UIS to host the Career Connections Expo for students, alumni and community members

WHAT: University of Illinois Springfield and Lincoln Land Community College are excited to announce the 2019 Career Connections Expo. Community members, students and alumni from the hosting institutions and other colleges as well as community members are invited to attend the free event. The Expo is supported by advantage partners including Northwestern Mutual, NPR Illinois, MSF&W Inc., Omniskope and Wise Equation Solutions Inc.

WHEN: Thursday, February 14, 2019, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

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

DETAILS: The Expo is designed to help attendees make professional connections, find jobs and internships and explore career paths. For potential employers, it is a chance to disseminate pertinent information and to develop a pool of candidates interested in current or future career opportunities.

Representatives from more than 100 organizations are expected to be on hand. The event has an average attendance of more than 300 students, alumni and community members.

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 resume to the Expo.

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.

UIS announces 2019 Black History Month celebration events

The University of Illinois Springfield will celebrate Black History Month in February with a variety of events designed to educate and raise awareness. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Black is Beautiful, Black is Powerful, Black is Confident and Black is Resilient.”

The following events are free and open to the public.

Friday, February 1 
Candle Light Vigil 
Students and community members are invited to participate in a Candle Light Vigil honoring the life of anyone who they have lost. Participants are encouraged to light a candle and say a few remarks for that special person. The vigil will start at 11:30 a.m. in the UIS Student Union.

Step Afrika! 
A performance by Step Afrika! will take place at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. Over the past 23 years Step Afrika! has grown to become one of the top 10 African American Dance Companies in the U.S. and Washington D.C.’s largest African American arts organization.

Wednesday, February 6 
Spoken Word
Artist Britteney Black Rose Kapri will be coming to campus and performing poetry at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Osborne Lounge. She is a teaching artist, writer, performance poet and playwright. She is the author of “Black Queer Hoe” (Haymarket Books, 2018). Her writing has been published in Poetry magazine, Vinyl, Day One, Seven Scribes and Kinfolks Quarterly.

Friday, February 8 
The History of Springfield – From 1908 to Now 
The Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series, the UIS Diversity Center and The Springfield NAACP will co-host a film screening and panel discussion at 4 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium. This event will begin with a screening of the 30-minute film “Springfield Had No Shame: The Springfield Race Riot of 1908.” The film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Teresa Haley, president of the NAACP Springfield and Illinois Chapters.

Sunday, February 10
Black Male Collegiate Society Induction Ceremony 
Join UIS as we celebrate the accomplishments of those being inducted into the Black Male Collegiate Society. Hear from various Black Male Collegiate Society members and newly inducted members on their journey from maleness to manhood. This event is at 3 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. This event is free and open to the public.

Tuesday, February 12
Know Your Heritage Bowl 
Join UIS for a trivia game to learn about important African-American people, inventions, and legislations that impact the way we see society today. The event will happen at 9 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom.

Friday, February 15
High School-College Mixer 
Local high school students (juniors and seniors) are invited to partake in a campus visit where they will have a chance to interact, learn and socialize with many current African American student leaders at UIS. There will be a chance to learn more about the importance of Greek Life and witness a special presentation. This event will be held in the Student Union Ballroom from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This event is open to local high school students.

Movie Screening & Discussion: “Cornbread, Earl and Me” (1975) 
Nathaniel "Cornbread" Hamilton was the black urban dream and a hero to Wilford. Shortly before he would have become the first man from his community to go to college, the police mistake him for a rapist and shoot him dead in the street. Wilford is determined not to betray his hero’s memory. Join us for this movie screening and panel discussion at 7 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium. This panel discussion is in conjunction and builds into the “Stranger Fruit” documentary screening and discussion.

Sunday, February 17 
Soul Food Festival
The Soul Food Festival serves as a time for the university to come together, have fun and listen to music, all while enjoying soul food. Educational and cultural exhibits will be displayed throughout the evening. This event will take place at 6 p.m. in the Public Affairs Center, lower level concourse.

Monday, February 18 
“Stranger Fruit” Documentary Screening 
The documentary “Stranger Fruit” will be shown at 8 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. The documentary tells the story of Michael Brown, who was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri on April 9, 2014. “Stranger Fruit” shows what took place through the eyes of Brown's family. Following the documentary, there will be a discussion on the rights and responsibilities of citizens and police officers in the U.S.

Tuesday, February 19
“Blackness Across Borders” 
Speaker Roberto Rincón will offer an analysis of black racial identification among Afro-Mexicans in Winston-Salem, North Carolina from Noon to 1 p.m. in the Public Affairs Center, Rooms C/D.

Wednesday, February 20 
Building your Trans Ally Toolkit or Beyond Black Trans Death & Doom
Black, gender-expanding activist, educator, and musician, Jay-Marie Hill will enlighten audiences on transgender power and resilience through lecture, discussion, and live original music at this UIS Black History Month event at 4 p.m. in the Lincoln Residence Hall Greatroom. This performance/experience will widen audience awareness to include living and thriving alongside transgender people. This performance experience will include a focus on supporting Black Trans Thriving.

