SIU System Office of Community Engagement

09/04/2026

The SIU System is hosting its Technology and Innovation Expo at the SIUE Health Science Complex on Oct. 21 from 12:30 – 6:00 PM. The theme of this year’s event is “High Tech”.

You are invited to participate and see the innovations and research capabilities of the SIU System at this event that incorporate electronics, AI, virtual reality, robotics, education, medical devices, cyber security and others. The keynote speaker will be Greg Ritter from AWS and the program will feature a panel that will discuss the present state and future needs of data centers.

The event is free to attend but registration is necessary. https://tie.siu.edu/

09/01/2026

🎉 We’re celebrating a win today, even though you won’t see OCE’s name on the grant award.

An internal colleague let us know today that a grant proposal OCE helped support has been funded!

We aren’t part of the funded project, and we won’t receive any of the funding. Our role happened much earlier.

We learned about a need in Southern Illinois. We knew SIU had expertise that could help address it. We also knew researchers at another university whose expertise complemented ours were interested in partnering. So, we made the connections, helped bring the right people together, and let them take it from there.

Today, we learned that the collaboration resulted in a successful grant proposal and, more importantly, a funded project that will address the need that started the conversation in the first place.

This is a part of community engagement that can be difficult to see and even harder to measure. Sometimes OCE leads. Sometimes we coordinate, facilitate, and potentiate. And sometimes our contribution is simply knowing who needs to know whom and creating the conditions for something good to happen.

We don’t have to be in the grant or receive the funding for it to count as a win.

If Southern Illinois benefits, we’re celebrating. 🎉

08/28/2026

Rural healthcare is about more than healthcare. It is about the strength and sustainability of our communities.

We were especially proud to see Dr. Abigail Eilerman, the new Director of the SIU System Institute for Rural Health (IRH), at the table for this important conversation with U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, Deaconess Illinois, and rural healthcare leaders from across Southern Illinois.

As Dr. Eilerman begins her work with IRH, conversations like this are essential to understanding the challenges facing rural healthcare providers and, most importantly, the communities they serve.

OCE and IRH are committed to listening, building partnerships, and connecting the resources and expertise of the SIU System with communities across Southern Illinois to help strengthen rural health and rural communities.

Strong rural communities need strong rural healthcare, and we’re glad to have Abi at the table. ❤️🏥

Deaconess Illinois and Regional President Will Davis hosted a rural healthcare roundtable with U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth on Friday. The roundtable featured many southern Illinois hospitals sharing the impact of H.R. 1 on rural healthcare.

08/21/2026

OCE and the SIU System Institute for Rural Health (IRH) kicked off our Fall 2026 Roadshow today with a great conversation with community members from Red Bud, Waterloo, Millstadt, and Columbia!

The Roadshow is all about strengthening our connections with communities across Southern Illinois and, most importantly, listening. We want to hear directly from community members about what matters to them, what opportunities they see, and where OCE and IRH might be able to contribute.

We learned a lot today and are looking forward to continuing these conversations with those in the room today.

Next stop: Madison and St. Clair counties next week! Want to know when and where we'll be? Let us know in the comments. 👇

08/12/2026

📣 SIU students, help us launch something new this fall!

OCE is piloting our first-ever Community Innovation Workshop Series, and we need 5 students to help bring it to life as Community Innovation Interns. 💡

This isn't a "sit in the back and take notes" internship. You'll be right in the room as a co-facilitator in training, helping community members turn their ideas into real partnerships and real projects. If you've ever wanted to see how community change actually happens (and help make it happen), this is that chance.

What you'll gain:
✅ Hands-on facilitation and community engagement experience
✅ A front-row seat to collaborative problem-solving in action
✅ Practical project implementation skills
✅ Course credit potential (with faculty approval) or service/volunteer hours

The details:
🗓️ Fall 2026, ~5 hrs/week
📍 In person, Edwardsville campus, Wednesdays 1:15–2:30 PM
🎓 Open to all majors. We just want students who care about their community

Ready to apply? Send your resume and a short statement of interest to [email protected] by August 28.

Know someone who'd be perfect for this? Tag them below or share this post! 👇

08/09/2026

This is an important investment in the future of the Metro East.

