[MUSIC] >> Coming up on the impact report.

>> If you look at our percentages of applications, we're up 27% from students in this region that are staying at home.

>> Salukis take over southern Illinois, traveling hundreds of miles for high school visits and chancellor receptions.

These efforts to recruit locally are leading to double digit enrollment increases.

Plus research mania at the student center.

Hundreds of students present their findings on topics ranging from modern art to brain function.

We hear from the undergraduate students whose ideas could shape the future.

And this month in the lab.

>> Hey, I'm Jeff Gleim, and I'm going for a swing.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] >> But first, the biggest construction on campus in more than a decade is finally complete.

[MUSIC] As doors open at the Tedrick Welcome Center, hundreds of Salukis take it in for the first time.

The impact report starts right now.

[MUSIC] Hello and welcome to another exciting episode of the Impact Report, brought to you from WSIU Studios at Southern Illinois University.

I'm your host, Anna Twomey.

We have lots to get to on the show today, starting with our top story.

What used to be a parking lot next to the student center has been transformed into a two story campus welcome center.

More than a thousand people gathered to watch the doors of the Tedrick Welcome Center, open to the public for the very first time.

[MUSIC] >> If there's something that we can do in the long run to help recruit students, it's the right thing to do.

>> This new building was funded entirely by the SIU Foundation, including a lead gift from Saluki alumni Roger and Sally Tedrick of $6 million.

The Tedrick Welcome Center will be the starting point for all campus tours and will be available to host events and conferences.

SIU Foundation Chief Marceting Officer Britni Bateman was at the grand opening and spoke with Salukis as they toured the new space.

>> Wow, what an incredible turnout tonight to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the Tedrick Welcome Center.

We've had hundreds of Salukis show up to celebrate the generosity of Roger and Sally Tedrick, and celebrate with the SIU Foundation and the SIU Foundation Board of Directors.

>> So, ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to the Tedrick Welcome center.

>> Excitement, joy and pride.

Salukis felt it all as the Tedrick Welcome Center was officially dedicated and open to the public.

[MUSIC] The Tedrick Welcome Center is filled with cutting edge technology and will be the starting point for campus tours.

Prospective students can learn about the wide variety of colleges and professional schools on campus.

>> When you think about the elementary students coming, the middle school students, the high school students, I couldn't think of a better building to welcome them to.

This is the building we want them to be in.

But this front door has now become the face of this university.

>> The S-I-U Foundation Board of Directors worked tirelessly to make the vision for a campus Welcome center a reality.

Roger and Sally Tedrick, both SIU graduates, stepped up with the lead gift that made this building possible.

Roger has served on the SIU Board of Trustees for more than a decade and grew up in Carbondale.

He tells us this new building represents his and Sally's belief in the future of SIU.

>> Being in a situation where my family and her family got the start that we needed because of this university, and so it just made sense for us to give back.

>> Their decision to give back is already having an impact.

Salukis at the grand opening.

We're in awe.

>> Well, my first impression was the architecture is beautiful.

I think you can look around on this building and you can.

Everywhere you look, it looks like it's the the entrance of the building.

I think it's one of the most beautiful buildings on campus.

>> Really beautiful.

I'm really excited to see students coming back and getting excited and invigorated.

We have a mix of alum, I think, and students here today, so it's amazing.

>> We are so excited about the future of this building and all the Saluki journeys that will begin right here.

Reporting from the Tedrick Welcome Center.

I'm Britni Bateman.

>> Thanks, Britni.

What a fantastic event.

There's so much to see and do at the Tedrick Welcome Center.

We look forward to your visit.

>> Well, good evening Salukis.

How are you doing tonight?

We said.

>> This, I guess.

>> A couple of years ago, that our priority was going to be right here in our own backyard, and that continues.

>> The SIU Foundation team went on the road for the Southern Illinois Takeover Tour, hosting Saluki alumni and friends at five chancellor receptions in five different cities.

This, as the S-I-U admissions team visited 55 high schools throughout the region, bolstering local recruitment efforts.

Salukis had an awesome time connecting at events in Makanda like of Egypt, Mount Vernon, Carterville, and Redbud.

They also heard directly from Chancellor Austin Lane about SIU's status as both a research one and Opportunity University, as well as efforts to recruit more students from Southern Illinois.

>> Carbondale is everything to me.

