Mulan, a Most Adaptable Heroine: There’s a Version for Every Era

When rumors of a live-action, nonmusical version of “Mulan” began to trickle out a few years ago, many hard-core fans of the 1998 Disney original groused. No big musical numbers and soaring ballads? No Mushu, the wisecracking dragon, or Li Shang, the movie’s clearly conflicted love interest? No “Reflection”? Many felt that the filmmakers were being unfaithful to the Mulan legend — or at least to Disney’s own version of it.

But Mulan has always been the most adaptable of heroines. Long before fans criticized Disney for taking liberties with their beloved animated heroine, poets, writers, playwrights and filmmakers had been creating scores of wildly different versions of the legendary woman warrior. In some, she’s a hardened army general; in others, she has magical powers; in yet others, she’s a crack shot with a bow. In one animated version, she’s a bug.

After the original poem, subsequent versions of the Mulan story added plotlines and details to flesh out the tale. In the 16th-century play “The Heroine Mulan Goes to War in Her Father’s Place,” she has bound feet. “At the time, women in the upper classes would bind their feet, and the playwright wanted to make sure Mulan was seen as the ideal icon of femininity,” said Lan Dong, author of “Mulan’s Legend and Legacy in China and the United States” and an English professor at the University of Illinois Springfield. “She had to be perfect.”

In the 1695 novel “The Romance of Sui and Tang Dynasties,” Mulan meets a fellow female warrior who becomes her sworn sister; in the end, Mulan takes her own life when the Khan summons her to be his concubine. “Many versions emphasize her virtue,” Professor Dong said. “Even after all those years and everything she’s put herself through, she kept herself untouched.”

This story appeared in The New York Times on September 3, 2020..

Read the entire article online.

Research from UIS raises concerns for underfunded pension systems

According to new research done by the University of Illinois Springfield's Institute for Illinois Public Finance, the state's public employee pension systems and downstate police and fire pension systems are not being adequately funded.

Distinguished Professor of Public Administration Kenneth Kriz said this is a big problem for the state. "Illinois is headed for a lot of pain, and a lot more pain than people even realize," Kriz said. "'There's not enough for them to be able to make payments they promised to workers as they retire." 

Kriz has been doing research on pensions for nearly 10 years and said the contribution levels are crucial, because there are only three levers policymakers can use to try to address pension funding shortfalls.

"You could in a lot of areas, either cut benefits or make workers contribute more for their benefits," Kriz said. "You can increase your contributions or you can get better returns out of your investments."

According to Kriz, the money for these pensions is mainly coming out of taxpayer dollars and ultimately, he said it comes down to the state raising taxes or cutting other services in order to be able to make the payments.

According to Kriz, the pension liability at the state level is estimated to be around $30 billion.

This story aired on WAND on January 30, 2020.

Watch the entire story online.

UIS researcher studies government spending

A University of Illinois Springfield researcher studied state government spending from 2014 and found some promising signs if you are a concerned taxpayer.

The professor found that in 2014, the state was efficient in higher education funding.

The study took several outputs into account, including test scores out for education.

“We looked at multiple outputs,” said Arwi Kriz, UIS Institute for Illinois Public Finance research fellow. “So for higher education, we looked at four-year and two-year colleges, and then looked at enrollment and graduation rates and standardized test scores.”

Areas where the study found the state could improve in are secondary and primary education. The study found that Illinois ranks below average in those categories. However, this study focused on the year 2014, which is before the state revamped their school funding model.

The study found Illinois ranks among the best compared to other states in terms of higher education, infrastructure and housing. It is also in the top 20 when it comes to efficiency in welfare spending.

This story aired on WCIA Channel 3 on Jan. 15, 2020.

Watch the story online.

UIS, SIU collaborate on heart disease research

A grant has been awarded to the University of Illinois Springfield and Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.

The grant was given by the Caryl Towsley Moy, Ph.D., Endowed Fund for Collaborative Research to conduct innovative heart disease research.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States.

