UIS hosts War on Poverty panel discussion, a historical look back and lessons for the future

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield, in collaboration with the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies, will host a War on Poverty panel discussion as the final event in a War on Poverty Forum.

WHEN: Thursday, March 12, 2015 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. A public reception will be held before the event from 5:30 to 6 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Public Affairs Center (PAC) Room G

DETAILS: The three-part panel discussion will explore diverse perspectives on where the War on Poverty has been, where it is now, and where it is going.

The panel will include Dalitso Sulamoyo, president and CEO of the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies; Denise Harlow, chief operating officer for the Community Action Partnership in Washington, D.C.; and Alice O’Connor, professor of history at the University of California, Santa Barbara and former director of the university’s Washington Center Program in Washington, D.C.

The first part of the discussion will set up a historical framework for understanding the social, economic and political conditions that created the War on Poverty. The second part will explore the policy and program interventions that grew out of the effort. The final part will clarify lessons learned for future policy making in the 21st Century.

Those interested in attending the panel discussion can register in advance at http://www.iacaanet.org/ or at the event.

The War on Poverty Panel Discussion is the final part of a War on Poverty Forum which has also included a Poverty Simulation, and the screening of the documentary film American Winter.

For more information, contact Lorena Johnson with the UIS Institute for Legal and Policy Studies, at 217/206-6079 or ljohn04s@uis.edu.

UIS Visual Arts Gallery to feature Decatur artist

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery is pleased to present Sublime Light, an exhibition of abstract paintings from Lyle Salmi, associate professor of painting, drawing and printmaking and chair of the Art Department at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois.

Sublime Light will open on Monday, March 2 and run through Thursday, March 26. An opening reception for the exhibit will take place on Thursday, March 5 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The exhibition will feature abstract paintings that present variety through scale, palette, and beyond. “These are ethereal abstract paintings that explore the phenomena of light and space,” said Salmi. “They are also rooted in the here and now by the insistence of surface and brush stroke. The resultant forms dissolve and surfaces shimmer with movement and color.”

Salmi received a master’s degree in fine arts and painting from Arizona State University in 1988, and a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 1983. He was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Midwest Fellowship for painting in 1994, and has also been an artist in residence at the Hambidge Center for the Arts in Rabun Gap, Georgia, and at the Anderson Center for the Arts in Red Wing, Minnesota. Active professionally both in and out of the classroom, Salmi has spoken at regional arts symposiums, served as juror for numerous regional art exhibitions, and has written for The Dictionary of Modern Philosophers, and Fiberarts magazine. Salmi has exhibited his paintings nationally and continues to work both as an artist and teacher.

The UIS Visual Arts Gallery is centrally located on the UIS campus in the Health and Science Building, room 201 (HSB 201). Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information exhibition programming, please visit the UIS Visual Arts Gallery website at www.uis.edu/visualarts/gallery, or contact the gallery at 217/ 206-6506 or alach3@uis.edu.

UIS Political Art and the Public Sphere series to screen and discuss the film "The Square"

WHAT: The Political Art and the Public Sphere (PAPS) series at the University of Illinois Springfield presents a screening and discussion of the documentary The Square (2013) by Jehane Noujaim. Dr. Richard Gilman-Opalsky, UIS associate professor of political philosophy will moderate the event.

WHEN: Monday, March 2, 2015 at 6 p.m.

WHERE: Brookens Auditorium on the lower level of Brookens Library at UIS

DETAILS: The Square depicts the ongoing Egyptian Revolution of 2011 from its roots in Tahrir Square. The film was nominated for the Academy Award and won three Emmys. The Square immerses the viewer in the intense drama of people on the streets of Cairo claiming their right to create a different society, leading to the toppling of two governments in quick succession. The film documents the realization of the power of citizenship, and tells the story of young people struggling against many forces to live in a society of their own making.

Gilman-Opalsky will discuss how the occupation of squares has become the iconic image of recent global uprisings. He’ll discuss how engaged citizens have often created a common experience in revolt and rebellion, which we have seen in many countries around the world since 2008.

