Dark-skies star party planned at UIS Emiquon Field Station

The University of Illinois at Springfield and the Sangamon Astronomical Society will host a dark-skies star party at the Emiquon Field Station on Saturday, September 6, at The Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Preserve, located between Havana and Lewistown. The program is free and open to the public; reservations are not required.

Co-sponsors are UIS' Emiquon Field Station and The Nature Conservancy.

The event will begin at 8 p.m. in the Field Station with a short lecture on the night sky, presented by Dr. John Martin, UIS assistant professor of Astronomy/Physics. Star gazing will be from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.

Many nebula, galaxies, and star clusters are too faint to be seen from urban and light-polluted areas and this event presents an opportunity to enjoy the stars under one of the darkest skies remaining in Illinois.

Members of the Sangamon Astronomical Society will be on hand with several telescopes to share their knowledge and views of the sky. Participants are also welcome to bring their own binoculars and telescopes.

Entrance to the field station is on Prairie Road, located off Illinois Rts. 97/78, approximately one-and-a-half miles north of the Dickson Mounds turnoff. A sign will be posted at the turnoff. A map is also available online at www.uis.edu/emiquon/about/images/mapToTNCEmiquon.jpg.

Everyone entering the property will be asked to sign a liability waiver. Participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult and must have their waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian.

If the skies are overcast on September 6, the event will be cancelled. To determine if the weather is suitable for viewing, call David Hedrick at The Nature Conservancy office at 309/547-2730 after 7 p.m. that evening.

For further information, contact Hedrick or send an e-mail to dhedrick@tnc.org.

UIS Visual Arts Gallery presents "Talking Stones"

Part of citywide collaborative exhibit commemorating the 1908 race riot

"Talking Stones" (shown below), a multi-media installation project by Native American visual and performance artist James Luna, will be on display in the Visual Arts Gallery at the University of Illinois at Springfield from September 19 through October 22.

Luna's work is presented as part of "Through the Eyes of Artists: Looking Back, Looking Forward," a collaborative citywide memorial exhibition commemorating the Springfield Race Riot of 1908. In addition to "Talking Stones," the exhibit will feature works of art capturing the essence of the riot, its meaning, and what it can say to us today.

On Friday, September 19, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Illinois State Museum, and UIS Visual Arts Gallery will host a progressive reception to open the exhibit. The reception begins at the ALPLM, Sixth and Jefferson Streets, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.; progresses to the State Museum, Spring and Edwards Streets, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.; and concludes at the UIS gallery from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The receptions and exhibits are free and open to the public.

Luna notes that his installation springs from the idea that, in the right time and place, organic substances such as stones can "transcend the world of utilitarian tools and become objects that hold a spiritual soul and speak of knowledge of the other world." A special place in "Talking Stones" will accommodate a brick from the riot that "cast a dark shadow on the history of Springfield."

The Visual Arts Gallery is located in room 201 of the Health and Sciences Building on the UIS Campus. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. For further information, go to www.uis.edu/visualarts/ or contact the gallery by phone at 206-6506 or by e-mail at visarts-ga@uis.edu.

"Talking about History and Truth: An Informal Gathering with James Loewen"

10 to 11:15 a.m., Friday, September 12, UHB 2021

Dr. Loewen is a nationally known expert on race relations and the author of Lies My Teacher Told Me, a critique of high school history textbooks.

Sponsors: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Associate Vice-Chancellor for Undergraduate Education, and History Department

For more information, contact Deborah McGregor, professor of History and Women & Gender Studies, at 6-7439 or mcgregor.deborah@uis.edu.

Director of Harvard University Press to speak

Dr. William P. Sisler (at left), director of Harvard University Press, will present a guest lecture titled "The End of Reading, the Future of Scholarly Publishing" at 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 9, in Brookens Auditorium at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Brookens Auditorium is located on the lower level of Brookens Library at UIS. The event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Sisler will address themes raised in the National Endowment for the Arts' 2004 report "Reading at Risk" as well as in Ray Bradbury's classic novel Fahrenheit 451.