"By modulating or somehow interacting with this ryodean receptor, there's the possibility to cure all kinds of cardiovascular disease, like what we call extreme distress, things like that and so, we're looking for a molecule that might help in aiding or modulating this channel, specifically to help treat certain cardiovascular disorders," Stephen Johnson said.

The endowed fund is in honor of wife and mother, Caryl Moy. Moy taught at UIS for 21 years.

This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on June 26, 2019.

Watch the story online.

UIS hosts annual STARS symposium

The University of Illinois Springfield hosted its annual STARS symposium to celebrate the scholarly and creative works of its students.

This is the eighth year that the symposium has taken place.

The event featured the works of over 75 graduate and undergraduate students from all academic disciplines.

Displays ranged from results from students' year-long research, artwork by visual art students and even live music from student musicians.

This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on April 19, 2019.

Watch the story online.

Roscoe student to present at national conference

University of Illinois Springfield student Madelyn Minnick of Roscoe will present at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research on April 11-13 at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Minnick is one of five U of I Springfield students to present at the conference.

Students submitted abstracts and were selected in a competitive process by the UIS Undergraduate Research Steering Committee.

The students represent multiple programs and colleges.

Approximately 4,000 students from around the country will present their research and creative activities.

This story appeared in The Rockford Register Star on April 9, 2019.

Read the entire article online.

University of Illinois takes part in research day

The University of Illinois celebrated research day at the capitol Thursday, April 26. A total of 12 students from the University of Illinois Springfield made poster presentations of their research and also took questions from lawmakers.

The students presenting their research were selected by a committee.

This is the third annual Undergraduate Research Day.

This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on  April 26, 2018.

Read the entire article online.

Centennial Park signs warn bicyclists of Franklin’s ground squirrels

The term “share the trail” is taking on new meaning at Centennial Park with the addition of new signs to warn bicyclists to be on the lookout for Franklin’s ground squirrels.

The species is threatened in Illinois, and a colony of the reclusive rodents live in the tall grass along the south end of the Sangamon Valley Trail in and near Centennial Park.

The squirrels cross the trail to get to different areas of grassland, which is why researchers at the University of Illinois Springfield have teamed up with the Springfield Park District to put up the warning signs along the trail.

Already this year, the UIS researchers have discovered the carcasses of two Franklin’s ground squirrels that were apparently hit by bicyclists. One of the dead squirrels was pregnant. “Their average litter size is up to seven pups,” said Tih-Fen Ting, an environmental scientist at UIS.

“If you take out one reproducing female, you are seeing potentially seven fewer squirrels. We just want people to slow down and pay attention. Also, we are seeing increased usage and traffic on the bike trail. That’s another reason we want people to be careful.”

Juvenile male Franklin’s ground squirrels leave the colony when they get older and head out to find females in another colony. Due to habitat loss and habitat fragmentation, they don’t always find a new home.

Ting’s current study started in 2013, and during that time, she hasn’t recorded a single new male originating from a different colony and finding the colony near Centennial Park, or any of the Centennial Park juvenile males finding another colony.

There is another colony south of Chatham, but so far, there is no evidence that the two groups intermingle. That means some of the males are staying where they’re born and there’s a danger of inbreeding at both sites. Inbreeding isn’t good for the overall health of the colonies.

As far as Ting can tell, the males that leave the Centennial Park colony either fall victim to predation or are they hit by a car as they look for another colony. “Last year, we had three males dispersing beyond Curran. We tracked them all the way toward New Berlin down Old Route 54,” Ting said. 

Unfortunately, the squirrels met the same fate as the other male juveniles that left the Centennial Park area in search of a mate. “They died. They died as bachelors,” Ting said.

So far this year, Ting and the other researchers have trapped 53 individuals at the Centennial Park site, including the bike trail. That’s down from 68 last year and 84 the year before. Ting is trying to find out why the numbers are falling. “I suspect the local population has become isolated,” Ting said. 