In two separate installments, the Spring 2015 Political Art and the Public Sphere series will explore and discuss the uprising in Egypt's Tahrir Square and another in Turkey's Taksim Square. An open discussion about the events that took place in each film will follow the screening. All events are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Professor Richard Gilman-Opalsky at 217/206-8328 or email rgilm3@uis.edu.

UIS Lunch & Learn Series presents “A Celebration of New Orleans”

The University of Illinois Springfield Alumni SAGE Society, Illinois State Historical Society and UIS Office of the Chancellor invite you to experience “The Big Easy” without ever leaving Springfield; as part of the Lunch and Learn Series.

The program will take place on Thursday, February 26, 2015 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Public Affairs Center (PAC) Conference Room C/D, located on the lower level of the PAC on the UIS campus.

New Orleans is decadently rich in culture, tradition, history and heritage, all woven into the American fabric. Historian Dale Phillips, former unit manager of Chalmette, the site of the Battle of New Orleans, will discuss the battle and the 2015 Bicentennial of America’s “Second War of Independence.”

UIS executive chef Howard Seidel, a former resident of New Orleans, will share the differences between Cajun and Creole culture, anecdotes of the area, and life in “The Big Easy”. A New Orleans themed menu will highlight the program.

The cost for the hot buffet lunch and program is $20/per person. Reservations are requested, as seating is limited. Seating is available in the back for those who do not purchase the luncheon buffet.

A discounted series subscription is available for $50/per person. The Lunch & Learn Series event for March will discuss the principles of civil liberties and human rights.

The lunch-time programs stimulate thinking as they build upon the university's tradition of open and intelligent dialogue.

Visit www.uiaa.org/uis to register online. For more information, contact the UI Alumni Association at UIS at 217/206-7395 or email alumni@uis.edu.

UIS Speaker Series explores the “The Benefits of Economic Freedom”

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield’s Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series and Department of Liberal & Integrative Studies present “The Benefits of Economic Freedom” featuring Joshua Hall, associate professor of economics at West Virginia University and co-director of the Center for Free Enterprise within the College of Business.

WHEN: Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library

DETAILS: The Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) index has been published annually since 1996. Since its initial publication, the EFW index has been used by scholars to answer a number of important questions regarding the operation and interaction of economic, political, and social systems around the world.

In this talk, Hall provides an overview of the EFW index and the scholarly literature that uses it. He highlights how the measurement of economic freedom has provided a more accurate picture of the diversity that exists globally with respect to societal economic organization. Finally, Hall discusses how his own views of the importance of economic freedom have changed as a result of measuring economic freedom.

Hall earned his bachelor and master degrees in economics from Ohio University and his Ph.D. from West Virginia University in 2007. Prior to returning to his alma mater, he was the Elbert H. Neese, Jr. Professor of Economics at Beloit College and an Economist with the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress. Hall is currently serving as the president of the Association of Private Enterprise Education. He is author of over 100 academic journal articles, book chapters, and scholarly studies. His most recent edited book is Homer Economicus: The Simpsons and Economics.

For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speaker Series events and more information, visit www.uis.edu/speakerseries/. All events are free and open to the public.

Camp Invention, national summer program fostering creativity and problem-solving skills, coming to UIS

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield will host Camp Invention, the nation’s premier summer enrichment day camp program that is supported by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the National Inventors Hall of Fame. The weeklong day camp for students entering grades one through six fosters innovation and creativity while also building self-esteem, teamwork, persistence and goal-setting skills.

WHEN: June 22-26, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Campus (Founders & University Hall)

DETAILS: Camp Invention, not only encourages inventive young minds through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in a fun and creative atmosphere, it also incorporates outdoor activities. Students experience winning, success and victory, along with an adrenaline rush that comes with competition among students and successful completion of challenging projects.

Camp Invention provides a great opportunity for inventive young minds to exercise their creativity and use their imagination in ways they don’t normally get to – through real-world problem-solving challenges, they build things, take things apart, and explore different types of technology.

