UIS kicks off Holiday Stars Project with Trick-or-Eat for the Central Illinois Foodbank

The Volunteer and Civic Engagement Center at the University of Illinois Springfield will sponsor a Trick-or-Eat competition to collect the most canned goods on Halloween, Saturday, October 31. The Volunteer Center is collaborating with area hospitals and the SIU School of Medicine, who will also be participating in the Trick-or-Eat competition.

The event is part of the UIS Holiday Stars Project, a campus-wide service initiative giving focus to UIS’ efforts to make a difference in the local community during the upcoming holiday season. The overall goal is to collect 4,500 of pounds of food for the Central Illinois Foodbank by December 3, 2009.

“Our campus community has embraced our Holiday Stars Project and is excited about working together to make a difference in the local community during these times of economic difficulty,” said Kelly Thompson, director of the UIS Volunteer and Civic Engagement Center.

Teams of UIS students who registered for the Trick-or-Eat drive have been assigned to neighborhoods where they will collect non-perishable food items. The teams have already canvassed the neighborhoods in advance, distributing collection bags, along with door hangers that explain the project.

On Halloween, the teams will revisit their neighborhoods between 4:30 and 8 p.m. to pick up donations. Collected items will be returned & weighed that evening at Central Illinois Foodbanks, and prizes will be awarded to teams that bring in the most pounds of food.

The Holiday Stars Project continues through November, when specially marked collection bins will be placed around the UIS campus. Everything collected during the project will be presented to the Foodbank on December 3, 2009.

The Central Illinois Foodbank serves 160 agencies throughout 21 central Illinois counties and also hosts the Kids Café, part of a nation-wide program through America’s Second Harvest that feeds children a hot, nutritious meal in a safe environment. More information is available at www.centralilfoodbank.org.

For more information about the UIS Holiday Stars Project, contact Kelly Thompson, director of the UIS Volunteer and Civic Engagement Center, at 217/206-8448, or go to www.uis.edu/volunteer/holidayproject/

UIS Faculty Scholarship Recognition Luncheon

The University of Illinois Springfield honored the outstanding achievements of faculty at the 17th annual Faculty Recognition Luncheon, which was held Monday, October 5, 2009 in the Sangamon Auditorium lobby.

The luncheon was started in 1985 as a way to pay tribute to faculty member’s achievements in the areas of research, published articles, creative works, grants, book reviews and professional presentations.

“We have our multiple responsibilities for teaching, advising, and service. But always, creating a space for intellectual work needs to be at the forefront,” said Provost Harry Berman.

Berman related the work that faculty members do to that of a quilt calling their research and other achievements “treasure to hand down to the next generation”.

Meena Rao, vice president of academic affairs at the University of Illinois, was present at the event to congratulate faculty on their achievements and announce the 2009 University Scholar.

Dr. Sviatoslav Braynov, assistant professor of Computer Science, received the award. The University Scholar Program honors and rewards outstanding teachers and scholars at the three U of I campuses. The award comes with a grant of $10,000 each year for three years for research and scholarly activities.

In a short period of time, Dr. Braynov created a large body of work in an important, demanding and fast changing field. He has received recognition nationally and internationally for his work in the area of computer security.

Dr. Rosina Neginksy, last year’s University Scholar spoke at the event and presented Braynov with the University Scholar pen.

Board of Higher Education approves new UIS Bachelor's Degree

The Illinois Board of Higher Education approved a new Management Information Systems bachelor’s degree for the University of Illinois Springfield at its meeting in Chicago on Tuesday.

The undergraduate major is designed to provide students with a balance of technical skills and business knowledge. The program will prepare students for employment in private and public sectors in a changing global economy.

“College students today are interested in interactive learning. The blended delivery of this program facilitates and enhances interactivity,” said Rassule Hadidi, Ph.D., chair of the Management Information Systems Department.

Students will attend face-to-face classes every other week and instruction is done online during the weeks that classes do not meet in person.

“The blended nature of this program makes it suitable not only for local students, but also those in a reasonable driving distance, such as Bloomington, Danville, Edwardsville and Peoria,” said Hadidi.

UIS expects 25 students to major in MIS in the first year and up to 60 students to be enrolled over the next 5 years. UIS will start offering the degree in the fall of 2010, but students can start taking classes for the major now.

UIS has offered a successful Master of Science in Management Information Systems since 1985 with 42 degrees awarded in fiscal year 2008. The master’s program has a 100% in the field placement record for graduates.

“The prospect for graduates of this new BS in MIS program is very bright,” said Hadidi. “The 2009 federal stimulus includes about $20 billion for health care related information technology.”

According to government estimates about 200,000 new Healthcare Information Technology professionals are needed in areas such as design, development, implementation, and maintenance of electronic medical records.

The curriculum for the B.S. in MIS consists of at least 123 semester credit hours from six groups of courses: 37 hours of general education, 13 hours of Engaged Citizenship Common Experiences (required of all UIS undergraduates), 22 hours of foundation coursework, 21 hours of the College of Business and Management core course, 30 hours in Management Information Systems, and approved general electives.

The addition of the MIS degree means that UIS will offer a total of 23 undergraduate degrees effective the next academic year. The university offers 20 master’s programs and 1 doctoral program for a combined total of 44 available degrees.

Visit the MIS website: mis.uis.edu

For more information on the degree contact Rassule Hadidi, Ph.D. at 217/206-7294 or by e-mail at hadidi@uis.edu.

UIS honors distinguished professors during Ceremony of Investiture

The University of Illinois Springfield honored three newly named distinguished professors during a Ceremony of Investiture on September 25, 2009 at Sangamon Auditorium.

Dr. Matthew Holden Jr., Professor of Political Science; Dr. Karen Swan, Professor of Educational Leadership; and Dr. Keith Miller, Professor in Computer Science received medallions that symbolize their new positions. Investiture is one of the highest honors that a faculty member can receive and gives them the financial resources to continue their research.

“Having three investitures-- and in three of UIS colleges at once-- is really very rare. It is a real testament to the investment of our citizens and businesses that we now have through private gift support funds for six named professorships and one named chair, with additional chairs on the horizon,” said Vicki Megginson, Associate Chancellor of Development at UIS and Senior Vice President, University of Illinois Foundation.

The university and students benefit enormously from professorships. They allow UIS to attract top-level academics that have extensive expertise, who deepen and broaden our curriculum, and who serve as beacons to other professors who want to come and work with them.

“Each of these professors adds vigor to UIS’ academic excellence and strengthens our ability to provide a challenging yet intimate learning experience for our students,” said UIS Chancellor Richard D. Ringeisen.

Award Winners:

Dr. Matthew Holden, Jr., professor in Political Science was named the Margaret L. Wepner Distinguished Professor of Political Science. Dr. Holden, previously the Henry L. and Grace M. Doherty Professor Emeritus of Politics at the University of Virginia, has wide-ranging scholarly interests in political science, other social sciences, history, and law. His current work includes research on public administration and political power, executive politics, energy and climate change politics, and the Department of Justice as a working system.

Related to the legacy of Abraham Lincoln is his interest in how democratic systems can accommodate the facts of multi-racial and multi-ethnic populations. A widely published author, Dr. Holden’s 1973 book, The Politics of the Black “Nation,” along with its companion, The White Man’s Burden, was a classic in the early political scholarship on race and politics.

Dr. Holden, who retired from the University of Virginia in 2002, also taught at Wayne State University, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

He served as president of the American Political Science Association in 1998-99. He was also President of the Policy Studies Organization, and Editor of the National Political Science Review. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Senior Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

His public service work includes service on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, and a variety of local, state, and Federal advisory committees. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University.

Dr. Karen Swan, professor in Education Leadership was named the James J. Stukel Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership. Dr. Swan’s research has been focused mainly in the general area of media and learning, and her current research focuses on online learning, data literacy, and ubiquitous computing.

She is particularly known for her research into the effectiveness of online teaching and learning, and for her work on communities of inquiry as it relates to online education.

In 2006, Dr. Swan received the Sloan Consortium for Asynchronous Learning Networks Award for “Most Outstanding Achievement in Online Learning by an Individual.” This award recognized her for national innovation, research and service in online learning.

Dr. Swan has published over 70 journal articles and book chapters as well as two books and several multimedia applications on educational media and technology topics. She serves on the editorial boards of several journals, on the program committees for three educational technology conferences, and currently chairs the Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning.

Dr. Swan came to UIS from Kent State University, where she was Research Professor at the Research Center for Educational Technology in the College & Graduate School of Education, Health and Human Services.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Connecticut, a Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction from Keene State College, and Master of Education and Doctor of Education degrees in Instructional Technology from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Dr. Keith Miller, a professor in Computer Science since 1993 was named the Louise Hartman Schewe and Karl Schewe Professor in Liberal Arts and Sciences. Dr. Miller’s research specialties are computer ethics and software testing. He is author or co-author of over 300 publications and presentations and is currently the editor-in-chief of IEEE Technology and Society and associate editor of IT Professional magazine. He was one of the authors of a code of ethics for software engineers adopted by international organizations and translated into seven languages.

Dr. Miller’s research is aggressively inter-disciplinary. He has collaborated with computer scientists, biologists, philosophers, lawyers and psychologists, and he is the associate director of UIS’ newly named Alfred O. and Barbara Cordwell Therkildsen Field Station at Emiquon, site of The Nature Conservancy’s floodplain restoration project on the Illinois River. He is also pleased to serve as an associate faculty member in UIS’ Philosophy Department.

Named a University of Illinois Scholar in 2000, Dr. Miller has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, and the Sloan Foundation. He also received the Outstanding Service award from the Association of Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Computers and Society in 2006.

An early adopter of online education at UIS, Dr. Miller earned his Bachelor of Science in Education from Concordia Teachers College in Seward, Nebraska; his Master of Science in Mathematics from the College of William and Mary; and his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Iowa.

About the Awards:

A member of the Committee for Higher Education in Central Illinois, Wilbur Wepner helped found Sangamon State University (now UIS) in 1969. His wife, Margaret, supported her husband’s efforts. He died in 1994. Before her death in 2005, Mrs. Wepner cast the couple’s final vote of confidence in UIS’ future by leaving an “unrestricted” estate gift of $1.2 million to the university, part of which was used to create a distinguished professorship named in her honor.

The James J. Stukel Distinguished Professorship was created by the University of Illinois Foundation to honor James Stukel, the 15th president of the University of Illinois system (1995-2005). The professorship includes support for research and grant work and was created for a candidate who possesses expertise in and scholarly accomplishments relating to online teaching and learning issues.

Louise Hartman Schewe was a teacher and active civic leader whose interests included the Springfield Art Association and the Illinois Symphony Guild. Karl Schewe was a member of the Chicago Board of Trade and A.G. Edwards and Sons, Springfield. Upon her death in 2006, Louise Schewe left a generous bequest to the University of Illinois Springfield to support initially a professorship, and eventually a chair in Liberal Arts and Sciences.

To watch the video of the Investiture click on the link below
http://webcast2.uis.edu/multimedia/Archive/2009/Investiture.html

Health Services works to prevent seasonal and H1N1 flu

University of Illinois Springfield Campus Health Services is now offering seasonal flu shots to students, faculty and staff. The shot does not protect against the H1N1 virus, but Health Services expects to have that vaccine on hand by mid-October.

The seasonal flu shot costs $15.00 for UIS students and is free to employees who have State of Illinois insurance. Non-insured staff can get the shot for $18.00 and employee’s significant others for $20.00.

Campus Health Services Director Lynne Price says the best way to prevent either flu is by washing your hands. She says people also need to cough or sneeze into their sleeves and stay home when they have a fever over 100.

Price says H1N1 is milder than the common flu, but it spreads more readily. She says about 97% of the flu cases happening now are H1N1 and only 3% appear to be seasonal.

Seasonal Flu Shot Clinic Dates:

Thursday, September 17, 2009
9am - 3pm

Tuesday, September 22, 2009
9am - 5pm and 6pm - 7:30pm

Wednesday, September 30, 2009
9am - 5pm

Monday, October 5, 2009
9am - 5pm

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

9am - 5pm and 6pm - 7:30pm

All shots will be given in Public Affairs Center (PAC) Conference Rooms C & D.

