UIS alumni share literary talents with the community

Two UIS graduates, A.D. Carson and Michael Gammon, will present a series of creative-writing workshops for members of the community ages 16 and older. Quiddity international literary journal and public-radio program is sponsoring the workshops.

A.D. Carson is a writer and educator who received his B.A. in Education and Creative Writing from Millikin University and an M.A. in English from the University of Illinois Springfield. He is a recipient of the Grace Patton Conant Award for Literary Creation, and his work has appeared in Collage and The Alchemist Review.

Michael Gammon is a writer, editor, and teacher. He has published poetry in Collaborations: The Journal of Integral Yoga, and fiction in The Alchemist Review. In addition, he authored two award-winning essays. Currently he is writing a series of screenplays that integrate his studies in English, psychology, and philosophy.

The first workshop takes place on December 5, 2009, from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. in Dawson Hall Room 103 on the Benedictine University Springfield campus. Carson will present and lead "Blended Media: Making Lyrics Work on the Page and Making Poetry Work Out Loud." The workshop will be held in two parts. Part I will take place December 5. Part II will take place January 9, 2010, from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. The workshops are free. Space is limited. Interested participants should call (217) 525-1420, ext. 291, to reserve their seat.

In February and March, Gammon, will lead a two-part workshop centering on creative philosophy and titled “Relevant and Impassioned: Using Critical Theory to Tell Stories.”

Springfield and the Sangamon Valley enjoy a lush literary tradition. Quiddity seeks to build and expand upon that tradition, not only seeking work from a wide and diverse pool of individuals around the globe, but also by serving the community in which Quiddity is housed.

Quiddity is sponsored by Benedictine University in Springfield. Quiddity’s founding editor, novelist Joanna Beth Tweedy, is a graduate of both UIUC ’95 and UIS ’04. Quiddity’s prose editor, David, Logan, is also a graduate of UIS ’04.

UIS honors Distinguished Alumni during annual awards

The University of Illinois Springfield Alumni Awards Dinner was held on Friday, November 6, 2009 at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in downtown Springfield.

The University of Illinois Alumni Association hosted the annual event, which recognized and celebrated the achievement, distinguished service, humanitarianism and loyalty of UIS alumni.

“It is one of the Alumni Association’s signature events and I think one of the highlights for the University. We do these on each campus and tonight is time for UIS to shine,” said Loren Taylor, U of I Alumni Association President.

Read more about the winners of this year’s awards and their accomplishments in a previous news release.

UIS hosts fair that helps students continue education

The University of Illinois Springfield Career Development Center and Office of Alumni Relations hosted the second annual UIS Graduate and Professional School Fair on Thursday, November 5, 2009 in the PAC concourse.

The event brought 31 graduate and professional schools from Illinois and the Midwest to the UIS campus.

“We’re having this because many of our students as undergrads are trying to decide what they’re going to do after graduation and what is required to meet their career goals,” said Gale Kilbury, UIS Career Counselor.

The fair allowed students to meet with many representatives at once and gain valuable information in a short amount of time.

“Definitely having them all here in one location is more efficient for us students than having to contact them all via e-mail or trying to go to all the schools and have an orientation,” said Teela Whyte, UIS senior social work major.

Kilbury says having a graduate degree will increase student’s marketability and help them land a better job in the career path they choose.

For more information contact Gale Kilbury in the UIS Career Development Center at 217/206-6508 or gkilb01s@uis.edu.

UI Alumni Association to host UIS Alumni Awards Dinner

The University of Illinois Springfield Alumni Awards Dinner will be held on Friday, November 6, beginning at 6:00 p.m., at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in downtown Springfield. The University of Illinois Alumni Association hosts this annual event, which recognizes and celebrates the achievement, distinguished service, humanitarianism and loyalty of UIS alumni.

The theme for this year’s dinner is “Celebrating Alumni Who Continue Abraham Lincoln’s Legacy”, and the program will include special remarks by world-renowned Lincoln scholar Dr. Michael Burlingame, who holds the Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at UIS.

The Honorable Gordon S. Heddell M.A.’75 of Washington, DC, Inspector General for the United States Department of Defense, will receive the University of Illinois Alumni Achievement Award for outstanding success and national or international distinction in one’s business, profession or life’s work.

