Sunday Star Party for people with disabilities

UIS will hold a special Star Party for people with disabilities on Sunday evening, November 18, at 8 p.m., weather permitting, in the observatory. The Star Party is free, but reservations are required and should be made by November 9. The featured object for viewing will be the moon. Read more>>

UIS to present Government Accountability and a Free Press Project

On November 7 UIS will host the first two programs in the Government Accountability and a Free Press Project, a series of events designed to explore legal, ethical, and practical political and policy issues that may arise as members of the press engage in investigative reporting that is intended to uncover less-than-transparent government conduct.

A luncheon seminar -- featuring Charles Lewis, president of The Fund for Independence in Journalism, and a panel of investigative reporters -- will explore a number of related issues at noon in the PAC Lobby.

At 7:30 p.m. a panel discussion featuring Judith Miller, Pulitzer Prize-winner and former investigative reporter for The New York Times, will be held in the PAC Studio Theatre. Miller will begin the program with a keynote address about freedom of the press. Lewis and a panel of investigative reporters will respond. Read more>>

UIS to host presentations by noted astronomers

UIS will host public presentations by two internationally known astronomers on Friday, November 9. At 11:30 a.m. in UHB 2034, Roberta Humphreys will lead "A Conversation on Being WISE: Women in Science and Engineering." That evening, at 7:30 p.m. in UHB 2008, Kris Davidson will speak on "The Violent Supernova Impostor."

Davidson and Humphreys are both faculty members at the University of Minnesota, where Davidson is Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in Astronomy and Humphreys is Institute of Technology Distinguished Professor of Astronomy. Both collaborate with UIS Assistant Professor of Astronomy/Physics John Martin on ongoing research projects involving the Hubble Space Telescope and the Gemini Telescope in Chile. Read more>>

UIS wins major national award for online teaching, learning

UIS has won a major national award for Excellence in Institution-Wide Online Teaching & Learning Programming from the Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C). UIS' exceptional leadership in advancing online education was cited in the announcement from Boston Monday.

"For UIS to receive a national award of this magnitude for excellence among the thousands of colleges and universities with online programs across the country is most extraordinary," said UIS Chancellor Richard Ringeisen. "This award illustrates our commitment to three primary strategic goals -- academic excellence, enriching individual lives, and making a difference in the world." Read more>>

WUIS listeners pledge record amount in fall membership drive

Listeners of public radio WUIS-WIPA made record-setting pledges of more than $142,000 during the station's fall membership drive that ended at 9 a.m. on October 19.

This fall, members could choose to receive traditional pledge gifts such as mugs or hats, or they could elect to have trees planted in their honor at Emiquon Nature Preserve or at Lincoln Memorial Garden. More than 950 trees will be planted as a result of the drive. Read more>>

Diavolo coming to Sangamon Auditorium

The modern dance company Diavolo will perform at the UIS' Sangamon Auditorium on Friday, November 9, at 8 p.m. Diavolo company members are dancers, gymnasts, actors, and athletes who redefine dance through dynamic movement and interact with oversized surrealistic structures that provide a backdrop for their dramatic leaps and twisting movements. Read more>>

Visual Arts Gallery presents "Hecho en Cuba"

"Hecho en Cuba," a group of works inspired by artist Philip Hartigan's month-long stay in Cuba, will be on display at the Visual Arts Gallery beginning Tuesday, November 6. The gallery will host an artist's talk and opening reception on Thursday, November 8. Works in the exhibit explore themes of displacement, rootlessness, and cultural disorientation as they affect an observer in a foreign culture. Read more>>

UIS to host Campus Preview Day

UIS will host a Campus Preview Day for prospective students and their families from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 3. The program will include an academic fair, campus tours, lunch, and greetings from the chancellor and provost. Make a reservation>>

Broadway classic Gypsy coming soon to Sangamon Auditorium

The Broadway classic Gypsy is coming to Sangamon Auditorium on Monday, November 5, at 7:30 p.m.

The story traces the showbiz rise of two sisters, fueled by an ambitious mother whose larger-than-life dreams turned them into stars. Songs include "Let Me Entertain You," "Some People," "You Gotta Have a Gimmick," and "Everything's Coming Up Roses."

Tickets are on sale now. Read more>>

Media Advisory: CWLP Smart Energy Forum

UIS will host a City Water, Light & Power Smart Energy Forum from 4 to 5 p.m. Thursday, October 18, in PAC conference room G. A panel of CWLP personnel will discuss the agreement with Sierra Club aimed at reducing the environmental impacts of the new power plant under construction and will solicit ideas for energy conservation from the audience. Co-sponsor of the event is UIS student group Students Allied for a Greener Earth. Read more>>

President White to discuss leadership

U of I President B. Joseph White will speak on "The Nature of Leadership," at 7 p.m. Thursday, November 1, in Brookens Auditorium. Dr. White will share insights about leadership gained from his experience both in academia and in the private sector.

