Newsletter
From the Dean: Excellence on the Rise
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is an R2 public research institution, which the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education defines as a doctoral university with high research activity. It has an aspiration to become an R1 institution within the next couple of years, or a Carnegie Classification as very high spending on research and doctorate production – putting SIU Carbondale on the same level as flagships universities throughout the U.S.
SIU Carbondale had 11,790 students in fall 2024. The College of Engineering, Computing, Technology, and Mathematics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale has six schools and offers 14 undergraduate degree programs, 11 master’s degree programs, and 5 Ph.D. programs in engineering, technology, computer science, and mathematics. Our college’s enrollment is 1,389 in fall 2024. Our college has six schools: School of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering; School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Materials Engineering; School of Computing; School of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering; School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, and School of Applied Engineering and Technology.
Our college’s vision is to become an internationally recognized leader in high quality education, research and scholarship with an emphasis on student success, inclusive excellence and service to society. Our mission is to deliver high quality education, research and scholarship while fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive learning and working environment. One of our strategic goals is to increase the college’s enrollment to 1,750 students by 2030.
This past year has been exciting for Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s College of Engineering, Computing, Technology, and Mathematics. Our college continues to grow and made excellent progress toward our strategic goals outlined in its strategic plan for 2030. Our enrollment grew annually 12.7% in spring 2024, and this growth rate has been the highest over at least the past 15 years. Our enrollment grew annually 2.9% in fall 2024.
Our enrollment turnaround plan, created in fall 2020, has been successfully implemented, and we achieved significant enrollment turnaround and growth in the past four years. The numbers of incoming students have increased significantly. The number of new undergraduate freshmen increased by 78.5% in fall 2021, 56% in fall 2022, 69% in fall 2023, and 82.1% in fall 2024 respectively compared with 2020. Our graduate enrollment also grew 15.7% over the past four years. The college enrollment growth has been a result of concerted effort toward implementation of our enrollment turnaround plan; the hard work of our recruitment team, leadership team, faculty, staff and students, and support received from campus and college’s alumni.
Our students achieved great success. Morgan Klover, a senior in civil engineering from Decatur, Illinois, has been named to the 2024 New Faces of Civil Engineering-College by the American Society of Civil Engineering. ASCE names just 10 students nationwide to its annual list to honor outstanding engineers of tomorrow. The Southern Illinois University Carbondale Security Dawgs, our college’s student cybersecurity team, clinched the top spot at the Illinois State Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition on Feb. 17, 2024. The success of the Security Dawgs demonstrates the quality of education and training in cybersecurity in our college.
Two new undergraduate academic programs have been created in the past year: B.S. in cybersecurity technology and B.S. in statistics. We welcome prospective students to apply to these programs. Cybersecurity technology was launched successfully, and it had 62 students in its first cohort of fall 2024. We also created a new Ph.D. program in mechanical engineering in support of SIU’s aspiration for becoming an R1 research institution, and we expect to have its first cohort in this coming academic year.
Faculty at the College of Engineering, Computing, Technology, and Mathematics are outstanding, with both a national and international reputation. They conduct state-of-art research and have won many research awards. Our college received new research grants of $3.77 million for the fiscal year 2024 (which ended June 30), doubling from 2020. 90% of these new research grants were from federal funding agencies. In addition to funded research, our faculty and students published many high-quality technical papers in top journals and conferences.
Our college’s success would not be possible without the generosity of alumni and other donors. We appreciate their great support. They have continued to make donations to sustain our students, faculty and facility in the past year. One example is a contribution honoring Roger J. Missavage, who was director of the Computer Assisted Instruction and Research Laboratory at our college for 29 years before he passed away in 2021. His brother Dennis Missavage, and sister and brother-in-law, Arlene and Gene Liss, established the Roger J. Missavage Endowed Fund to support engineering education at the college and creating the Roger J. Missavage Technical Service Center with a $500,000 gift.
Xiaoqing “Frank” Liu
Dean of College of Engineering, Computing, Technology, and Mathematics
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
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Find Out What’s New in Our College
Outreach
SIU Engineering Day
On Feb. 22, our college hosted SIU Engineering Day for more than 85 students, from 20 schools in our region, with specific interests in one or more of our majors. The day began with a college RSO fair and pizza provided for lunch. Following the event, the students were divided into groups and given tours of our labs. Four schools in our college participated in the college showcase by providing tours of their respective labs. The day ended with a question-and-answer session, and then students were provided with an SIU bag and our college program information before departure.
