UIS Muslim Students Organization to host a lecture exploring Pakistan’s foreign policy

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Muslim Students Organization invites the public to attend a lecture on “Pakistan’s Foreign Policy under the Imran Khan Administration: Implications for the Great powers” featuring Shahbaz Gill, a lecturer of business administration at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

WHEN: Saturday, September 29, 2018, at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Public Affairs Center, Conference Rooms C/D
2200 Ernest Hemingway Drive
Springfield

DETAILS: In addition to being a faculty member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Gill has served as an advisor to Imran Khan, the current prime minister of Pakistan.

Snacks and refreshments will be served at the event.

For more information, contact Ali Nizamuddin, UIS associate professor of political science, at 217/206-8424 or aniza2@uis.edu.

UIS Astronomy-Physics to host an Accessible Star Party for people with disabilities

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Astronomy-Physics Program will host an Accessible Star Party for people with disabilities. This Star Party is intended for people who are not able to participate in a regular Friday Night Star Party and require extra consideration to attend a Star Party.

WHEN: Sunday, October 14, 2018, at 6:30 p.m.
(Weather make-up date Sunday, October 21, if needed)

WHERE: UIS Observatory, located on the roof of Brookens Library

DETAILS: Accessible Star Parties feature an out telescope designed to accommodate wheel chair access. The telescope has a fixed-focal point, so observers using wheelchairs can point the telescope at any direction in the sky without moving. This arrangement eliminates any need to bend over, kneel down or climb a ladder that is typical with other telescopes. The eyepiece is further arranged so that persons who have limited muscle control can comfortably use the instrument.

Reservations are required for the Accessible Star Party. Participants will use an elevator to reach the observatory on the roof of Brookens Library (not available during regular Friday Star Parties).

During the Star Party, participants can expect to view the Moon and the bright planets Saturn and Mars. Family and friends of people registered for the Accessible Star Party are also welcome and encouraged to attend.

This event is being held in addition to the regular public Friday Night Star Parties. For more information on Friday Night Star Parties visit, www.uis.edu/astronomy/about/starparties/.

For information about Accessible Star Parties, or to make a reservation for the October Accessible Star Party, contact John Martin, UIS associate professor of astronomy/physics, at 217/206-8342 or jmart5@uis.edu or visit www.uis.edu/astronomy/about/disabilitysupport/.

UIS Lunch & Learn Series presents "Artifacts & Anniversaries"

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

WHEN: Wednesday, September 26, 2018, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Student Union Ballroom, 2251 Richard Wright Drive, Springfield

DETAILS: Robert Sill, interim director of the Illinois State Museum, will present “Long History: Illinois’ Past in 12 Artifacts.” The Illinois Bicentennial is a significant milestone, but barely scratches the surface of the state’s 10,000 years of cultural history, and fossilized record dating back 50 million years.

Pam VanAlstine, co-chair of the Illinois Bicentennial Coordinating Committee of Springfield, will present “Commemorating the State’s 200th Anniversary: A Primer for the Next Century.” Planning the party of parties requires wonderful ideas, patience and forbearance.

The cost for the hot buffet lunch and program is $23/per person. Reservations are requested, as seating is limited. The registration deadline is one week prior to each event. A discounted series subscription is available for $60/per person.

Other upcoming Lunch & Learn events include “Governor’s Mansion & Gardens” on Oct. 23 and “Celebrating Illinois Statehood Day” on Dec. 3. These lunch-time programs will stimulate thinking as they build upon the University’s tradition of open and intelligent dialogue.

Visit www.go.uis.edu/LLfall2018 to register online. For more information, contact the UIS Office of Advancement at 217/206-6058 or email advancement@uis.edu.

UIS Visual Arts Gallery presents “Let the fancy,” a group exhibit curated by Jeff Robinson and Allison Lacher

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery is pleased to present “Let the fancy,” a group exhibition co-curated by Jeff Robinson, gallery director, and Allison Lacher, exhibitions manager. The exhibition will open on Thursday, September 27, and will run through Thursday, October 18. A reception for the exhibit will take place on Thursday, September 27, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

The exhibition is based on John Keats’ poem “Let the fancy” that praises the mind and its ability to conjure scenes of pleasure and abundance.