SIU is everything to me.

There is no other university that comes to our schools and literally sits down and talks with them.

We're talking about the chancellor of a four year university research rated university coming into our building and sitting down with our students and welcoming them.

>> I've got more maroon in my closet than any other color.

>> I love being here tonight, and it shows me the success that SIU has brought and how it's continuing to grow and just become better as the years go on.

And it makes me even more ready to move in in August.

>> It was so great to see Salukis come out and support their alma mater.

We also got to meet lots of current and future students at these events.

That's always a pleasure.

Learn more about the Saluki Takeover Tour by heading over to SIUF.org two one.

The fourth floor of the student center just got a complete makeover, thanks to the generosity of two Saluki alumni.

Bob and Pat England recently returned to campus to officially dedicate the new space known as the England Student Center Lounge.

Their donation made the lounge possible.

Dozens of family members, friends and fellow Salukis cheered them on as they cut the ribbon and recognized the years of planning it took to make this renovation happen.

The England Student Center Lounge is designed to be a gathering place for students and features a podcasting studio, as well as places for students to study, play games and host meetings.

This initiative was led by students in SIU's undergraduate student government.

The dedication was an emotional moment for them and the England family as they celebrated a job well done.

>> I would like to share my deepest gratitude to the England's.

Um.

Your story is one that is so filled with love.

Um, your love for SIU, your love for, um, our students and our experiences and your love for each other.

>> My heart is over flowing with this.

To be able to give an opportunity like this to the students that at SIU.

>> We are so grateful to Bob and Pat England, their wonderful alumni who believe in what their fellow Salukis are capable of.

Learn more about the England Student Center Lounge by heading over to SIUF.org dot org.

>> So we're here because we borrowed your town name.

>> Director, actor, comedian, and passionate Saluki alumnus Bob Odenkirk visited normal, Illinois, to promote his latest film called normal SIU student reporters Carly Gist from the Daily Egyptian and Will Elliott from River Region News, traveled to normal to document Odenkirk's visit and capture an exclusive interview with him about his new film.

Odenkirk visited SIU's campus last September, hosting a town hall at the Varsity Theater and spending much of his time working with students and staff in the College of Arts and Media.

Salukis in film and television are doing amazing things to.

Alumni were recently nominated for an Oscar.

2004 graduate Jack Piatt, founder of Highway West Entertainment, was among the team that won an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film 2001 and 2004.

Alumna Hilla Medalia was nominated for an Oscar.

In the documentary Short Film category, student researchers filled the student center with posters and props as part of a campus wide effort to showcase scholarly work and creativity.

The Creative Activities and Research Presentations Forum was a huge hit this year.

Dozens of students, many of whom worked on their projects for more than a year, presented their research to faculty and staff.

Among those students were the Susan C Thrasher Award recipients.

The research these students did was made possible by a generous gift from SIU alumna Susan Thrasher.

I had the chance to speak with some of the students who received her grant award.

Here's my report from the research forum.

>> A village of student researchers eager to share their findings.

From architecture to brain function to monochromatic art.

These projects covered a wide range of topics.

>> My name is Adeline Tucker.

I'm a senior at Southern Illinois University.

I am presenting a year's worth of research on monochromatic painting of the 20th century.

>> Adeline Tucker is one of six Susan C Thrasher Award recipients this year.

The Thrasher Award provides $1,500 to an undergraduate student who completes research under the supervision of a faculty mentor.

For many students, this award is a life changing opportunity.

>> It took a lot of pressure off of me financially to focus on the research.

And honestly, also, it made me really excited about my graduate school applications.

>> Just being able to work in a lab and get research experience hands on.

I was able to do independent research directly under Doctor Do, which was so great, and I feel more confident in lab.

I feel like a scientist, you know.

>> For these dedicated students, the Thrasher Award is more than just a grant.

It's an opportunity to dream big and gain the type of experience that could launch their career after.

>> I graduate this May, and then I'm just going to start working.

I am extremely appreciative of the funding that was provided to me and.

And hopefully I made you proud with it.

>> What a fantastic opportunity for students.

All thanks to a fellow Saluki who believes in supporting the future.

To learn more about Susan C Thrasher and what inspired her to give back.

Head over to S-I-U dot org.

>> I was just checking my emails like a normal day right after class, and I saw one saying congratulations.