Info sessions
Related to SIU Engineering Day, the ECTM Student Council hosted information sessions of eight companies on Feb. 19 as a part of our celebration of Engineering Week. A big shoutout goes to our students, faculty, and staff who organized and/or participated in the event – we could not do this without you. With your support, we can provide these important outreach events, connecting with schools and students in our region, with a focus on continued growth and improvement. What teamwork!
Naming the ECTM Technical Service Center
Roger J. Missavage was the longtime director of the Computer Assisted Instruction and Research Laboratory. He was with SIU for 29 years. After his passing in 2021, his family honored him with a $500,000 gift to ECTM, establishing the Roger J. Missavage Endowed Fund for Engineering Education. In appreciation for this act of generosity, the Roger J. Missavage Technical Service Center bears his name.
College Seminars
ECTM seminars are sponsored by the Michael and Elizabeth Sutton Endowment Fund. Michael Sutton is a distinguished professor of mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering at the University of South Carolina. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and an alumnus of SIU Carbondale.
On April 26, 2024, M. Taher A. Saif, Edward William and Jane Marr Gutgsell professor in the department of mechanical science and engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign gave a talk on “Machines with Living Cells.” In honor of his visit, Dean Xiaoqing “Frank” Liu presented Saif with a plaque.
New Academic Programs
CECTM has launched new degree programs to address societal needs. Introducing these programs marks an exciting chapter of growth for the college and demonstrates ECTM’s commitment to serving the community and developing the next-generation workforce. Often, such initiatives involve collaboration across various units. Our new cybersecurity program is a prime example, combining the expertise from the School of Computing and the School of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering.
Cybersecurity: Cybersecurity experts are needed everywhere, which means great job security and earning potential. Cybersecurity experts can work in various fields ranging from protecting sensitive data, and assisting businesses to grow safely, to solving cybercrimes. Job opportunities are equally available in both public and private sectors. Learn more about the cybersecurity program.
New B.S. in statistics: The School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences has launched a new B.S. in statistics program to meet the needs of today’s data-driven world. It equips students with the skills to analyze and interpret complex data, which is essential for decision-making in various fields such as business, health care and government. Learn more about the new statistics program.
Ph.D. in mechanical engineering: A Ph.D. program in mechanical engineering is designed to prepare students for top-tier research and other professional roles in a rapidly evolving field. Often students will work in highly interdisciplinary fields, conduct cutting-edge research in state-of-the-art lab facilities on campus and learn from our renowned faculty. Learn more about our Ph.D. in mechanical engineering.
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Faculty Highlights
Integrating AI into 6G technology
Gayan Aruma Baduge, associate professor in the School of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering, is leading an international team of researchers working with a total of $1.13 million in grant money. The three-year project is aimed at investigating AI-assisted integrated sensing and communications for 6G technology. Read more about Baduge’s research.
Studying the mechanisms of inflammation
Chilman Bae, assistant professor in the School of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering at SIU Carbondale, recently received a $200,000 Engineering Research Initiative grant from the National Science Foundation to look into mechanobiological ion channels, a subset of proteins that translate mechanical signals into biochemical responses in the body. Read more about Bae’s research.
Using nanoparticles and light to treat toxic algae, remove ‘forever chemicals’
Jia Liu, associate professor in the School of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering, is leading two grant-funded projects using light and nanoparticles to solve environmental issues.
She and a crew of professors and students working on ways to eliminate toxic algae blooms by using solar power combined with iron-based nanomaterials to destroy its harmful effects. Her team’s research, funded by a new two-year $100,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, is focused on Campus Lake at SIU and Carbondale Reservoir, but the problem exists everywhere. Read more about treating toxic algae blooms.
Liu and another team are also working with a three-year grant of nearly $500,000 from the National Science Foundation to treat groundwater contaminated with PFAS, also called “forever chemicals,” using a similar process. Read more about removing PFAS here.
Stabilizing complex, uncertain water supply systems
Sangmin Shin, an assistant professor in the School of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering, received a $200,000 Engineering Research Initiation grant from the National Science Foundation to create a new design focusing on establishing a water microgrid system — a network of networks melding centralized and decentralized water supply systems. Read more about Shin’s work.
