Wednesday, September 30, 2015

UIS Speaker Series explores the "Importance of Nonviolent Protests to Oppose Racial Injustice"

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series presents a discussion on “The Importance of Nonviolent Protests to Oppose Racial Injustice in Ferguson” featuring first-hand witnesses and participants in the Ferguson civil rights protests, Pastor Cori Bush and Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou. The discussion will be moderated by UIS associate professor Roxanne Marie Kurtz.

WHEN: Friday, October 16, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.

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

DETAILS: Inspiring and internationally recognized speakers and civil rights activists with deep ties to the St. Louis area, Pastor Cori Bush and Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou seek an ethical path to change.

On the frontlines of the Ferguson protests, Bush reports being assaulted by police as she provided medical care to protestors. Sekou was arrested as he prayed with other clergy who had gathered. Bush and Sekou contend that only nonviolent citizen-led civil rights actions against social, political, and law enforcement practices that have shaped and sustained patterns of deep racial injustice in Ferguson can achieve the change that justice demands.

Bush is the pastor of Kingdom Embassy International, a member of Ferguson’s Women’s Caucus, a registered nurse and a daily Ferguson activist. Sekou, called to Ferguson by the interfaith peace Fellowship of Reconciliation, is a Harvard-educated theologian, author and former visiting scholar at Stanford University’s Martin Luther King Education and Research Institute.

This lecture-discussion is part of the events leading up to the One Book, One UIS Keynote event with Congressman John Lewis on Oct. 19.

A list of other upcoming ECCE Speaker Series events can be found at www.uis.edu/speakerseries/. All events are free and open to the public.

UIS Social Justice Leadership Series announces book club featuring the works of author Harper Lee

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Institute for Legal, Legislative and Policy Studies (ILLAPS) invites participants to the first Community Education Book Club featuring the works of author Harper Lee. The club is part of the Social Justice Leadership Series: Race and Racism in America.

WHEN: October 14, 21, and 28, 2015 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Public Affairs Center (PAC 457) and Online Webinar

DETAILS: Harper Lee’s Pulitzer-prize winning book, To Kill a Mockingbird, has become an American literature classic, touted by critics as “the most widely read book dealing with race in America.” The book is commonly used in high schools across the country to teach about racial injustice and emphasize tolerance. Go Set a Watchman, Lee’s sequel to Mockingbird, published in 2015, and was actually written and submitted to publishers before Mockingbird in mid 1950s.

ILLAPS invites participants to read both To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman, and join them for a Book Club discussion to better understand how these two works relate and what they can tell us about race and race relations in America today.

Pauline Kayes, professor emeritus from Parkland College, will lead the discussion for book club participants who wish to meet in person and in a Webinar format.

Cost for the Community Education Book Club is $75. To register, contact Elizabeth Thai at 217/206-7990 or email illaps@uis.edu.

The ILLAPS Community Education Book Club will host a new book and discussion each semester. For more information, visit www.uis.edu/illaps/community-education/.

UIS Speaker Series examines gender roles using J.K. Rowling’s beloved world of Harry Potter

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series will delve into the issue of gender roles with some of the most famous fictional characters of modern times in “Hermione Granger and Other Characters: Gender in the World of Hogwarts.”

WHEN: Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.

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

DETAILS: Using excerpts from the novel “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” University of Illinois Springfield Associate Professor of Women and Gender Studies Heather Dell will offer analysis and lead discussion about the way key characters are gendered in Rowling’s world.

How do girls and boys attempt to gain standing among their peers, families and teachers in this novel? Does co-ed quidditch offer us a good model for equal opportunity in sports? Rowling’s world offers an excellent opportunity to explore both the limits of her vision and the ways she opens our minds to not just tolerance, but acceptance.

Heather Dell grew up with parents who loved England. She has been recognized with the UIS Pearson Award and by the Capital Scholars Honors Program for excellence in teaching. As a cultural anthropologist, she has conducted research in India, Canada, Nicaragua, England and the Netherlands.

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.

Monday, September 28, 2015

UIS Lunch & Learn Series presents "Medicine on the Prairie"

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield’s Office of Advancement, Alumni SAGE Society, Chancellor’s Office and the Illinois State Historical Society presents “Medicine on the Prairie” as part of the Lunch and Learn Series.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: Public Affairs Center (PAC) Conference Room C/D, located on the lower level of the PAC on the UIS campus.

DETAILS: A robust professional medical education and training program has spurred growth in high-quality healthcare, local business, education programs, and cultural diversity. Dr. Kevin Dorsey, dean and provost of the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, will reflect on his tenure and offer a glimpse of the future of healthcare. Dr. Virginia Dolan, pediatrician, will speak on her experience as a medical student, her career path as a pediatrician and changes in the profession impacting women.

The cost for the hot buffet lunch and program is $23/per person. Reservations are requested, as seating is limited. Seating is available in the back for those who do not purchase the luncheon buffet.

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

The Lunch & Learn Series will conclude for the semester on November 18 with “Vietnam: A Catalyst of Change”.

