Thursday, July 28, 2016

Japanese students conduct science experiments at UIS

Students from Springfield's sister city in Japan conducted science experiments at UIS this week. The boys from Ashikaga Boys High School won a grant from the Japanese government to come to the U.S.

Working with the UIS Departments of Biology and Chemistry, they took samples from the field and brought them back into the lab to test their chemical makeup. The boys said that the work they did here is different from what they're used to at home.

"This experiment is so very difficult," Kazuki Handa, Ashikaga Boys High School said, "but we enjoy it."

The story was reported by WICS-TV 20 on July 27, 2016.

Watch the story online.

Illinois Historic Preservation Agency names new state historian

Dr. Samuel Wheeler, an expert on the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln, was named Illinois state historian Tuesday by the trustees of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

As state historian, Wheeler will direct research and collections at the state historical library, a part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. He will also lead efforts to use the state’s historical resources, such as museums, library collections and historic sites, to educate the public about Illinois’ rich heritage.

Wheeler, 38, holds a Ph.D. in history from Southern Illinois University, a master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Springfield and a bachelor’s from Illinois State University. He lives in Springfield with his son, Owen.

The story was reported by WICS-TV 20 on July 26, 2016.

Read the full story online.

Monday, July 25, 2016

Students say DCFS scholarships have changed their lives

When Gabriella White was 11 years old, “she had never met a book,” said her mom, Shannon O’Donnell.

O’Donnell and her husband, Joseph White, adopted the now 18-year-old Gabriella in 2008. “She just blossomed,” O’Donnell said proudly as she talked about her daughter’s accomplishments.

White worked hard, her mother said. And it paid off. She graduated from Normal Community West High School in the spring with a 4.49 GPA out of 5.0.

White will study psychology and criminology at the University of Illinois-Springfield in the fall with a full tuition waiver provided by the youth scholarship program of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

The story was reported by the Chicago Sun-Times on July 22, 2016.

Read the story online.

Friday, July 22, 2016

Trustees renew UIS chancellor's appointment

University of Illinois trustees have voted to renewed the appointment of Springfield campus Chancellor Susan Koch after a successful five-year review.

Koch's appointment renewal is for up to five years. She took office in July 2011. A university news release said she "has raised UIS’s profile and reputation, focused on faculty and student recruitment, expanded academic programs, engaged with the local community, and enhanced the student experience and campus environment."

Her five-year review included input from faculty, students and staff.

The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on July 21, 2016.

Read the story online.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

University of Illinois looks to freeze tuition again

In some positive news for future University of Illinois undergraduates, President Timothy Killeen said Tuesday he will propose freezing tuition for the incoming class of 2017.

If approved, it would mark an unprecedented third year in a row that the base tuition rates for in-state freshmen would remain the same. Trustees won't vote on tuition until January.

But by announcing the goal now — as high school juniors are gearing up to apply to college — Killeen may ease families' fears about the future of higher education in Illinois at a time when state funding is declining and unpredictable. The tuition charged to a freshman remains the same for the student's four years of college.

Killeen cautioned that without more funding from Springfield, U. of I. may not be able to support a tuition freeze.

With the freeze, students entering in fall 2017 would pay the same tuition as this past year's freshmen: $12,036 at the Urbana-Champaign campus, $10,584 at the Chicago campus and $9,405 in Springfield.

The story was reported by the Chicago Tribune on July 13, 2016.

Read the full article online.

Osprey chicks from Virginia introduced to central Illinois in 'translocation' project

The 12 osprey chicks from Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay that were banded, marked and examined here Friday morning were successfully transported to protected sites near Shelbyville and Canton later in the day.

The 6-week-old ospreys — fish-eating hawks with distinctive brown and white coloring — are considered endangered in Illinois. The dozen birds from Virginia are part of a “translocation” project begun in 2013 to re-establish a population of ospreys in the Land of Lincoln.

A major goal is to have at least some of the ospreys return to Illinois for breeding after they migrate south, sometimes as far away as South America, said Tih-Fen Ting, associate professor of environmental studies at the University of Illinois Springfield.

The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on July 9, 2016.

Read the story online.

Monday, July 11, 2016

UIS professor working to relocate endangered birds to Illinois

A University of Illinois Springfield professor and the Illinois Audubon Society are partnering to relocate endangered birds to the state.

UIS says twelve 6-week-old ospreys were transported to Decatur from Virginia this week.

The university tagged the birds at the Illinois Raptor Center in Decatur today.

They will later be released near Lake Shelbyville and along the Illinois River near Canton.

We're told, ospreys are fish-eating birds of prey that are listed as endangered in Illinois.

"I am so excited. This has been a long week. We finally get to this place where we can just finish and band the birds, make sure they're all healthy and happy and let them go," said Tih-Fen Ting, professor at UIS.

The Illinois Audubon Society is contributing $3,000 to transport the birds.

The story was reported by Fox Illinois on July 8, 2016.

Watch the story online.

UIS names Egolf interim women's soccer coach

Chatham Glenwood High School graduate Erin Egolf has been named interim University of Illinois Springfield women’s soccer coach.

The 25-year-old has served as an assistant the past three seasons and is arguably the best UIS women’s soccer player in program history. She is UIS’ all-time leading goal scorer and holds several records.

“This job, especially in my own backyard, is an incredible opportunity,” Egolf said. “I couldn’t be more excited for it. It’s a wonderful chance.”

The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on July 9, 2016.

Read the story online.

Thursday, July 7, 2016

UIS experiences highest summer school enrollment to date

More than 2,000 students have enrolled in classes at the University of Illinois Springfield already this summer.

According to the UIS Admission's Office, a record breaking total of 2,312 students enrolled for the summer.

A closer look at the data shows that 75 percent of those students are ages 20 through 34 years old, half of them are part-time students; 37 percent of those students are taking their classes online, and almost all of them are currently pursuing a degree.

The Director of Admissions for UIS, Fernando Planas, says this is a trend he expects to continue.

"They're seeing that there may be some costs and they're unsure about what's going to be happening in the next year. And so they're much more careful in planning than perhaps I've seen in the past," said Planas.

The story was reported by WICS-TV 20 on July 6, 2016.

Watch the story online.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

UIS dean: British exit to impact world

The United Kingdom’s surprising June 23 vote to leave the European Union — often known as the EU — likely will reverberate around the world over the months and years to come.

Ronald McNeil, dean of the University of Illinois Springfield College of Business and Management since 2002, has traveled extensively to Europe, China and Asia. He also is the PNC Distinguished Professor in Banking and Finance at UIS.

He previously was dean of the Sullivan College of Business at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth from 1992-2002 and associate dean of the Georgia State University College of Business before that.

A consultant to major companies including utilities, the oil and gas industry, the chemical industry and others, McNeil lived in England for two years and has a degree from there, as well as one from Canada.

We asked him about some of the ramifications of Brexit, as the British exit from the EU is called.

The full interview was published in The State Journal-Register on July 3, 2016.

Read the full interview online.