Join us at noon on Thursday, November 20th for a timely and insightful discussion on the 2025 elections and what their outcomes could mean for the 2026 midterms. Our panel brings together top political scholars, journalists, and UIS alumni to break down key local and statewide races in New York City, New Jersey, Virginia, Minnesota, Illinois, and beyond. We'll explore what the results reveal about voter sentiment, party strategies, and the political landscape heading into 2026.

A Call to Think: We’re All in This Together

Chancellor Gooch will be joined by Mylas Copeland, a respected community leader and beacon in Springfield’s civic life, for an engaging conversation on the power of connection, collaboration, and community impact.

Ashlynn Stillwell, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, will discuss her work on sustainable water and energy systems. Water and energy are closely linked resources with clean water and sanitation services dependent on energy, and fuels production and electric power generation dependent on water. This water-energy nexus spreads across scales to include large-scale infrastructure systems, societal trends and patterns, and individual behaviors.

This talk invites students and community members to explore how young researchers are helping uncover the layered histories of Native American boarding schools, especially in the heartland of Native America—Oklahoma. Centered on the collaboration of students and professionals engaged in mentored, community-centered research, this presentation highlights how archival searches, archaeology, oral histories, and digital mapping are used to understand and share Indigenous stories. Dr.

Aaron Hughes is an artist, curator, and anti-war veteran whose work explores the impact of war, violence, and trauma on individuals and communities. In this lecture, Hughes will share images and stories from his projects, which draw from his own military experience and long-standing activism. Through printmaking, installation, and collaboration, Hughes honors the legacy of anti-war veteran movements and imagines new paths toward justice and healing.

In conjunction with Hispanic LatinX Heritage Month, join award winning author and equity strategist Carlos Andrés Gómez for an engaging and interactive workshop that explores the complexity of Latinidad and identity. Through powerful storytelling, poetry, and guided reflection, Carlos will invite participants to explore how culture, race, gender, and other intersecting identities shape our understanding of self and community.

PLEASE NOTE:

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Dr. Dahlen’s ECCE Speaker Series event scheduled for tonight (9/10/2025) has been cancelled.

We apologize for the late notice and the inconvenience.

*Due to the ongoing government shutdown, Jon Grinspan had to postpone his visit. We will instead be joined by Jason Emerson*

On Thursday, October 16, 2025, The University of Illinois Springfield Center for Lincoln Studies presents the Mary and James Beaumont Endowed Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series featuring Jason Emerson and Colleen Shogan speaking on the topic of Abraham Lincoln and the Age of Disruption.

From Cradle to Grave: Stages of 1800s Women's Clothing

Lecture by Erika Holst

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Christine Dannhausen-Brun, the Chief Operations Officer of Nordson Green Earth, a non-profit and all-volunteer organization based in Chicago, will discuss her work using the Miyawaki method of tree planting to bring the benefits of forests to urban communities. By creating tiny native forests, Nordson builds tree equity and helps ensure that everyone can benefit from the health, community, and social benefits that greenspaces provide. Miyawaki forests grow quickly and are self-sustaining in two to three years and mature in twenty to thirty years (versus centuries).