If you have questions call Campus Health Service at 206-6676

Brookens Library Shows Off Research Tools

Brookens Library at the University of Illinois Springfield held its first ever open house for students, faculty and staff. The goal was to show the campus community what they have to offer when it comes to research tools.

Christine Ross, Director of Collection and Research Services says in the high-tech age students sometimes turn to Google first, but the library has better tools. Vendors from Elsevier, Lexis Nexi, CQ Press, Wiley Blackwell and more were on hand to show off their systems.

Ross says the best part of the open house was hearing students get their questions answered so they know where to look the next time they come back.

Students also got a chance to win an iPod Touch and other prizes donated for the open house.

UIS Hosts Campus Blood Drive

University of Illinois Springfield students, faculty and staff members rolled up their sleeves to help save lives Monday. The Clinical Lab Science Club sponsored a blood drive and bone marrow typing event at Lincoln Residence Hall.

The drive was put on by the Central Illinois Community Blood Center, which is the main source for blood for 19 hospitals in central and southwestern Illinois.

This is the first time the blood center has teamed up to offer bone marrow typing, which puts donors on a match registry for people in need.

Almost 50 people donated blood during the drive at LRH.

Future UIS Blood Drives:

Monday, November 16 , 2009
Public Affairs Center (Sponsor: Graduate Professional Union)

Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Public Affairs Center (Sponsor: Student Government Association)

Monday, April 19, 2010
Lincoln Residence Hall (Sponsor: Clinical Lab Science Club)

Convocation kicks off 2009-2010 academic year

By Courtney Westlake

The University of Illinois Springfield kicked off the 2009-2010 academic year with a Convocation ceremony on Thursday afternoon, August 20.

Provost Harry Berman welcomed UIS' 21 new faculty members and introduced them to campus, while Chancellor Richard Ringeisen spoke about UIS' accomplishments over the past year and its goals for the future.

"We always have a choice about how we’re going to approach any year," Ringeisen said. "I choose optimism, while being realistic. I choose gratitude for the resources we have, instead of anxiety about what we still want. I choose to be hopeful about the future, and I think we have good reason to be."

Ringeisen began his presentation by highlighting many examples of excellence from UIS graduates, including a recent graduate who was also the first in his family to graduate not only college but high school as well.

He reflected a lot about the past year and the way the public has begun to view UIS. He announced that after last year's U.S. News and World Report listed UIS as the fourth best public in the Midwest for 2009, the 2010 report was released today and UIS achieved the same ranking.

"That establishes us as a top flight public university," he said.

He also touched on UIS becoming a Division II school in the NCAA, being placed on the 2008 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll and the university's recent acceptance into the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), among many other achievements from the year.

"You may have seen the COPLAC announcement, but what you didn’t hear was the evaluators say to Provost Berman and me that UIS might be the most exciting university in the nation right now, because of everything we’re doing and where we’re heading. It’s why I’m so optimistic and choose to look ahead today," he said.

Ringeisen challenged everyone to pause and "to see ourselves as others see us," he said.

"We’re on the rise. We’re on the journey. I am tempted to declare that we have arrived, three years after finalizing our strategic plan with a bold vision and lofty goals," he said. "In many ways we have arrived – when you see us as others see us."

The state budget hit the university hard this year, Ringeisen noted, but said it's a time to remember "my favorite analogy: 'When a ship is in a storm at sea, you don’t shut the engines down.'"

This year will give UIS the opportunity to continue to focus on its top three goals - academic excellence, enriching individual lives, and making a difference in the world - in addition to focusing more on its fourth goal, strengthening the campus culture.

New faculty and staff hires, new investiture ceremonies for faculty, the creation of customized Web sites called portals, new openings of universities centers, the upcoming celebration of the 40th anniversary and a new Public Safety Building were all highlighted by the Chancellor.

"I commend you for all of your work that has led to the recognition we are now receiving. We don’t do what we do for the recognition, of course; we do it for our students, so that they will have the best possible educational experience," Ringeisen said. "But if you see UIS as others see us, you know this is an institution on the rise."

Watch convocation at
http://www.uis.edu/its/otherservices/webcasting.html

Twenty-one new faculty join UIS for fall 2009

Twenty-one new faculty members have joined the University of Illinois Springfield for the 2009 fall semester. Five will teach in programs within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; six will teach in the College of Public Affairs and Administration; five in the College of Education and Human Services; three in the College of Business and Management; and two will teach in the library.

Atul Agarwal is an associate professor of Production Operations Management. He has an engineering background with an MBA and a Ph.D. in Business Administration from The University of Texas at Arlington. He was previously on the faculty at the Kettering University (Formerly GMI Engineering & Management Institute) in Flint, Michigan for 13 years where he served as the Director of the MS in Manufacturing Operations program for GM and Delphi corporations until July 2009. Professor Agarwal’s research interests include lean practices in manufacturing and service sectors, modeling for supply chain networks, and quality control systems for health care organizations.

Richard “Curby” Alexander, assistant professor of Teacher Education, was a public school teacher in Texas and Wyoming for eight years and served as adjunct faculty at several colleges before coming to UIS. He received his Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from the University of Virginia in 2009. Professor Alexander’s research interests include student engagement with technology and technology integration in the K-12 environment, and his research has been presented at several conferences, including the American Educational Research Association annual meeting and the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education.

Amanda Binder, visiting assistant professor/instructional services librarian, previously served as a member of the reference and instructional services team at the Undergraduate Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Most recently, she worked as a digital archives consultant and marketing and communications freelancer for Chicago's community foundation, The Chicago Community Trust. Professor Binder has a B.A. in Sociology from Bard College in New York and an M.S. in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Michael Burlingame is the Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton, and in 1968, he joined the History Department at Connecticut College in New London, where he taught until retiring in 2001 as the May Buckley Sadowski Professor of History Emeritus. Professor Burlingame is the author of Abraham Lincoln: A Life and The Inner World of Abraham Lincoln. In addition, he has edited numerous volumes of Lincoln primary source materials. Professor Burlingame has received the Abraham Lincoln Association Book Prize, the Lincoln Diploma of Honor from Lincoln Memorial University, Honorable Mention for the Lincoln Prize, Gettysburg College, and was inducted into the Lincoln Academy of Illinois in 2009.

Tosha Cantrell-Bruce, visiting assistant professor of Public Administration, received her D.P.A. in Public Administration from University of Illinois Springfield in 2008. She joined the University of Illinois Extension in 2000 and served as a youth educator for nine years. Recently, she started her own consulting business providing needs assessments and evaluations for nonprofit organizations at the local, state and national level. She also currently serves as a content guide for GoodWorks, an online nonprofit resource center in Illinois.

Michael Cavanagh, assistant professor of Communication, comes to UIS from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he served as assistant professor and interim chair of the journalism program in the Communication Department. Professor Cavanagh earned a B.S. in Journalism from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and an M.S. in Journalism – New Media from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. His teaching and research interests center on mass communication, journalism, new media and Web design.

Dana Thompson Dorsey, assistant professor in Educational Leadership, received her J.D. and Ph.D. in Administrative and Policy Studies in Education from the University of Pittsburgh in 1999 and 2007, respectively. She previously worked for the University of Virginia’s National Center for Women and Information Technology Extension Services for Undergraduate Program as the Director of Research and Consulting. Professor Thompson Dorsey’s research interests focus on education law and policy issues, especially the impact that federal legal cases and legislation may have on shaping K-12 policies. She has co-authored several technical reports for the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Andrew Dzeguze, visiting assistant professor of Legal Studies, received his J.D. with honors from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1998. For eight years he was in private legal practice with a focus on intellectual property litigation. Professor Dzeguze’s research interests include various aspects of intellectual property law and government reform. His articles have appeared in such publications as the University of Texas Intellectual Property Law Journal, the John Marshall Review of Intellectual Property Law and the Columbia Science & Technology Law Review.

Alexis Halley, assistant professor of Public Administration, earned a D.P.A. degree from the University of Southern California in 1995. She is a founding co-director of the John C. Stennis Congressional Staff Fellows Program and the Stennis Emerging Staff Leaders Program. Dr. Halley has many publications, including co-editor and author of Who Makes Public Policy: The Struggle for Control between Congress and the Executive and co-author of “The Paradoxical Status of Planning and Time in Today’s Public Environment,” International Journal of Organization Theory and Behavior.

Matthew Holden, Jr. is the Wepner Distinguished Professor of Political Science. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in political science from Northwestern University. He taught at the Wayne State University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Virginia, where he was the Henry L. and Grace M. Doherty Professor of Politics. Professor Holden’s work has included urban and metropolitan politics, public policy and administration, executive politics, law and politics, race and ethnic politics, regulatory policy and practice, energy politics and environmental policy.

Yi-Sz Lin, assistant professor of Geographic Information System (GIS) and environmental planning, currently directs the GIS Laboratory in the Department of Environmental Studies at UIS. He received his Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Sciences from Texas A&M University in 2009. He has a B.S. in Architecture and a M.S. in Construction Science. Professor Yi-Sz’s interests include environmental hazard management, GIS applications in environmental planning and hazard management, and statistical/planning methods. He is certified in GIS, Remote Sensing and Environmental Hazard Management by Texas A&M University.

Shoon Lio, assistant professor of Sociology/Anthropology, received his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California, Riverside in 2008. Shoon’s research interest is in how the boundaries of American citizenship is constituted by racial projects such as the formation of collective memory and the construction of moral panics over racialized “others.” He is also interested in social theory, social psychology, political sociology, social movements, race/ethnicity and the sociology of citizenship.

Stefano Longo will be joining the Department of Environmental Studies at UIS as an assistant professor. He earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Oregon in 2009. His research areas include environmental sociology and political economy, concentrating on the global agri-food system. He has published research in professional journals such as Rural Sociology and Human Ecology Review, and his current research project examines the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery, focusing on the modern socio-ecological transformations in Sicily.

Janice Marsaglia, clinical instructor of Mathematical Sciences, has been teaching math for the last 25 years at the secondary level, where she was department chair and a trained mentor. She received her B.A. in Mathematical Sciences in 1984 and her M.A. in Mathematical Sciences in 1998, both from UIS. Since then, she has taught as a math adjunct for Lincoln Land Community College, Blackburn College and UIS.

Peggy Mayfield, visiting instructor of Human Services, received her M.A. in Human Development Counseling from UIS in 1996. After four years as Supervisor of Foster Care Services at Catholic Services, she entered private practice in 2000 as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. She joined the faculty at UIS in 1998, serving as adjunct for Human Development Counseling and recently teaching for both Teacher Education and Human Services. She currently serves as Director of Accreditation Documentation for the College of Education and Human Services.

Michael J. Murphy, assistant professor of Women and Gender Studies, received his master’s and doctoral degrees in Art History (with a Certificate in Women and Gender Studies) from Washington University in St. Louis, where he also taught for several years in the Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa. He specializes in U.S. visual and material culture from 1780-1920, and the history and theory of genders and sexualities.

Stephen Owusu-Ansah, associate professor of Accountancy, taught eight years at the University of Texas-Pan American, and four years at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia before coming to UIS. He received his Ph.D. in Accounting from Middlesex University (U.K.) in 1998. Dr. Owusu-Ansah serves on the editorial boards of The African Finance Journal (South Africa) and Research in Accounting in Emerging Economies (U.K.), and he also frequently serves as an ad-hoc reviewer of many scholarly journals.

Dr. Jenene Case Pease joins UIS as an assistant professor of Human Services, and she will be teaching courses in the child and family studies concentration. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Human Development in 1992 from Mississippi University for Women, a Master of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Mississippi College in 1994, and a Ph.D. in Family, Child, and Consumer Sciences in 2000. Before joining the faculty at UIS, Dr. Case Pease worked as the clinical coordinator at Florida State University’s Office of Employee Assistance Services, and she taught as a visiting lecturer in the FSU College of Social Work. Dr. Case Pease has been a Certified Employee Assistance Professional since 2006, and she is also a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Kate Sheridan, assistant professor of Social Work, received her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from The University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1993, her Master of Social Work from The University of Alabama in 2000, and is expected to be awarded the Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009. Most recently, she has served as Program Manager in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Social Work. Professor Sheridan’s research interests include developing an understanding of the familial context of methamphetamine misuse and production in rural Illinois with an emphasis on effects on child development.