“It’s urgent, the poet tells us, that we make use of this ability since we are actually subject to terrible loss,” said Robinson. “Does this imaginative power have anything to do with that other kind of fancy—fancy clothes, fancy jewelry, fancy style? Is our urge to decorate and show off another way of resisting natural decay?”

The works in “Let the fancy” play upon both meanings, taking Keats’ imaginary splendor into unlikely places. Faced with the banality, disorder, and absurdity of ordinary life, the artists in this exhibition assert the richness of fancy materials and designs: whether on a band-aid, a veil, or gnawed velvet, fanciness exists here in a testy and comical relationship with the everyday.

“Let the fancy” features a variety of mixed-media works, among them bejeweled Budweiser cans, a custom fragrance to be worn by gallery staff, fabric formalwear abstractions, fragmented crystals and a silky pink sari embellished with silky hair, among others.

Exhibiting artists whose work will be part of “Let the fancy” include Matt Morris (Chicago, Illinois), Rose Nestler (Brooklyn, New York), Sherwin Ovid (Chicago, Illinois), Preetika Rajgahiah (Houston, Texas) and Elise Warfield (State College, Pennsylvania).

The Visual Arts Gallery is centrally located on the UIS campus in the Health and Science Building, Room 201, and is open 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 by phone at 217/206-6506 or by email at alach@uis.edu.

UIS Speaker Series presents two free workshop on “Leading from the Middle”

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series will present two free workshop on “Leading from the Middle” taught by Kevin Purcell, a UIS adjunct faculty member and retired Microsoft senior manager of organization development.

WHEN:
Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018, at 6 p.m.
Public Affairs Center Rooms C/D

Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018, at 6 p.m.
Sangamon Auditorium Lobby

DETAILS: Middle positions are those in which supervisors, middle managers, coaches, deans, department heads and others must function between the conflicting perspectives and demands of those above and below them. The “Leading from the Middle” workshops will provide specific leadership tips for each level of any human system and illuminate possibilities for change that empowered “middles” can make in organizations.

Participants will be divided into tops, middles, bottoms and customers and lead through two separate organization simulations. A debrief and a short lecture based on the principles of Power and Systems founder, Barry Oshry, will follow.

Purcell is a prominent UIS alum. He has been an adjunct faculty in the UIS College of Business since 2008. He has done consulting work with the Gates Foundation and Memorial Health Systems of Central Illinois.

The workshops are free and open to UIS students and the public. However, registration is required for the workshops. Participants may register online for the Oct. 4 workshop at https://go.uis.edu/Oct4 and at https://go.uis.edu/Oct24 for the Oct. 24 workshop.

Individuals with disabilities who anticipate the need for accommodations should contact the UIS Speaker Series Office at 217/206-8507 or speakerseries@uis.edu in advance. For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speaker Series events, visit www.uis.edu/speakerseries/.

UIS Speaker Series presents “Intersex: Stories Not Surgeries” featuring activist Pidgeon Pagonis

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series presents “Intersex: Stories Not Surgeries” featuring speaker Pidgeon Pagonis, an intersex activist, educator and filmmaker from Chicago. The talk is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 2, 2018, at 7 p.m.

WHERE: UIS Student Union, 2251 Richard Wright Drive, Springfield

DETAILS: The speaker will discuss how, for over a century, intersex people have had no voice in their medical “care” and “treatment”, which has led to dire consequences. Key events throughout intersex history will be introduced to help participants understand why intersex activists across the globe have united to demand intersex bodily autonomy and justice.

Pidgeon has a decade’s worth of experience giving talks and facilitating intersex workshops around the globe. In 2016, Pagonis was featured on the cover of National Geographic’s January issue titled “Gender Revolution.” Pagonis has launched an intersex-resource YouTube channel, co-founded the group Intersex People of Color for Justice (IPOCJ), introduced an intersex and non-binary art and clothing line and also made a cameo on Amazon’s “Transparent”. Pagonis was among nine LGBTQ artists honored with a Champion of Change Award in 2015 from the Obama White House.

