Women's Basketball: UIS junior guard Lauren Ladowski picks up first GLVC player of the week honors

University of Illinois Springfield junior guard Lauren Ladowski was named Great Lakes Valley Conference women's basketball player of the week for the first time in her career on Monday.

Ladowski, a 5-foot-7 Lake Central High School graduate from St. John, Indiana, became the school's all-time leader in made free throws against Rockhurst and eclipsed the 1,000-point career milestone against Southwest Baptist.

Ladowski leads UIS with 18.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.7 steals per game this season while shooting 41.9% from the field. She was named Third-Team All-GLVC in 2020.

This article was published in The State Journal-Register on February 22, 2021.

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UIS Innocence Project gets pardon for client from Pritzker

The Illinois Innocence Project at the University of Illinois Springfield announced that one of its clients, who was wrongfully convicted twice, has been pardoned by Gov. JB Pritzker.

Norman Propst, formerly of Chicago, was convicted of robbery in 1990 and of retail theft from a Borders bookstore in 1997.

“We are thrilled that the governor has granted clemency to Norman Propst for these wrongful convictions,” said John Hanlon, executive director of the Illinois Innocence Project. “So many unjust convictions have occurred to innocent young Black men in Chicago. Unfortunately, Norman suffered for that reality. We are, however, so proud of the unselfish and successful way that he has devoted himself to his community since he left Chicago."

Propst pleaded guilty in the 1990 case to avoid a possible 15-year prison sentence as his mother's health was worsening. In 1997, he pleaded guilty also to avoid prolonging the court proceedings.

Hanlon said the false convictions on Propst's record have been a barrier to Propst moving forward in his life.

This story was published in The State Journal-Register on Feb. 19, 2021.

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Women's Basketball: Ladowski hits 1,000 points; UIS goes above .500

Lauren Ladowski scored a game-high 28 points and University of Illinois Springfield went on an 11-2 run with under 4 minutes to play to claim a 63-58 victory over Southwest Baptist on Saturday in a women's Great Lakes Valley Conference game at Meyer Sports Center.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on Feb. 21, 2021.

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UIS PERSPECTIVES: Planning, transparency and community mark UIS’ COVID-19 response

The following is an excerpt from a column by Bethany Bilyeu, UIS executive director of Student Support Services. This column appeared in The State Journal-Register on February 13, 2021.

As we are quickly moving through this new year, many of us have spent time reflecting on the past year, and 2020 provided us so much to reflect on. In past years, there are several things that we can safely say are behind us as we look at them in the rear-view mirror. However, this year, there are still many things that we will continue to navigate.

For most of the last year, I have spent most of my personal and professional energy dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, as so many others have. I am a member of the University of Illinois Springfield’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Team. The team’s main purpose is to shepherd UIS through the COVID-19 pandemic, and I believe UIS has done a remarkable job managing COVID-19 on our campus.

For Fall 2020 to be as successful as it was, months of planning and coordination occurred throughout the U of I system. Last spring, as word quickly spread around the world of the growing pandemic, the University of Illinois initiated a system-wide response team that helped guide our COVID-19 response at each of its three universities.

Our campus has risen to meet these many challenges with grace and compassion. I am awestruck by the level of support at this university. One of the most rewarding parts of the past year has been seeing people support one another through this exceedingly difficult time.

Over the past year, many of us have had to make unbelievably hard choices and sacrifices, and more may be coming. And yet, I am hopeful for the future not only for UIS but society at large. I witnessed a group of people coming together in many ways for the first time to work together delivering great outcomes. I know it’s possible for people with different interests to engage in tough conversations and find common ground for the betterment of everyone.

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Center at UIS hopes to steer Lincoln scholars to his life in Illinois

To fully embrace a historical figure like Abraham Lincoln, Anne Moseley said, you have to literally walk in his footsteps.

A prime example, said Moseley, the acting director of the Center for Lincoln Studies — which officially opens Friday — is walking into the House of Representatives at the Old State Capitol, the spot where Lincoln gave his "House Divided" speech in 1858 after he had accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination for U.S. senator.

"There is a presence you feel when you walk into (the Old State Capitol)," Moseley insisted. "To quote 'Hamilton,' 'It's the room where it happens.' Anyone who is passionate about Lincoln and passionate about studying his life and times, you have to come to Illinois in order to embrace Lincoln and understand him. That's how you make good scholarship."

The center, which is housed at the University of Illinois Springfield's Public Affairs Center, has a goal of getting researchers to look into Lincoln's life in central Illinois and "to discover the Lincoln we know and love," Moseley said.

This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on Feb. 10, 2021.

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It’s a virtual grand opening for the Center for Lincoln Studies on Friday

The Center for Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield will hold a virtual grand opening on Lincoln's Birthday Feb. 12, 2021.

WTAX's Joey McLaughlin talks with the acting director of the Center for Lincoln Studies, Anne Moseley, about the center and its virtual grand opening for the center this Friday.

The interview aired on WTAX on Feb. 9, 2021. Listen to a recording online.

Women's Basketball: UIS coach Casey Thousand collects 100th career win after defensive stand against Lindenwood

University of Illinois Springfield's defense smothered Lindenwood and Prairie Stars coach Casey Thousand netted her 100th career victory 56-46 in a women's basketball Great Lakes Valley Conference contest at The Recreation and Athletic Center on Tuesday.

A 9-0 run in the fourth quarter clinched the win, sparked by Jalyn Harris who gathered an offensive rebound and scored the layup after missing her second free throw attempt for her only points of the night.

Lauren Ladowski led UIS with 14 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists on Tuesday. Malea Jackson had 13 points and five rebounds in the win. Liz Uhl added nine points while Makenna Fee had three blocks.

Thousand is in her second season at UIS but ninth overall as a head coach. From 2009-2016, she won 83 games at Edgewood, and she has now won 17 games at UIS.

This story was published in The State Journal-Register on Feb. 9, 2021.

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3 appointed to U of I System Board of Trustees

Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Illinois, has appointed three people to the University of Illinois System Board of Trustees.

On Friday, Pritzker named the following individuals to six-year terms on the board:
Ramón Cepeda, finance executive
Sarah Phalen, banking executive
Tami Craig Schilling, agricultural communicator

The board, which oversees the U of I System, consists of 13 members, 11 of whom vote.

The governor appoints nine trustees to the board. No more than five board members may belong to a single political party.

Sarah Phalen is a Republican from Springfield. She earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and her MBA from the University of Illinois Springfield.

Phalen serves as the president and CEO of INB, a 13-branch bank headquartered in Springfield.

In addition, she is the treasurer of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance and treasurer of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation.

This story appeared on WICS Newschannel 20 on Feb. 9, 2021.

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UIS to offer these accelerated and blended courses beginning March 15

The University of Illinois Springfield will offer more than two dozen accelerated online and blended courses for prospective and current students.

Most classes begin March 15, and conclude in early May.

“This is a great opportunity for new UIS students to start or finish their education,” said UIS interim chancellor Karen Whitney. “It’s also a chance for current students to add to their course load and potentially earn their degree in a shorter period of time.”

Accelerated courses will be offered in accounting, athletic training, business, communication, education, educational leadership, human development counseling, management, management information systems, mathematics, and music.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on Feb. 9, 2021.

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