Natalie Tagge, visiting assistant professor/instructional services librarian, was the State Virtual Reference Coordinator at the Illinois State Library prior to joining UIS. She received her B.A. in Anthropology from Occidental College and her M.S. in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Professor Tagge’s professional interests include web 2.0 applications to the library, library usability and the library’s position as community space. She has done numerous presentations and workshops at state and national library conferences and public, academic and school libraries on integrating virtual reference into a library’s services and the sustainability of library programs after grant funding ends.

Jorge Villegas, assistant professor of Business Administration, received his Ph.D. in advertising from the University of Texas at Austin in 2002 and previously served on the faculty at the University of Florida. Professor Villegas has received research awards from organizations like the American Academy of Advertising as well as participated as a member of research teams sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health and the Eric Friedheim Foundation. His professional service includes participation in NIMH’s sponsored conference on Stigma and Mass Media, consultant for a grant funded by the National Cancer Institute, and reviewer for journals like Marketing Theory.

UIS faculty members receive MicrobeLibrary Editor's Choice Awards

Two University of Illinois Springfield professors are the recipients of a 2009 Editor’s Choice Award from MicrobeLibrary as announced by the American Society for Microbiology. The Editor’s Choice Awards were created to spotlight learning resources that demonstrate excellence in teaching and learning in microbiology and biology education.

Dr. Michael Lemke, associate professor of biology, and Dr. Keith Miller, professor of computer science, received the 2009 Visual Collection Award for Video for their work on a video called “Mud and Microbes: A Time-Lapse Photographic Exploration of a Sediment Bacterial Community,” created in collaboration with Roza George of the University of Georgia and former UIS undergraduate.

Lemke and George photographed a window pane of mud each day for one and a half months, and Miller condensed the shots into a 90-second video. Noticeable changes can be seen in the mud during that time due to the growth of microorganisms with a variety of different colors.

“Even though most people know that microorganisms are all around and in us, we often don’t have a good appreciation for them because they are so small,” noted Lemke. “Once students see the changes and start to understand how relatively quickly the microbes are changing their environment, you have a chance to teach the chemistry and biology behind the changing colors.”

The simple experiment shown in the video highlights the fact that tiny microbes are vital to earth even though they go unnoticed by most people, Miller added.

“The video is short, and we hope it is engaging and entertaining. But we also hope it gets people interested in what is going on inside the mud that makes all those strange colors appear,” Miller said.

MicrobeLibrary is a founding partner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s BiosciEdNet Collaborative, a portal sponsored by the National Science Foundation’s National Science Digital Library.

The American Society for Microbiology is the oldest and largest single life science membership organization in the world, composed of more than 43,000 scientists and health professionals.

For more information, contact Dr. Lemke at 217/206-7339 or Dr. Miller at 217/206-7327.

Honors received by UIS faculty, alumnus at national CLS meeting

Paula Garrott, interim director of the Science Division and Emeritus Associate Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science at the University of Illinois Springfield, received the Robin H. Mendelson Memorial Award at the recent national convention of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS).

Garrott was nominated for the award by the Board of Directors for her continuing advocacy for clinical laboratory science and her work as chair of the Coordinating Council on the Clinical Laboratory Workforce (CCCLW) over the past three years. As chair of CCCLW, Garrott led the cooperative effort of medical laboratory stakeholders to ensure an adequate supply of laboratory professionals.

The Robin H. Mendelson Memorial Award was established in 1971 to honor the memory of a young man who struggled for five years to survive kidney dialysis and two transplants during the infancy of the technology. The award honors outstanding service and contributions to clinical laboratory science, and Garrott is one of few people who have received this award multiple times.

Only the president, officers and representatives of ASCLS are eligible for the Mendelson Award. The award was presented at the national meeting held July 21 to 25 in Chicago.

Also at the national meeting, Dr. Timothy Randolph, a 1983 graduate the UIS Clinical Laboratory Science program, was elected to be Region VI Director and to serve on the Board of Directors of ASCLS. He was also awarded the Grant-in-Aid, Unrestricted, for research in clinical laboratory science. Randolph is currently an associate professor at St. Louis University.

ASCLS is the preeminent organization for clinical laboratory science practitioners, providing dynamic leadership and vigorous promotion of all aspects of clinical laboratory science practice, education and management to ensure excellent, accessible cost-effective laboratory services for the consumers of health care.

For more information, contact Linda McCown, director of the Clinical Laboratory Sciences program at UIS, at 217/206-7550, or Paula Garrott at 217/206-7348.

Hall selected as new director of UIS MBA program

The University of Illinois at Springfield’s College of Business and Management has announced that Dr. James Hall has been selected as the new director of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.

Hall, an associate professor in the department of Management Information Systems, succeeds Dr. Paul McDevitt, who is retiring this month.

“James will continue to build on the careful foundation laid by Paul McDevitt,” noted Dr. Ron McNeil, dean of the College of Business and Management at UIS. “Our vision is to increase the quality of the program even more, with both academic rigor and relevance that attracts more qualified students in our region and beyond.”

Hall earned his MBA from UIS in 1983 and his doctoral degree in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He joined the MIS department at UIS in 2000. Hall has extensive private and public sector experience in business, transportation management and information systems applications.

The MBA degree at UIS is an AACSB accredited professional graduate program for individuals who aspire to hold positions of significant managerial and leadership responsibilities in organizations. In addition to core business subjects, the curriculum emphasizes strong conceptual thinking, disciplined decision-making and essential management and leadership skills.
The UIS MBA program is offered in Springfield and at the UIS Peoria Center.

“I am honored to be selected as the MBA Program Director, especially given this stage in UIS MBA program development,” Hall said. “I plan to work with our faculty to build on our international AACSB accreditation to achieve an even higher quality MBA program to meet the needs of students and organizations in the Springfield and Peoria regions and beyond.”

Faculty emeriti honored at College's annual luncheon

By Courtney Westlake



Dr. Jeffrey Chesky retired in 2004 but continued to advise master's degree projects at UIS up until last year, challenging students to reach their full potential.

Michael Townsend continuously told his students how fortunate they were to be pursuing a career field where they would make a difference in the lives of others and engaged them in service learning.

Townsend and Chesky were both honored as faculty emeriti in the College of Education and Human Services at a celebratory luncheon on Wednesday, June 17, in the Sangamon Auditorium Lobby of the Public Affairs Center, and each took part in the unveiling of their painted portraits, which will be hung in Brookens Library.

After lunch, the two emeriti faculty participated in a question-and-answer session, during which they spoke about their experiences when first arriving at Sangamon State University and reminisced about their classes and memories of the early days of the university.

Dr. Bill Abler, professor in Human Development Counseling, also gave remarks called "Doing It by the Numbers: Painters, Portraits and Percipients," before the portraits of Townsend and Chesky were unveiled.

Townsend was a family counselor with the Child and Family Services of Sangamon County, where he specialized in doing work with kids who had been in trouble with the law, when he arrived at UIS - then Sangamon State - in 1975.

"He dedicated his life to teaching, public affairs and community service," said Larry Stonecipher, dean of the College of Education and Human Services. "His students were encouraged to engage in service learning even before we defined the phrase 'service learning'."

Throughout his career, Townsend wrote many grants requests totaling around $300,000, and founded and directed many other organizations and groups locally that encouraged change, Stonecipher said. He never pursued full professorship because he believed that only those with doctoral degrees should hold that title.

"Instead he dedicated his time and considerable talents to bridging any gaps that existed between his education in his application and benefit to the Springfield Community. As you can tell, Mike walks the walk every day," Stonecipher said.

Chesky came to UIS/SSU in 1977 with a Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics to become a professor of human services and biology. During his career, he received grants from such prestigious organizations as the American Heart Association, the American Federation for Aging Research, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health.

"The volumes of master's projects he chaired are a testament to his commitment to his students," Stonecipher said. "In the classroom, Dr. Chesky was revered as a stellar teacher/scholar who made the curriculum rigorous as well as interesting. His lectures were noted to be stimulating, captivating and laced with humor."

Renowned Lincoln Scholar Michael Burlingame accepts Lincoln Chair

The University of Illinois at Springfield has announced that preeminent Lincoln Scholar Michael A. Burlingame has accepted the position of Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies. The appointment will be in UIS’ History Department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Burlingame’s first monograph, The Inner World of Abraham Lincoln (University of Illinois Press, 1994) has been described by reviewers as “a revelation,” “a triumph,” “the most convincing portrait of Lincoln’s personality to date.” His second book, An Oral History of Abraham Lincoln (Southern Illinois University Press, 1996), was awarded the prestigious Abraham Lincoln Association Book Prize. His recently released two-volume biography of Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln: A Life (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008) is already receiving accolades and has been described as the definitive study.

A review written by James L. Swanson in the November 3, 2008 issue of Publishers Weekly, describes the biography as “the most meticulously researched Lincoln biography ever written” and one that “supercedes all other biographies.”

Acclaimed Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin said of the book: “Lincoln scholars have waited anxiously for this book for decades. Its triumphant publication proves it was well worth the wait. Few scholars have written with greater insight about the psychology of Lincoln. No one in recent history has uncovered more fresh sources than Michael Burlingame. This profound and masterful portrait will be read and studied for years to come.”

“We are truly grateful to have attracted this remarkable teacher and scholar to UIS,” said UIS Chancellor Richard Ringeisen. “Professor Burlingame has outlined an ambitious research agenda, including a new look at Lincoln and the Civil War as well as several editorial projects. His presence at this university will strengthen our academic prowess and hasten our efforts to become one of the best small public liberal arts universities in the nation.”

Dr. Burlingame taught at a premier liberal arts institution, Connecticut College, for over 30 years, achieving the rank of full professor in the early 1990s. While there, he taught numerous courses on Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War era, and 19th century American history. He retired from the college’s History Department in 2001 as the May Buckley Sadowski Professor of History Emeritus. He took retirement at that time in order to work on his recently completed biography of Lincoln.

He received his Ph.D. in History from Johns Hopkins University in 1971.

Dr. Burlingame talks movingly of the impact upon himself when as an undergraduate student at Princeton University he worked under the mentorship of a distinguished historian at the National Archives for a summer. It set him upon a life-long path. He hopes to do the same for students at UIS through involving them in research projects at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and other Lincoln research venues.

As a psychohistorian, Dr. Burlingame tries to apply the insights of depth psychologists like Freud and Carl Jung to the study of the past. His view that history is “psychology teaching by examples” informs his writings and his teaching, especially his course on “Psychohistory and the American Presidency.”

Dr. Burlingame also has a distinguished record of service. He is on the Board of Directors of the Abraham Lincoln Association, the Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College, and the Abraham Lincoln Institute in Washington, D.C. He makes frequent presentations to both professional and public audiences, and has been engaged in an ambitious, year-long series of speaking engagements to mark the Lincoln Bicentennial.

Recently, Dr. Burlingame was a keynote speaker and panelist for the February Lincoln Bicentennial celebrations in Springfield, and he was inducted into the Lincoln Academy of Illinois.

The distinguished chair in Lincoln Studies was established in 2000 when Dr. Richard E. Vaden and his family donated $1.25 million for that purpose to honor their longtime friendship with then-UIS Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn and her husband, Robert. Dr. Lynn retired as chancellor on March 30, 2001 after serving nearly 10 years in that capacity.

The distinguished chair was first occupied by Phillip Shaw Paludan, who served from August 2001 until his death in August 2007. He was one of the nation’s foremost authorities on Lincoln and the Civil War and recipient of the prestigious Lincoln Prize for his 1994 book The Presidency of Abraham Lincoln.

Online graduates experience UIS campus during online brunch

By Courtney Westlake



Joy McCulloch moved from Springfield to Anchorage, Alaska in 2002, and wasn't able to complete the master's degree she had begun at UIS. So she was thrilled when she found out in 2007 that UIS was offering a master's degree in legal studies online.

"For me, it worked out really well," she said. "I work fulltime so I was able to be at home and do my studying at home. Lots of times, that was early in the morning or late at night, and with the three-hour time difference, it worked out great."