Following his presentation, he will be the guest of honor at a reception in the PAC restaurant and will sign copies of his book, The Nature of Leadership: Reptiles, Mammals, and the Challenge of Becoming a Great Leader.

The event is sponsored by the Friends of Brookens Library and is also part of the ECCE (Engaged Citizenship Common Experience) Speakers Series at UIS. Read more>>

Musicians invited to audition for basketball bands

Community musicians interested in performing at UIS home basketball games are invited to audition for spots on two new pep bands.

The Basketball Pep Band, a traditional collegiate pep band, will perform at men's home games and will be comprised of brass, woodwind, percussion, and electronic instruments such as guitar, bass, and keyboard.

The Basketball Jazz Combo will be a six-member group comprised of a rhythm section and horns. This group will perform at women's home games.

Auditions are October 15, 17, and 20. Read more>>

Cavalry band will play at Strawbridge House

The 10th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Regiment Band – a recreation of the original brass band that accompanied the regiment during the Civil War – will perform in concert beginning at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 20, at Old Settlers Day at the Strawbridge-Shepherd Farmstead, located between the UIS and LLCC campuses on Shepherd Road.

Playing music of the Civil War era on period instruments, the band is an affiliated ensemble of UIS Music and is directed by Todd Cranson. Read more>>

Attorney General foregoes appeal in case supported by UIS Innocence Project

Students and staff of the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project at UIS were instrumental in helping attorneys for Herbert Whitlock, currently serving a life sentence for murder, in their successful bid for a new trial. Attorney General Lisa Madigan recently announced that she will not challenge an appellate court decision overturning Whitlock's 1987 conviction.

Whitlock's attorneys were assisted in the post-conviction investigation by students in a Wrongful Convictions class taught by UIS Professor Larry Golden. Under the direction of Bill Clutter, Innocence Project director of investigations, the students interviewed witnesses and helped prepare for the evidentiary hearing that was conducted in the spring of 2005. Read more>>

UIS speaker series will present a look at adapting to cultural change

"The Road to Bangalore and Beyond: The Cultural Response of a South India Village to Education" is the subject of a free public presentation beginning at 7 p.m., Thursday, October 25, in Brookens Auditorium. The speaker will be Dr. Helen Ullrich, a linguist and clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at Tulane University School of Medicine. Dr. Ullrich is a cross-cultural psychiatrist with a specialty in South India, where she has continued research in a village for more than 40 years, focusing on psychiatric adaptation to cultural change.

The event is presented as part of the ECCE (Engaged Citizenship Common Experience) Speakers Series at UIS and is sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Education. Read more>>

WUIS going green during fall membership campaign

Listeners who pledge to WUIS during its fall membership campaign will have a chance to pick out the traditional public broadcasting mug or hat.

Or they can elect to have a tree, or three trees, planted in their honor. (The Loken Family of Springfield is offering to match every tree donated through WUIS pledges during the station's "Power Hour" from 7 to 8 a.m. tomorrow, Thursday, October 11.)

WUIS' goal is to hear from 1,200 listeners before the end of the on-air campaign on October 19 at 9 a.m. The number for listeners to call during the drive is 206-9847. Read more>>

UIS to host CWLP Smart Energy Forum

UIS will host a City Water, Light & Power Smart Energy Forum from 4 to 5 p.m. Thursday, October 18, in PAC conference room G. The program is free and open to the public. Co-sponsor of the event is UIS student group Students Allied for a Greener Earth (SAGE).

A panel discussion by CWLP personnel will be followed by time for audience feedback and suggestions for additional energy conservation programs. Read more>>

Illinois Campaign for Political Reform to celebrate 10-year anniversary

Illinois Issues magazine editor Peggy Boyer Long and Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes are the recipients of the 2007 Paul Simon Public Service Awards presented by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. The awards will be presented at a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the founding of ICPR by the late Sen. Simon, to be held November 7 in Chicago. Read more>>

UIS Theatre to present Picnic

The first production of the season for the UIS Theatre Program is William Inge's classic drama Picnic. Six performances are scheduled for October 26-28 and November 1-3 in the PAC Studio Theatre. All performances will be at 8 p.m. except the Sunday performance (October 28), which will be at 2 p.m.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1953, Picnic focuses on the sudden appearance of a handsome young drifter among a group of six women, and the effect he has on their lives. Read more>>

Cashore Marionettes to visit area schools, coming soon to Sangamon Auditorium

In celebration of Illinois Arts Week, Class Acts, the K-12 educational program of Sangamon Auditorium, UIS, will sponsor two performances of the Cashore Marionettes at Springfield public schools on Thursday, October 11 – at Feitshans Academy at 10 a.m. and Lindsay Elementary at 1:30 p.m.

