Anna Eleanor Roosevelt is 2007 commencement speaker

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, vice president of Global Corporate Citizenship for The Boeing Company, Chicago, will be the speaker at UIS' 36th commencement ceremony, which will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in downtown Springfield.

Ms. Roosevelt is currently enterprise-wide leader of Boeing's global corporate citizenship activities and has served in a number of capacities in Chicago city government, including a term as director of the Mayor's Office of Program Development from 1996 through 1998. She is the granddaughter of President Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt. Read more>>

Psychology honor society inducts 35

Thirty-five students in the Psychology program at UIS were inducted into Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology, in ceremonies held April 15 on campus. Psi Chi is dedicated to encouraging excellence in scholarship and is open to qualified graduate and undergraduate students. Read more>>

Shari McCurdy receives fourth annual CAPE Award

Shari McCurdy, associate director of UIS' Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning, is the recipient of the fourth annual Chancellor's Academic Professional Excellence Award at UIS. The award was presented at a reception held April 25 in the PAC restaurant.

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. In presenting the award, Chancellor Richard Ringeisen observed that APs are a "pillar" at UIS. "When we recognize one AP, we recognize the work of them all," he said. Read more>>

Two UIS graduates among Golden Apple Award winners

Two UIS graduates, Melinda Wilson and Scott Reed, are among the recipients of 2007 Golden Apple Awards, honoring teachers in Chicago-area schools, grades 9 through 12. The awards are presented by The Golden Apple Foundation, an organization dedicated to recognizing and developing excellence in teaching.

Wilson is one of 10 winners of the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching; Reed is one of 10 Golden Apple Teachers of Distinction. Some 800 teachers from Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, and Will counties were nominated for the awards; 32 finalists were named in January. Read more>>

Media Advisory: Call for passage of SJR9

Legislative sponsors of SJR 9, which calls for a study of exonerations in non-capital cases and which they hope will lead to the creation of a state Innocence Commission, will hold a news conference at 1:30 today to discuss the proposed resolution. SJR 9 resulted from discussions of a working group that included representatives of the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project at UIS. Read more>>

Communication honor society inducts 12

Twelve students in the Communication program were inducted into Lambda Pi Eta, the official honor society of the National Communication Association, in ceremonies held April 22 on campus.

Inductees were Morgan Carroll, Amber Emmons, Callista Frazer, Betsy Fullerton, Amanda Graham, Krista Hall, Brittany Harris, Catalina Hernandez, Emily Martin, Brittany Schafer, Ashley Stoneking, Thomas Straight, Ashley Walz, Sheri Wells, and Diamend Younker.

A worldwide organization with more than 400 chapters, Lambda Pi Eta promotes scholastic achievement and professional development among students. Read more>>

Visual Arts program to host artists lecture

Jessica Bader and Christine Rabenold will deliver a Visiting Artists Lecture beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 26, in VPA room 150. Their subject will be "Anglewood Farm: Paris, Illinois," a collaborative project that combines porcelain sculpture with artifacts from the farm to symbolize its historical culture and activities over time. "Anglewood Farm" is currently on display at North Central College in Naperville. Read more>>

UIS team wins ASCLS Student Bowl

A team of students from UIS' Clinical Laboratory Science program defeated the team from Evanston Hospital to take first place in the Student Bowl competition held during the recent American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science - Illinois annual conference.

UIS fielded two teams in the competition, which included students from clinical laboratory science programs around the state. Read more>>

UIS to host first concert of Civil War-era band

The 10th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Regiment Band -- a recreation of the brass band that accompanied the regiment during the Civil War -- will give its inaugural concert at 4 p.m., Sunday, May 6, in the PAC Studio Theater.

The original 10th Cavalry Band was mustered into service in 1861 at Camp Butler and was informally known as 'Lincoln's Own' because the members were from the Sangamon, Logan, and Christian county areas. Today's band members are from the same counties and play period music on original and reproduction instruments. Read more>>

Mandala Sand Painting: A free public exhibition at Sangamon Auditorium

The Tibetan Monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery will be practicing the artistic tradition of sand painting in the lobby area of Sangamon Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public and will take place over a three-day period -- Tuesday, April 24, through Friday, April 27-- before their performance of Sacred Music, Sacred Dance for World Healing in the Auditorium on April 27. Read more, including a schedule of events>>

Sacred music, sacred dance for world healing comes to Sangamon Auditorium

The multiphonic singers of Tibet's Drepung Loseling Monastery, whose sellout performances in Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center received national acclaim, will perform Friday, April 27, at 8 p.m. in Sangamon Auditorium as part of their international tour of "Sacred Music and Sacred Dance for World Healing."