Sisler's lecture is part of the University of Illinois Press’ 90th anniversary celebration and The Big Read Campaign, an NEA initiative designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. A reception hosted by event co-sponsor The Friends of Brookens Library will immediately follow in UIS' Public Affairs Center Restaurant.

More information

UIS will offer workshop on basic GIS applications

The Geographic Information Systems Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Springfield will present "Using GIS to Explore Your Community: A Fundamental GIS Applications Workshop" from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, September 19, at UIS. Advance registration is required and space is limited.

The program is designed for anyone with a beginning interest in spatial visualization and mapping. Basic computer skills and familiarity with Microsoft Office are the only prerequisites.

In addition to the basics of GIS and how to use the ArcGIS 9.2 software, participants will learn how to: create thematic mapping; display data specific to individual interests; find the best locations for projects; conduct spatial queries and spatial processing; and map addresses, locations, and other points of interest.

Instruction will also be given in downloading and mapping community data, as well as how to work with census data, natural resources data, economic data, housing data, and other specific data.

All participants will receive a comprehensive workbook, including step-by-step instructions, and a copy of Illinois Data Inventory Handbook.

Geographic Information Systems provide a new way to explore the world and offer a dynamic digital environment for visualizing and analyzing geographic information. GIS users can access, acquire, analyze, and display information in the forms of maps, 3-D simulations, tables, and figures.

UIS' Geographic Information Systems Laboratory was established in 2005 and currently supports research and teaching for many academic units.

Cost to attend the workshop (does not include lunch) is $125 for current UIS students, faculty, or staff members, and $250 for all others. A limited number of student scholarships are available.

To register, go to www.uis.edu/gis. For more information, contact the GIS Lab at 217/206-8403 or gis@uis.edu.

Expert on race relations to speak at UIS

Dr. James Loewen (left), author, professor, and expert in race relations, will be the special guest at the University of Illinois at Springfield on Thursday, September 11, when he will speak on "Lincoln's Unfinished Legacy: What It Means for Springfield." The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library, and is free and open to the public.

Dr. Loewen will discuss race relations in the region following the Lincoln era, including the city’s 1908 race riot. A native of Decatur, he is the author of Lies My Teacher Told Me, an acclaimed critical review of high-school history texts, as well as the book Sundown Towns, which studied the thousands of towns in America that required minorities to leave the city limits before dark. Sundown Towns was named a Distinguished Book of 2005 by the Gustavus Myers Foundation.

Loewen taught race relations for 20 years at the University of Vermont and was also on the faculty at predominantly black Tougaloo College in Mississippi. He has been an expert witness in more than 50 civil rights, voting rights, and employment cases, and he is the recipient of an Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Anti-Racist Scholarship.

His address is presented as part of the ECCE Speakers Series at UIS -- campus-sponsored lectures by speakers who exemplify engaged citizenship. The series is also a course in the Engaged Citizenship Common Experience, the distinctive set of courses taken by undergraduates at UIS to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world.

Upcoming ECCE programs for September include the documentary "Springfield Had No Shame," written and produced by UIS staff member Dave Antoine, on September 15; a Constitution Day panel presentation on "Freedom of the Press in 2008" on September 17; and "Rethinking the Economics of Energy, Climate, and Food," with Dr. John Ickerd, on September 29. The complete schedule of speakers and topics for the 2008 Fall Semester is available at www.uis.edu/generaleducation/about/index.html, or contact series coordinator Kimberly Craig at 206-6245 or speakerseries@uis.edu.

UIS alumni society co-sponsors lunch and learn series

"Central Illinois: Patchwork of People" – a six-part Lunch and Learn Series examining the people and cultures that have influenced life in central Illinois – will begin in September at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Sponsors are the UIS Alumni SAGE Society and the Illinois State Historical Society. Programs are open to the public, however reservations are required.

Each session will meet from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in conference room C/D, lower level of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus.

Three sessions will be held in fall 2008 and three in spring 2009. Each will feature a buffet lunch and presentations by two experts on the day's topic. William Furry, director of the Illinois State Historical Society and a UIS alumnus, will moderate the series.

