Thursday, April 28, 2005

UIS Online Computer Science program ranks among "best buys" nationally

The Online Computer Science program at UIS was rated fourth in a recent national survey of “Top 20 Best Buys” conducted by GetEducated.com, the only consumer-oriented, online degree clearinghouse in the country. The biennial survey looks at tuition costs at accredited, distance-learning computer science and information systems degree programs nationwide.

The survey, the only one of its kind, identified several trends in online degree pricing that directly impact consumers as they go online to earn degrees. Read more>>

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Sen. Emil Jones will speak at Law Day event

Illinois Senate President, the Honorable Emil Jones will lead the discussion on “Legislative Prospects for Educational Funding,” a special event in honor of Law Day, from 8 to 9:30 a.m., Thursday May 5, in the PAC restaurant.

Senator Jones will provide an update on his proposals for funding elementary and secondary education as well as the current status of funding for higher education. Read more>>

UIS' commencement ceremony will be May 7

UIS' 34th commencement ceremonies will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at the Prairie Capital Convention Center, 9th and Adams streets in downtown Springfield. Of the 1,132 students eligible to graduate, 695 will participate in the ceremony. Read more>>

Lynn & Student Activism awards presented at UIS

Two annual awards recognizing contributions to a positive campus environment for women have been presented at UIS. Normajean Niebur is the recipient of the Eighth Annual Naomi B. Lynn Award for Outstanding Contributions to Women at UIS. Candi Clouse received the First Annual Student Award in Recognition for Positive Contributions in Gendered Issues to the UIS Campus Community through Activism. Both awards were presented at a ceremony held April 20. Read more>>

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Phillip Zeni will deliver commencement address

International businessman Phillip T. Zeni, Sr. will deliver the address at the UIS commencement ceremony, at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in downtown Springfield.

Zeni, a UIS graduate and 2003 recipient of the U of I Alumni Achievement Award, is the CEO and executive vice president of Orban/CRL -- a publicly owned manufacturer of sophisticated audio processing equipment for the broadcasting and Internet streaming industries. Read more>>

Monday, April 25, 2005

Congressman John Shimkus to lead presentation at UIS

U.S. Representative John Shimkus will lead a presentation on bullying and harassment prevention legislation currently under consideration in Congress. A roundtable discussion and a question-and-answer session will follow the Congressman’s address.

1:30 to 3 p.m., Monday, April 25, Brookens Auditorium

Read more>>

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

UIS team wins ASCLS Student Bowl

A team of students from UIS' Clinical Laboratory Science program took first place honors in Student Bowl competition at the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science annual conference held recently in Springfield. The competition included students from clinical laboratory science programs around the state. Read more>>

Monday, April 18, 2005

Essay by UIS adjunct professor included in new book

“The Map-Crease Blues,” an essay by David Logan, UIS adjunct professor of English, appears 100 Ways to Beat the Blues: Tanya Tucker and Friends, a new book of reflections by 100 people from all walks of life who have their share of the blues, as well as ways to get out of them.

Logan is one of 30 “regular folks” whose essays appear alongside pieces by celebrities, scholars, and writers. The title of his piece refers to the fact that his hometown, Jacksonville, is “so centrally located in Illinois that the atlas folds right over on top of us.” Read more>>

UIS to host forum on responsible fatherhood

The Illinois Council on Responsible Fatherhood, in conjunction with the UIS Social Work program, will host a public forum from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 30, in PAC conference room H.

One of the first government programs of its kind, the Council is designed as an attempt to address the ill effects on society that can occur when fathers are largely absent from their children’s lives. It was established as a statewide commission by the Illinois legislature in 2003. Read more>>

Friday, April 15, 2005

Visual Arts student holds one-man show

“Push to Open,” a one-man, one-night show featuring paintings by UIS Visual Arts student Joseph Miller, will be on display at the Quality Inn and Suites/State House Inn, 101 East Adams in downtown Springfield, on Wednesday, April 27. A reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Miller’s paintings examine the presentation and observation of human form found in the media. Read more>>

Visual Arts students hold concurrent exhibits

“Greater Than Oblivion” and “Coalesce,” mixed media exhibitions by 12 graduating seniors in the Visual Arts program at UIS, will open Thursday, April 28, at two campus locations. “Greater Than Oblivion” will be on display in the Visual Arts Gallery and run through May 12. “Coalesce” will be on display in the Lincoln Residence Hall Great Room through May 4. Opening receptions will be held at both locations from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on April 28. Read more>>

AST program receives work study grant

The Applied Study program at UIS recently received a $93,000 Illinois Cooperative Work Study Grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education. This is the fifth largest award among 55 ICWS grants to Illinois colleges and universities for the 2005-2006 fiscal year.