Dozens of students and their families traveled from across the country, like McCulloch, to participate in UIS' commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16. Before the ceremony, however, graduating online students, many of whom had never stepped foot on campus before, were able to see the UIS campus in the morning during a celebratory online brunch in the Public Affairs Center.

Students ventured to UIS from all over Illinois and as far away as Florida and Pennsylvania over to California, down to Texas and up to Minnesota. The graduates and their families, online coordinators and program faculty were all recognized during the brunch. The group was the largest in attendance in the years that the university has hosted the brunch.

"Congratulations to both the graduates and to the families who have persevered through this - we all applaud you," said Ray Schroeder, director of the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service. "Those of us here are not alone. There are more than 1,200 online degree and certificate majors at UIS."

UIS has been the recipient of multiple awards for online learning in the past few years and has emerged as a leader in online learning and teaching, Schroeder said.

"Many other universities look to UIS for leadership and more particularly, quality, in online learning, so be proud of your degree," Schroeder told graduates. "Our online program is strong and growing, and we look forward to following your successes as you move forward in your careers."

Graduates were thrilled to meet many campus community members, especially online coordinators and faculty, for the first time and celebrate their achievements at UIS.

"The same faculty who taught you those online courses are teaching our on-campus courses," said Chancellor Richard Ringeisen. "That's our way of ensuring that high-quality degree offered on campus is the same high-quality degree you earn online. You should be proud to be a part of the great University of Illinois system."

Traveling to be a part of the Commencement celebrations was exciting for the graduates and their families who attended the brunch.

"I was actually notified by the department head that I was asked to be the Legal Studies graduate marshal, so knowing that I was getting that honor and would get to see my family, I wanted to be here and walk for Commencement," McCulloch said.

Keith Miller named first Louise Hartman Schewe and Karl Schewe Professor in Liberal Arts and Sciences

Margot Duley, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Springfield, announced today the appointment of Keith W. Miller as the first Louise Hartman Schewe and Karl Schewe Professor in Liberal Arts and Sciences.

“The Schewe Professorship is the first named Professorship in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and marks a significant milestone in its evolution,” Duley said.

Miller, a Professor of Computer Science, an associated faculty member of Philosophy, and Associate Director of the Emiquon Field Station, came to UIS in 1993. With research expertise in software engineering, Miller has also emerged as an internationally recognized authority in computer ethics and serves as editor-in-chief of Technology and Society, a journal of “IEEE,” the world’s largest professional association for the advancement of technology.

“Professor Miller is noted for his interdisciplinary collaborations, which include computer scientists, philosophers, biologists, physicists, lawyers, and historians,” said Duley. “These collaborations and his scholarly eminence make him the ideal first Schewe Liberal Arts and Sciences Professor.”

Miller played a major role in the development of an international code of ethics for software engineering. His work as the Schewe Professor will include research and collaboration on the ethical challenges facing computing professionals from a global perspective, according to Duley.

Karl Schewe was a member of the Chicago Board of Trade and A.G. Edwards and Sons, Springfield. Louise was a teacher and active civic leader whose interests included the Springfield Art Association and the Illinois Symphony Guild. Upon her death in 2006, Louise Schewe left a generous bequest to the University of Illinois Foundation to support initially a professorship, and eventually a chair in the Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The field of computer ethics considers the ethical implications of computer and information technologies. All societies are being transformed by these technologies, and the positive and negative implications are enormous. Miller’s work bridges the gap between ethicists, academics, and computer science professionals.

Miller is a prolific and influential scholar. He is author or co-author of 60 articles in leading academic journals, a contributor to some 20 books and websites, and the author of 75 papers appearing in conference proceedings. He is in demand as a major conference speaker, appearing in venues as geographically diverse as the Association for Computer Machinery Symposium on Applied Computing in Dijon, France, to the Conference on Computer Ethics at Dartmouth College, from the Cyber Defense and Recovery Conference in Springfield, Illinois, to the EthiComp Conference in Sweden. He is also the recipient of many grants, including funding from the National Science Foundation.

A popular classroom teacher, Miller is also a major contributor to a leading undergraduate text, Computer Ethics: Analyzing Information Technology, authored by Dr. Deborah Johnson, who describes Miller as “a wonderful teacher, especially energetic and innovative.”

Miller’s previous honors include the Outstanding Service Award from the Association for Computer Machinery (2006), and he has been elected to the Board of The International Society for Ethics and Information Technology. He was also selected as a University of Illinois University Scholar in 2000.

Members of the Schewe panel who recommended Miller’s appointment were Dean Emeritus Bill Bloemer, Emeritus Professor Larry Shiner, Associate Professor Kamau Kemayo, Associate Professor Jonathan Perkins, Associate Professor Hei-chi Chan, Assistant Professor Sheryl Reminger, and Assistant Professor John Barker.

UIS hosts Faculty Honors and Recognition Reception

By Courtney Westlake




UIS faculty gathered in the Public Affairs Restaurant on Monday evening, May 4, to celebrate achievements, sabbaticals, retirements and distinguished awards during the annual Faculty Honors and Recognition Reception.

"We are gathered to honor the academic achievements of our colleagues," said Provost Harry Berman. "It's good to have an occasion to reflect on ourselves as a community of teachers, community of scholars and community of campus citizens."

Emeritus faculty were honored at a separate evening event on Friday, April 24, but were acknowledged again during the reception. They include: Paul McDevitt, Pat Langley, Marcellus Leonard, Elaine Rundle-Schwark, Jim Veselenak and Dean Emerita Margot Duley.

Faculty awarded tenure included James Bonacum, Sviatoslav Braynov, Sara Cordell, Eric Hadley-Ives, Yuichi Iwashita, Ranjan Karri, Xiaoqing Li, Jason Pierceson, Tih-Fen Ting and Ryan Williams.

Anthony Sisneros was also promoted from associate professor to full professor, and 12 faculty members received sabbatical.

In addition to recognizing those faculty who are retiring or received sabbatical, several distinguished faculty awards were given during the ceremony.

Professor Don O’Neal of the Management Department was the recipient of the Pearson Award.

"Don exemplifies the UIS commitment to excellence in teaching," said Chancellor Richard Ringeisen. "At the time of his 2006 promotion to full professor, the Campus Promotions Committee characterized Don as a 'stellar and effective teacher'."

The Spencer Award was created to honor President Robert Spencer, the founding President of Sangamon State University. This year's Spencer Award was given to Professor Beverly Rivera of the Criminal Justice Department, who has served as department chair, as well as chair of the Sabbatical and Awards Committee, the College of Public Affairs and Administration Personnel Committee, the Student Discipline Committee and secretary of the Campus Senate.

"In recent years, she has played a key role in implementation of the general education curriculum as chair of the General Education Council," Ringeisen said.

Rivera is also a volunteer with the Chicago-based John Howard Association and the Sangamon County Court Services and Probation Unit on the evidence-based practices project.

"She is recognized for applying her scholarly expertise to public policy concerns within the criminal justice system," Ringeisen noted.

The Burks Oakley Online Teaching Award was established by Burks Oakley II, who currently serves as a Research Professor in the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service after a distinguished career in the College of Engineering at Urbana-Champaign. As a faculty associate in the system’s Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Oakley played a key role launching UIS’ online programs.

"After careful deliberation, the Sabbatical and Awards committee selected Professor James Grubbs of the Communications Department as this year’s recipient of the Oakley Award," Ringeisen announced. "He puts a tremendous amount of work into developing highly engaging, extensively hyperlinked online materials. It’s hardly surprising that his online course evaluations are outstanding."

The last faculty award that was given was the Faculty Excellence Award, which is given to a senior faculty member honored not only for excellence in teaching, scholarship and service, but also for serving as a role model and mentor to other faculty. Past recipients of the award are Lynn Pardie, Chris Mooney and Ron Havens.

The recipient for this year's Faculty Excellence Award was Professor Deborah Kuhn McGregor, who is jointly appointed in the History Department and the Women and Gender Studies Department. Since her career began in 1987, McGregor has taught courses in history, women’s studies and African-American Studies.

"She is recognized as a creative, innovative and effective instructor, who engages students through a participatory style," Ringeisen said. "Her students note that her courses provide a strong foundation for further growth and development in their chosen fields. As a scholar, Professor McGregor has made significant contributions to the study of women’s history. Her 1998 book, From Midwives to Medicine: The Birth of American Gynecology is recognized as a major work in the field."

McGregor has also been recognized by colleagues for her contributions to personnel committee deliberations, most recently completing a term on the Tenure Review Committee.

"Beyond her high quality service on campus committees, we particularly want to recognize her contributions to the Expanding Horizons Program for young women and her long-time service on the Board of Directors of the Pearson Museum at the SIU School of Medicine," Ringeisen said.

Matthew Holden is first Wepner Distinguished Professor in Political Science at UIS

Dr. Matthew Holden, Jr., has been designated as the first Wepner Distinguished Professor in Political Science at the University of Illinois at Springfield. He is the Henry L. and Grace M. Doherty Professor Emeritus of Politics at the University of Virginia. He retired from that university in 2002 after a distinguished career spanning more than 40 years.

Holden will be the designee of the Wepner Distinguished Professorship pending U of I Board of Trustees approval of his selection at the board’s meeting in May. He is expected to formally join the UIS Department of Political Science in the College of Public Affairs and Administration this fall.

Holden has agreed to be the speaker at UIS’ 38th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16, at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in downtown Springfield.

His wide-ranging scholarly interests, many of which are directly related to the legacy of Abraham Lincoln, include public administration and policy, public law, urban politics, and race and politics. His 1974 book, The White Man’s Burden, was a classic in the early political scholarship on race and politics. His latest book, yet to be published, is titled The World and the Mind of Isaiah T. Montgomery: The Greatness of a Compromised Man, which examines the lone African American delegate in the Mississippi Constitutional Convention of 1890.

“I, along with the entire Political Science Department, are truly thrilled to be welcoming Matthew Holden as a colleague,” said Dr. Christopher Mooney, professor of Political Science and chair of the selection committee for the Wepner professorship. “Holden embodies many of the most important values of UIS as a public service-oriented university. He is an eminent scholar of race and politics, of the public bureaucracy, of regulatory policy, and of urban politics.” Mooney called Holden a magnanimous and engaging individual with wide-ranging interests who will be a wonderful addition to the department, the university, and the Springfield community.

Holden has also taught at Wayne State University and the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is the author of numerous articles, book chapters, and books, and served as president of the American Political Science Association in 1998-99. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Senior Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. His current research is in the area of public administration, political theory, and political power.

His public service work includes service on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University.

The Wepner Distinguished Professorship was established at UIS as the result of a $1.2 million unrestricted estate gift from a Springfield couple, Wilbur and Margaret Wepner, longtime supporters of UIS. The funds are being used for scholarships and the Wepner position. As a member of the Committee for Higher Education in Central Illinois, Wilbur Wepner helped found this university (then called Sangamon State University) in 1969.

UIS Emeritus Professor of Philosophy authors sixth book

Dr. Peter Wenz, University of Illinois at Springfield Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, is the author of a new book titled Beyond Red and Blue: How Twelve Political Philosophies Shape American Debates. The book is his sixth and has been published by MIT Press.

A book-signing will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23 at Barnes and Noble in Springfield.

Beyond Red and Blue examines the beliefs of many different groups including social conservatives, utilitarians, theocrats, feminists, and libertarians on issues such as physician-assisted suicide, abortion, torture, affirmative action, the war on drugs, eminent domain, and pornography.

Publishers Weekly said of the book: “The competing voices in the American political arena are given their due in this nuanced tour of some of the most chewed-over issues of the day. Wenz posits that there are 12 major political philosophies (e.g., libertarianism, contractarianism, feminism and multiculturalism) that, taken in part or in whole, encompass the opinions of most Americans.”

“Whether your political comfort zone is on the right, on the left, or somewhere in the middle, Beyond Red and Blue is going to make you squirm,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, whose comments appear on the book’s jacket. “Drawing from life experiences and familiar headlines, Peter Wenz finds twelve lines of political DNA in America. Don’t expect Wenz to button up every chapter with sound-bite certainty. His conclusions may make you cheer or curse, but they are sure to make you think,” Durbin said.