As far as researchers know, the colony of Franklin’s ground squirrels along the Sangamon Valley Trail is densest colony in the state. There also are documented Franklin’s ground squirrel colonies at the Barnhart Prairie Nature Preserve near Urbana and an abandoned railroad bed in Vermilion County.

Previous attempts to release Franklin’s ground squirrels into reconstructed Illinois prairies were not successful. That’s one of the reasons it’s important for bicyclists to keep an eye out for the squirrels when they are riding near the park.

Dog owners also are being asked to take extra care. Ting said she’s grateful for the park district’s help in putting out the signs and also for limiting mowing to preserve the tall grass. “They are very responsive,” Ting said of the park district.

Leslie Sgro, president of the Springfield Park District, said the district has a role to play in both recreation and conservation. “We have 75 acres of wild prairie in part to help the ground squirrels thrive. That was intentional,” Sgro said.

“We love beautiful open spaces and we love all of the critters that thrive in those spaces. In any urban or suburban environment, it’s really important that as we grow as a community, we make sure that there are beautiful spaces not only for the people, but also for the animals that live there.”

The warning signs near Centennial went up about a month ago. There also are dispensers on the signs that hold information brochures on the Franklin’s ground squirrel. Ting has already gone through about 300 brochures, which she sees as a good sign.

This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on October 8, 2017.

Read the entire story online.

Video from The State Journal-Register.

Susan Koch: Research collaboration benefits UIS, Brazilian students

The following is an excerpt from a column by University of Illinois Springfield Chancellor Susan Koch. This column appeared in The State Journal-Register on September 9, 2017.

Summer always seems to be filled with possibilities, and most of us remember coming back to school from summer break to be greeted with a familiar question: “What did you do over the summer?”

But not many would be able to provide a response that includes having been “up close and personal” with alligators, toucans and coatimundi or visiting Iguazu Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. 

These unusual encounters were part of many new experiences shared by a group of U.S. and Brazilian university students and faculty who spent several weeks this summer as part of an international research collaboration between University of Illinois Springfield and UEM -- the Universidade Estadual de Maringa, a university in southern Brazil. 

Thanks in part to an external grant, Dr. Keenan Dungey, a chemistry professor at UIS, and Dr. Luiz Felipe Machado Velho, a biologist from UEM, worked together to create a course focused on the study of the aquatic ecology of the Illinois River in Illinois and the Rio Parana in Brazil -- both parts of large and important river systems in the Americas. 

The course included opportunities for students to spend time doing research together while learning some of the cutting-edge science behind restoration and conservation on both river systems. 

The experience also helped students develop understanding of the cultural differences and similarities between the U.S. and Brazil that result in different and sometimes similar approaches to the environment. 

UIS has been connected with scientists from the UEM since Dr. Mike Lemke, professor of biology and founder of the UIS Emiquon Field Station on the Illinois River near Havana, first traveled to Brazil several years ago.

“We’re honored to work with our colleagues from UEM,” says Dr. Lemke. “Felipe’s work complements mine, helping me to bridge ecological links from nutrients to bacteria to protozoa. The value of floodplain aquatic ecology is what is at stake here.” 

“The idea of the course was to do similar things on the floodplains in both countries,” says Dr. Dungey. “For me, it was fascinating to be in Brazil and be surrounded by great science; to see the UIS students and watch them form relationships and teams with the Brazilian students and experience a different culture.” 

“In the next ten years, I think focusing on some of these critical conservation issues will be the thing that this collaboration can bring to bear,” says Dr. Lemke. 

“The Brazilians are losing their rivers to hydroelectric plants, and we can learn from that. At the same time, the UIS Emiquon Field Station is located in one of the largest floodplain restoration projects in the country and has much to offer our international partners.” 

“Working with our UEM colleagues, who have been studying the Parana River floodplain for more than 30 years, was a good experience for our UIS students,” says Dr. Dungey. “Students will present the results of our research on each campus and at an international conference.” 