This event is co-sponsored by the UIS Diversity Center, Gender and Sexuality Student Services, Women's Center, Women & Gender Studies, Department of Sociology/Anthropology and the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing - Springfield Regional Campus.

 Individuals with disabilities who anticipate the need for accommodations should contact the UIS Speaker Series Office at 217/206-8507 or speakerseries@uis.edu in advance. For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speaker Series events, visit www.uis.edu/speakerseries/.

UIS to host Diverse Business Opportunity Fair

University of Illinois Springfield Chancellor Susan Koch and the University of Illinois System Chief Procurement Officer Ben Bagby will host a Diverse Business Opportunity Fair featuring representatives from several state universities and community colleges.

Diverse businesses in the community interested in doing business with the state of Illinois’ public universities and community colleges are invited to attend the event on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the UIS Student Union Ballroom, 2251 Richard Wright Drive, Springfield.

Working cooperatively with the state universities to increase participation by minority, women, persons with disabilities and veteran-owned firms in higher education procurement is a top priority for the University of Illinois System.

Chancellor Koch recognizes that these types of events are imperative in propelling economic growth and vital to establishing connections and collaborative relationships.

“Not only is our campus able to benefit from connecting with exceptional diverse businesses, other state universities and colleges participating have a vast array of needs that these firms are capable of meeting. Participating in the fair is a great way to gain a better understanding of what those needs are and who the decision makers are,” said Koch.

Bagby said the state has substantial opportunities for diverse firms to participate in the procurement and contracting process. He added, “It’s important that diverse businesses know that the state values their business and are always looking for new ways to expand the diverse supplier network. One way we are doing this is by reviewing the contract renewal process to ensure that the Business Enterprise Program (BEP) policies and goals are properly taken into account before a contract is renewed. This is a great example of a new process where a BEP goal can be established or increased,” Bagby finished.

The Diverse Business Opportunity Fair is sponsored by the Chief Procurement Office and organized by the University of Illinois and is open to all businesses who desire to do business with the state of Illinois public universities and colleges. There will also be prime contractors there who are interested in establishing partnerships with small and diverse businesses.

Businesses who are planning to attend the fair are strongly encouraged to register online.

For more information, contact Jill Menezes, UIS director of purchases, at 217/206-6651 or jmene1@uillinois.edu.

UIS Speaker Series explores the impact of the Displaced Persons Act of 1948

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series will host a panel discussion exploring the Displaced Persons Act of 1948, which gave European refugees the ability to immigrate to the U.S. following World War II. The panel discussion is free and open to the public.

WHEN: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, at 6:30 p.m.

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

DETAILS: This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Displaced Persons Act, which directly impacted the ethnic composition of Illinois, resulting in the influx of a large Lithuanian population in Chicago and Springfield. This panel discussion will examine how immigration at local and regional levels relates to the broader domestic and international contexts of the post-World War II period. Children of displaced persons will share their stories. The panel discussion of historical immigration policy can also inform our understanding of contemporary refugee crises and immigration debates.

Members of the panel discussion include Robert Vitas, chairman of the Lithuanian Research and Studies Center in Chicago and executive director of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society; Sandy Baksys, author of “A Century of Lithuanians in Springfield, Illinois” and president of the Lithuanian-American Club of Central Illinois; Devin Hunter, UIS assistant professor of U.S. and public history; and Heather Bailey, UIS associate professor of modern European and Russian history.

This event is co-sponsored by the UIS History Department, Lithuanian-American Club of Central Illinois and the Illinois State Historical Society.

Individuals with disabilities who anticipate the need for accommodations should contact the UIS Speaker Series Office at 217/206-8507 or speakerseries@uis.edu in advance. For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speaker Series events, visit www.uis.edu/speakerseries/.