I'm like, that's a little odd.

What's that?

I clicked on it and said, congratulations, you're a Boeing scholarship recipient.

And I just first thing was, I was so amazed, I didn't think I was going to get it.

>> Nothing but excitement and appreciation from 12 SIU aviation and engineering students who received the Boeing scholarship this year, representatives from Boeing treated the 12 recipients to a lunch and conversation about their passions, careers, and opportunities at Boeing.

Boeing has been an incredible partner to SIU, providing scholarships that bridge the financial gap for students and mentorships that prepare students for a future in aviation.

SIU alumni Marc Jackson and Maurice Woodruff, both Boeing employees, led this discussion with students and tell us they love their visits back to SIU.

>> But it wasn't that long ago that I was sitting in these same chairs and helping maybe that individual think about that career that's ahead of them and getting ahead of that thought process so they can, I'll say, do themselves well as they enter the business.

>> What I see in the students here is I see the future, right?

The future of aviation, the future in engineering, and the future of the Boeing Company sitting right here in front of us, right as we try to grow, try to grow the company of where we need to be in the next 110 years where the Boeing Company is going.

I see that in the students right here.

>> What a powerful example of how the aviation industry and higher education can work together.

A huge thank you to Boeing for their support.

Coming up.

>> We have 100% success rate on this thing, so don't ruin that for us, okay?

>> SIU Foundation Chief Operating Officer Jeff Gleim is reaching new heights as we explore the facilities at SIU's Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center.

[MUSIC] >> The SIU Alumni Association is proud to announce that the Saluki Marcet is officially open.

This e-comm platform, powered by Shopify, showcases the products and stories of entrepreneurs who are alumni, students, and friends of SIU.

Browse and purchase hundreds of items offered by your fellow Salukis.

Best of all, a portion of each sale goes to support scholarships and programs for current students.

Shop SIU first by visiting www.salukis.com.

[MUSIC] >> Welcome back and we hope you're enjoying the show!

The Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center is one of SIU's premier facilities for more than 80 years.

Staff there have taught Salukis and the entire Southern Illinois community about the great outdoors.

Nestled within the Shawnee National Forest, just a few miles away from campus.

Touch of Nature hosts thousands of students and community members every year for camps, biking, hiking, climbing, and so much more.

We were curious, what's it like to get the full experience out at Touch of Nature?

What do students get to do when they stay there?

SIU Foundation Chief Operating Officer Jeff Gleim heads into the lab to find out.

>> Thanks, Anna.

We're out here at Touch of Nature, standing here in front of Fryeburg Hall.

And with me is Brian Croft, the executive director of Touch of Nature.

And, Brian, we were out here last month to kick off the first Saluki takeover tour for Southern Illinois.

We had over, I'm going to say we were close to 300 people.

For those folks who were unable to come out here.

Give them a reason to come out here.

>> Touch of nature is one of those things that is unique to Southern Illinois University.

Um, it's one of those we're the only outdoor education center that is operated by a university in the state of Illinois.

So we have, I mean, 3100 acres out here, 80 buildings, two camps.

Um, we see about 5000 people out here annually.

>> I've dressed this way for a reason.

>> You are?

>> Let's show our audience what an outdoor experience.

>> You know you've heard of.

We've heard of.

Are you smarter than a fifth grader?

Oh, boy.

So this is going to be.

Are you braver than fifth grade?

>> Okay.

We're going to start off small.

Right.

We're going to start off on the ground.

This is archery, right.

And one of the reasons we love archery is it's it's it's an activity that anyone can do.

Archery is one of the most adaptable activities that you can do.

Folks with mobility issues can take a wheelchair or scooter, whatever right here.

And we can shoot.

They can retrieve their arrows.

And so really, they can do this whole activity with limited help from staff.

>> So Katrina has given us off camera a at least me a private lesson.

So we'll see how.

>> Okay, let's do it.

Let's do three arrows.

It wasn't in the yellow ringer.

Okay.

In the target.

>> Oh.

>> That one.

>> Was.

>> That one.

That's not technically right in the middle, But it's real close.

You're getting closer.

You got to be happy with that.

>> I'm happy with.

>> That.

I'm happy with that.

>> So that was archery.

>> Okay.

>> Everybody can do.

>> Are you ready to try something a little bit higher?