Helen Jane Dunn M.A.’72 of Springfield, currently residing in Mesa, Arizona, retired educator, will receive the University of Illinois Distinguished Service Award for extraordinary commitment, dedication and service to the advancement of the University.

Robert Moore ’80 M.P.A.’85 of Springfield, retired U.S. Marshal, Police Chief and community leader, will receive the University of Illinois Alumni Humanitarian Award for significant contributions of leadership or service to improve the lives of others and the welfare of humanity.

For consistently demonstrating exceptional loyalty, commitment, dedication and service to the University and Alumni Association, Nancy L. Chapin M.A.’73 of Chatham and Roberta E. Volkmann M.A.’73 of Springfield will be awarded the University of Illinois Loyalty Award for Exceptional Alumni Service. Cost to attend is $65/person and reservations are required by Nov. 2 to attend the dinner.

For more information contact the Office of UIS Alumni Relations/UI Alumni Association at 217-206-7395 or alumni@uis.edu.

UIS Peoria Center to hold open house at new location

The University of Illinois Springfield is celebrating its new downtown Peoria location by hosting an open house. The Peoria Center is located inside the Illinois Central College Perley Building, Room 120, 115 Southwest Adams Street in Peoria. The open house will take place on Thursday, October 29, 2009 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. and is open to UIS alumni and friends. The new space will provide a central location and more room to allow the center to continue providing place-bound working adults with affordable, convenient way to pursue their dreams.

The UIS Peoria Center had long been located on the ICC campus before the move and will mark 34 years in the city this year. Since its establishment in 1975, more than 2,426 area students have graduated from the degree programs at the Center. The programs offered have changed over the years, but the focus has remained on providing Peoria area working adults the opportunity to earn a degree and enhance their career options.

“The programs we offer in Peoria are business related in direct response to demand,” said Jana Wise, director of the UIS Peoria Center. “Our students, most of whom are not only working full-time but raising families, tell us it’s a tremendous opportunity to earn a U of I degree from an accredited College of Business and not have to leave Peoria.”

The programs currently offered at the UIS Peoria Center are a bachelor of arts degree in Accountancy; a bachelor of arts degree in Management; a bachelor of arts in Criminal Justice; a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), and a minor in Management Information Systems. In addition, three business degree completion programs are offered entirely online, a bachelor’s degree in Economics, bachelor’s in Business Administration (BBA), and the Master of Science degree in Management Information Systems.

Most classes at the UIS Peoria Center are offered evenings and weekends, which accommodates working students and also the faculty. The same faculty who teach on the main campus in Springfield drive to Peoria to teach in the evenings. The business courses offered in their programs are relevant to issues impacting the economy, such as Technology, Management, Forensic Accounting, and Global Leadership.

For more information contact Jana Wise, director of the UIS Peoria Center at 309/999-4250 or wise.jana@uis.edu.

UIS men's basketball team will face ISU in Normal for the first time

UIS Alumni Relations will host pre-game party

The University of Illinois at Springfield Prairie Stars men's basketball team will travel to Redbird Arena in Normal for the first time on Tuesday, November 11, to take on the Redbirds of Illinois State University. UIS' Office of Alumni Relations will host a deli-buffet pre-game party, beginning at 5 p.m. in the Kaufman Football Building, adjacent to Redbird Arena.

The cost of the party, which includes a ticket to the game, is $15 per person, $10 per person for children 12 and under. For more information and to make a reservation, or call 217/206-7395.

Coached by former NBA star Kevin Gamble, the Prairie Stars finished the 2007-08 season with a 22-10 overall record while the Redbirds, coached by Tim Jankovich, ended their campaign with a 25-10 overall record.

UIS returns four starters, including All-American Kelvin Johnson at point guard, American Midwest Conference First Team guard Jacob Motteler and center Ralph Woodson, along with guard Nick Livas.

ISU returns two starters to their lineup and will fill the gap with four returning seniors on their roster. The Redbirds are led by Osiris Eldridge, who finished second in the voting for the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year.

