effort, gifts-in-kind, these are all ways that we can help restore and elevate the SIU farms to premier status.

“SIU Farms are an attribute that many other universities don’t have. It offers experiences you can’t get elsewhere. I’m excited about the opportunities that we can provide to our SIU students, parents, the community and the agricultural industry.”

For more information about how to give, visit www.foreversiu.org or www.siuf.org/giving/ways-to-give.

By Rebecca Renshaw

The SIU College of Engineering is one of very few STEM colleges (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in the nation that offers a technical leadership program. The SIU Leadership Development Program provides a direct bridge from leadership training to a career as a technical leader. Founded in 2006 by Dick Blaudow, an engineering alumnus and chairman of the board of Advanced Technology Services in Peoria. Blaudow and his wife, Brigitte, established the program as a way to help develop the next generation of America’s technical leaders.

Bruce DeRuntz, professor of technology at SIU and director of the College of Engineering’s Leadership Development Program, says the program truly transforms these students into leaders. “To be successful, these students know they have to prepare for success. It’s great to watch the transformation happen in these students as they go through the LDP program,” DeRuntz said.

Breanna Whitley, a junior, serves as the president of the LDP and is a scholarship recipient from the National Science Foundation. When asked to describe the program, Whitley responded, “Where do I begin? This program is not just an RSO. We develop a family here.  We truly care about each other,” Whitley said.

The team of students works on several community projects throughout the year. Some of the most recent projects include building a handicapped ramp to the women’s center and laying down new flooring for the Science Center.

LDP members’ personal experiences

“I believe the best leadership is an act of love. We all care about each other and how we can make a positive impact on the world,” said Whitley.

Bob Lozar-McDonald is a senior and has been in the program for since 2017. He is a recipient of a National Science Foundation scholarship. “Traditionally, many engineering students are introverts. This program helps students develop those softer skills of building interpersonal relationships. Many corporations are willing to pay to develop those skills,” said Lozar-McDonald.

Andrew Paxton is a senior and is deeply committed to the LDP program.  “In the workforce, there is a demand for leadership but not many universities supply leadership training. It’s fantastic that we are able to enter the workforce possessing leadership skills and are ready to succeed,” Paxton said.

By Rebecca Budde

Dr. Margaret Wilson, a retired pediatrician, knows firsthand of the financial struggles of medical students.

“I remember what it was like to struggle with money while trying to complete medical school,” she said. “Scholarships for medical school are sorely lacking, even now.”

While cost of tuition at SIU School of Medicine remains one of the most affordable among public universities, medical students graduate with some of the highest debt – more than $210,000 on average – according to Erik Constance, MD, associate dean of medical student affairs.

“Scholarships are imperative for fulfilling our mission of sending well-trained providers in our central and southern Illinois communities,” Dr. Constance said.

To help future generations of female physicians, Margaret established a scholarship for female medical students at SIU. Her hope is that this scholarship will help make life a little less worrisome for the student and her family.

“These students have families, and they’re graduating from medical school with these huge debts,” she said.

While his wife’s generosity was bestowed on the medical students, Dr. Charles Wilson, a retired professor in SIU’s Division of Urology, wanted his gift to impact the work of his chosen specialty.

The SIU School of Medicine’s Founders Urology Care Scholars Program will support new investigators’ research and educational projects that benefit patients with urologic diseases. The funding will be used for basic, translational or clinical research in urologic diseases. The endowment is open to any donors who wish to support urologic research.

As Drs. Margaret and Charles Wilson enjoy their retirement, their son, Morgan Wilson, MD, ’05, is enjoying his career at SIU Medicine’s Division of Dermatology. Not only has Morgan generously supported the scholarship his mother began, but he also supports the Student Resource Fund and the SIU Dermatology Alumni Fund.

“I have enjoyed seeing the educational yield of the SIU Dermatology Alumni Fund, which helps to offset the costs of books, meetings, courses and equipment for our dermatology residency program,” Morgan said. “It is fun to witness the consequent learning.”

Though the Jacksonville-based couple and their son chose different medical specialties and different areas to give, all agree that they’d like to help support the mission of the medical school and keep quality physicians in Illinois.

“I’ve always appreciated and benefited from the SIU School of Medicine’s commitment to educational quality, and I’d like to support the continuation of this emphasis,” Morgan said. “As a native of the area, I also believe in the mission of educating physicians who will consider coming back to downstate Illinois.”

 

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By Rebecca Renshaw

Bob Gower’s personal narrative over the past seven decades offers a touching portrait of the American dream. SIU played a part in his story of accomplishment, generosity and determination. Born in West Frankfort to parents with an eighth-grade education, Gower knew that hard work was going to be his personal key to achieving success.

