WHAT: University of Illinois Springfield Chancellor Janet L. Gooch will host a conversation with former Congresswoman and UIS alum Cheri Callahan Bustos as part of her Chancellor’s Thinkers Series event titled “A Call to Think: Authentic Leadership.”

WHEN: 5:30 to 7:15 p.m. Sept. 15 (reception to follow)

WHERE: UIS Student Union Ballroom, 2251 Richard Wright Drive (visitor parking available in Lot J)

The University of Illinois Springfield, in partnership with the University of Illinois System’s Illinois Mexican and Mexican-American Students Initiative (I-MMÁS), is inviting high school students to explore the possibilities of artificial intelligence through an international video competition and free virtual symposium this fall.

WHAT: Artists in residence at the University of Illinois Springfield’s Therkildsen Field Station at Emiquon will debut original works inspired by the Emiquon Preserve during “Projects Unveiled.” The event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 23

WHERE: UIS Therkildsen Field Station, 11316 N. Prairie Road, Lewistown, Illinois

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Astronomy Program, Lincoln Memorial Garden and the Sangamon Astronomical Society will host a special star party to view the annual Perseid meteor shower.

WHEN: 8:30-10 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12

WHERE: Lincoln Memorial Garden, 2301 E. Lake Shore Drive, Springfield

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Center for Lincoln Studies, in partnership with Juneteenth Inc., the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the UIS Institute for Race, Gender, Sexuality and Social Justice, will host a conversation with Nikole Hannah-Jones, host and executive producer of the Hulu docuseries The 1619 Project, as part of its Juneteenth Lecture Series.

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 15

UIS Establishes Biostatistics and Epidemiology Society

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Program is proud to present “Up to Eleven,” an exhibition featuring artworks by senior visual arts majors at UIS. This exhibition represents the culmination of years of artistic development, bringing together an ambitious and interdisciplinary body of work that pushes creative limits and celebrates the transition into professional practice. The exhibit will open on April 20 and runs through May 7. A reception will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The April 7 Chancellor’s Thinkers Series event featuring former Congresswoman Cheri Callahan Bustos has been postponed and rescheduled for Tuesday, September 15, 2026.

WHAT: University of Illinois Springfield Chancellor Janet L. Gooch will host a conversation with former Congresswoman and UIS alum Cheri Callahan Bustos as part of her Chancellor’s Thinkers Series event titled “A Call to Think: Authentic Leadership.”

WHEN: 5:30 to 7:15 p.m. April 7 (reception to follow)

The University of Illinois Springfield Theatre Program will present six performances of “Circle Mirror Transformation” by Annie Baker.

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield invites the public to a virtual lunch-hour webinar, “Before the Ballots are Cast: Previewing Key 2026 Primary Races.” A panel of experts will discuss some of the most notable primary contests unfolding across the United States this spring and summer. The conversation will explore the candidates, issues and political forces shaping these races, with time for audience questions about what is at stake before the ballots are cast.

WHEN: Noon Feb. 24