Wenz is also the author of Environmental Justice (SUNY Press 1988), Abortion Rights as Religious Freedom (Temple University Press 1992), Nature’s Keeper (Temple University Press 1996), Environmental Ethics Today (Oxford University Press 2001), and Political Philosophies in Moral Conflict (McGraw-Hill 2007).

Environmental Justice has been translated and published in both Chinese and Korean, and Environmental Ethics Today has been translated and published in Chinese. In addition, more than 40 articles and book chapters by Wenz have been published.

Wenz retired from UIS in December 2004 after spending 28 years as a member of the Philosophy Department. Before the department had a major or even a minor, Wenz worked with faculty in other disciplines to create courses that would be useful to their students. He also had a one-third joint appointment to do research and writing in what was originally called the Center for Legal Studies, now called the Institute for Legal, Legislative, and Policy Studies.

During his long career at SSU/UIS, Wenz took leaves to teach one year at Southbank University in London (1980-81) and at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland (1986-87). During a semester sabbatical in 2003, he taught a course at Oxford University in England. Since retiring from UIS, he has taught a semester in 2007 at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Wenz has a B.A. in Philosophy from the State University of New York, Binghamton, New York, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Professor's book of poetry is published

A book of poetry called Juggler by Dr. Rosina Neginsky, associate professor of liberal studies, women’s studies and English at the University of Illinois at Springfield, has recently been published by the University Press of the South.

Juggler is a bilingual English-Russian edition of poems and is available at the UIS Bookstore or online at Amazon.com. The book consists of seven “cycles” - Amore, Birth, Yearning, Juggler, Encounters, Mermaid and Ballads, Neginsky noted.

The front cover of the book is by Sergei Chepik, a Franco-Russian painter whose works Neginsky will be exhibiting at the UIS Visual Arts Gallery in October 2009.

Neginsky is a literary scholar, translator, author and poet. She was the 2008 University Scholar at UIS, and her primary scholarly interests include European literature and cinema, women writers and the symbolist movement in Europe.

Neginsky is also the author of the book Zinaida Vengerova: in Search of Beauty: A Literary Ambassador Between East And West.

Neginsky will be reciting from Juggler in celebration of Poetry Month on April 14 at the Illinois State Library from 12 to 1 p.m. The reading will take place in the Illinois Authors Room at the library, and it is free and open to the public.

English professor read poems at Walden Poetry Series

Nancy Perkins, Associate Professor of English and Past Chair of the English Department from 2003-2005, read a selection of her poems at the Walden Poetry Series in Concord, MA, on March 21st in celebration of the Spring Equinox. The poets read their works, as the host Douglas Bishop wrote, “in the tradition of Henry David Thoreau, poetry to celebrate the beauty of the natural world.”

Perkins publishes and reads her creative works under her first two names: nancy genevieve.

UIS whips into 2009 Faculty and Staff Campaign

By Courtney Westlake



Faculty, staff and other participants got some home cookin' and donned country attire down home on the farm during the annual Faculty and Staff Campaign kick-off on Thursday afternoon, March 5.

"Whip Guy" Chris Camp, a whip cracker and entertainer, was also on hand to snap his whip at almost 900 miles per hour while performing whip tricks with volunteers.

Through the Faculty and Staff Campaign, staff and faculty are able to give a gift to the university, choosing how their funds will impact UIS' quality academics, athletics or other important areas. Gifts made to UIS assist with scholarships, enhance research, improve programs and much more.

The theme of this year's campaign is "We Grow the Best at UIS." Campus programs, offices and departments set up booths in coordination with the farm theme to showcase their work.

"We do grow the best at UIS; this is a great place for that, right here in the middle of the richest farmland in America," said Chancellor Richard Ringeisen. "We're proud of what we do at UIS every day in raising the best. Sometimes universities pride themselves on how successful students are before they get here, and we have plenty of students that meet that criteria, but one of the things we're really proud of is how successful they are when they leave, how we grow the best while they're here."

Ringeisen commended both faculty and staff for their exemplary work every day with the campus community, especially students.

"The way you care, the way you know people's names, the way you greet people... you solve problems, you volunteer your time off-hours, you counsel students," he said. "Now we're only a couple of months away from graduating another group of outstanding, successful, home-grown UIS students. I'm proud to say that my wife Carolyn and I invest in UIS, and we invite you all to invest in UIS, where we grow the best."

Vicki Megginson, associate chancellor for development and vice president of the University of Illinois Foundation, encouraged all attendees to visit all of the booths set up by the campus community and see what each department or program has to offer.

"We as faculty and staff here at UIS are really in the garden," Megginson said. "We work with the students, know what students need, know what programs need to flourish and to grow. Today is an opportunity for us to share with each other some of the ways we aspire, and hopefully inspire, to improve what we can offer and to ask each other for support through giving to do so."

"It's amazing what even small seeds can do; it's like small seeds that grow into wonderful, big plants," she added, "and we hope you consider that."

Adjunct professor self-publishes first novel

Edward Beekman-Myers, adjunct professor of English and graduate of UIS, has self-published his first novel through an online publishing company called Create Space. The novel is the first volume in a series of outer-space novels and is titled “The Totally Gnarly Adventures of the Galactically Bitchin’ Comet Sweat!”

The book centers on the Milky Way’s most popular rock band, Comet Sweat, with lead singer Declan Slocomb. The band promotes love, happiness and health for every living creature in the galaxy through their lyrics, but offstage they find themselves in one misadventure after another.

Through their connections and newly forged relationships as they travel the galaxy, they spread their influence to all corners. They also catch the attention of an evil corporate viper named Vee’vee’n Klaar’ynn, who is willing to do whatever necessary to gain control of the galaxy, even if it means destroying Comet Sweat.

Beekman-Myers is the author of several novels and short stories, most with a science-fiction slant.

The “The Totally Gnarly Adventures of the Galactically Bitchin’ Comet Sweat!” is now available online at Amazon and Target, as well as at the UIS and Lincoln Land Community College bookstores and Comic Service.

For more information, contact Beekman-Myers at 217/299-2039 or emyer01s@uis.edu.

UIS names first James J. Stukel Distinguished Professor

Dr. Karen Swan, professor in the College of Education and Human Services at the University of Illinois at Springfield, has been named the first James J. Stukel Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership. She assumed her duties on January 2.

The James J. Stukel Distinguished Professorship was created by the University of Illinois Foundation to honor James Stukel, the 15th president of the University of Illinois system (1995-2005). The professorship includes support for research and grant work and was created for a candidate who possesses expertise in and scholarly accomplishments relating to online teaching and learning issues.

Dr. Larry Stonecipher, dean of the UIS College of Education and Human Services, noted, “Karen Swan is recognized as the leading researcher in the nation with regard to effectiveness in online teaching and learning. Her work in communities of inquiry as well as a host of aspects of cultivating and assessing quality in the online teaching and learning process is leading the emerging best practices in the field. We are most fortunate to have Dr. Swan on our faculty.”

Swan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Connecticut, a Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction from Keene State College, and Master of Education and Doctor of Education degrees in Instructional Technology from Columbia University.

She came to UIS from Kent State University, where she was Research Professor at the Research Center for Educational Technology in the College & Graduate School of Education, Health and Human Services since 2003.

In 2006, Dr. Swan received the Sloan Consortium for Asynchronous Learning Networks Award for “Most Outstanding Achievement in Online Learning by an Individual.” This award recognized her for national innovation, research and service in online learning.

During the spring 2009 semester, Dr. Swan will teach two online graduate courses and continue her research on a collaborative project called “Thinking with Data,” which is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The project involves the development of a middle school data literacy curriculum and its testing in two middle schools in Kent, Ohio.

The professorship will allow Swan to embrace her love of teaching within the Department of Educational Leadership, in addition to supporting ongoing and future research projects.

A formal investiture ceremony honoring Swan is being planned.

Brazilian professor visits UIS and Emiquon for research

By Courtney Westlake







Dr. Luiz Felipe Machado Velho decided he couldn't pass up an opportunity to travel to the United States to participate in scientific research, so he gave up his "summer vacation" to work and learn at UIS and the Emiquon Project this winter. Velho is currently visiting UIS from the State University of Maringa, located in southern Brazil.

UIS has been connected with scientists from the University of Maringa for many years. Dr. Mike Lemke, professor of biology at UIS, traveled to Brazil several years ago and even co-wrote a published paper with Velho's colleagues in Brazil.

"Dr. Lemke came to Brazil and started a collaborative project with our group, who has also been working on big rivers," Velho said.

Velho said this is his first visit to the United States, and he thinks it is a "really great" area. He has been living in UIS campus housing, and his family is also visiting with him since it is summer in Brazil, and they are on break. Being from Brazil, this is the first time he and his family have seen snow, ice and winter.

Velho said he especially loves the Emiquon Field Station and surrounding area, including Thompson Lake. Emiquon, located about an hour northwest of Springfield, is one of the largest floodplain restoration projects in the country, and the field station, which was dedicated in spring 2008, is directed by Lemke.

"It's a beautiful, amazing place," Velho said. "It was very fun to be there during this ice period. I've been used to taking samples in a boat in Brazil. Here, we walked on the ice and cut the ice to take samples."

While Velho and Lemke both work on microbes in freshwater systems, Lemke specializes in work on bacteria, and Velho works on protozoa, which are simple-celled organisms only slightly more complex than bacteria. The two brought their expertises together to work on a project at Emiquon.

From March to November in 2008, Lemke and his crews collected water samples from Thompson Lake and Lake Chautauqua. They are currently discovering information about the water quality conditions and how the microbes respond.

"Felipe's work complements mine, helping me to bridge the ecological links from nutrients to bacteria to protozoa," Lemke said. "The picture that is developing is fascinating. The bacteria community definitely is responding to the weekly changes in the water. We are just now uncovering the protozoa patterns."

There is a second aspect to Velho's work at Emiquon as well. He is also trying to find new molecular techniques to identify the very small and complex protozoa, he said.

Lemke said he was honored to collaborate with Velho on this project.

"The group from U of Maringa, Brazil, are experts in floodplain studies; it is a privilege to have him working with us," Lemke said. "We hope to describe the microbial community in floodplain lakes like Thompson. A better understanding will allow us to understand linkages between nutrients, lake conditions, and links to other parts of the food web."

Velho said he hopes to return to UIS and Emiquon in the near future and looks forward to working together with Lemke on future endeavors.

"Our intention is to get a real collaborative project together and bring UIS students to Brazil and of course bring students from the U of Maringa here," he said.

UIS faculty-student team publishes videos in national science collection

Two UIS faculty members and a former UIS student have published videos in the American Society for Microbiology's MicrobeLibrary Visual Collection.

"Mud and Microbes: a Time-Lapse Photographic Exploration of a Sediment Bacterial Community" is the work of Michael Lemke, associate professor of Biology; Keith Miller, professor of Computer Science; and Roza George, a former Capital Scholar at UIS now at the University of Georgia.

Lemke explained that the video is a time-lapse series that examines 40 days of experimental change of light using microbes that live in mud.

The ASM Visual Collection is a clearinghouse of high-quality, peer-reviewed images, animations, and videos about the microbial world for educators, primarily at the undergraduate level. The collection is part of the MicrobeLibrary, an online, searchable collection of more than 2,000 resources.

Susan Bagley, editor-in-chief of the Visual Collection, notes that the UIS videos are "important additions. We owe the success of the MicrobeLibrary to the high quality resources submitted by authors who are committed to sharing their scholarship of teaching and learning with a broader community of educators."

The American Society for Microbiology, the oldest and largest single life science membership organization in the world, has as its mission the promotion of research and training in the microbiological sciences and the facilitation of communication between scientists, policy makers, and the public.

MicrobeLibrary is a founding partner of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences BiosciEdNet Collaborative, a portal sponsored by the National Science Foundation's National Science Digital Library.

Access the UIS video.

UIS Theatre's production of Cloud 9 chosen for regional program

Play will represent Illinois at Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival

The 2008 fall production of the Theatre Program at the University of Illinois at Springfield -- Cloud 9, by British playwright Caryl Churchill -- has been selected to represent the state at the Region III Festival for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, to be held January 7 through 10 in Saginaw, Michigan.