Two additional performances will take place in the PAC Studio Theatre on October 12. The first performance, at 10 a.m., is part of the Class Acts program. The second showing, part of the Family Series at UIS, will begin at 7 p.m. Read more>>

Political art series will screen "The Forest for the Trees"

The UIS series Political Art and the Public Sphere will present a screening of the film The Forest for the Trees at 6 p.m. Monday, October 15, in Brookens Auditorium.

The documentary is a look at a group of young activists and old civil rights workers who come together to battle the U.S. government in an effort to clear the name of Earth First! activist Judi Bari, who was arrested as a terrorist when a pipe bomb exploded under her car. Read more>>

Media Advisory: Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series

The 2007 Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series, focusing on "Lincoln and the Law," will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, October 4, in Brookens Auditorium. Speakers will be Dr. Mark E. Steiner ("'The Sober Judgement of Courts': Lincoln, Lawyers, and the Rule of Law"; and Dr. Brian R. Dirck ("Abraham Lincoln: The Lawyer in the White House"). UIS professor emeritus Cullom Davis will moderate. Read more>>

Social activist John D'Emilio is first Chancellor's Distinguished Visiting Scholar

Noted scholar and social justice activist John D'Emilio has been named the first Chancellor's Distinguished Visiting Scholar at UIS. D'Emilio is widely considered one of the founders of the field of gay and lesbian studies. As Chancellor's Distinguished Visiting Scholar, he will meet with members of the UIS community and will deliver two free public lectures.

On Tuesday, October 16, he will speak on "An Agitator for Justice: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin" at 7 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium. On Wednesday, October 17, D'Emilio will speak on "Will the Courts Set Us Free? Reflections on the Same-Sex Marriage Fight," also at 7 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium. Read more>>

Yamato - The Drummers of Japan coming soon to Sangamon Auditorium

UIS will host a performance of Yamato - The Drummers of Japan on Sunday, October 28, at 7 p.m. in Sangamon Auditorium.

Performances by the taiko drummers of Yamato are infused with the idea that the drumbeat, like the human heartbeat, is the very pulse of life. Read more>>

Jethro Tull will rock for sold-out crowd at Sangamon Auditorium

Legendary rock band Jethro Tull is coming to Sangamon Auditorium at UIS on Monday, October 15, at 7:30 p.m. for a sold-out performance. The show will feature both acoustic and electric sets.

Beginning with 1971's Aqualung, the group has produced a series of classic, best-selling albums including Thick as a Brick and Too Old to Rock and Roll: Too Young to Die. Read more>>

Cashore Marionettes coming to Sangamon Auditorium

Sangamon Auditorium at UIS will kick off this year's Family Series on Friday, October 12, at 7 p.m. with a performance by the Cashore Marionettes - Simple Gifts in the Studio Theatre.

The internationally acclaimed Cashore Marionettes redefine the art of puppetry. Simple Gifts is a series of original vignettes from everyday life, set to the music of such composers as Vivaldi, Strauss, Beethoven, and Copland. Read more>>

Media Advisory: UIS to host Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour

UIS will host a stop on the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour on Tuesday, October 2, from 3 to 7 p.m. in Lincoln Residence Hall.

Speakers on the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour include many of America's top young entrepreneurs who have made, earned, or sold a company for millions and/or otherwise made an impact before age 25. Read more>>

Sunday Star Party for people with disabilities

UIS will hold a special Star Party for people with disabilities on Sunday, October 21, at 8 p.m., weather permitting, in the UIS observatory. The featured object for viewing will be the moon.

Conducted by Charles Schweighauser and John Martin, UIS professors of astronomy and physics, the session will use a telescope specially designed to give people with disabilities access to the sky. Read more>>

Chemistry Department receives NSF grant

The UIS Chemistry Department has received a grant of nearly $75,000 from the National Science Foundation to incorporate scanning probe microscopy into undergraduate courses. The funds will be used to purchase a scanning probe microscope – the cutting-edge tool for nanotechnology – and train undergraduate students in its use. Both science and non-science majors at UIS will get hands-on experience using the instrument.

Marc Klingshirn, one of the grant co-directors, said acquisition of the SPM was "a win-win situation for any student who takes a chemistry-related course at UIS." Read more>>

Media Advisory: Homecoming 2007

UIS will celebrate Homecoming Week 2007 with a variety of special events and activities, beginning Monday, Oct. 1, with a bonfire at 9:30 p.m. at the UIS Pond. See a partial schedule>>