ECCE Speaker Series

The event features three segments. First, we will screen the 30-minute documentary Descended from the Promised Land, which centers on family stories of transgenerational trauma and resilience related to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Then, a panel consisting of members of families touched by the 1908 Springfield Race Riot will share perspectives about issues raised by the film, but in a local context. We will conclude with a moderated audience discussion.

Fast fashion poses major social and environmental challenges, including poor labor conditions, the overuse of resources, and the generation of waste to create throw-away clothing. Dr. Gupta, the 2023 UIS University Scholar, will draw on her research to explain why some consumers are drawn to fast fashion and how the industry encourages overconsumption. Some consumers approach clothing acquisition from a style orientation, choosing distinctive clothing tailored to their sense of self.

Guen Montgomery will present a lecture about her work while sharing images from her art practice, which draws inspiration from her rural Appalachian heritage and identity as a femme gay person. She is interested in the complexity and inherent theatricality of real and imagined human characters. She will discuss the performative intricacies of gender, queerness and societal expectations, and the varied identities which haunt the words queer, lesbian, and femme.

*Note:  Dr. Galvan will be giving her talk remotely via Zoom to a live audience seated in Brookens Auditorium.  She will participate (via Zoom) in a question-and-answer session with the audience following her presentation.

This talk explores insights and issues on leadership in AI, data analytics, and the importance of developing data literacy skills. It discusses how we can build a strong foundation of data (including practices such as data governance and master data management), which allows for more precise analysis and better understanding of policy impact on the society.  Ms. Gypalo will discuss implementing human-centered solutions for public sector challenges and breaking down barriers across levels of government—subjects that she is passionate about.

Walking Proudly: Embodying Liberation Capital in Chicago's West African Dance and Drum Communities grows out of Dr. Zabriskie’s research on dancers and their place in Black life in Chicago from the 1960s through the 2010s. In this presentation, Zabriskie will engage audiences in a movement-based presentation about “embodied liberation capital” drawing on her historical, ethnographic, and performance-based research on West African Drum and Dance practices in Chicago, IL.

There has been renewed interest toward progressing the cause of justice and equity in recent years. However, producing tangible results in this regard is especially challenging without an effective strategy and a firm conceptual foundation. Dr. Joe F. Bozeman III, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech, will provide key concepts and tools to help address this gap.

Dr. Pierceson is a leading scholar on LGBTQ rights. His book, Sexual Minorities and Politics, is the first textbook to provide a comprehensive overview of the historical, political, and legal status of sexual and gender minorities. For this reason, Sexual Minorities was placed on the Navy’s Professional Reading List in 2021. However, the Navy removed Sexual Minorities from the list in 2022, along with other books about race, gender, and sexuality like Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Antiracist and Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow. Dr.

We each live a unique story, but taking the time to understand our own narrative is the first step is embracing the social responsibility of respecting everyone’s individual lived experiences. Dr. LeClair will share her inspiring story of overcoming trauma. You will be encouraged to explore your emotional past, explore your relational patterns, release negative experiences, and build resilience so you can communicate authentically and create healthier relationships personally and professionally.

According to The Center for First-Generation Student Success, as of 2015-2016, first-generation students represented 56 percent of all undergraduates in the US. The concerted efforts to enhance access to higher education in recent decades have undeniably narrowed enrollment gaps and resulted in a significant influx of low-income first-generation students into colleges.