The tour has three basic purposes: to make a contribution to world healing and peace movements; to generate a greater awareness of Tibet's endangered civilization; and to raise support for the refugee community. Read more>>

College of Business and Management receives AACSB accreditation

The College of Business and Management at UIS has received word that it has been accepted for accreditation by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

AACSB International is the world's premier accrediting agency for collegiate schools of business. The designation places the College among an elite group – only about 10 percent of business programs worldwide and about 28 percent in the U.S. presently have this accreditation.

Earning AACSB accreditation is a voluntary, multi-year process during which a school develops and implements a plan to meet a wide range of quality standards.

CBM Dean Ronald McNeil noted, "We are very proud of this achievement, and very proud as well of the college's faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders who played such a significant role." Read more>>

Music groups to present Spring Showcase Concert

UIS music groups will present their annual Spring Showcase Concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 27, in the Studio Theatre. A reception will follow.

The concert will feature a varied repertoire by the UIS Band, Chamber Orchestra, Chorus, World Percussion Club, A Capella Club, and the Faculty Fiddle Band. Tickets are $5; all proceeds will benefit the UIS Music Student Merit Award. Read more>>

Media Advisory: Presentation by Winona LaDuke

Environmental activist and former vice presidential candidate Winona LaDuke will be at UIS as part of the campus' observance of Earth Week on Tuesday, April 17. At 7:30 p.m., LaDuke will speak on "Politics, Women, and Environmental Justice" in the Studio Theatre. Before that, she will be the guest of honor at a student reception beginning at 5 p.m. in the PAC Atrium Lounge. Read more>>

UIS to host data warehousing workshop

UIS' Department of Management Information Systems and the Midwest Association for Information Systems will hold a half-day workshop on "Data Warehousing Applications in Private and Public Sector Organizations" Friday, May 18, on campus. The deadline to register is May 11. Workshop facilitator will be Ronald S. Swift, internationally known strategist, consultant, and author. Read more>>

UIS to hold annual Alternative Prom

The Queer-Straight Alliance at UIS will host its annual Alternative Prom from 8 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, April 14, in the Student Center.

The alcohol-free event is open to all area lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgendered, and questioning youth and their allies. One student ID (from a high school or university) will admit the holder and up to four guests. Read more>>

Child care center to observe National Week of the Young Child

Cox Children's Center will join organizations around the country in observing Week of the Young Child, April 23 through 27. Activities will include an Open House from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Friday, April 27. The campus and local community are invited to attend.

Center Director Stacey Hembrough noted, "Week of the Young Child is a chance to celebrate learning opportunities for young children, and to recognize the responsibilities we share for helping them make the most of their early years." Read more>>

Criminal Justice honor society inducts four

Induction ceremonies for four new members of the Epsilon Chi Chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma, the national criminal justice honor society, will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday, April 22, in the PAC restaurant.

Alpha Phi Sigma, the only national honor society for criminal justice majors, recognizes the academic excellence of undergraduate and graduate students. Inductees are Michelle Edwards, Katherine Grady, Scott Hale, and Samantha Hansen. Leanne Brecklin, assistant professor of Criminal Justice, is chapter adviser. The ceremony will also honor 14 members who are graduating this academic year. Read more>>

Five students receive awards from EXS-L Programs

Five students – Andrea Danes, Thomas Hargrove, Lea Hudson, Stephanie Myers, and Edward Simmonds – have received Outstanding Student Awards from Experiential and Service-Learning Programs at UIS. The awards are presented each spring for placements and portfolios undertaken the previous year.

Hargrove, Myers, and Simmons are recipients of the Craig Brown Outstanding AST Student Award. Danes and Hudson received the Credit for Prior Learning Walden-Irwin Award.

To be nominated for an Outstanding AST Award, students must demonstrate excellence in areas including self-learning, personal growth, reflection, and the acquisition of new skills. CPL evaluates experiences outside the traditional university classroom that may qualify as college credit. Read more>>

PAPS series continues with "Pictures from a Revolution"

UIS' monthly series Political Art and the Public Sphere will present the classic political documentary "Pictures from a Revolution," at 6 p.m. Monday, April 30, in Brookens Auditorium.