The series will begin on Tuesday, September 16, with "Why They Came." Featured speakers will be Heather Bailey, UIS associate professor of History, who will discuss "Blessings from the Motherland: Early Russian Immigration in Downstate Illinois," and Michael Wiant, director of the Dickson Mounds Museum, whose topic will be "Under Emiquon: What We Know about the First Illinoisans from Recent Archaeology in the Illinois River Valley."

The session on Tuesday, October 21, will focus on "How They Organized Their Communities." Speakers will be Christopher Fennell, assistant professor of Anthropology at the U of I at Urbana-Champaign, who will speak on "Footprint of Freedom: What Archaeology Tells Us about the New Philadelphia Community," and Eileen McMahon, assistant professor of History, Culture, and Civilization at Lewis University, who will speak on "Erin on the Prairie: A Brief History of Irish Settlements along the Illinois and Michigan Canal."

The topic for Tuesday, November 18, will be "What They Built." Speakers will be John Hallwas, professor emeritus of English at Western Illinois University, who will examine "Small Town Heritage: Illinois Townscapes 1870-1920," and Richard Hart, president of the Elijah Iles Foundation, who will talk about "Prairie Acropolis: Greek Revival Influences on the Architecture of Central Illinois."

Cost for each session is $20 per person; or $45 for the three-session fall series for reservations received by September 2. To register or for more information, go to www.uiaa.org/uis, or contact the Office of UIS Alumni Relations at 217/206-7395 or alumni@uis.edu.

Rape Aggression Defense for Women

Free training for all UIS women students, staff, and faculty

Tuesday evenings in September from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Facilitated by Sgt. Mike Stuart and Officer Amanda Parris from the UIS Police.

To learn more about RAD, go to www.uis.edu/police/rad.htm

For more information on acquaintance and stranger rape prevention as well as rape survivor support, referrals, and recovery support; or for more information about or to enroll in RAD, contact the Women's Center at 6-7173 or womenscenter@uis.edu.

2nd annual Civil Service Appreciation Day luncheon and CARE Award ceremony

Thursday, September 18, beginning at 11:30 a.m. in the PAC Lobby

Hosted by Chancellor Ringeisen

Presentation of the 2nd annual Chancellor's Award for Recognizing Excellence in Civil Service

Special guest speaker: Tom Morelock, executive director of the State University Civil Service System

• Q & A session with Mr. Morelock for civil service employees immediately follows lunch
• Door prizes
• Contests

Make reservations by September 4 at https://illinois.edu/formBuilder/OrganizationSecure?id=1273265

UIS Safe Zone training

Become an ally for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) students, staff, and faculty.

All sessions will be from 1 to 4 p.m. in PAC C/D. Space is limited.

Phase I - Friday, September 12, or Wednesday, September 17
Register at https://illinois.edu/formBuilder/Secure?id=9230845

Phase II (must have completed Phase I) - Friday, October 17
Register at https://illinois.edu/formBuilder/Secure?id=8000668

For more information, go to www.uis.edu/studentaffairs/safezone , or call 6-6333.

The LGBTQ Resource Office is now located in SLB 11, phone 6-8316.

Understanding How Foundation Philanthropy Works

11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, September 4, PAC Restaurant

Presented by the Office of the Provost and Office of Development

Guest speakers:
Lawrence N. Hansen, vice president, The Joyce Foundation

Richard J. Kaplan, vice president for institutional research & grants management, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

• Q & A session to follow
• Lunch will be served, but latecomers are welcome.
• Reservations optional, contact oodrsvp@uis.edu.
• For more information, call Stacey Willenborg at 6-6058.

UIS speaker series will begin with a look at modern Iran

Dr. Ali Ansari (left), professor of Iranian History and director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, will speak on "Iran under Ahmadinejad: Populism and its Malcontents" beginning at 7 p.m., Monday, September 8, in Brookens Auditorium on campus at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The presentation is free and open to the public. Brookens Auditorium is located on the lower level of Brookens Library at UIS.