Friday, February 22
Hairstory 
This event is being held at 4 p.m. in the Diversity Center to educate and create dialogue surrounding the importance of hair in the black community, specifically with women and the issues that can arise as a result of lack of understanding, discrimination, and appropriation. This panel discussion will provide education to those who might not have the understanding around hair and the black community, as well as allowing participants to share and ask questions they might have.

Saturday, February 23
Ebony Ball 
The Ebony Ball is a chance to appreciate and celebrate the black excellence of our current student leaders. The evening will be filled with education, laughter and positivity. The event is open to all students who believe in leadership and unity. Please take the time to increase the value of our student leaders by rooting them on in celebration this evening. Dress attire is business casual. This event will take place in the Student Union Ballroom at 8 p.m. Lincoln Land Community College students are welcomed to attend.

Sunday, February 24
Gospel Karaoke 
This is an event that will highlight spirituality within the black community as its importance and prominence within the culture. Join us at 6 p.m. in the Lincoln Residence Hall Greatroom.

Thursday, February 28 
Closing Ceremony 
Students will reflect on Black History Month during this closing ceremony featuring food and discussion at 3 p.m. in the Diversity Center.

For more information on Black History Month events, visit the UIS Diversity Center website at www.uis.edu/diversitycenter/ or contact Justin Rose, director of diversity and inclusion designee, at 217/206-6333 or jrose22@uis.edu.

UIS Speaker Series explores “Sanctuary Healthcare” for immigrants in the United States

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series presents “Sanctuary Healthcare for All: Public Health Protecting the Rights of Immigrants and Marginalized People,” a discussion led by Susan Avila, a registered nurse and lecturer at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health.

WHEN: Wednesday, February 13, 2019, at 6 p.m.

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

DETAILS: “Sanctuary Healthcare” is a term used to describe a health care system that is a welcoming, accessible and a safe place for all, regardless of immigration status. According to Avila, the current political climate in the United States has generated fear, anxiety and hopelessness among immigrants. She will discuss how this has led individuals to not seek care for their existing medical conditions for the fear of being arrested and deported.

Avila has worked in a broad spectrum of roles from a public health nurse based in one of the first established community health centers nationally to bedside nursing in acute care institutions. She was a member of former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington’s administration where she helped to rebuild the food protection program. Collaborating with faculty at the UIC School of Public Health, she has published in the areas of occupational injury, violence prevention and elder maltreatment. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from St. Louis University and a master’s degree in public health from the University of Illinois.

This event is cosponsored by the UIS Public Health Student Association.

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/.

Five UIS faculty members to present their research during public presentations on campus

Five faculty members from the University of Illinois Springfield will present their research as part of the Spring Semester 2019 Faculty Scholarship Series. All presentations are free and open to the public.

The series starts with Michael Cheney, a UIS professor specializing in communications, media and politics, popular music and society. He will present “Are We There Yet? Bits and Bytes of the History of Presidential Campaign Advertising in the Internet Age” from 5 to 6 p.m. on March 6 in the Public Affairs Center (PAC) Conference Room H.

Heather Dell, UIS associate professor of women and gender studies, will discuss the results from her sabbatical research, “Indonesia, Ethics of Textile Wealth, & Globalization,” on April 16 from 6 to 7 p.m.  in University Hall Building Room 2022. Samples of textiles from around the world will be on display.

Sibel Oktay, UIS associate professor of political science, will discuss the results from her sabbatical research, “Governing Abroad: Coalition Politics and Foreign Policy in Europe,” on April 23 from 4 to 5 p.m. in PAC Conference Room G.

On April 25, Michael Burlingame, the Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies, will present “Abraham Lincoln and African Americans” from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Student Union, Conference Rooms 225 & 226.

The Series concludes on May 1, 2019. Junfeng Wang, UIS associate professor of public administration, will discuss “What China Can Learn from Western Political Party Laws” from 7 to 8 p.m. in PAC Conference Room F.

The Faculty Scholarship Series was started last year to highlight research at UIS and to share these results with the larger Springfield community.

For more information, contact Keenan Dungey, UIS associate vice chancellor for research and institutional effectiveness, at 217/206-8112 or kdung1@uis.edu.

UIS Black History Month event examines "The History of Springfield – From 1908 to Now"

WHAT: As part of Black History Month, the University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series, the UIS Diversity Center and The Springfield NAACP will co-host a film screening and panel discussion on “The History of Springfield – From 1908 to Now.”

WHEN: Friday, February 8, 2019, at 4 p.m.

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

DETAILS: This event will begin with a screening of the 30-minute film “Springfield Had No Shame: The Springfield Race Riot of 1908.” The film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Teresa Haley, president of the NAACP Springfield and Illinois Chapters. The panel will also include previous NAACP presidents and members. The panelists will discuss the history and plight of the NAACP since its establishment in 1909 up until now, 110 years later.

