Innocence Project receives IPDA Award of Excellence

UIS' Downstate Illinois Innocence Project has received an Award of Excellence from the Illinois Public Defender Association. IPDA President Stephen Richards noted that the award was made "in recognition and sincere appreciation of the Project's outstanding service to the Illinois legal community and for untiring advocacy in the fight for fairness and justice for innocent citizens who have been wrongfully convicted." Read more>>

Computer Science department receives grant exceeding $145,000

UIS' Computer Science department has received an equipment donation grant of more than $145,000 from the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Group.

Ted Mims, professor and department chair, said that the new equipment will allow faculty and students to work together to design, implement, and test theoretical security and information assurance applications in a real-world environment. Read more>>

Instructor receives Cisco 4 R Award

Janis Rose, an instructor in the Computer Science program, has been chosen by the Cisco Networking Academy to receive an Instructor 4 R Award in the Relationship category. This award recognizes the recipient's efforts in creating classroom relationships to ensure optimal learning and in establishing strategic relationships to create opportunities for students.

Ted Mims, who nominated Rose for the award, noted that her success as a teacher is reflected in the successes of her students, at both the high school and college level. Read more>>

UIS joins State Farm list of targeted recruiting schools

UIS recently received word that the Computer Science Department has been added to State Farm Insurance's list of academic departments for targeted recruiting schools. Academic programs from target schools are selected based on curriculum, makeup of the student body, and unique strengths the department provides for computer science majors. Ted Mims, professor of Computer Science and department chair, said that this new partnership provides some significant benefits to UIS students who are majoring in Computer Science. Read more>>

UIS breaks ground for premier field station at Emiquon

On June 14 UIS broke ground for a field station at Emiquon Preserve along the Illinois River near Lewistown. At the station, faculty and students will study education and research floodplains, particularly the restoration of The Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Preserve, the largest floodplain restoration project in the Midwest.

Facilities at the new field station will include offices, a smart classroom, conference room, library/study, and wet and dry laboratories. Read more>>

Theatre Program announces 07-08 season

The Theatre Program at UIS has announced its 2007-2008 season, "Mid-Century in Mid-America."

The fall production will be William Inge's classic drama Picnic; the winter production will feature Student-Directed Scenes; and the spring production will be Tennessee Williams' "serious comedy" Period of Adjustment. Read more>>

UIS to offer a "taste" of online learning

UIS will offer the public "A Taste of UIS Online" – four free, on-line, non-credit courses – in July. Holly McCracken, director of Online Programs for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, explained, "Since there is no tuition, no books to buy, and no grades, we think that most folks will find this to be a fun and productive way to explore online learning." Read more>>

Faculty member receives Fulbright grant for research in Northern Ireland

Brent Never, UIS assistant professor of public administration, has received a Fulbright grant to spend the 2007 fall semester studying conflict resolution in Northern Ireland.

Based at the University of Ulster, outside Belfast, Never will conduct research into how nonprofit organizations get involved in conflict mediation at the local level. He will also teach courses in public administration as a visiting faculty member. Read more>>

Center for State Policy and Leadership to present forum

The Center for State Policy and Leadership at UIS will present a Forum on State Government and Citizen Participation beginning at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 20, in PAC conference room C/D.

Featured speakers are Alan Ehrenhalt, executive editor of Governing Magazine, and Richard Schuldt, director of the Survey Research Office at UIS. Ehrenhalt's topic will be "The States in the 21st Century." Schuldt will speak on "Citizen Views of State Government: New Survey Findings from Illinois."

The event is co-sponsored by Public Radio WUIS 91.9 FM. Reservations should be made by June 13. Read more>>

Sangamon Auditorium announces 07-08 Performing Arts Season

Sangamon Auditorium at UIS will officially announce its 2007-2008 Performing Arts Season on Thursday, June 7. Read more, including brief descriptions of each show>>