Dr. Ansari's talk will explore developments in domestic politics in Iran, especially since the ascendancy of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and will discuss the role, influence, and consequences of the resurgence in charismatic autocracy, particularly its domestic and international repercussions.

In addition to his duties at St. Andrews, Dr. Ansari is an associate fellow of the Middle East Programme, Royal Institute for International Affairs (Chatham House); a member of the Council, British Institute of Persian Studies; and program manager of the Institute's Modern Iran Project. His teaching and research interests include development of the state in the modern Middle East; social and intellectual history; and Islam and the West. At St. Andrews, his undergraduate teaching includes the honors course Jihad, Community, and Identity: Islamic Political Thought Past and Present.

Dr. Ansari's books include Iran under Ahmadinejad (Adelphi Papers, Routledge, 2008) and Confronting Iran: The Failure of American Foreign Policy and the Roots of Mistrust (C Hurst and Co., 2006). More information about Dr. Ansari is available at www.st-andrews.ac.uk/history/staff/aliansari.html.

His address is presented as part of the ECCE Speakers Series at UIS -- campus-sponsored lectures by speakers who exemplify engaged citizenship. The series is also a course in the Engaged Citizenship Common Experience, the distinctive set of courses taken by undergraduates at UIS to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world.

Upcoming programs for September include an examination of the 1908 Springfield race riot, presented by Dr. James Loewen, on September 11; the documentary "Springfield Had No Shame," written and produced by UIS staff member Dave Antoine, on September 15; a Constitution Day panel presentation on "Freedom of the Press in 2008" on September 17; and "Rethinking the Economics of Energy, Climate, and Food," with Dr. John Ickerd, on September 29. The complete schedule of speakers and topics for the 2008 Fall Semester is available at www.uis.edu/generaleducation/about/index.html.

For more information about the ECCE series, contact Kimberly Craig, series coordinator, at 206-6245 or send an e-mail to speakerseries@uis.edu.

Download a pdf file of an article titled "Iran under Ahmadinejad" by Dr. Ansari

IranunderAhmadinejad.pdf

UIS to host foreign and independent film series

The Division of Student Affairs at the University of Illinois at Springfield is sponsoring an Independent and Foreign Film Series on Friday nights this fall. All films will begin at 7 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium, located on level one of Brookens Library on the UIS campus. Admission is free and the public is welcome to attend.

Films include:

September 12 – Saint of 9/11 (USA 2006) An iconic image from September 11 shows a team of rescue workers carrying a priest's body from the rubble of the World Trade Center. The priest was Father Mychal Judge, beloved chaplain with the New York City Fire Department. A compassionate champion of the needy and forgotten, Father Judge wrestled with his own private demons while touching others in "powerful and miraculous ways." This film is not rated.

September 19 – Persepolis (France 2007, animated) This story of a childhood coinciding with regime change and war is based on the bestselling graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi. Growing up in Iran, young Marjane was a tomboy, but when she was 10 years old her world changed overnight. Girls could no longer go to school with boys, and in public they had to cover themselves in long dark robes. Then a relative is killed in the Iran/Iraq war and Marjane's parents send her to school in Austria. Though she is safe there, she never quite fits in. Rated PG 13.

September 26 – Ten Canoes (Australia 2007, in Aboriginal English) The film interweaves two stories set in Australia's distant past. In the first story, a group of men, led by a tribal elder, head into the forest to gather bark for canoes. Because the elder knows that one of the young men has taken a fancy to one of the elder's wives, he tells the group a story about the old laws, and a young man who had no wife. This film is not rated.

October 3 – Arctic Tale (USA 2007) A "heartbreaking" documentary of life on the arctic tundra that puts a face on the effects of global warming, this film is essentially aimed at children, but the message is sobering. Rated G.

October 10 – Kinky Boots (UK 2006) Charlie Price has inherited his father's failing shoe factory, and with it the realization that soon he will have to lay off many of its loyal employees. Enter Lola, a female impersonator in teetering high heels, and everything changes as the two men set out to conquer the "brave new world of sexy, cross-dressing footwear." Rated PG 13.

