Meet Your Admissions Coordinator | Undergraduate Admissions | SIU

Admissions Coordinator

Territory: Eastern U.S.. (East of the Mississippi)
Population: Freshmen & Transfer Students

Email: bell.davidhb@siu.edu
Phone: 618-453-4778

Education: Southern Illinois University, Bachelor of Science, History, 2017.

Hobbies: Video games with friends, SIU sporting events, and reading research articles and books about historical events.

Best of SIU: The best part of SIU by far is no matter what your interests or hobbies are, you can find a community within the school that will not only share those with you, but also help you to better yourself in so many ways.

Advice for choosing a college: If you apply to a school, make sure you visit. You'll learn a ton about the school and it makes it much easier to try and imagine yourself there. If you go on a visit and you take the time to listen and try to imagine yourself being on the campus as a student, you'll get a feeling on whether the university is the one for you.

Admissions Coordinator

Territory: Central Illinois
Population: Freshmen Students

Email: terrance.bishop@siu.edu
Phone: 618-453-5814

Education: Colorado State University, Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, 2017.

Hobbies: Cooking, eating, playing video games, and cuddling his cats Cappuccino and Huxley.

Best of SIU: The academic challenge, social support, and unique community combine for a one-of-a-kind experience.

Advice for choosing a college: When you visit a campus try to take some time exploring the city. Grab a delicious meal, check out some community theater or whatever floats your boat. Do anything that gives you a sense of what living in that town might be like.

Admissions Coordinator

Territory: Chicago
Population: Freshmen Students

Email: keera.clarke@siu.edu
Phone: 618-453-3782

Education: Coastal Carolina University, Master of Business Administration, 2021. Coastal Carolina University, Bachelor of Science in Recreation & Sport Management, 2020.

Hobbies: Painting, drawing, volleyball, biking, hiking, volunteering, and enjoying time with friends, family and my dog!

Best of SIU: Being surrounded by breathtaking nature and the endless opportunities on and off campus for growth!

Advice for choosing a college: Visit at least two or three of the colleges that are most intriguing to you if you can. How you picture a campus will only get you so far compared to seeing it in-person. Use the opportunity to look at different college sizes and locations to help determine the best place for YOU to live and thrive. Make connections with students and staff and be BOLD!

Admissions Coordinator

(hablo español)

Territory: Northern Illinois
Population: Transfer Students

Email: rdiaz@siu.edu
Phone: 773-481-6659

Education: Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Bachelor of Science, Speech Communication, 1992.

Hobbies: Fishing, hiking, biking, and hunting.

Best of SIU: The people, the school spirit, and the weather.

Advice for choosing a college: A campus visit is so important in the process of selecting the right college or university for yourself; please be sure to visit your top schools.

Admissions Coordinator

Territory: Central Illinois
Population: Transfer Students

Email: carl.franks@siu.edu
Phone: 618-453-2935

Education: University of Montana, Bachelor of Arts, Sociology, 1995.

Hobbies: Drawing, movies, photography, exercise, and watching sports.

Best of SIU: The wide range of opportunities offered and the tremendous amount of support for students.

Advice for choosing a college: I would recommend visiting your schools of interest. Get all of your questions answered. You will get that feeling in your gut telling you what to do. Just know that there is something here for you at SIU!

Admissions Coordinator

Territory: Southern Illinois - Lower Counties
Population: Freshman Students

Email: brittney.gant@siu.edu
Phone: 618-453-2988

Education: Southern Illinois University, Bachelor of Science, Finance (Financial Management).

Hobbies: Traveling, shopping, hanging out with friends and family, and watching Saluki athletic events.

Best of SIU: I love that you feel like you are at a large school, but have smaller sized classes. I also love the atmosphere and how everyone has so much Saluki Pride. Go Dawgs!

Advice for choosing a college: Visit the campus and ask a lot of questions. Ask what there is to do in the community (outside of campus) and see if that peaks your interest. You are in college for multiple years, you want it to feel like home and be able to go have some fun too.

Admissions Coordinator

Territory: Chicago (Southside and South Suburbs)
Population: Freshmen Students

Email: rachel.jackson@siu.edu
Phone: 773-236-7638

Education: Northern Illinois University, Bachelor of Arts, Cooperate Communications 2010.

Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends, traveling, shopping, volunteering and trying new restaurants.

Best of SIU: The Diversity and variety of food options campus has to offer.

Advice for choosing a college: Visit as many institutions as possible. While on your visit, ask current students about their experience. Pursue a college that makes you feel comfortable, a place that feels like home. I also recommend establishing a relationship with your admissions counselor from those schools. Don't be afraid to ask questions and use your high school counselor or advisors as a resource.