This grant, combined with matching employer contributions, will make approximately $167,000 available for paid internships for AST students at UIS. Read more>>

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Tavia Ervin receives UIS' 2nd annual CAPE Award

Tavia Ervin, assistant to the director of the Capital Scholars program, is the recipient of the second annual Chancellor’s Academic Professional Excellence Award at UIS.

Presenting the award, Chancellor Ringeisen noted that APs are a “pillar” at UIS, serving in many vital roles. Of Ervin, he said, “She is one of the reasons for the success of the Capital Scholars program since it began four years ago."

The CAPE Award recognizes U of I academic professionals for their efforts in three general categories: work projects, professional development and affiliations, and contributions to their units. Eleven other APs were nominated at UIS. Read more>>

UIS music groups present Spring Showcase Concert

UIS music groups will present their annual Spring Showcase Concert beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, April 29, in the Studio Theatre.

Highlights will include the chorus performing songs from Japan and southern India, including a devotional song in Hindi; the chamber ensemble performing a ragtime selection and a Bartok suite based on peasant dances; and the band performing classical and jazz pieces. Read more>>

UIS to present Poets! Poets! Poets!

Poets! Poets! Poets!, part of the Speakers Series at UIS, will feature St. Louis area poets Aaron Belz and Brian Jackson from 7 to 11 p.m., Friday, April 22, in the Student Center. The evening will also feature an open mic session.

Belz’s poems have appeared in a number of publications and he is the featured Verse Press Younger American Poet.

Jackson is currently a Ph.D. candidate studying modern and contemporary poetry at St. Louis University. In 2001 he was named Friends of Lincoln Library Writer of the Year. Read more>>

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

UIS Innocence Project announces initiative to establish Innocence Commission

The Downstate Illinois Innocence Project at UIS announced an initiative to establish a state Innocence Commission during a news conference held Wednesday, April 13, at the Statehouse. The conference followed a presentation to the Illinois Senate by Dr. Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, the former middleweight boxer who spent more than 20 years in prison before being exonerated for crimes he did not commit.

Larry Golden, UIS professor emeritus of Political Studies and Legal Studies and co-director of the Innocence Project, said that the announcement marked the “beginning of an initiative to explore the need and viability of an Innocence Commission for the state of Illinois." Read more>>

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Rubin "Hurricane" Carter to speak for the creation of a state Innocence Commission

On Wednesday, April 13, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter will address the Illinois Senate, after which UIS' Downstate Illinois Innocence Project will hold a news conference with Dr. Carter and Keith Harris, who spent 22 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, to announce an initiative to establish an Innocence Commission in Illinois. Carter will address the Senate shortly after 11 a.m. The news conference is at 12:15 p.m. in the Statehouse Press Room.

Establishing an Innocence Commission is an effort to address the problem of individuals who are wrongly convicted and spend years in prison before they are exonerated. Read more>>

Monday, April 11, 2005

Presentation looks at moral values in American politics

James A. Morone, professor of political science at Brown University, will speak on moral values in American politics at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 11, in the Studio Theatre. Dr. Morone is the author of Hellfire Nation: The Politics of Sin in American History. His appearance is part of UIS’ Public Policy Summit, which this year is examining “Politics and Religion: Global and American Perspectives.” Read more>>

UIS to host 5th Science Research Symposium

The Fifth Annual UIS Science Research Symposium, to be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, April 22, will feature a keynote address by Dr. Millicent Firestone from the Argonne National Laboratory. Firestone's address will cap a day of presentations on applied or theoretical research by students and faculty in science programs at UIS and other colleges. A Junior Scientist category will also showcase the work of area high school students. Read more>>

Friday, April 08, 2005

Rep. Shimkus will lead discussion of pending legislation at UIS

U.S. Representative John Shimkus will lead a presentation on bullying and harassment prevention legislation currently under consideration in Congress from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Monday, April 25, in Brookens Auditorium. A roundtable discussion on bullying and harassment, as well as a question-and-answer session including Congressman Shimkus will follow the presentation. Read more>>

Thursday, April 07, 2005

UIS to host Raise Your Voice - Lobby Day

UIS will host “Raise Your Voice – Lobby Day,” a two-day conference of students from colleges and universities all over the state, on Sunday and Monday, April 10 and 11, at the UIS campus and the Statehouse. Students will attend forums on civic engagement and lobby their representatives. The event will culminate with a rally at the State Capitol Rotunda. See a schedule of events>>

UIS events celebrate Earth Day

UIS will host two events in observance of Earth Day 2005. On Wednesday, April 20, Dr. Michele Morrone from Ohio University will deliver the keynote address, “Is Science Anti-Environmental?” at 7 p.m. in PAC conference room F.