October 17 – 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama (USA 2006) Filmmaker/explorer Rick Ray spoke at length with the Dalai Lama during a private visit to his monastery in Dharamsala, India. Some of the questions Ray asked were: How do you reconcile a commitment to non-violence when faced with violence? Why do the poor often seem happier than the rich? Must a society lose its traditions in order to move into the future? The result has been described as "part biography, part philosophy, part adventure, and part politics." This film is not rated.

October 24 – I'm Not There (USA 2007) This experimental take on the life of Bob Dylan features six actors – including Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Cate Blanchett -- portraying different aspects the legendary musician's life and work. Rated R.

October 31 – Dr. Strangelove (USA 1964) Stanley Kubrick's comic masterpiece starring Peter Sellers (in three roles) has been called "the funniest, most poignant black comedy ever made, a vicious satire on the farcical aspects of the military and the cold war." Rated PG.

November 7 – Taxi to the Dark Side (USA 2007) An in-depth look at the Bush administration's use of torture in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay. The title is taken from the true story of an Afghani taxi driver, mistaken for a terrorist and killed during a torture session conducted by American troops. Rated R.

November 14 – 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (Romania 2007) Winner of the Palme d'Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, this "excruciatingly intense" drama is set in Communist Romania in the 1980s. Abortion and contraception are illegal, but a pregnant college student and her roommate turn to a black-market abortionist for help. The film realistically portrays the rough and gritty situations in which two young women must make decisions and deal with their consequences. This film is not rated.

November 21 – The Birds (USA 1963) Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller, loosely based on a story by Daphne du Maurier, begins as a light comedy, then slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people with increasing viciousness. Rated PG 13.

For more information about any of these films, contact the UIS Office of Student Life at 206-6665.

Auditions set for UIS Theatre's fall production of Cloud 9

The Theatre Program at the University of Illinois at Springfield will hold open auditions for the first production of its 2008-2009 season – Cloud 9 by Caryl Churchill – on Sunday, September 14, and Monday, September 15, beginning at 7 p.m. both nights, in the Studio Theatre, located on level one of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus. Call-backs will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16.

Auditions are open to anyone, with or without experience. Assistant Professor of Theatre Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson, who will direct, noted that while auditions will consist of cold readings from the script, everyone auditioning is strongly encouraged to read the play in advance. She added that headshots and resumes, as well as brief prepared monologues, are appreciated but not mandatory. Anyone interested in working backstage on the production should also plan to attend one night of auditions.

Roles are available for three women and four men, however Thibodeaux-Thompson said that, depending on role-doubling, more women may be cast.

In Cloud 9, Churchill explores the politics of sexuality and sexual identity. Using cross-gender casting and role-doubling, she creates a satirical look at the relationships between the sexually repressed Victorian era and the sexually liberated 20th century. Act I takes place in British Colonial Africa in 1880, where the characters are subjected to, and secretly attempt to resist, the rigid constraints of Victorianism. Act II takes place in 1980 in London – although the characters have aged only 25 years – where everyone has thrown off the sexual restraints of the 19th century.

A limited number of scripts are available for 24-hour checkout with a refundable $10 cash deposit, from the Communication/Theatre program office in UIS' University Hall, room 3010, phone 206-6790, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Scripts are also on reserve in UIS' Brookens Library.

Casting should be completed by September 19. Thibodeaux-Thompson noted that rehearsals will begin Sunday, September 21, and are generally scheduled for Sunday through Thursday nights from 7 to 10 p.m. Production dates are November 7 through 9 and 13 through 15.

For more information about auditions, the play, or helping behind the scenes with such things as costumes, props, and stage-managing, contact Thibodeaux-Thompson at 217/206-8307 or mthom1@uis.edu, or go to www.uis.edu/theatre.

UIS' Friday night Star Parties to resume

The University of Illinois at Springfield's popular Star Parties will begin for the fall on Friday, September 5, and continue every Friday night through October 24, weather permitting. Star Parties are from 8 to 10 p.m. in the UIS observatory.