>> All right.

Brian.

So I don't know what all I'm wearing, but you got me all geared up here.

So let's talk through what this is.

>> Welcome, my friend, to the giant swing.

>> The giant swing.

>> The giant swing is one of our most popular activities.

And again, it goes.

We've had six year olds and we've had 85 year olds, right?

So no pressure, no pressure.

All right, we're gonna have a whole team that's going to pull you back, and then you're just going to go for a nice pleasant swing today.

So we have 100% success rate on this thing.

So don't ruin that for us.

Okay?

>> Let's let's go.

Let's do.

>> It.

>> Going up.

You're going up.

>> Hey, I'm Jeff Gleim, and I'm going for a swing.

Oh!

Oh, that one got me.

All right.

I can't stop laughing.

But this was a great day.

>> I think I'm.

You are as brave as a fifth grader.

>> So this is the future.

This is.

>> This is the future.

We're actually standing underneath what is hopefully going to be our new lake.

Little grassy lake has been drained.

What was a big, beautiful 1000 acre lake is now grassland.

And again, I tell people it's just about getting kids outside.

And if you want to give, if you go to our website, they'll be descriptions on this project and kind of what it's going to look like and why we're doing it.

So yeah.

>> I hope everybody enjoyed this.

More importantly, I hope you learned something about Touch of Nature.

Come on out and share and explore.

I know Brian would love to see everybody out here.

But again, back to you in the studio, Anna.

>> Well, Jeff clearly had quite the adventure out there.

You've got to give him credit for going up on that swing.

Not easy.

Touch of nature is truly a treasure.

We appreciate the chance to check out the facility and learn more about big plans for the future.

Coming up from critical care to hands on training, this unique center at SIU is changing lives.

SIU Foundation CEO Matt Kupec has more on how the Community Care and Education Center has become a lifeline for families across the region.

>> Every line drive, each fastball and all those home run cheers.

This isn't just a baseball game, it's a memory for our alumni.

Supporting SIU doesn't just happen on campus.

It happens here, in the stands, in the conversations, and in those moments of Saluki Pride this year, from Saint Louis to Chicago and all the way out to San Francisco, the association is hosting baseball events for our alumni.

Enjoy the game with fellow Salukis as well as socials before each one.

Learn more at SIUalumni.com.

>> Welcome back and thanks for watching the Impact report Inside University Hall on the far east side of campus.

Leaders with the College of Health and Human Sciences are building a behavioral health facility that will improve lives across the Southern Illinois region.

The Community Care and Education Center opened last year, and it provides critical services to children and adults with developmental disorders, among other services.

The center also provides training opportunities for SIUe faculty, staff and students.

Lots of new developments have been made at the center since it opened.

SIU Foundation CEO Matt Kupec spoke with the Dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences about big plans for the future.

>> Thanks, Anna.

We're here at University Hall, the home of the Community Care and Education Center with Dean Bob Morgan from the College of Health and Human Sciences.

Bob, about a year since we aired on the Impact Report, and a lot has happened since.

>> Thank you Matt.

Welcome back.

We're excited to show you what we've done in the Community Care and Education center.

Since the year that we moved into the building, we have several service community service facing programs, and they were isolated and siloed across campus, and we wanted to bring them together and create some synergy, create some opportunity for enhanced impact.

So we worked with the university to move into University Hall, and we moved in here in August.

And since that time, we've moved several of our programs in here.

We have primary programs for treating children with autism spectrum disorders, individuals, particularly adults with cognitive disabilities, to help them gain independent living skills.

We developed and started a new program for forensic mental health services to serve the state.

We serve families who are working to improve lives for their children.

So with all that going on, we're excited about what we're doing.

We're excited about what we're what we have going on.

And we want to show you one of our programs.

>> Let's go take a look.

>> So we are now in the center for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

And this is Denise Croft.

She's the executive director for CAS Casb in the center for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

She's actually wearing two hats.

She's executive director for CAS, but she's also interim director for the Csec for the Community Care and Education Center.

Denise, can you tell us a little bit about CAS and what you do here?

>> Yeah.

So center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, we serve individuals ages 2 to 21 who have autism or are suspected of having autism.

And we provide individual services.

We provide speech language therapy, ABA therapy, which is applied behavior analysis therapy.

We provide screenings and we provide diagnostic evaluations.

