Grinspan and Friefeld Discuss "Wide Awake"

Join the UIS Center for Lincoln Studies and Lincoln Home National Historic Site for a lunch discussion featuring Jon Grinspan, author of Wide Awake: The Forgotten Force That Elected Lincoln and Spurred the Civil War.

Grinspan will be joined in this discussion by Jacob K. Friefeld, director of the UIS Center for Lincoln Studies. The event will be held at the Lincoln Home NHS Visitor Center and is free and open to the public.

In the midst of a widening polycrisis of climate chaos, geopolitical instability and technological accelerationfulness, information systems has never been more central to sustainability. This year also marks the 15th anniversary of AIS SIGGreen, and Dr. Roya Gholami will reflect upon the evolution of Green IS scholarship as an important field that is at an inflection point in terms of its future.

Chicago-based artist Aram Han Sifuentes works across fiber, social practice, and collaborative, community-based projects to explore themes of labor, migration, and belonging. Her projects center collective making, often through sewing, as a way to build community and create space for participation, especially for those whose voices are often excluded or who may be at risk. In this artist lecture, Sifuentes will share images and discuss her practice, with a focus on her Protest Banner Lending Library.

Data centers serve as the backbone of modern digital services, enabling everything from cloud computing and online transactions to streaming platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Data center designs incorporate advanced cooling systems, backup power, and in-house cybersecurity measures to ensure efficiency, reliability, and security. As data centers continue to grow in scale and complexity, their energy use and environmental footprint are also expanding.

In recent years, the US has experienced a rise in politically motivated violence targeted at politicians at all levels of government as well as poll workers, political activists, and even members of the public. The purpose of this event is to explore the causes and consequence of modern political violence in American politics. We will hear from two political scientists with expertise in public opinion and political psychology as we delve into the following questions. How is political violence different from other forms of violence and what are its causes?

From 6-7 p.m. on Sept. 23 in Brookens Auditorium, Andrew Bertaina will discuss his work of personal essays.

The UIS Center for Lincoln Studies will host the Mary and James Beaumont Endowed Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 22.

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In an increasingly technology-shaped world, emerging tech and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are not just tools — they are social systems that shape opportunity, equity, and power. This session blends personal storytelling, reflective activities, and accessible tech concepts to help participants explore their role as engaged citizens in the AI era by discovering their unique superpowers to: 

Asian American youth literature had a slow start in the early twentieth century. Books were mostly in the genres of folk and fairy tales and written by outsiders at that time. There were books about Asians in Asia, but almost nothing about Asians in the United States. After World War II and the Korean War, some books about Japanese American incarceration and Korean War orphans emerged, but it wasn’t until the Civil Rights Movement that more books shared stories of Asians in the United States.