Dungey hopes the future collaboration of UIS and UEM can go beyond biology and chemistry. “In addition to its relevance for scientific study, river floodplain restoration is also a public affairs and an education issue,” he says. “There are a lot more opportunities for collaboration.” And, in case you were wondering, the coatimundi is South America’s version of a raccoon.

Read the entire column online.

Lincoln Papers suspending National Archives search

The state is shutting down a project to search the National Archives for papers written by Abraham Lincoln.

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum confirmed Monday that the search for Lincoln documents is being suspended in Washington, D.C. The National Archives has provided the bulk of Lincoln documents added in recent years to the Papers of Abraham Lincoln Project.

“The current priority for the Papers of Abraham Lincoln is to improve its policies and procedures so that our staff’s hard work and the taxpayers’ money is not wasted,” ALPLM spokesman Chris Wills said in a statement. “The search for Lincoln-related documents at the National Archives is on hold while we focus on how to handle the 100,000 documents that have been collected and what additional material should be gathered. The Papers will not lose access to any additional Lincoln documents at the National Archives.”

Wills could not say how long the search will be suspended.

There are two researchers based in Washington conducting the search. They are employed under contract to the University of Illinois Springfield. Money for the workers is provided by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Foundation. University of Illinois Springfield spokesman Derek Schnapp said contracts for the two workers, which run year-to-year, will expire June 30. He said it is his understanding no money will be provided by the foundation after that. Three other workers are employed on the project on a contractual basis in Springfield. Schnapp said it is his understanding funding for those contracts will also end on June 30.

This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on June 12, 2017.

Read the entire article online.

State budget impasse weighs on local economic outlook

The prospect of a third Illinois fiscal year without a budget is weighing more than ever on expectations of local employers.

A spring economic-outlook survey released Friday showed 61 percent of businesses and other organizations listed state finances among their top three concerns for the coming year, the highest percentage since the University of Illinois Springfield Survey Research Office began spring and fall surveys in 2008.

The percentage listing state government has steadily increased since 2012, said Josh Collins, director of business and community development for The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce.

“Obviously, it affects cash flow of those who are owed money, and even business-to-business folks. A lot of their suppliers are owed money,” said Collins. “It’s just a cyclical issue. You’re either worried about getting money or you’re worried about your customers.”

The chamber and UIS are partners in the survey.

The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on June 2, 2017.

Read the story online.

UIS students presenting their research at national conference

Eleven students from the University of Illinois Springfield are presenting their work this weekend at the 31st Annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research being held through Saturday at the University of Memphis in Tennessee.

Some of the students’ research is already being used to solve problems around the world. “I think the water quality in The Gambia will improve in the next few years,” said 29-year-old UIS student Shyleen Frost of Pleasant Plains. “They hadn’t measured water quality at some sites in 10 years, so we gave them the updated data from our samplings, and they are now implementing better structures for water-quality impact, and have issued directives for a lot of programs like trash disposal.”

“It’s really great to represent the university in a national conference like this,” added Frost, and although she would like to pursue a career in virology, she chose water quality in the west African nation as her undergraduate research topic because “water quality is important and applicable to the field, since it is pretty essential to life.”

Other UIS students taking part in this week’s conference -- which drew some 4,000 from across the country -- include Turner Clark of Swansea, Ebony Forslund, Amanda Monke and Gabriel Broughton of Springfield, Marquiera Harris, Chicago; Elizabeth Karras, Des Plaines; Alex Skarr, Naperville; Allie McIntire, Washington; and Nhan Khanh Le of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. They are accompanied by Tiffani Saunders, UIS sociology/anthropology lecturer, and Keenan Dungey, associate professor of chemistry and director of the Undergraduate Research Support Program. “For some students, this is their first time to present outside a classroom setting,” Dungey said. “It also gives them some professional connections and opportunities to look at graduate schools and what their future careers might be.”

Several of the students in Memphis this week will also present their research on the UIS campus at the annual Student Technology Arts and Research Symposium April 20-21.

This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on April 7, 2017.

Read the entire article online.