Some hidden gems across campus go unnoticed because of their geographic locations, and such is the case for the McLafferty Annex research facility.

Located on the outskirts of campus, the 65,000-square-foot annex holds a state-of-the-art research facility that houses the Aquatic Research Laboratory and Saluki Aquarium, part of SIU’s Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences.

“The research in fisheries, aquaculture and aquatic sciences goes far beyond what most people would think about in relation to fish,” said Dr. Ed Heist, acting director of the massive facility. “We have graduate and undergraduate researchers who come in and do research projects. SIU’s marine biology program sends students over to study our starfish and crabs. The behavioral analysis and therapy programs come here to work with octopus and zebrafish to learn more about cognitive development, autism and behavioral psychology.”

He added: “We have a major project currently going on researching the federally endangered pallid sturgeon species. This facility is used by many disciplines, and we are proud of it.”

The center has 17,000 square feet of indoor aquatic research space, significantly more than most other universities. The Aquatic Research Laboratory and Saluki Aquarium measures 7,000 square feet, while the Wetlab production facility across the street is slightly larger, at 10,000 square feet.

Heist also manages the 90 research ponds at the Touch of Nature site along with a 7½-acre reservoir. He allots space to research projects and assists students, who do a majority of the labor, fish harvesting and feeding, and equipment maintenance, too.

Because of the space and facility, SIU students receive plenty of hands-on experience in their major.

“Our students also have a very high success rate of receiving job offers when they graduate,” Heist said. “Many of our graduates go directly to work for the federal and state governments, along with private companies such as Archer Daniels Midland and Cargill – just some of the big-name employers who are hiring our students.”

“There is so much to be proud of,” Heist added. “Just a few weeks ago, Archer Daniels Midland aquatic research and development came to tour our facilities so they can update their research system to replicate SIU’s facility.”

Along with these many points of pride comes the reality of funding.

“It costs a lot to maintain Infrastructure and research systems, along with funding needed to conduct high-quality research,” Heist said.

Besides funding for the maintenance, the ultimate funding dream is to finish the construction of an 8,000-gallon display aquarium. The initial phase of the Aquatic Research Laboratory and Saluki Aquarium began in 2012 but is on hold pending additional funding. The cost to complete the aquarium stands at $350,000.

“It’s our dream that this world-class aquatic facility and aquarium will enable SIU to continue our important work in promoting greater understanding of, and education about, our precious aquatic resources,” Heist said.

To learn more about supporting the project through Forever SIU: The Campaign for Students, visit http://foreversiu.org/colleges-units/science.php, or contact the foundation at 618/453-4900 or siuf@foundation.siu.edu.

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By Jeff Wilson

Sarah Hollis never planned on coming to SIU, but now, she and SIU are certainly glad she did.

Her parents are SIU alumni, and the Battletown, Ky., native was eventually persuaded to come to Carbondale.

Sarah has spent 3 ½ years as a student caller with the SIU Foundation. During that time, she raised about $65,000 through 750 donations.

“It made me a more social person,” she said about her time as a student caller.

Graduating this spring with a degree in foreign language and international trade punctuated a fulfilling Saluki experience for Sarah.

Active in student government, she served as co-chair of the Internal Affairs Committee for two years, worked with the Naming Committee and serves as a senator for the College of Liberal Arts and West Campus.

She has also spent time studying abroad in Beijing and Taiwan.

While in Beijing, Sarah was a participant in the U.S.-China Student Summit and served as SIU’s student representative at the Beijing International College Fair.

During her time in Taiwan, she gained important work and life experience through an internship with INTAI Technology Corporation and Sun Chun Stainless Co. Ltd.

Locally, Sarah has volunteered at the Local Organic Garden Initiative of Carbondale.

Whether traveling to a foreign country to calling potential donors, Sarah said her experiences have given her a positive outlook.

“I’m a little more fearless,” she said. “Doing something you’re afraid of makes things very rewarding.”

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CARBONDALE, Ill. — A three-year, $75 million fundraising campaign will provide scholarships and other support for the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

“Forever SIU: The Campaign for Students” was launched Jan. 1 by the SIU Foundation, which raises private funds to support the university. It will end in December 2019, the year of the university’s 150th anniversary.

The foundation has already raised $33 million toward the goal, according to campaign co-chair Dan Korte, a 1985 SIU alumnus.

“These funds will have an immediate impact changing the lives of our students,” he said during a May 6 event marking the public launch of the campaign.  “We see the goal as being very achievable given the generosity of SIU’s current and future donors.”

Co-chair Camelle Logan, a 1989 graduate, said a committee of volunteers who share a commitment to SIU and its students is leading the campaign.

“We will encourage alumni, friends, faculty, staff and anyone who is committed to higher education to come forward and make a gift or pledge to this important cause,” she said.

The highest priority of the campaign is to raise more than $48 million for scholarships to help students stay in college and graduate, Logan added.

Other priorities include expanding opportunities through internships, career development and other initiatives; enhancing facilities and resources such as teaching laboratories and library materials; and deepening student and faculty engagement with the region through community-focused research, cultural events and outreach to high school students.

Donors may give to any priority as well as to the priorities of individual colleges and units, Korte said.

Interim SIU Carbondale Chancellor Brad Colwell said scholarships and other resources allow students to focus more of their time on their education.

“SIU students are well known for their determination and hard work,” he said. “They are our greatest asset, and sometimes a helping hand is all they need to succeed.”

More information about the campaign and opportunities to give can be found at foreversiu.org.

(More information: Contact Jim Salmo, SIU Foundation, 618-453-7174.)

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By Jeff Wilson

Harold Cohen had a tremendous impact on SIU. He founded the design department, was responsible for bringing Buckminster Fuller to Carbondale and left the SIU Foundation with one of its most profitable patents.

During this year’s Design Days, Cohen brought something else to the university – a message of inspiration and a call to action.

Recruited by Burnett H. Shryock, the first dean of the School of Fine Arts, Cohen came to SIU in 1955. The decision to bring Cohen on board was ultimately made by President Delyte Morris.

Cohen accepted a position at SIU saying he wanted the university to have a design department separate from art. He wanted students to feel empowered and unafraid of failure.

“The university is a greenhouse,” he said April 7 in Morris Library’s Guyon Auditorium. “There are many seeds that can grow.”

When he first arrived at SIU, he had no office. So, he set up shop in a broken women’s bathroom in Allyn Hall. Still, it wasn’t long before he earned the trust of President Morris and urged him to hire Fuller as a research professor.

Cohen was instrumental in connecting other notable artists and designers, such as Ray and Charles Eames, Josef Albers, Kenneth Snelson, Harry Callahan and Chermayeff, to the university.

While at SIU, Cohen designed housing, modular buildings and furniture. He also directed the Experiment in Higher Education project and started many influential design courses.

Before leaving the university in the mid-1960s, Cohen planted a seed of his own. He, along with Isaac Shechmeister, were awarded a patent for a disposable animal cage. This patent went on to be one of the foundation’s most profitable.

Now 92 years old, Cohen passed bits of wisdom from his experiences, both in teaching and life.

“Design is a process of thinking, a very powerful method of thinking,” he said. “We are great manipulators of the Earth’s resources. You have to recognize your own creativity.”

Cohen went on to teach at John Hopkins University and the Institute of Behavioral Research in Maryland and was later the dean of the School of Architectural Planning and Design at the University of Buffalo, The State University of New York.

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