John Martin, assistant professor of Astronomy/Physics at UIS, will host the Star Parties, which this fall will focus the observatory's three telescopes on a number of celestial objects, including the giant planet Jupiter and its moons; the Ring Nebula in Lyrae, a star like our sun which has reached the end of its life; the globular cluster M13 in Hercules, which is a ball of one million stars roughly 13 billion years old; other star clusters and double stars; and the moon, when available.

Martin noted that this year a number of activities are also planned in conjunction with the observance of the International Year of Astronomy in 2009. "It's an opportunity for people to share in the history of discovery that has led to our current understanding of our place in the universe," he said.

"In 1609, using his first telescope, Galileo discovered the four moons of Jupiter," Martin explained. "These were the first bodies discovered in our solar system that clearly did not orbit around the Earth. This was an important event in astronomy as well as human history because what Galileo saw convinced him that the Copernican heliocentric (sun-centered) model of the solar system was correct.

"However, we'll offer better views than Galileo got," he added.

Friday Star Parties are free and open to the public. Reservations are not required, and groups are encouraged to attend. The entrance to the campus observatory is located outside Brookens Library on the southeast corner.

Questions about whether the weather is suitable for viewing should be directed to 217/206-8342 at 7 p.m. on the evening of the Star Party.

UIS schedules Sunday Star Parties for people with disabilities

This fall, the University of Illinois at Springfield will once again hold special Sunday Night Star Parties for people with disabilities. Three Sunday evening sessions are planned – September 7, October 5, and November 9 – weather permitting. All sessions will be held in the UIS observatory. The parties are free, but reservations are required.

Featured objects for viewing will be Jupiter, the largest planet, and the moon.

Conducted by Charles Schweighauser and John Martin, UIS professors of astronomy and physics, the Sunday Parties use a telescope specially designed to give people with disabilities access to the sky. This is the first telescope in the world designed for, and dedicated to, people with disabilities.

The modified eight-inch Schmidt Cassegrain telescope employs a traditional optical design but with a fixed eyepiece that brings the image to the viewer. This eyepiece can be moved backward and forward in its tube as much as seven inches without refocusing, and can accommodate anyone from a large person in a high wheelchair to a child in the lowest, smallest wheelchair. A laptop computer runs the telescope, eliminating the need for a large keyboard and monitor that can emit too much distracting light on the dark observation deck.

To make a reservation for a Sunday Night Star Party, or for more information, contact Schweighauser at 206-6721 no later than Friday, August 29, for the September 7 Star Party.

UIS to host workshop on cybersecurity for small businesses

The Computer Science department at the University of Illinois at Springfield will host a half-day workshop designed to help small businesses recognize and address potential threats to their information systems on Tuesday, September 9, in conference room C/D in the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus.

The program is free, however space is limited and advance registration is required.

Co-sponsors along with UIS are the FBI's InfraGard program, the Small Business Administration, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The NSF Regional Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance is also assisting with the conference.

Since more than 95 percent of all businesses in this country are small or medium-sized, with 500 or fewer employees, problems that small businesses commonly face are potential threats to the national economic base.

To address this issue, the NIST, SBA, and FBI have established a series of regional seminars on IT security for small businesses that cover the basics of setting up and operating an information security program. Participants will learn how to define information security, common threats and how to address them, current best practices and procedures for operating more securely, what technologies are currently used to reduce IS vulnerabilities, and what resources are readily available to small businesses.

The UIS workshop will be facilitated by Richard Kissel, senior information security analyst for the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Maryland. At NIST, Kissel's primary responsibilities are to review federal agency information security programs and to plan for and conduct information security workshops for managers and staff of small organizations.

The program will conclude with a short briefing by an FBI cyber security special agent on local and national issues of note.

UIS' Computer Science department offers undergraduate and graduate degrees designed to provide students with experience in mastering problem-solving skills relevant to business, scientific, and public issues. The department is a Cisco Regional Networking Academy and the curriculum is certified by the Committee of National Security Systems and the National Security Agency.