The SIU System Office of Community Engagement is grateful to Rep. Jay Hoffman and Sen. Christopher Belt for securing $3 million in state funding to support the development of a coordinated regional approach to flooding challenges in the American Bottom.

This work will bring communities, local leaders, researchers, and state and federal partners together to build on the planning already underway across the region, identify shared priorities, and develop a framework for moving critical infrastructure projects toward implementation.

We know that flooding does not stop at municipal boundaries. Addressing it effectively will require the same kind of regional thinking and collaboration.

We look forward to working alongside communities throughout the American Bottom to turn this investment into a plan that improves resilience and quality of life for residents across the region.

Thank you to Rep. Hoffman and Sen. Belt for recognizing both the urgency of this challenge and the value of a coordinated regional response.

08/07/2026

📣 Please join us in welcoming Dr. Abigail (Abi) Eilerman as the new Director of the SIU System Institute for Rural Health!

Following a national search, Dr. Eilerman has been selected to lead the Institute for Rural Health as it continues its mission to improve health outcomes and strengthen communities across rural Southern Illinois. She brings a wealth of experience as a pharmacist, educator, and community leader, along with a deep commitment to expanding access to healthcare and building strong partnerships.

Dr. Eilerman's passion for serving rural communities is evident throughout her career. Whether developing innovative pharmacy programs, teaching future healthcare professionals, or working alongside community organizations, she has consistently focused on creating solutions that improve the lives of others.

The Office of Community Engagement is proud to partner with the Institute for Rural Health on initiatives that connect university expertise with community priorities. We look forward to working alongside Dr. Eilerman to strengthen collaborative research, workforce development, and community-engaged solutions that help rural communities thrive.

Congratulations, Dr. Eilerman! We are excited to see all that we will accomplish together.

08/03/2026

We’re excited to share a snapshot of OCE’s FY26 work!

This year, the OCE worked alongside communities and partners in East St. Louis, Alton, Springfield, and across Southern Illinois to support clean energy, workforce development, student learning, digital equity, grant readiness, and community-led problem solving.

Some highlights from the year:

📣 $1.48M awarded for the SIUE Clean Energy Contractor Incubator
📣 13 student interns supported during the 2025–2026 academic year
📣 More than $21M in external funding requests supported
📣 350+ people attended East St. Louis Community Day
📣 213 grant training participant seats
📣 28,149 Facebook views since launching our page

We are proud of what this year represents, but even more grateful for the people and partners behind the work. Thank you to the community leaders, residents, students, faculty, staff, nonprofits, municipalities, and regional partners who helped make FY26 a year of connection, collaboration, and impact.

07/23/2026

Small business owners and entrepreneurs, this is a great opportunity to connect with the people and programs that can help your business move forward.

Join us on Thursday, August 13, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Edwardsville City Hall to learn about financing, government contracting, exporting, business assistance, and economic development resources available in the county.

The SIU System Office of Community Engagement will be there to share how we connect small businesses with university expertise, community partners, workforce resources, and opportunities for growth. Attendees will also have the chance to meet one-on-one with resource experts following the presentation.

Register using the link in the original post, and please share this opportunity with a business owner or aspiring entrepreneur who could benefit.

Success starts with the right connections.

Join entrepreneurs, business owners, and community leaders at the Edwardsville Business Resources Presentation to learn about programs, funding opportunities, international trade, government contracting, and more—all designed to help your business thrive.

📅 August 13, 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 118 Hillsboro Ave., Edwardsville, IL 62025

Reserve your spot today!
https://buff.ly/VkPM6oi

07/23/2026

What happens when community leaders come together around a shared challenge and commit to action?

The SIU System Office of Community Engagement was proud to participate in the AEG East St. Louis Health, Prosperity & Resilience Stakeholder Challenge at the Wyvetter H. Younge Higher Education Campus.

The event brought together leaders from the public, private, education, health, faith, and nonprofit sectors to explore how stronger civic participation and better coordination can connect East St. Louis residents to preventive health care, healthy food, reliable transportation, educational support, and other important resources.

OCE Director Dr. Connie Frey Spurlock shared an update on the work that grew from last year’s Stakeholder Challenge and joined the new volunteer task force that will continue moving this year’s priorities forward.

We are grateful to Advanced Energy Group, Ameren Illinois, SIUE, the City of East St Louis, and the many community partners who continue to bring their expertise, relationships, and commitment to this work.