"This is quite a coup for a program that has no majors or minors as yet," observed Margot Duley, dean of UIS' College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Described by the New York Times as "intelligent, inventive, and funny," Cloud 9 explores the politics of sexuality and sexual identity through the use of cross-gender casting and role-doubling.

Assistant Professor of Theatre Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson, who directed the production, explained that it was originally nominated for the festival's "Evening of Scenes" by Professor John T. Oertling, chair of the Theatre Arts Department at Eastern Illinois University, who served as the KCACTF respondent to the production. She said the regional executive committee subsequently selected UIS' entry from all nominated productions in Illinois to represent the state at the Festival's "Evening of Scenes," in which each state presents 5 to 10 minutes of scenes from its nominated production.

KCACTF Region III includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio.

"Right now, we hope to present at least one short scene with students Dwight Langford (Betty, Act I), and Roger Boyd (Harry, Act I), and perhaps also a second scene with Roger and Colleen Kabbes (Edward, Act I)," said Thibodeaux-Thompson.

She and her husband, Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson, who is associate professor and director of Theatre at UIS, are accompanying a number of students to the Festival. Some of the students will take part in the Irene Ryan acting scholarship competition; all of them will attend various workshops and performances from colleges and universities in Region III. Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson will also serve as one of three judges from Illinois for the Irene Ryan preliminary rounds. (Judges do not judge students from their home states.)

UIS Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning receives major award

The Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning at the University of Illinois at Springfield was among pioneers in the use of new media technologies to be honored at the 2008 SNCR Excellence in New Communications Awards ceremony hosted by the Society for New Communications Research on November 14 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The SNCR is a nonprofit global think tank dedicated to the advanced study of new communications tools, technologies, and emerging modes of communication and their effect on traditional media, professional communications, business, and society. These prestigious awards honor individuals, corporations, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and media outlets that are breaking new ground in the use of social media, ICT, mobile media, online communities, virtual worlds, and collaborative technologies.

OTEL Director Ray Schroeder noted that award recipients comprised “some of the brightest leaders in the field of new media.”

Said Schroeder, “How exciting it is to know that UIS was so wonderfully represented among those who are shaping the future of emerging technologies and communications media! Just look at the others with whom we are listed -- Network Solutions, Dell, Cisco, IBM, United Nations University, Corel, and Lexis/Nexis, among many others.”

UIS’ award, in the category Online Reputation Management/Academic Division, was accepted by Shari McCurdy Smith, associate director of OTEL and one of the authors of the winning case study documenting UIS’ collective efforts in support of the campus’ online initiative. The complete text of the case study is available at www.newcommreview.com/?p=1352.

UIS also received a Commendation of Merit in the category of External Communications from SNCR for "Newsroom@Illinois Springfield," a website where many of the campus’ news and information web pages are consolidated into one central hub.

UIS’ Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning has as its mission the promotion of faculty use of the Internet and allied developing technologies to enhance learning, scholarship, and service. More information is available at http://otel.uis.edu/Portal/index.asp.

Additional information about the Society for New Communications Research is available at www.sncr.org.

SECA goal surpassed

The 2008 UIS SECA campaign has surpassed its original goal of $40,000 by nearly $1,280. This is the eighth year in a row that UIS has exceeded its goal.

Donation forms are still being accepted through the end of November. Send completed forms to Erica Michael, PAC 566A, MS PAC 563.

Holiday Stars Project original goal surpassed

The 10 teams that took part in the campus' first Trick or Treat for Canned Goods competition on Halloween collected 2049 pounds of food, surpassing the original Holiday Stars Project goal of 2008 pounds of food for the Central Illinois Foodbank.

Sponsored by Volunteer and Civic Engagement Center, the Holiday Stars Project is a campus-wide service initiative giving focus to UIS' efforts to make a difference in the local community during the upcoming holiday season.

Kelly Thompson, director of the Volunteer and Civic Engagement Center, said, "Given the students' enthusiasm and energy for this project and the wonderful response they received, the Project Committee challenges the campus community to help us double our first goal and collect 4016 pounds of food by December 4."

Members of the campus community can place donations of non-perishable food items in specially marked bins around campus, now through December 3. Everything collected during the project will be presented to the Foodbank on December 4.

For more information, contact the Volunteer and Civic Engagement Center at 6-7716.

Luncheon recognizes achievements of UIS faculty

By Courtney Westlake

The outstanding accomplishments of faculty at UIS were acknowledged at the 16th annual Faculty Recognition Luncheon, which was held Thursday, October 30 in the Sangamon Auditorium Lobby of the PAC. The event, started in 1985, recognizes the scholarly achievements of current and emeriti faculty for the previous calendar year and pays tribute to all of the faculty members for achievements in areas of research, published articles and other writing, creative works, grants, book reviews and professional presentations.

"When you say the word 'university,' what it means is a community of scholars, scholars who are eager to share their experiences and scholarship with students," said Chancellor Richard Ringeisen. "What a diverse group of scholars we are. The thing that we all have in common, no matter what our scholarship area is, is this gleam in the eye, this 'want to know.' That spark we all have in common is the essence of scholarship."

Provost Harry Berman took the time to point out the various fields, interests or recent achievements of faculty members at UIS during the luncheon presentation.

"More than anything, a public, liberal arts university is a public university where there is an active commitment to the values associated with a liberal arts education," Berman said. "Being in a public, liberal arts university has much to do with the seriousness with which faculty approach the undergraduate general education experience and the faculty's commitment to what is often referred to as liberal learning."

Meena Rao, vice president of academic affairs at the University of Illinois, traveled to town for the occasion to congratulate the faculty on their recent achievements and thank them for their contribution to the mission of the university.

"The annual Faculty Scholarship Recognition events are a favorite of mine because they highlight the many achievements of faculty as scholars, as researchers and as teachers," she said. "We cannot forget that the university's principle resource is its faculty. The excellence of our academic programs is directly related to the quality of our faculty."

During the Recognition Luncheon, Dr. Rosina Neginsky, associate professor of Liberal Studies/Individual Option, Women’s Studies and English, was named University Scholar, an award honoring and rewarding outstanding teachers and scholars at the three U of I campuses. The prize comes with a grant of $10,000 each year for three years for research and scholarly activities.

Neginsky is a literary scholar, translator, author and poet. Her primary interests include European literature and cinema, women writers and the symbolist movement in Europe.

"Her enthusiasm for learning, culture and the arts is infectious," Rao said. "She actively encourages her students, her colleagues and the larger Springfield community to join her in learning about other cultures, which is so necessary in the world we live in today."

Dr. Barbara Burkhardt, last year's University Scholar, presented Neginsky with the University Scholar pen.

"Her zest for the life of the mind is really contagious, and certainly has enriched me and I'm sure many of you too," Burkhardt said.

Neginsky thanked many of her mentors and colleagues for their inspiration, and discussed her scholarship and upcoming projects.

"My teaching has always inspired my research, and my research always inspired my teaching," she said. "I’m grateful to be with you here today, and I’m honored."

UIS hosts international conference

UIS hosted the 30th Annual Conference of the Association for Integrative Studies October 23 to 26. The conference theme, "Interdisciplinarity and the Engaged Citizen: Higher Education, Public Policy, and Global Awareness," highlighted a number of aspects of UIS' current educational mission.

Karen Moranski, associate vice chancellor for undergraduate education, was the program chair. She noted that the choice of UIS as conference host "signifies UIS' growing national reputation in the area of interdisciplinary and integrative studies." Moranski will serve as AIS president for 2010-2012.

The more than 160 conference participants came from 26 states and the District of Columbia, as well as Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Chile. Approximately 25 UIS faculty members presented papers; the Center for State Policy and Leadership and the Experiential and Service Learning Program provided pre-conference workshops; and Larry Golden, UIS professor emeritus and a director of the Downstate Innocence Project, was a keynote speaker.

On October 23, a dinner in the Public Affairs Center was highlighted by historian and author Dr. Roberta Senechal's address analyzing the events of the Springfield Race Riots.

The Association for Integrative Studies is an interdisciplinary professional organization founded in 1979 to promote the interchange of ideas among scholars and administrators in all of the arts and sciences on intellectual and organizational issues related to furthering integrative studies.

UIS professor receives Fulbright grant

Dr. Calvin Mouw, associate professor in the department of Political Studies at the University of Illinois at Springfield, has received a Fulbright grant to lecture in Slovenia.

He will spend the 2009 spring semester, from January through May, at the University of Ljubljana, doing research on comparative political behavior and lecturing on electoral politics, political institutions, and public policy in the United States.

"I'm pleased because it allows me to spend time in an area of Europe that is relevant to my research on political behavior and electoral politics," Mouw said. "And the current presidential election and economic crisis in the United States make the lectures on American politics more relevant than usual."

Slovenia became an independent republic in 1991 and now has a stable multi-party democratic system, although modern democratic electoral politics is still a new concept in the country. Mouw's research focuses on examining patterns of electoral behavior across electoral systems at different stages of democratic development.

"While not directly relevant to my research or teaching, Slovenia is nevertheless interesting because of its role in the breakup of the former Yugoslavia and the resulting conflict and war in the Balkans," Mouw said.

Mouw wants to bring the knowledge, research, and experience he gains back to UIS, where he hopes it will advance and enlighten his teaching and research.

"When you spend an extended period of time in a country you learn and gain experiences that you do not get as a tourist," he said. "I'm looking forward to building contacts with the people of Slovenia that will last a long time."

Each year, the Council for International Exchange of Scholars awards 800 traditional Fulbright Scholar grants to college or university faculty and professionals to lecture and conduct research abroad. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.

Awards recognize the recipient's globally important teaching, research and service; in addition, they provide an opportunity for faculty to further their areas of expertise or pursue new directions in research.

The Fulbright Scholar Program is sponsored by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is managed by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars.

Larry Golden is finalist for First Citizen Award

Larry Golden, professor emeritus of Political Studies and Legal Studies and a co-founder of the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project at UIS, was one of 10 finalists for the 46th State Journal-Register First Citizen Award.

The First Citizen Award is presented annually to a local resident who has "amassed a lifetime of service to the Springfield community." This year's finalists were recognized and the winner was announced at a breakfast ceremony held October 17 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Students working with the Innocence Project help investigate cases of individuals who have been wrongly convicted. In addition to his work with the project, Golden is active in the American Civil Liberties Union and was involved in the voting-rights lawsuit that forced changes in Springfield city government in the 1980s.

Bill Clutter, Innocence Project director of investigations, called Golden the "ultimate community organizer. He would probably have that commitment wherever he lived," said Clutter. "The fact that he lives in Springfield is really our gain."

Golden arrived on campus at then-Sangamon State University in 1970; he retired from full-time teaching in 2004.

"I consider myself very lucky that I made the choices that I made and stayed here," he said, adding that he doesn't know exactly why he works to benefit people he doesn't know.
"It's important to be a good citizen," he said. "It's important to think about the nature of the world we live in."

Golden was nominated for the award by Guerry Suggs, himself a former First Citizen.

Businessman and community volunteer J. Garth "Butch" Elzea was this year's winner. Other nominees were William Boyd, retired vice president of Memorial Medical Center; Julie Cellini, board member of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation; Leland Grove Police Chief Mark Gleason; architect Earl Wallace Henderson; retired dentist Joseph Link; Springfield Ballet Company co-founder Grace Luttrell Nanavati; Paul O'Shea, planning and design coordinator for the city of Springfield; and physician Diana Widicus.

The finalists and winner were chosen by a nine-member board from nominations submitted by community members.

See more about the award, including profiles of the finalists

UIS faculty member named Ameren Distinguished Professor in Business and Government

Dr. Karl A. McDermott (at left) has been named the first Ameren Distinguished Professor in Business and Government at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Dr. McDermott received the honor from Dr. Ron McNeil, Dean of the College of Business and Management, and UIS Chancellor Richard Ringeisen during an investiture ceremony held September 25 on campus.