Visit www.uis.edu/advancement/alumni/ to register online. For more information, contact the UIS Office of Advancement at 217/206-6058 or email advancement@uis.edu.

Monday, September 21, 2015

UIS Speaker Series explores Capitalism vs. reality

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series presents a Carrol C. Hall Lecture on “Capitalism vs. Reality.”

WHEN: Tuesday, October 6, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

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

DETAILS: "Does capitalism pursue a collective self-interest that benefits us all, or does it pursue the interests of the wealthy and transnational corporations?"

In this lecture, author and speaker Michael Parenti will provide a critique of capitalism as the driving logic of empire which motivates global exploitation and growing inequality everywhere. Parenti encourages attendees to think beyond dominant ideologies, and argues for the critical necessity of engaged citizens who are committed to a cooperative idea of the good society.

Michael Parenti holds a Ph.D. in political science from Yale University. He has authored more than 20 books, many of which have been translated into over 18 languages. He serves on the board for Project Censored, as well as on the editorial boards of New Political Science and Nature, Society and Thought. Parenti focuses on American politics and U.S. foreign policy, and he directly indicts the U.S. government as the central administrator of global capitalism today.

This lecture is funded by the Carrol C. Hall Endowment Fund. This fund aims to further educate young Americans on capitalism as an economic system and philosophy.

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.

Monday, September 14, 2015

UIS Professor Ali Nizamuddin to discuss the corporate dominance of the world's food supply

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series welcomes UIS Associate Professor of Political Science Ali Nizamuddin. He will discuss his new book, The Patenting of Life, Limiting Liberty, and the Corporate Pursuit of Seeds, which investigates the corporate dominance of the world’s food supply.

WHEN: Monday, September 28, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

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

DETAILS: The seed is nature’s gift and the first link in the food chain. This life form is becoming the exclusive intellectual property of the corporation. The advent of genetically modified seeds and strict patent protection accorded to them enables companies to own the seed even after the farmer has bought, planted, and harvested the seed. Multinational corporations have a monopoly control over seeds and the accompanying pesticides which is leading to monocultures in the food system and the disappearance of traditional methods of farming. Local producers are forced to buy seeds each year, thereby fostering a feudalistic relationship of perpetual dependence. An imbalance of power has emerged and farmers are transformed from producers to consumers by these arrangements.

Ali Nizamuddin received his Ph.D. from Columbia University in International Relations. His dissertation examined the impact of market risks on investment patterns and the bargaining interaction between multinational corporations and host governments over the life cycle of an investment project. His research has been published in numerous academic journals including the Journal of Pacific Affairs, Asian Journal of Social Science, the International Social Science Review, and the Encyclopedia of International Political Economy.

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.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Artist Eric J. Garcia to speak at UIS and present exhibition during Hispanic Heritage Month

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) Visual Arts Gallery is pleased to present Strata, an exhibition from Chicano artist Eric J. García, who serves as the traveling art coordinator at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago. The exhibition reception is held in conjunction with an Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series event, “Mexican Muralists: Public Art for Social Transformation,” and is part of the Political Art and the Public Sphere (PAPS) Series.

Strata will open on Monday, September 21, and run through Thursday, October 15. An exhibition reception will take place will take place at the UIS Visual Arts Gallery on Monday, September 21, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Speaker Series event, “Mexican Muralists: Public Art for Social Transformation,” will take place the same night from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium, on the lower level of Brookens Library.

García offers this context for his exhibit: “Layers of history, diverse cultures and conquests make up my complicated background. This exhibit illustrates some of the different ancestors that mixed, fought and ultimately created something culturally new. With the help of an assortment of media, hopefully these objects present not only the complexity of my identity but the circumstances that caused it.”

“Mexican Muralists: Public Art for Social Transformation” is an ECCE Speaker Series event that serves as a perfect companion to the exhibit. Garcia will address history and content found within his work and beyond. After the Mexican Revolution overthrew the Diaz dictatorship in the early 20th Century, the new government funded major public art projects. Murals by the best artists in Mexico were not created for the art world, but to communicate social and political messages for the public. They illustrated Mexican history and celebrated indigenous roots and non-European identity.

The Mexican Mural Movement became a model for public and political art that continues to inspire artists around the world, including Latinos --- such as Eric J. Garcia. As a forum in the Political Art and the Public Sphere Series, the main event will be an open discussion with the artist, in which we explore the social and political dimensions of Mexican art and his own work.

García is known for mixing history and culture with contemporary themes. He has shown his art in numerous national and international exhibitions. His awards include the prestigious Jacob Javits Fellowship and a Midwestern Voices and Visions Residency. Born and raised in Albuquerque’s South Valley, Garcia earned his Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico and his Masters of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

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

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.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

UIS Speaker Series examines a decade of Supreme Court leadership under Chief Justice John Roberts

WHAT: On Constitution Day, the University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series will examine U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts’ first decade on the bench. Jason Mazzone, professor of law and the Lynn H. Murray Faculty Scholar in Law at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will offer analysis and predictions about where the Court and the Constitution are headed.