U of I Alumni Association to hold annual awards dinner

The University of Illinois Alumni Association's Office of UIS Alumni Relations will honor alumni and friends at the annual Alumni Awards Dinner on Friday, November 7, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in downtown Springfield.

Raju L. Indukuri, owner and president of Reachnet International, Inc., in Fremont, California, will receive the University of Illinois Alumni Achievement Award for outstanding success and national or international distinction in one's business, profession, or life's work.

Shelley Hoffman, retired director of corporate affairs for Wiley Office Furniture in Springfield, will receive the University of Illinois Distinguished Service Award for extraordinary commitment, dedication, and service to the advancement of the University.

Barbara Dickerman, community activist and volunteer leader in Springfield for more than 50 years, will receive the University of Illinois Alumni Humanitarian Award for significant contributions of leadership or service to improve the lives of others and the welfare of humanity.

University of Illinois Alumni Loyalty Awards will be presented to Susan Blocker, coordinator, Surbanes-Oxley Information Technology at Caterpillar; Bruce Bullard, director, Office of the Auditor General; Ronda Guyton, deputy, Peoria County Sheriff's Office; Barbara Lestikow, educational consultant, retired school teacher and principal for Springfield School District #186; and Donovan Pepper, manager, State and Local Government Relations, Walgreens. This award recognizes consistent demonstration of exceptional loyalty, commitment, dedication, and service to the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Reservations are $75 per person or $600 for a table of eight. Contact the UIS Office of Alumni Relations at 217/206-7395.

Buffet supper will precede Capitol Steps performance at UIS

The UIS Alumni SAGE Society will sponsor a pre-election dinner party on Friday, October 31, prior to the performance of The Capitol Steps comedy group later that evening in Sangamon Auditorium at the University of Illinois at Springfield. A cash bar reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. and a buffet dinner at 6 p.m. will be held in the Public Affairs Center Restaurant at UIS. The Capitol Steps' performance begins at 8 p.m. in the Auditorium.

The restaurant will be decorated for the event with election memorabilia, and participants are encouraged to wear red, white, and blue clothing and sport old campaign buttons.

The menu will include such dishes as Senate Bean Soup; Victory Garden Salad; Pork Barrel Loin; Chicken in Every Pot Pie; Depression Lasagna (meatless); WPA (White Potato Au Gratin) Spuds; Greenback Beans; Farm Subsidy Corn Soufflé; All-American Apple Pie Ala Mode; Red, White, and Blueberry Cheesecake; and the Midwest Bread Basket.

The Capitol Steps began as a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize the very people and places that employed them. The group has recorded 28 albums, including their latest, Campaign and Suffering. They’ve appeared on all the major television networks and their Politics Takes a Holiday specials can be heard four times a year on National Public Radio.

Cost of the dinner is $28 per person; ticket prices for the Capitol Steps vary. To make reservations for both the dinner and Capitol Steps performance, please call the Sangamon Auditorium ticket office at 217/206-6160. Space for the dinner is limited and dinner reservations should be made no later than October 24.

UIS to host Speed Networking Experience

The University of Illinois at Springfield's Office of UIS Alumni Relations, in conjunction with the UIS Career Development Center and the Entrepreneurial Club, will host a Speed Networking Experience from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 30, in the Auditorium lobby area of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus. Presented as a Homecoming event for students, alumni, businesses, and community professionals, the event is free, however advance registration is necessary.

Business trainer Marion Richter will be on hand to offer networking tips. Participants will learn how to make a large number of contacts in a short amount of time, and will also have the opportunity to make actual contacts that can enhance their professional and personal lives.

Reservations should be made by September 26; early registration is strongly encouraged. To register, go to www.uiaa.org/spfld and click on "Speed Networking Experience."

For more information, contact the UIS Career Development Center at careerservices@uis.edu, phone 217/206-7544.

UIS alumni society co-sponsors lunch and learn series

"Central Illinois: Patchwork of People" – a six-part Lunch and Learn Series examining the people and cultures that have influenced life in central Illinois – will begin in September at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Sponsors are the UIS Alumni SAGE Society and the Illinois State Historical Society. Programs are open to the public, however reservations are required.

Each session will meet from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in conference room C/D, lower level of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus.