This year’s Camp Invention curriculum is called Illuminate™ and was inspired by some of our nation’s most brilliant minds including experienced educators, inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame and members of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Parents are asked to register their children by March 20, 2015 using the online form at www.campinvention.org. The Springfield program will be led by Harshavardhan Bapat, UIS associate professor of chemistry.

For more information on Camp Invention, contact Professor Bapat at 217/206-7744 or hbapa1@uis.edu.

UIS Public Affairs Reporting Hall of Fame to inductee three journalists

Three journalists whose range of experiences have included coverage of the skywalk collapse of a Kansas City Hotel, the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge and major farm policy in the United States, are the newest inductees into the Bill Miller Public Affairs Reporting (PAR) Hall of Fame at the University of Illinois Springfield.

The inductees, who will be honored March 9, include Chicago Tribune reporter Robert Secter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial writer Deborah Peterson, and former Reuters correspondent Chuck Abbott. The three are former students of the UIS Public Affairs Reporting Program and have gone on to distinguished careers in journalism across the country and the globe.

Secter graduated from the PAR program in 1974. He spent 14 years at the Los Angeles Times including stints as foreign and national correspondent. Secter was an assistant editor at the Chicago Sun Times and, since 1995, has been with the Chicago Tribune, where he is the Illinois political editor. During his career he covered the U.S invasion into Panama, the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge rule in Cambodia and the fall of two Illinois governors.

Deborah Peterson is a member of the PAR class of 1978. She is an editorial page writer at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch where she has worked since 1985. She also worked for the Kansas City Star and the Associated Press. She was part of the Star’s Pulitzer Prize award winning staff that covered the 1981 collapse of the Hyatt Regency Hotel skywalk which killed more than 100 people.

A 1975 graduate Chuck Abbott, is also a Hall of Fame inductee. A long-time commodities and farm policy correspondent for Reuters, Abbott now edits and writes for the Washington, D.C. based Food and Environment Network, which is a non-profit organization focused on food and agriculture policy. Prior to his work at Reuters, Abbott reported for United Press International and served as UPI’s farm editor. He is a past president of the North American Farm Journalists.

An induction ceremony will be held on March 9 at 5:30 p.m. in the Conservatory Room of the Inn at 835, located at 835 S. 2nd St. in Springfield. Register online at www.uiaa.org/uisparhof/ or call 217/206-7163.

The PAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is sponsored by the UIS Center for State Policy and Leadership. The Hall of Fame is named in honor of Bill Miller, an award-winning journalist who served as the PAR program’s director for 19 years.

The UIS Public Affairs Reporting program is a one-year, professionally-oriented master's degree program that prepares students to become a working reporter covering public affairs in its broadest sense — informing readers, listeners and viewers about ongoing events and activities that impact on their daily lives.

For more information, contact Bill Wheelhouse, WUIS Executive Editor, at 217/206-6402 or wwhee2@uis.edu.

UIS hosts Springfield Collegiate Career Fair

WHAT: The career centers at the University of Illinois Springfield, Lincoln Land Community College, Robert Morris University, and Benedictine University at Springfield are excited to announce the 15th annual Springfield Collegiate Career Fair. Students and alumni from the four institutions, other colleges and universities, and community members are invited to attend. The fair is sponsored by the UIS College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Concepts IT.

WHEN: Tuesday, February 17, 2015 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

WHERE: The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) on the UIS campus

DETAILS: Beyond information about actual job openings, the fair is designed to provide an open information exchange about different organizations, hiring trends and the best routes to future opportunities. For potential employers, it is a chance to disseminate pertinent information and to develop a pool of candidates interested in future opportunities, internships and summer openings as well as permanent employment.

Representatives from more than 100 employers are expected to be on hand. The event has an average attendance of more than 400 students and alumni.

Information for students, alumni and others: Pre-registration is not required, business-casual attire is required (NO jeans), and participants should bring copies of their resumes to the fair.

Information for employers: Advance registration is required. Booth space will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is available online at www.uis.edu/career. For more information, or to register, contact the Career Development Center at 217/206-6508.