“I worked and paid my own way through college, which wasn’t easy to do when majoring in chemistry,” Gower said. “Balancing classes and working on weekends was difficult, but through hard work I grew up fast. I learned that success doesn’t come automatically and that I just had to persevere through the hard times.”

Gower said that his experiences at SIU taught him so much about other people. He said those experiences taught him about character, taught him about honesty, and gave him an appreciation of diversity.

“In West Frankfort, Illinois, there were no African-Americans in the 1950s. When I arrived at SIU, I met all types of people from other cultures and countries, and it was a new and stimulating experience. I learned about people, what drove them and how to work with others who did not come from my background,” he said.

While he was a senior getting his undergraduate degree, Gower was encouraged by friends to go on a blind date with freshman Mary Beth Miller.

“I remember sitting across from this beautiful young girl, sharing a soda with her when she told me she was taking a freshman chemistry course and could really use some help with it. I thought, God must be smiling on me right now. I knew I was good at chemistry and that I could help her,” he said.

Fifty-eight years later, Gower credited his wife for helping him far more than when he helped her with her chemistry class.

Gower went on to receive his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SIU in 1958 and 1960, respectively, and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1963.

Upon graduation from SIU, Gower began an industrial career starting at Sinclair Oil Corporation as a research scientist.

“I quickly realized that I was just as able as some of the people running the companies that I worked for, so I asked to be moved into sales and experienced a range of business development and planning positions to broaden my background,” he said.

Gower soon rose to prominent positions in Atlantic Richfield and its divisions of the company. He became vice president of ARCO Chemical Co. in 1977 and senior vice president in 1979. In June 1984, he became senior vice president of Atlantic Richfield Co. Gower became president of Lyondell Petrochemical Co. when it was formed in April 1985 and was elected chief executive officer in October 1988. That same year, Gower led Lyondell through the largest initial public stock offering up to that time.

While Gower has had an illustrious career, he and his wife have always maintained a steadfast loyalty to SIU Carbondale’s chemistry department. Recently, Gower gave $800,000 to the department.

“SIU is moving toward being a well-recognized research institution with excellent faculty,” he said. “Beth and I would like to help it become a great research institution.”

One might think that with all of the success he achieved in his life, Gower would sit back and take it easy. Not so.

One of his current passions is the field of nanotechnology, which he has used to help develop a therapeutic, abuse-resistant opioid pain drug.

“It is currently in clinical trials, and the FDA recently gave Ensysce Biosciences a fast-track designation, which means we won’t have such a lengthy process to approval,” he said.

Gower said that opioid drugs are the only way to handle certain types of severe pain, so simply banning them from use is not the answer.

“The problem is that people quickly become addicted to opioid drugs,” he said. “We need to prevent abuse. What we have done with our drug is to modify it so that the drug is not active when taken. Only when it is in the digestive system and it meets an enzyme known as trypsin does it become activated via a two-step reaction. If a person snorts it or dissolves it and injects the drug, it will not be activated. If chewed, the reaction still will not take place until it gets to the digestive system.

Gower is also passionate about providing opportunities for underprivileged children. For the past 30 years, he has worked with Communities in School, and he headed its operation in Houston for much of that time. CIS is a campus-based, nonprofit organization providing direct services and resources to under-served children with unmet needs, many with mental health issues. By surrounding them with a community of support, CIS empowers students to stay in school and achieve in life.

“Anyone can do what I have done, or something better, or something comparable. Each of us brings our own unique set of contributions to society. Everyone is important on this stage,” he said.

To find out how you can contribute to the SIU College of Science and the chemistry department, visit foreversiu.org/colleges-units/science.

By Jeff Wilson

Since opening in August 2016, the Saluki Food Pantry has served more than 2,400 SIU students and their families. That kind of community service requires support and a lot of hard work.

Recently, the food pantry assisted students after a fire at Evergreen Terrace by supplying food and toiletries to affected individuals.

Much of the work at the food pantry is done by graduate assistant Shannon Denman, said Student Center Associate Director Kent Epplin.

“Without Shannon, we would not be able to operate because there is no dedicated staff member for the location,” Epplin said. “As a result of her ongoing efforts to schedule food drives, we have been successful at supplying our students with the necessary food items.”

During the first two SIU Days of Giving, the Saluki Food Pantry has received $1,800 in donations. Most of those funds are used to pay overhead costs and fund the graduate assistant position.

“Initially, the chancellor funded the pantry, but for the current fiscal year, we are operating off of the SIU Foundation funding,” Epplin said. “The pantry runs on a very simple budget.”

The food pantry works with students both on and off campus, and networks with Saluki Cares and other campus organizations to ensure students are aware of the available resources.

The Saluki Food Pantry is located on the Lower Level of the Student Center and is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays and 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursdays. Any student with a valid student ID can access the pantry’s resources. To learn more, visit www.studentcenter.siu.edu/services/saluki-food-pantry.php.