Enhancing AI crime analysis
Ahmed Imteaj, assistant professor in the School of Computing, received a $167,500 grant from the National Science Foundation. The program, known as CRII, is aimed at providing essential resources for early-career researchers. Read more about Imteaj’s work.
Early career grant from NSF
Mathew Gluck, assistant professor in the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, has received an NSF Launching Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (LEAPS-MPS) award. His project will introduce undergraduates to research opportunities early in their education, provide mentoring and increase diversity in the STEM field, among other goals.
Honors for Our Faculty
Outstanding Teaching Awards
- School of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering: Debarshi Sen
- School of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering: Iraklis Anagnostopoulos
- School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Materials Engineering: Sabrina Nilufar
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences: Vina Castelli
- School of Applied Engineering and Technology: Tomas Velasco
- School of Computing: Ahmed Imteaj
Dean Juh Wah Chen Outstanding Faculty Award
Gayan Baduge, School of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering
Rising Star Faculty Award
Irakilis Anagnostopoulos, School of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering
Dean Thomas B. Jefferson Outstanding Staff Award
Marilyn Updike and Carolyn Smith, School of Applied Engineering and Technology
New Faculty and Staff
- Ansuman Bhattacharya, School of Computing
- Mehdi Ghasemirahaghi, School of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering
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Student Achievements
Top Dawgs in cybersecurity
SIU Security Dawgs clinched first place in the Illinois State Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition. This victory marks an exceptional start to the new cybersecurity technology program, showcasing the talent and dedication of SIU students in the field. Read more about the Security Dawgs.
Making it easier for people with disabilities to enjoy nature
Anna Carter, a recent graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, led a team of students that built a custom adaptive mobility device. The device will allow people with disabilities to use the trails at Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center with the assistance of a hiking partner. Read more about the senior capstone project.
Designing and building a racecar
The School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Materials Engineering Saluki Formula Racing Team participated in the Formula SAE event at Michigan Speedway, from May 8-11, 2024. Out of 120 participating teams our Saluki Formula Racing Team was placed 35th in the skid pad racing and 71st in the racing. The students designed and built the race car from the ground up. Congratulations to our students for their exceptional talent and hard work.
Among the ASCE’s 10 new faces
Morgan Klover, a senior in civil engineering from Decatur, Illinois, has been named to the 2024 New Faces of Civil Engineering-College by the American Society of Civil Engineering. The ASCE names just 10 students nationwide to its annual list. Learn more about Morgan.
Honors Day Awards winners
- Dean Kenneth E. Tempelmeyer Outstanding Senior Award: Brandon Lanning
- David Eddingfield Memorial Scholarship: Maya Amylee
- Herman J. Stover Award: Jack Gomoll
- Outstanding Female Student in Computer Science and Mathematics: Faith Eeten
- Graduating Senior Award in Computer Science and Mathematics: Andrew Barnes
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Alumni News and Achievements
Anish Poudel, an alumnus in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Materials Engineering, received a “Fast Tracker” award. Poudel was among Railway Age’s “25 Under 40” honored in February 2024 at the magazine's Next-Gen Freight Rail 2024 conference. Here is more: Read more about Poudel's achievement.
Wiranthe Herath, a School of Mathematics and Statistical Sciences alumnus who is now an Assistant Professor at Drake University received a Social Impact Research award from Drake’s Zimpleman College of Business. Herath and his coauthor developed and applied a novel statistical model to improve forecast accuracy for macroeconomic indicators that impact all of society. Herath was a Ph.D. student in mathematics from 2019-2022. His dissertation title was “Dimension Reduction in Multivariate Time Series via Envelope Methods,” and his doctoral advisor was S. Yaser Samadi. Read more about Herath's award.
The School of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering celebrates the achievements of two notable alumni in their professional career.
- Tabitha Stine is general manager of energy solutions services and marketing and branding at Nucor Corp. in the Greater Chicago area. She earned a B.S. in civil engineering from 1997-2001.
- Alec Lenzini is vice president of operations at CNC Foundations, Inc. in St Louis, Missouri. He earned a B.S. in civil engineering from 2008-2012.
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