"Our strategic plan is carrying us forward with confidence and purpose as we pursue our three primary goals – academic excellence, enriching individual lives, and making a difference in the world," said Chancellor Ringeisen. "It is occasions like this one, the investiture of one of our distinguished professors, that have helped us reach this point and that will assure our success in realizing our vision. The Ameren Professorship in Business and Government symbolizes how far we have already come."

Dr. McDermott's special area of expertise is public utility regulation. He most recently served as vice president of National Economic Research Associates and before that he was a commissioner with the Illinois Commerce Commission, where he initiated an investigation of alternative restructuring options.

Prior to joining the ICC, Dr. McDermott taught economics at Illinois State University, where he was co-founder and president of the Center for Regulatory Studies and helped establish a public utility program. He has been a senior research associate at the National Regulatory Research Institute at Ohio State University, as well as a consultant to a number of entities, including Argonne National Laboratory, the Illinois Legislature, and the Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources. McDermott is widely published in professional journals and has lectured extensively on regulatory reform and restructuring, in this country and abroad. He has also assisted a number of Eastern European countries in their efforts to develop regulatory structures and privatize and restructure utilities.

Thanking Ameren for its generosity in providing funds for this endowed professorship, Chancellor Ringeisen noted, "The leadership of Ameren Illinois Utilities have demonstrated by this endowment their belief and confidence in this institution. They understand that you cannot have a great community without a great university, and you cannot have a great university without a great community. Today we honor Ameren, and we are grateful that you share our vision."

Ameren Illinois Utilities President and CEO Scott Cisel and Commissioner Robert Lieberman of the Illinois Commerce Commission also took part in the ceremony.

Investiture as a named professor is one of the highest honors that a faculty member can receive. This is the second endowed professorship within UIS' College of Business and Management, the other being the National City Distinguished Professorship in Banking and Finance.

Ameren Illinois Utilities serve 1.2 million electric customers and nearly 850,000 natural gas customers over 43,700 square miles in Illinois. Its parent company, Ameren Corporation, is among the nation’s largest investor-owned electric and gas utilities.

UIS receives grant to purchase elemental analyzer

New equipment will boost research capabilities in several areas

The University of Illinois at Springfield has received a grant from the National Science Foundation for the addition of an instrument that will improve the quality of research, teaching and outreach in many of the university's science departments, including at UIS' Emiquon Field Station.

The instrument, called a Carbon-Hydrogen-Nitrogen (CHN) Elemental Analyzer, was obtained thanks to a grant proposal written by Drs. Hua Chen and Michael Lemke, assistant and associate professors, respectively, of Biology at UIS.

"It is very beneficial for our teaching and research to have this equipment," said Dr. Chen. "The departments of Biology and Chemistry can potentially use this instrument in several of their courses. Students will learn how carbon and nitrogen analysis is conducted, and they can then generate datasets."

Chen said that hands-on training on the CHN Elemental Analyzer will help students develop an appreciation of carbon and nutrient cycling, as well as enhance their skills in advanced environmental instrumentation analysis, all of which has implications for research in such fields as the effects of global warming and species change on ecosystems.

Faculty at UIS are currently conducting three state or federally funded research projects that require measurement of carbon and nitrogen content of soil and plant samples. Having direct access to the CHN Elemental Analyzer will mean that they will no longer need to send samples away for analysis.

"This will allow us to do analysis on additional samples for more comprehensive results," Dr. Lemke said. "We will also be able to use the equipment for outreach and train others to use it."

The equipment will benefit research going on at UIS’ field station at the Emiquon Preserve, one of the country’s largest river floodplain restoration sites located near Lewistown and Havana.

"One key topic here is restoration ecology," said Chen. "As Emiquon is transformed from a cropland back into a wetland, there will be many changes over time, and with our new piece of equipment, we will be able to examine the changes of carbon and nitrogen storage."

Convocation celebrates new academic year at UIS

By Courtney Westlake

video

Faculty, staff and other members of the campus community convened once more in the Studio Theater of the Public Affairs Center for a fresh look toward the new, upcoming school year and to celebrate some of the university’s recent accomplishments.

The UIS Convocation took place on Thursday afternoon, August 21. Provost Harry Berman led the event as each of the 27 new faculty were introduced by the deans of the four colleges, and Chancellor Richard Ringeisen gave remarks about the university’s past, present and future.

Ringeisen stressed the importance of the university's strategic plan, especially three common goals within that plan: academic excellence, enriching individual lives and making a difference in the world.

"Those primary strategic goals are the foundation for our actions in everything we do," he said.

As evidence of UIS' commitment to those goals, Ringeisen listed several major accomplishments, including the 27 new tenure-track faculty this year - totaling 131 new faculty in four years, the biggest Capitol Scholars honors program ever at 312 students, the addition of a Global Studies major, the revival of an Ambassadors Series this fall and the new construction of Founders Hall with its green roof.

"What spectacular evidence of our efforts to conserve energy and be earth-friendly," he said. "The decision to have a green roof is a major commitment to environmental sustainability."

A big part of the university's strategic plan is incorporating "third spaces" on campus, and Ringeisen discussed several major developments of these spaces in recent months. The Japanese Garden, the rock garden between the PAC and Brookens Library and the courtyard between the two residence halls are all wonderful new spaces for students, staff and faculty to enjoy.

One of the university's newest attractions is the fountain in the campus pond.

"Carolyn (Ringeisen) and Joan Buckles had a grand vision of a fountain that can be seen from almost anywhere on campus and one that makes a big statement on the landscape," Ringeisen said. "Carolyn hopes the new fountain will attract more students and others to that whole area of the campus for social events and relaxation."

Several major events took place during the last school year that has helped UIS grow, such as the dedication of the Emiquon Field Station, re-accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission and receiving the top award for institution-wide online teaching and learning from the Sloan Consortium, Ringeisen said.

During the next school year, the university will continue to achieve greatness and focus on issues like sustainability, diversity, fundraising, security and retention.

Ringeisen took the time to assess the university at the start of the new year to compare "where we are and where we're going in the coming year," he said.

"Here is what I see now: we have reached a critical point in time when some very big pieces of our plan to be one of the top five small public liberal arts universities in the country are in place," he said. "We are physically and academically ready to move toward that aspiration."

Twenty-seven new faculty join UIS

Twenty-seven new faculty members have joined the University of Illinois at Springfield for the 2008 fall semester. Ten will teach in programs within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; eight will teach in the College of Public Affairs and Administration; two in the College of Education and Human Services; three in the College of Business and Management; and four will teach in the library.

Josiah Alamu is a lecturer in the Public Health Department. His teaching experience includes courses in biostatistics, epidemiology, and the public health aspects of waste management. His research includes work on internal medicine, pediatric intensive care, and maternal and child health care. Alamu is currently completing his Ph.D. in Epidemiology at the University of Iowa, where his dissertation research focuses on the evaluation of antimicrobial use in pediatric intensive care units.

D. Waheedah Bilal, assistant professor of Library Instructional Services, comes to UIS from Westminster College, where she served as user services/reference and instruction librarian and archivist. She also has served as an African American Initiatives intern at the Missouri State Archives and worked at the University of Missouri Ellis Library as a reference and teaching and electronic resources assistant. She planned and developed the first information literacy course offered at Westminster, and has also taught at Stephens College. Before turning to library science, she worked as a copy editor with several publishing houses. She has also volunteered as a multicultural consultant for the Columbia, Missouri, Public School District and the Richardson Independent School District in Dallas, Texas. Bilal holds an M.L.S. as well as a master's degree in African American History from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Mark T. Blagen is assistant professor in the Human Services Department, where he will teach and coordinate graduate courses in the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling concentration. He comes to UIS from Adams State College in Colorado, where he served as an associate professor in the Department of Counselor Education. Before that, he was an assistant professor in the School of Psychology and Counseling at Regent University, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and a student assistance program counselor at Tallwood High School in Virginia Beach, where he was responsible for providing prevention, intervention, and referral services for students exhibiting poor academic achievement and/or behavioral problems. Blagen received his Ph.D. in Counseling from Old Dominion and while there he developed and implemented Last Call, an intervention program for students who were sanctioned for violating the campus alcohol and drug policy. His research interests include defining the spiritual dimensions of addiction recovery and investigating the relationship between purpose of life and the use of alcohol and other drugs.

Mayra Bonet is director of Modern Languages. She has had extensive teaching experience, including at the University of Delaware, and has served as language coordinator at the Lima campus of Ohio State. Besides English, French, and Spanish, she is proficient in Portuguese, Italian, and Catalan. At UIS, she will lead the development of the campus’ first Modern Languages minor, as well as a planned major in Spanish. Bonet earned a B.A. in French and an M.A. in Spanish from the University of Puerto Rico, and holds the Ph.D. in Spanish American Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her teaching and research interests include integrating language technology into the classroom, Latin American literature, film, comparative literature, and gender studies.

Suzanne Borland, assistant professor of Legal Studies, previously served as an assistant attorney general in the Office of the Illinois State Attorney General where she handled civil rights actions as well as a variety of cases in the criminal appeals bureau. She remains a member of the Illinois State Bar and has taught as an adjunct professor at UIS since 2004, helping lay the groundwork for the campus' Pre-Law Center. At UIS her teaching will focus on legal writing and analysis, law and society, institutions and processes, and legal research and citation. She holds the J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law.

Ping Deng, assistant professor of Computer Science, previously taught at Utica College in New York. She received the B.S. in Computer Science from Sichuan University in China, and holds the master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Dallas. Deng's research interests focus on data base systems and mining, as well as bioinformatics. She is the co-author of six journal papers and three book chapters.

Mark Edgar is assistant professor of Public Health. His past positions include director of assessment and planning at the Illinois Public Health Institute, senior research associate at St. Louis University School of Public Health, researcher at SIU School of Medicine, director of epidemiology at the Adams County Health Department, and adjunct faculty member at UIS and Quincy University. His research has been published in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice and Public Health Reports. Edgar received his Ph.D. in Public Health from St. Louis University.

Vincent Flammini, visiting clinical instructor in the Social Work Department, will teach and coordinate fieldwork experiences. Before coming to UIS, Flammini worked with the Sangamon Area Special Education District, the Illinois Coalition for Community Services, and Springfield College in Illinois. During the past two years, he has held a joint appointment with the UIS Counseling Center and served half-time as an academic adviser in the Social Work program. In addition, he has worked with UIS' Center on State Policy and Leadership to provide training for the ICAA Family and Community Development Specialist certification program. Flammini received an M.S.W. from the U of I at Urbana-Champaign and his A.B. in Government and International Relations from the University of Notre Dame. His research interests include career development and the existential outlook of social service workers.

Ross Garmil is visiting clinical instructor in the Experiential and Service Learning Programs, where he will have special responsibilities in the Credit for Prior Learning Program. His previous experiences include service as a dean's administrative assistant at Boston University, where his duties included graduate recruitment; administrator with a non-profit agency; and adult education grant evaluator for the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Garmil received a B.A. in English and American Literature from Brandeis, and a master's degree in Education from Boston University.

Shane Harris, visiting assistant professor of Visual Arts, previously taught at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, and at Parkland Community College. At UIS, his teaching will focus in the areas of ceramics and sculpture. His work has been exhibited at such venues as The Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts and The Art Museum of Northern Illinois University. Harris earned the B.F.A. in Ceramics and Sculpture from the U of I in Urbana-Champaign, and the M.F.A. in Ceramics from Indiana University, Bloomington.

Sae Kwang Hwang is assistant professor of Computer Science. Previously he was a postdoctoral fellow on a National Science Foundation grant, and also taught at the University of Texas, Arlington. He holds a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea; an M.S. in Computer Science from Texas A & M; and a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from UT-Arlington. His research focuses on the computerized analysis of segmented video frames. He is the author of four juried articles and book chapters.

Brian Jackson is visiting clinical instructor in Writing in the Center for Teaching and Learning. He has wide experience teaching English composition and once served as a teaching assistant for beat poet Allen Ginsberg. His recent scholarship explores the inter-relationships of visual art and modernist poetry, and literature, including surrealism. Jackson has a B.A. in Medieval and Renaissance Studies from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, an M.A. in English from UIS, and a Ph.D. from St. Louis University.