Three sessions will be held in fall 2008 and three in spring 2009. Each will feature a buffet lunch and presentations by two experts on the day's topic. William Furry, director of the Illinois State Historical Society and a UIS alumnus, will moderate the series.

The series will begin on Tuesday, September 16, with "Why They Came." Featured speakers will be Heather Bailey, UIS associate professor of History, who will discuss "Blessings from the Motherland: Early Russian Immigration in Downstate Illinois," and Michael Wiant, director of the Dickson Mounds Museum, whose topic will be "Under Emiquon: What We Know about the First Illinoisans from Recent Archaeology in the Illinois River Valley."

The session on Tuesday, October 21, will focus on "How They Organized Their Communities." Speakers will be Christopher Fennell, assistant professor of Anthropology at the U of I at Urbana-Champaign, who will speak on "Footprint of Freedom: What Archaeology Tells Us about the New Philadelphia Community," and Eileen McMahon, assistant professor of History, Culture, and Civilization at Lewis University, who will speak on "Erin on the Prairie: A Brief History of Irish Settlements along the Illinois and Michigan Canal."

The topic for Tuesday, November 18, will be "What They Built." Speakers will be John Hallwas, professor emeritus of English at Western Illinois University, who will examine "Small Town Heritage: Illinois Townscapes 1870-1920," and Richard Hart, president of the Elijah Iles Foundation, who will talk about "Prairie Acropolis: Greek Revival Influences on the Architecture of Central Illinois."

Cost for each session is $20 per person; or $45 for the three-session fall series for reservations received by September 2. To register or for more information, go to www.uiaa.org/uis, or contact the Office of UIS Alumni Relations at 217/206-7395 or alumni@uis.edu.

Book signing with Carol Manley

The University of Illinois at Springfield will host a book signing with award-winning author Carol Manley from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11, in the Public Affairs Center restaurant on the UIS campus. The event is free and open to the public. The restaurant is located on the lower level of the PAC.

Manley will sign copies of her latest novel, Church Booty, runner-up for the third annual Tartts Fiction Award.

Manley is a 2003 graduate of UIS and received her master's degree in English. She is currently a guest editor of the People's Poetry column in Illinois Times.

In 2006, Manley won a $7,000 Illinois Arts Council fellowship, as well as first place, third place, and seven honorable mentions in the categories of literary/mainstream short fiction and non-rhyming poetry in a contest sponsored by Writer's Digest.

Read a review of Church Booty by author Rodd Whelpley.

Book details: Church Booty, Livingston Press, 2008, 140 pages, $15.95

College of Education and Human Services to honor four emeritus faculty

Four retired faculty members from the College of Education and Human Services at the University of Illinois at Springfield – Jack Genskow, Barbara Hartman, Gary Storm, and Don Yohe (shown at the left, top to bottom) – will be honored at a luncheon beginning at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, June 19, in the Auditorium Lobby in the Public Affairs Center on campus. Genskow is being honored posthumously.

A panel discussion with Hartman, Storm, and Yohe will be moderated by English Professor Emerita Judith Everson. Portraits of the four, to be installed in the College, will also be unveiled. The event is open to the public, however, reservations are required and must be made by June 12.

Hartman was an associate professor of Human Development Counseling; Storm was an associate professor of Teacher Education; and Yohe was an associate professor of Child, Family, and Community Services. Genskow, who was a professor of Human Development Counseling, died in December 2000.

Larry Stonecipher, dean of the College of Education and Human Services, noted, "Each of the professors being honored made valuable contributions, to Sangamon State University and to UIS, and they established a legacy of excellent teaching that continues."

The new portraits will join those of emeritus faculty M'Lou Burnett Dixon, Robert Crowley, Caryl Moy, James Pancrazio, and Regan Smith – who were honored in previous years – on the walls of the College’s classroom area on the third floor of Brookens Library. All of the portraits were painted by Robert Nettles, of Louisville, Kentucky.

The Office of UIS Alumni Relations is co-hosting the event along with the College and the CEHS Alumni Council.

Make a reservation or get more information.

Those who are unable to attend the event in person may send greetings.

Make a donation to a scholarship in honor of these faculty.