InfraGard is a partnership between the FBI and leaders in business, education, and government. The NIST, a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, works to advance measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve the quality of life. The Small Business Administration is an independent federal agency designed to aid, counsel, assist, and protect the interests of small business concerns. CSSIA addresses the needs of professionals in information technology security by increasing faculty expertise and higher education training programs in IT security and data assurance.

To register for the workshop, contact Stephanie Schatz at stephanie.schatz@sba.gov, or phone 217/793-5020, ext. 114.

For additional information, visit http://csrc.nist.gov/securebiz/, or contact UIS Computer Science Instructor Janis Rose at rose.janis@uis.edu or 217/206-8246.

"Foot in the Door" Fair for UIS students

The Career Development Center at the University of Illinois at Springfield will sponsor the 2008 "Foot in the Door" Fair for UIS students interested in part-time job, internship, and volunteer opportunities – both on- and off-campus – from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, August 28, in the lower level concourse area of the Public Affairs Center on the UIS campus. The event is free to all UIS students.

Students are not required to register in advance, however they will be asked to stop by a registration table at the event. At that time, programs will be available with detailed information about the employers and organizations present. Participants should bring copies of their resume and be prepared to briefly outline their education, goals, experience, and transferable skills. A business casual dress code will be observed.

UIS students who would like help preparing for the event can contact the Career Development Center, located in room 50 of the Student Affairs Building, telephone 206-6508 or e-mail careerservices@uis.edu.

During the 2007 Part-Time Job Fair, representatives from more than 20 off-campus organizations and a dozen on-campus departments participated, along with approximately 250 students.

This year, UIS on-campus offices represented will include Recreational Sports; English as a Second Language; Experiential and Service Learning Programs; Graduate Public Service Internship Program; Institute for Legal, Legislative, and Policy Studies; Illinois Legislative Staff Intern Program; Disability Services; Multicultural Student Affairs/Diversity Center; Student Life; and Volunteer and Civic Engagement Center.

Some 30 off-campus employers and organizations are also currently expected to attend, including Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum; Aflac; Buckle, Inc.; Capitol Radio Group; Family Service Center; Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach; Illini Bank; Memorial Health System; Mini O'Beirne Crisis Nursery; Planned Parenthood; Sangamon County Child Advocacy Center; Springfield Public School District 186; Springfield YMCA; State of Illinois-Central Management Services; Target; and Youth Service Bureau.

Information for recruiters interested in participating

Updated information for students

Recruiters and participants who would like to request disability accommodations should also contact the Career Development Center.

UIS Emiquon Field Station to host early morning event

"Asteroids and Thompson Lake," an early morning star-gazing event, will be held beginning at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 13, on recently restored Thompson Lake at The Nature Conservancy's Emiquon Preserve between Havana and Lewistown.

This program is free and open to the public and is presented by the University of Illinois at Springfield's Emiquon Field Station in cooperation with the Nature Conservancy.

The event will take advantage of the peak display of the Perseids Meteor Shower, the annual mid-August display of "falling stars." Then, as morning light washes out the meteor shower, participants can experience the awakening of the marsh as a wide variety of wetland plants and animals begin their day.

John Martin, UIS assistant professor of Astronomy/Physics, will help guide sky-watchers as they view the meteor shower. Michael Lemke, associate professor of Biology and director of UIS' Emiquon Field Station, will be available to share information regarding the station and associated wetland ecological research. Nature Conservancy staff will be on hand to discuss the Emiquon project, which is transforming more than 7,000 acres along the Illinois River from farmland to its natural floodplain state.

Participants should gather at 3:30 a.m. at the lakeside entrance to Thompson Lake, located directly off Illinois Rts. 97/78, approximately one-half mile north of the Dickson Mounds turnoff. A sign will be posted at the entrance.

Everyone entering the property will be asked to sign a liability waiver. Participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult and must have their waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian.

Visitors who plan to witness the event from shore are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. Experienced boaters may bring canoes, kayaks, or row boats to watch from the water; however motor boats are prohibited.

If the sky is overcast on August 13, the alternate date will be Saturday, August 16.

For further information, call The Nature Conservancy office at 309/547-2730 or send an e-mail to dhedrick@tnc.org.