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 Visual Arts Gallery presents “Pleasure Comes in Halves” by Milwaukee artist Thaddeus Kellstadt

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery is pleased to present “Pleasure Comes in Halves,” a mixed-media installation by Milwaukee-based artist Thaddeus Kellstadt. The exhibition, featuring paintings, sculptures and videos, will open on Monday, January 14, and run through Thursday, February 14. A reception for the exhibit will take place on Thursday, January 24, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the Visual Arts Gallery.

Kellstadt arrived in Springfield at the start of the new year for a two-week stay that will allow him to develop new work on-site for this exhibit. He has been using the UIS Visual Arts Gallery as a studio while gathering materials for his work from various sources throughout the Springfield community. He has been staying at the Enos Park Residency for Visual Artists.

Of his work, Kellstadt says, “The structures I paint on are made primarily out of discarded wood. I pick through this discarded wood, to pull out the interesting shapes and forms. There is a lot of collecting in my process. I visit thrift stores looking for wooden animals, bowls and bric-a-brac to cut and fit into my structures. Collecting and reformation are vital parts of my work, and allow me create wonderful problems for myself with what I find. Constructing the forms is a cross between playing with building blocks and fitting together a puzzle. The process is a negotiation between my aspirations and the stubborn nature of the forms. Each step of the construction informs the next, with color being my ultimate instrument and negotiator.”

Kellstadt has shown his work nationally and internationally at a variety of venues including Space 1026, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Secret Project Robot, New York, New York; Heaven Gallery, Chicago, Illinois; High Desert Test Sites, Joshua Tree, California; DEMO Project, Springfield, Illinois; Alice Gallery, Brussels, Belgium; Cell Project Space, London, United Kingdom; SPACE, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Contemporary Art Museum & Lump Gallery, Raleigh, North Carolina; The Ski Club, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and screened work at The MCA, Chicago, Illinois; PDX Film Festival, Portland, Oregon; CPHDOX, Copenhagen, Denmark and The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, 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 explores "Violent Video Games – The Myths, The Research, and The Red Dead Redemption"

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series will explore “Violent Video Games – The Myths, The Research, and The Red Dead Redemption” with clinical psychologist and Stetson University Professor Christopher Ferguson.

WHEN: Monday, January 28, 2019, at 6 p.m.

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

DETAILS: During the talk, Ferguson will present evidence that suggests violent video games do not contribute to violence in society. He will argue that continuing the moral panic over video games and technology can distract society from pressing social issues, such as mental health reform and gun policies. According to Ferguson, data from multiple studies suggests that violent games predict actual violence no better than a coin toss. Likewise, he says, concerns about video game or technology “addiction” are not firmly based in solid data. This talk offers tips for separating the rhetoric from good data on issues related to video game use and its impact on children.

Ferguson holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Central Florida. He has clinical experience particularly in working with offender and juvenile justice populations as well as conducting evaluations for child protective services. In 2013, he was awarded a Distinguished Early Career Professional Award from Division 46 (media psychology and technology) of the American Psychological Association. In 2014, he was named a fellow of the American Psychological Association through Division 1 (General Psychology, effective January, 2015). He is also the author of a historical mystery novel entitled “Suicide Kings” and “Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games Is Wrong.”

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 a Graduate School Fair to educate students about master’s degree programs

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield will showcase its 20 master’s degree programs during the annual Graduate School Fair. Students from any institution who are considering earning a master’s degree or who want to learn more about UIS’ programs are invited to attend.

WHEN: Wednesday, January 23, 2019, from 3 to 5:30 p.m.

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

DETAILS: Attendees will receive a $60 application fee waiver for their graduate school application. They will also have the opportunity to speak face-to-face with academic program chairs and representatives. The fair is designed to help students determine which program best fits their needs and interests.

Representative from all graduate programs, including accountancy, athletic training, business administration (MBA), communication, computer science, data analytics, educational leadership, education, English, environmental science, history, human development counseling, human services, legal studies, management information systems, political science, public administration and public health will be in attendance. The UIS Career Development Center, Admissions Department, Graduate Public Service Intern Program, Graduate Assistantship Programs and the Illinois Legislative Staff Intern Program will also be represented.

During the first 30 minutes, there will be an informational session featuring Cecilia Cornell, UIS associate vice chancellor for graduate education, who will speak on UIS graduate education and the value of a graduate degree. UIS Director of Admissions Fernando Planas will speak on the application process for graduate school, followed by Myra Kaufman, assistant director for the Office of Graduate Intern Programs, who will speak on assistance programs and paying for your graduate degree.

Registration for this event is encouraged, but is not required. Please register online at https://apply.uis.edu/register/gradfair. Questions may be direction to the UIS Office of Graduate Programs at 217/206-6153 or mkauf5@uis.edu.