William Kline is assistant professor of Liberal and Integrative Studies. He previously wasdirector of the International Center for Applied Ethics at Central Michigan University and headed the Center for Business Ethics at Molloy College, Long Island. His areas of interest include ethical theory, and applied ethics in the business, medical, and environmental arenas. His work has been published in such professional journals as the Journal of Value Inquiry and International Studies in Philosophy. Kline earned the B.A. in Economics from Grove City College and the M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy from Bowling Green State University.

Elizabeth Kosmetatou, assistant professor of History, was previously co-editor of the journal Classics and most recently taught at Tulane University. She has also taught at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. At UIS, her teaching will focus on ancient history. Widely published, she is the author of more than 40 articles and is co-editor of the book Labored in Papyrus Leaves, published by Harvard University Press. Her current scholarship focuses on Posidippus, a Greek poet who lived in Alexandria and whose "lost" work was recently rediscovered in the papyrus wrappings of an Egyptian mummy. Kosmetatou received her bachelor's degree in Archeology and Art History from the University of Athens, Greece, and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati.

Kim Loutzenhiser, assistant professor in the Department of Public Administration, was previously an assistant professor at Barry University in Miami, Florida, where she taught a wide variety of courses in public administration including planning, leadership, public/private partnerships, and ethics. She received the Ph.D. in Public Policy Analysis from St. Louis University and served there as a postdoctoral fellow in Criminal Justice.

Karl McDermott is UIS' first Ameren Endowed Professor in Business and Government. Previously, he was a vice president at National Economic Research Associates where he specialized in public utility regulation and directed and participated in projects related to energy and telecommunication. He also served as a commissioner with the Illinois Commerce Commission during the time when the state's restructuring law was being negotiated. He has lectured extensively on regulatory reform and restructuring in this country, as well as in Eastern Europe and South America. He has been a research scientist at the Argonne National Laboratory and is widely published in professional journals. At UIS, McDermott's duties will include teaching, conducting research, and facilitating lectures and seminars for corporate, political, and civic leaders. He earned the Ph.D. in Economics at the U of I in Urbana-Champaign.

Layne Morsch is assistant professor of Chemistry. He began his teaching career at Barat College/DePaul University, where he taught in an interdisciplinary science curriculum, advised chemistry majors, mentored undergraduate research projects, and conducted workshops for middle school teachers. At UIS, he will teach organic chemistry. Morsch's research interest focuses on digestive enzyme kinetics. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from Mankato State University in Minnesota, and his Ph.D. from the U of I at Chicago.

Juanita Ortiz comes to UIS as a lecturer in the Criminal Justice Department. Her teaching and research interests focus on the topics of prisoner reentry; women and crime; residential segregation; and stratification by race, class, and gender. At UIS, she will concentrate in the broad areas of social justice and public policy. She is currently completing her Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of Oklahoma.

Jeffrey Paine will be a visiting lecturer in Environmental Studies and Political Studies. He previously taught both online and on-ground courses for the MPA program at UIS and has worked for the Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety and as a reporter for a chain of newspapers in central Illinois. He earned a master's degree in Environmental Studies at UIS and is presently completing his doctorate in the campus' Public Administration program, where his research focuses on policy development and program implementation at the state and local levels.

Alysia Peich, assistant professor of Library Instructional Services, most recently served as a reference librarian and information literacy liaison at Delaware Community College. Her previous positions also include manager of the Information Services Department of a branch of the public library in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and reference and electronic services librarian at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She has also taught in the Business and Computer Information Systems Department and the Communications, Arts, and Humanities Department of Delaware County Community College. Peich has a B.A. in Sociology from Vassar College, an M.A. in Library and Information Science from the University of Iowa, and an M.A. in English from West Chester University.

Carl Peterson, visiting assistant professor of Accountancy, previously served as a senior consultant specializing in energy and public utility regulation and also worked for the Illinois Commerce Commission where he reviewed utility rate filings, sponsored cost of service and rate design testimony, and advised the Commission on specific energy issues and on energy policy. He has served as a consultant in several eastern European countries and is the author and co-author of numerous reports and papers addressing issues in the electric, natural gas, and telecommunications industries. Peterson earned the Ph.D. in Economics at the U of I at Chicago.

Donna Rogers, visiting instructor of Management, is president of Rogers HR Consulting, which provides human resource management and development consulting services to a variety of organizations, with a special emphasis in small- to medium-size organizations without HR professionals on-site. She is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources, as well as a professional trainer. She earned an M.Ed. in Human Resources Development at the U of I at Urbana-Champaign, and a B.S. in Public Relations at Illinois State University.

Christine Ross, director of Collections Services and assistant professor of Library Instructional Services, is a licensed attorney who worked for six years as lead case law editor at Lexis-Nexis. She also served as senior research librarian for a law firm in Chicago and as a medical librarian for electronic services at the OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria. She has been a guest lecturer on legal research for the Dominican University School of Library and Information Science, and her research specialties include competitive intelligence and intellectual property. Ross earned the B.A. in Political Science from Knox College, an M.S. in Library Science and Information Technology from the U of I at Urbana-Champaign, and a J.D. from SIU-Carbondale.

Dennis Ruez, assistant professor of Environmental Studies, recently served as a visiting assistant professor at Auburn University. He has experience in hydrogeology, environmental geology, global climate change, and paleontology, as well as extensive experience working with K-12 teachers and students to provide resources for innovative science education. He earned the Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from the University of Texas, Austin, where his dissertation examined the effects of climate change on mammals in North America during the last ice age.

Tim Salm is clinical assistant professor and library technology coordinator. He previously worked in both higher education, including at Rock Valley Community College, and in the private sector, including positions with Microsoft, Ministry Health Care of Wisconsin, and Web Associates of California. Salm's research interests include the development and refinement of web-based systems for the delivery of library resources and services to assist patrons both on campus and at a distance. Salm earned the B.S. from Illinois State University and a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the U of I at Urbana-Champaign. He is presently working toward a master's degree in Instructional Technology and Design at Northern Illinois University.

Stephen Schnebly, assistant professor of Criminal Justice, comes to UIS from the faculty of Arizona State University. His teaching focuses on a range of areas within criminal justice, including law and social control, criminology theory, and research methods. His research centers on community-oriented policing, crime reporting behavior, and gang behavior. Schnebly earned the Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Frances Shen is an assistant professor of Psychology whose teaching at UIS will focus on counseling psychology. She received an award for excellence in graduate student research from the Division of Counseling Psychology of the American Psychological Association, and served as a pre-doctoral psychology intern at Iowa State. Her scholarship focuses on multicultural issues in counseling, with a special interest in the Asian-American community. Shen earned a bachelor's degree from Illinois Wesleyan University and her master's and Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

In addition, Tianhua Wang (pictured at left) and He Xiaogang are the new visiting scholars in the China Faculty Exchange Program. Wang is an associate professor of English in the School of Western Studies at Heilongjiang University in Harbin, China, and earned the Ph.D. at that institution. Xiaogang is an associate professor of Management and associate dean of academics at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and earned the Ph.D. in Business Administration from Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, China.

EDL faculty conduct feasibility study for school districts

Faculty in UIS' Educational Leadership Department recently completed a study considering the feasibility of consolidating the Girard and Carlinville school districts.

Associate Professor and Department Chair Scott Day, Associate Professor William Phillips, and Assistant Professor Leonard Bogle were asked to conduct the study, which grew out of the districts' wish to explore new ways to offer high-quality educational programs in a fiscally responsible manner.

Complete results of the study are available at the Girard district website

Download a pdf file of an article that appeared in the August 16, 2008, State Journal-Register
Girard-CarlinvilleSchoolMergerStudied.pdf

Download a pdf file of a sidebar that accompanied the article
HowMergerMightbeAccomplished.pdf

Nominations open for I Love My Librarian Awards

Members of the campus community can place the name of their favorite librarians in nomination for a Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award now through October 15.

The award encourages library users to recognize the accomplishments of librarians in public, school, college, community college, and university libraries for their efforts to improve the lives of people in their community.

Up to 10 librarians will be selected. Winners will receive a $5,000 cash award and will be honored at a ceremony and reception hosted by The New York Times.

For more information, including nominating criteria, visit www.ilovelibraries.org/ilovemylibrarian.

Expected Near Normal Growth for Springfield Area

Springfield Enterprise Index released for Quarter One, 2008

The University of Illinois at Springfield announces that the Greater Springfield Enterprise Index (SEI) for March 2008 was 94.4, indicating a slight slowing of the economy relative to a long-term trend. "The good news is that for the rest of the year, the forecast is for an up-turn in the level of economic activity. The one-month, three-month, and one-year forecast all suggest near normal growth," said Dr. Patty Byrnes, professor of economics at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Download a pdf file of the news release by Sarah Wolin of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce

Near Normal Growth Expected.pdf

Faculty Emeriti honored at luncheon

By Courtney Westlake

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Four faculty emeriti in the College of Education and Human Services were honored at a celebratory luncheon on Thursday, June 19, in the Sangamon Auditorium Lobby of the Public Affairs Center.

Each of those honored took part, with family members, in the unveiling of their personal, exquisitely-painted portraits, which will be hung in Brookens Library.

Done Yohe and Drs. Gary Storm, Barbara Hartman and Jack Genskow were recognized during the reception. Genskow, who has passed away since his retirement from the university, was represented by his wife and other family members.

All four honored faculty began at the university when it was Sangamon State University. Genskow came to SSU in 1978 and remained for 18 years while serving as professor and then chair of human development counseling.

"His prestigious presence was highly sought-after on numerous councils, committees and boards," said Larry Stonecipher, dean of the College of Education and Human Resources. "But it pales in comparison to the interpersonal contributions that he made to each and every person he knew. Those of us who knew Jack would find it difficult to adequately describe him. Apt descriptions include authentic, genteel, respectful, compassionate, hardworking. These virtues made him immensely effective as an adviser and teacher."

Dr. Barbara Hartman started at the university in 1973 and spent 20 years here as an associate professor of human development counseling and chair of the human development counseling department.

"As a teacher, Dr. Hartman had rigorous expectations of her students, yet even higher expectations of herself," Stonecipher said. "With passion, she devoted countless hours to the refinement of her courses and delivery of the content through teaching, always providing copious and truly meaningful feedback to her students. Dr. Hartman's striking contributions to the program, college and university created an enduring legacy for which we are all grateful."

Dr. Gary Storm came to SSU also in 1973 and served as a professor of both teacher education and social justice, chair of the teacher education program and associate dean of the human services and sciences during his 30 years here.

"His impact of service extended throughout the region by means of his extraordinary outreach of public service," Stonecipher said of Storm. "He is a model of service, scholarship and public engagement."

Don Yohe spent 27 years at SSU, starting in 1973 and retiring in 2000 after working as an associate professor and chair of Child, Family and Community Services.

"The expanse and fullness of his stellar contributions are still felt today," Stonecipher said. "He sought to ensure new faculty were practicing theorists and practicing clinicians. Students wholly appreciated the complete array of information he presented in classrooms, as well as his enthusiasm for his subjects."

After lunch, the three emeriti faculty participated in a question-and-answer session, during which they spoke about their experiences when first arriving at SSU and reminisced about their classes, relationships with other faculty and the legacies they all hoped to leave. Dr. Judy Everson, fellow faculty emeritus, served as moderator for the discussion.

Dr. Bill Abler, current chair of the Department of Human Development Counseling, also read a monologue entitled "Of Stasis and Movement: The Portrait as Still Life."

After the portrait unveiling, Genskow's wife spoke words of gratitude for her late husband.

"I'm so proud to stand here and see Jack so honored," she said. "I thank you all for being here and Larry for his comments. The one adjective that rang true to me was 'compassionate.' I just know how proud Jack would be to be presented as he is today. It's a beautiful portrait, and I thank you."

Reception honors faculty achievements

Achievements by faculty in a variety of areas were recognized at the annual spring reception, held April 28 on campus. Chancellor Richard Ringeisen and Provost/Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Harry Berman presided over the ceremony honoring faculty members who have received tenure and/or promotion, been awarded sabbaticals, or granted emeritus status. The Pearson Faculty Award for Teaching, the Spencer Award for Service, the Oakley Award for Excellence in Online Teaching, and the Faculty Excellence Award were also presented. Read more>>