WHEN: Thursday, September 17, 2015 at 6:30 p.m.

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

DETAILS: Under John Roberts’ leadership, the Supreme Court has decided a set of constitutional cases that touch on the hottest political issues of our time (including same-sex marriage, abortion, Obamacare, lethal injections, and religious freedom). While the Roberts Court has not shied away from difficult and controversial matters, its decisions, overall, defy conventional labels of “conservative” or “liberal." Yet making sense of the Roberts Court is essential to understanding its impact upon American society.

Mazzone will assess how the Supreme Court impacts the social and political lives of ordinary Americans as well as how the Court's decisions are themselves informed and shaped by the views and experiences of citizens.

Mazzone is a nationally recognized expert in the fields of constitutional law and history. He received his law degree from Harvard University, a master’s degree from Stanford University and master’s and doctoral degrees from Yale University. His scholarship has been cited by many courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. He teaches constitutional issues around the world and is chair of Illinois-Bologna Conference on Comparative Constitutional History, in addition to being a media commentator.

This event is co-sponsored by the UIS Legal Studies Department. 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.

Friday, September 4, 2015

UIS Lunch & Learn Series presents "Typewriters, Tape Reels and Social Media"

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Office of Advancement, Alumni SAGE Society, UIS Chancellor and Illinois State Historical Society presents “Typewriters, Tape Reels and Social Media” as part of its annual Lunch and Learn Series.

WHEN: Thursday, September 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: Public Affairs Center (PAC) Conference Room C/D, located on the lower level of the PAC on the UIS campus.

DETAILS: WUIS and Illinois Issues magazine have joined forces to offer a 24/7 tech-savvy news and entertainment organization, leveraging technology and social media tools. General Manager and publisher Randy Eccles will lead a 40th anniversary discussion with Illinois Issues editor Jamey Dunn and retired WUIS station manager Brad Swanson on the ever-changing business of radio, entertainment and print news media.

The cost for the hot buffet lunch and program is $23/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 $55/per person.

Other upcoming Lunch & Learn events include “Medicine on the Prairie” on October 13 and “Vietnam: A Catalyst of Change” on November 18. These lunch-time programs will stimulate thinking as they build upon the university's tradition of open and intelligent dialogue.

Visit www.uis.edu/advancement/alumni/ to register online. For more information, contact the UIS Office of Advancement at 217/206-6058 or email advancement@uis.edu.

UIS Speaker Series explores the history and experiences of Latin Americans in the United States

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series will explore “Latin Americans: Relating Diversity, History, Experiences and Assimilation in the U.S.” during a Hispanic Heritage Month panel discussion.

WHEN: Monday, September 14, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

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

DETAILS: Individuals of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity make up the largest minority group in the United States today, and by 2060 the U.S. Census Bureau projects they will make up almost one-third of the country’s population. This panel, made up of individuals from a variety of Latin American countries, will discuss the racial/ethnic makeup and current and historic social/political issues of their respective homelands. They will explain the reasons for immigration out of their respective countries and reflect on their own experiences as they have attempted to integrate into this country’s society.

Panelists will include Adriana Crocker, from Argentina – associate professor of Political Science at UIS; Jorge Villegas, from Mexico – associate professor of Business Administration at UIS; Patrick Anderson Avilés, from Honduras – writing specialist in the Center for Academic Success at UIS; Jesús Canelon, from Venezuela – assistant professor of Management Information Systems at UIS; and Rubén Darío Gómez González, from Guatemala – tour guide, Mayan civil rights advocate, and passionate public advocate for his country. The event will be moderated by Hinda Seif, associate professor of Sociology and Anthropology at UIS.

This event is co-sponsored by the UIS Diversity Center and Organization of Latin American Students. 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.

UIS hosts ambiguous grief workshop; loss that occurs without closure or understanding

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield, Memorial Health Centers and Butler Funeral Homes present “Loss, Trauma, and Resilience: The Myth of Closure with Ambiguous Loss” workshop featuring internationally known marriage and family therapist, scientist-practitioner and author Pauline Boss, Ph.D.

WHEN: Friday, October 2, 2015 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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

DETAILS: Ambiguous loss is loss that leaves a person searching for answers. It can complicate and delay the natural process of grieving and often results in unresolved grief.

Pauline Boss, Ph.D., the principal theorist in ambiguous loss has worked with families of the physically missing, from the Vietnam War, 9/11, the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami and more recently with the Malaysian Airline Flight 370. Her work on the psychologically missing is best represented in her latest book, Loving Someone Who Has Dementia.

Boss will teach about the two types of ambiguous loss and share her six therapeutic guidelines for treatment when loss is complicated by ambiguity.

Pauline Boss is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota, a fellow in the American Psychological Association and the American Associate of Marriage and Family Therapy and a family therapist and consultant in private practice.

Cost for the workshop is $100, or $125 after September 18, 2015. Continuing education units and contact hours will be provided. Register online at www.uis.edu/humanservices/.

For more information contact Carolyn Peck, UIS associate professor and chair of Human Services at 217/206-7577 or cpeck2@uis.edu.