>> That's excellent.

Tell us a little bit about how moving here has helped you or allowed you to enhance services and improve the quality of care?

>> I think moving to the Community Care and Education Center has been pivotal in terms of being able to expand what we do.

We were in a real tight spot that we love, but now we have so much more room, so we're going to be able to serve more clients.

We also were able to individualize more rooms and make them more sensory friendly and have a gross motor room and a sensory room, and then so many more individual playrooms.

So it's been great to move here, and it's also been a better way for people to access us.

>> See, Matt, that's part of the impact we're looking for by bringing these services together under the Community Care and Education Center.

Truly changing lives, which is what we're trying to do.

>> And I think this is a great example of doing the right things and being wonderful for our university, for our community.

So congratulations and what's what's next?

>> Thank you Matt.

Yeah, we're not done.

You know, we're not done trying to maximize the impact we can make in Southern Illinois.

What I'm particularly excited about is some new services that we're looking to bring to the region.

We're looking at bringing opioid addiction treatment and child psychiatric services.

We have a great partnership with with an alumni who's leading a health care, uh, health care management system, and he's going to help us build out and enhance even greater.

Uh, he's going to help us target needs in southern Illinois that are going underserved.

And we're quite excited about that.

>> Great stuff you and your colleagues are doing here at the Community Care and Education.

So proud of you guys.

Uh, I like to think about being good and great and you exemplify it right here with this center.

So, uh, congratulations, great things in front of us.

And we're going to go back to the studio right now.

>> Thanks, Matt.

What a fantastic facility.

We're looking forward to following its progress and all of the good change it will bring to families across the region.

Learn more about services at the Community Care and Education Center by heading over to SIUF.org dot org.

We'll be right back after this short break.

[MUSIC] >> For 20 years, Able Flight has been expanding what's possible more than 100 individuals with physical challenges have achieved the dream of becoming pilots, gaining confidence, independence and new pathways forward through the power of aviation.

What started as a bold vision has grown into a life changing program that continues to open doors and remove barriers.

Now, as Abel Flight celebrates its 20th anniversary and its historic move to Southern Illinois University, we're launching a $2 million endowment campaign to commemorate this moment and ensure this mission continues to grow through permanent, sustainable funding, the Charles H. Abel Flight Endowment Fund will provide scholarships, adaptive flight training resources and program support that expand access to aviation for future generations.

Every investment helps create opportunity.

Every gift helps move this mission forward.

Join us in supporting Abel Flight at SIU.

Together we can open the skies to all.

[MUSIC] >> As we wrap up the show, let's check out a moment from this month in SIU history, courtesy of our friends over at Morris Library Special Collections.

In May of 1954, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited campus to speak with students, faculty, and staff.

Mrs.

Roosevelt spoke at Shryock Auditorium as part of a nationwide tour to promote public support for the United Nations.

She told an overflow crowd that the UN was the only agency that could build an atmosphere in which peace would grow, and that support for the UN cost each American only $0.67, far less than the cost of war.

After her speech, the First Lady attended a reception at the home of SIU President Delyte Morris and his wife, Dorothy.

What an incredible moment for those Salukis to witness.

And now here's a moment with Grey Dawg inside the Tedrick Welcome center.

>> Hey!

>> Grey Dawg everywhere.

>> 797 40.

>> Grey Dawg work never stops.

Love to see that Saluki hustle.

We hope you can come check out the hologram for yourself on your next visit back to campus.

We'll wrap up this episode of The Impact Report with some good Saluki news.

The SIU Department of Public Safety has a new officer with four paws.

Meet K9 officer King Tut, also known as KT.

KT will serve as a community outreach and therapy K9 in support of the department's commitment to wellness and relationship building across campus.

Welcome to the Saluki family, KT.

Thank you for watching the Impact Report.

You can find all these stories and more at SIUF.org.

We'll air a new report once a month, and if you miss it, you can find it on the SIU Foundation's YouTube channel.

Take care and we'll see you next month.

Go, dawgs!

[MUSIC] >> Southern Illinois University has a rich history and much more renowned for cutting edge research.

Ranking among the top 4% in the country, Salukis achieved pride and glory competing at the highest level.

World famous alumni across the globe united in our mission with unstoppable momentum igniting a bright future.

This is a university ascending.

We are southern.