Admissions Coordinator

Territory: Southern Illinois
Population: Transfer Students

Email: jason.nugent@siu.edu
Phone: 618-453-1008

Education: Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Master of Arts in History, 2001. Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Bachelor of Arts in History, 1997.

Hobbies: Writing, reading, and CrossFit.

Best of SIU: I love the atmosphere and the natural beauty of the campus.

Advice for choosing a college: Visit the colleges you're interested in. Get a good feel for the quality of education and campus life. Reach out and ask questions.

Admissions Coordinator

Territory: Southern Illinois - Upper Counties
Population: Freshman Students

Email: karma.smith@siu.edu
Phone: 618-453-2957

Education: Master of Arts in English Studies, Southeast Missouri State University. Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing, Southeast Missouri State University.

Hobbies: Writing, gaming, anything True Crime, and playing with my dog, Sodapop.

Best of SIU: The beautiful campus and extensive research opportunities!

Advice for choosing a college: Make sure you choose somewhere you can be comfortable and feel at home for the next few years. Visit on your own to explore campus and the surrounding town to see if it's the right place for you!

Admissions Coordinator

Territory: Western U.S.. (West of the Mississippi)
Population: Freshmen & Transfer Students

Email: julie.strauss@siu.edu
Phone: 618-453-7137

Education: Southern Illinois University, Bachelor of Science, Curriculum & Instruction, 1991.

Hobbies: Dog Showing, fishing, boating, kayaking, camping, and spending time with my dogs.

Best of SIU: I love our beautiful campus, surrounding area and how the educators care about your success. You are not a number at SIU, rather an individual masterpiece just waiting to experience a challenging, exciting, and completely unique experience.

Advice for choosing a college: I highly recommend visiting the colleges you are interested in to see if you can see yourself in the environment, do not be afraid to ask questions and above all, step off the curb and get the ball rolling. The faster you get that ball rolling, the more successful you will be. There is no such thing as failure, only learning experiences.

Admissions Coordinator

Territory: Northwest Illinois & Iowa
Population: Freshmen Students

Email: jdt24@siu.edu
Phone: 618-453-1302

Education: Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Sports Administration, 2018

Hobbies: Traveling, trying new types of food, experiencing different cultures, watching movies with friends, and sporting events.

Best of SIU: My favorite thing about SIU and Carbondale is the diversity of people, thoughts, and opinions that you are faced with every day. It challenges you to look within and become the best version of yourself.

Advice for choosing a college: Start putting together a list of schools that you’re interested in early on. Visit your top schools, figure out which ones you are most comfortable at, and see what it would cost for each. Once you have it narrowed down, figure out which one offers you the best mix of opportunity, experience, and education.

Admissions Coordinator

Population: Freshmen & Transfer Students

Email: trude@siu.edu
Phone: 618-453-1748

Education: Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Radio-Television.

Hobbies: Working out, spending time with family, and Saluki sports.

Best of SIU: Having worked at the University for over 20 years, there are too many things to say any one thing is the best.

Advice for choosing a college: The place that makes you feel the most comfortable for what you want to do with your studies is where you should go. I hope that place is SIU.

Admissions Coordinator

(hablo español)

Territory: Chicago (Northside)
Population: Freshmen Students

Email: Jhonvallecas321@siu.edu
Phone: 773-231-8251

Education: Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Bachelor of Arts, International Studies, 2015.

Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends, visiting new places, playing sports, and learning about new cultures.

Best of SIU: I appreciated the passion and dedication that the faculty possessed throughout my undergraduate experience.

Advice for choosing a college: If possible, visit a handful of different universities in search of that good fit. It is always wise to exercise all of your options before making a decision. I hope that during your search, you find SIU to be the right fit for you.

Admissions Coordinator

Territory: Southern U.S. (South of the Mississippi)
Population: Freshmen Students

Email: asia.watson@siu.edu
Phone: 618-453-2184

Education: Illinois College, Bachelor of Arts, Business Management, Communication & Rhetorical Studies, and Interfaith Studies, 2021.

Hobbies: Dancing, cooking, going to concerts, and spending time with her family, friends & dogs.

Best of SIU: The beautiful campus and the array of students and staff that come near and far to makeup the Saluki Family.

Advice for choosing a college: Take multiple visits to universities of various sizes. See what the surrounding areas have to offer. Ask many questions and talk to students and hear their experiences. Pick the place that feels most comfortable.