Filmmaker Susan Meiselas is an award-winning photojournalist who covered the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua for The New York Times and London Times; some of the photos she took were used for propaganda by both sides in the civil war that followed. Read more>>

UIS to co-sponsor "Budget on the Brink" conference

"Budget on the Brink," a conference examining ways that state government can ensure the availability of adequate revenues to address critical needs in education, health care, human services, and pension funding, will be presented from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, April 16, at the Hilton Hotel, 700 E. Adams, in Springfield.

Conference co-sponsors are UIS' Center for State Policy and Leadership, the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIU-C, the U of I Institute of Government and Public Affairs, the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, and Illinois Issues magazine. Speakers will present diverse perspectives on spending and revenue. For more information, including how to register>>

Documentary on urban environmentalism focuses on Chicago

"Chicago: City of the Big Shoulders," a documentary about environmental rebirth and transformation in Chicago, will be shown in Brookens Auditorium on Thursday, April 12. A reception will precede the screening at 6 p.m. in MacDonald Lounge. The film will begin at 7 p.m., and a question-and-answer session with producer Harry Wiland will follow at 8 p.m.

The program is part of "Edens Lost & Found," a four-part PBS series that highlights practical solutions to improving the environment and quality of life in American cities. Read more>>

Senior Shows are next art exhibit

Graduating seniors in UIS' Visual Arts program will present "Student Show: 3 Galleries," from May 3 through 15. Three exhibits of work by 17 students -- showcasing a variety of styles and media -- will be on display in the Lincoln Residence Hall Great Room, Public Affairs Center, and Visual Arts Gallery. An opening reception will be held at each location from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 3. 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, April 28. The program will include an academic fair, campus tours, lunch, and greetings from the chancellor and provost.

Click here for information on making a reservation>>

Two students are finalists in annual college art competition

Artwork by two UIS art students – Jeffrey Robinson and Matthew Schultz – has been selected for inclusion in the 2007 Annual Collegiate Artists Competition, sponsored by the Office of the Governor and the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

Robinson will exhibit his painting "Scarabaeidae-JapSinophobia" and Schultz will exhibit his print "Freedom Pass." They are among only 51 finalists chosen statewide.

Finalists will exhibit their work from May 5 to June 21 at Oakton Community College's Koehnline Museum of Art in Des Plaines. This is the first time that UIS students have been represented in the contest. Read more>>

Campus events mark Disability Awareness Week

UIS will host a number of activities from April 23 through 27 in observance of Disability Awareness Week. Events range from a wheelchair basketball game to an art experience, stress relief workshops, a comedy show, and a community resource fair on transitioning from high school to independent living. All events are free and fully accessible to the mobility-impaired. See a complete schedule>>

Professor emerita among Red Cross "Heroes"

Mattilou Catchpole, UIS professor emerita of Women's Studies, will be among those honored at the annual Heroes Breakfast sponsored by the Illinois Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross on April 20 at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield.

Since 1990, Catchpole has volunteered one month each year with Health Volunteers Overseas, a group whose purpose is to teach professionals in countries where there is a vital need for health care training and educational support services. Read more>>

UIS graduate is author of upcoming novel

Joshua Doetsch, who graduated from UIS in May 2006 with a master's degree in English, is the author of two soon-to-be-published pieces – the novel Strangeness in the Proportion and the short story "Snow, Blood, and Sparrows."

Strangeness will be published by horror/science fiction/fantasy house White Wolf Publishing after being chosen from an original pool of more than 1,000 submissions to win a novel-writing contest sponsored by White Wolf. "Sparrows" will appear in the anthology Book of Dead Things, coming soon from Chicago-based Twilight Tales Press. Read more>>

2007 Verbal Arts Festival

The 2007 Verbal Arts Festival will be Saturday, April 21, in the Public Affairs Center. The program begins at noon with a luncheon in the PAC restaurant. Judy Everson, professor emerita of English, will deliver the keynote address titled "When Johnny Comes Marching Home: James Jones' Last Literary Odyssey." Other events range from an original play to a reunion of past contributors to the Alchemist Review. Read more>>

Seventh Annual Science Research Symposium

UIS' Seventh Annual Science Research Symposium will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, April 20. The event features presentations on applied or theoretical research by undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty in science programs at UIS and other colleges and universities in the area. The invited keynote speaker is Dr. May Berenbaum, professor and head of the Department of Entomology at UIUC, who will speak on "Webworms and Parsnips: A Case History in Chemical Evolution." Berenbaum's presentation will begin at 3 p.m. Read more>>