Tuesday, June 26, 2012

UIS professor Matthew Holden, Jr. recognized by the United States Congress

Matthew Holden, Jr., the Wepner Distinguished Professor in Political Science at the University of Illinois Springfield, was recently honored by Congressman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, who entered Holden’s extensive biography into the Congressional Record.

“I am gratified,” said Holden. “It will serve, one fervently hopes, to disseminate understanding of, and encourage interest in, the Abraham Lincoln Association and the Wepner Symposium on the Lincoln Legacy and Contemporary Scholarship.”

Thompson became aware of Holden’s accomplishments from “For the People”, the Abraham Lincoln Association newsletter, which featured Holden’s biography. Holden serves on the board of directors for the Springfield-based association, which aims to educate the public about the 16th president and encourage public study of Lincoln-related history.

Holden, who joined UIS in 2009, is also the organizer of the Wepner Symposium at UIS, which brings together political scientists, historians, sociologists and scholars in other disciplines around the world to examine the Lincoln legacy. The Wepner Symposium is also designed to include K-12 teachers and is open to the general public without cost.

The third Wepner Symposium is scheduled for October 19-20, 2012. This year’s symposium will examine what happened to make the emancipation of enslaved persons into a serious issue, Lincoln’s leadership and decision-making as president in the emancipation process, and emancipation issues regarding race and gender in the United States and internationally since the Civil War.

Holden is a Professor Emeritus of Politics at the University of Virginia, from which he retired in 2002. He has also taught at Wayne State University, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison after a distinguished career spanning more than 40 years. He was also the Newman Visiting Professor of American Civilization at Cornell University from 1995-96.

He is the author of numerous articles, book chapters, and books, and served as president of the American Political Science Association in 1998-99. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Senior Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. He is nationally and internationally recognized for work on public policy, public administration, politics and law, urban politics and racial and ethnic relations.

Holden’s public service has included Presidential appointments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the President’s Air Quality Advisory Board, two Department level advisory committees on energy, and a gubernatorial appointment to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University.

To view Holden’s full biography, as read into the Congressional Record, visit http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2012-06-06/pdf/CREC-2012-06-06-pt1-PgE999.pdf.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Sherry Hutson co-edits new book chronicling the 2008 presidential election

Sherry Hutson, former Web Services director at the University of Illinois Springfield, has co-edited a new book with her sister, Lynn Lyons, on the 2008 presidential election.

The election year news diary, King's Dream: Barack Obama Becomes President of the United States of America, uses hundreds of quotes from journalists and writers to tell the story of the Obama/Clinton primary race and the Obama/McCain presidential race in chronological order.

“It's really a fascinating story, no matter your political views,” said Hutson. “It includes brief quotes from hard news, speeches, punditry, and more. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's hilarious.”

You can read more about the book and find extras at www.kingsdream.com. The book can also be purchased on the site from LULU Press.

“We hope you enjoy it as much as we do. It's a great piece of history for your bookshelf,” said Hutson.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

UIS graduate student honored by the Illinois Broadcasters Association

Lytle & Bishop
Greg Bishop, a University of Illinois Springfield graduate Communication major, was recently honored by the Illinois Broadcasters Association (IBA) with a Silver Dome Award for the "Council Roundup" show he helped produce at Mid-West Family Broadcasting.

“This is a great testament of how the University has provided me with broad and well-rounded skills in getting out the stories effectively and engaging audiences with fresh an innovative content,” said Bishop.

The “Council Roundup”, which airs during the Ray Lytle Show on 970 WMAY, received the "Best Feature Program" Silver Dome Award in Medium Market Radio. The program was born out of Bishop’s extensive coverage of the Springfield City Council. The program engages listeners with the inner workings of city government.

“The Aldermen, Mayor and other Springfield officials' own words are mixed with commentary from Ray and myself, which is not only informative, it's also a lot of fun,” said Bishop. “It's a public affairs program like none other in the county--reality radio at its best!”

In addition to his city council coverage, Bishop anchors morning-drive news and reports on other stories around central Illinois. He also hosts “Saturday Session” on 970 WMAY and has weekend on-air shifts on 92.7 WQLZ and Alice @ 97.7. Bishop also serves as Director of New Media at Mid-West Family Broadcasting.

Bishop graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Communication from UIS in 2009 and is currently working to defend his master’s thesis on the mainstream and alternative media's coverage of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

He has previously been honored twice by the IBA with first place Silver Dome Awards for "Best Use of New Media" and was a finalist in the category this year.