On Thursday, April 21, guided tours of the campus nature trail and restored prairie area will be available, weather permitting. Tour groups will leave at 1 p.m. from outside Brookens Library.

Both events are sponsored by the Department of Environmental Studies and Students Allied for a Greener Earth. Read more>>

Pre-Law Center hosts forum with state Supreme Court justice

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride will be the featured speaker at a John Peter Altgeld Forum, presented by UIS' Pre-Law Center from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, in the Studio Theatre. The forum is presented free; however, advance registration is required.

Justice Kilbride practiced law for 20 years in Rock Island and is a charter member of the Illinois Pro Bono Center. He was elected to the Supreme Court of Illinois for the Third District in 2000. Read more>>

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

"Tech Day" at UIS

“Tech Day: Fast Forward - the Future of Technology and Learning at UIS” Friday, April 8, begins at 9:30 a.m. with a keynote address by Dr. Jacqueline Moloney from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. From 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. concurrent presentations and poster sessions by UIS faculty, staff, and students will focus on such topics as smart classrooms, computer security, and tutoring online students.

All events will be held on the second floor of University Hall. Read more>>

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

2005 Verbal Arts Festival

UIS' Annual Verbal Arts Festival will be April 6 through 9. Events include a presentation by Jackie Jackson, an open mic night, a reader's theater, and the unveiling of the 2005 Alchemist Review. See a complete schedule>>

UIS to present lecture by nationally known sculptor

Sculptor Michael Dunbar will present a special Artist’s Lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 7, in PAC conference room C/D. The lecture is in conjunction with “Machinist Studies,” an exhibit of Dunbar’s work on display through April 21 at the Visual Arts Gallery. Read more>>

Tech Day: the future of technology & learning

“Tech Day: The Future of Technology and Learning at UIS” will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, April 8, in University Hall. The half-day symposium will begin with a keynote address by Dr. Jacqueline Moloney from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. More than 25 presentations and poster sessions by UIS faculty and staff will focus on ways that the campus is using technology for teaching and scholarship. Read more>>

Taste of UIS will examine life of William Maxwell

The U of I Alumni Association at UIS will present “William Maxwell: A Literary Life,” the third program in this spring’s Taste of UIS Lunchtime Lecture Series, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, at Maldaner’s Upstairs in downtown Springfield. The featured speaker will be Barbara Burkhardt, assistant professor of English. Read more>>

Monday, April 04, 2005

UIS celebrates Disability Awareness Week

UIS is observing Disability Awareness Week, April 4 through 8, with a variety of events, ranging from an award-winning movie to a wheelchair basketball game. See the complete schedule>>

Friday, April 01, 2005

Presentation will examine moral values in American politics

James A. Morone, professor of political science at Brown University, will speak on “Hellfire Nation: Moral Values in American Politics” at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 11, in the Studio Theatre. The presentation is part of UIS’ Public Policy Summit, which this year examines “Politics and Religion: Global and American Perspectives.”

Morone’s presentation will explain how fears of sin and dreams of virtue influence every political issue, from the war on terror to the war on drugs and from health care to foreign policy. Read more>>

UIS and LLCC to observe National Volunteer Week

The Office of Student Volunteers and Service Learning at UIS and the Community Volunteer Center at LLCC will participate in National Volunteer Week, April 17 through 23, which this year focuses on the theme “Inspire by Example.” At UIS, a week of service dedicated to “giving back” to the campus community will focus on Cox Children’s Center. Read more>>

WUIS adds "Beale Street Caravan" to Friday night programs

“Beale Street Caravan,” a one-hour program featuring the world’s best blues artists recorded live in intimate performances, will join the Friday night lineup on WUIS (91.9 Springfield) and WIPA (89.3 Pittsfield) beginning April 8. The program will air Fridays at 8 p.m. Read more>>