Stacey Gilmore receives 18th annual CAPE Award at UIS

The University of Illinois Springfield 18th annual Chancellor’s Academic Professional Excellence (CAPE) award was presented to Stacey Gilmore, director of the Cox Children’s Center during an April 8 online ceremony. 

The CAPE Award recognizes U of I academic professionals for their efforts in three categories: work projects, professional development and affiliations and contributions to their units.

Gilmore has worked at UIS for 21 years, serving as director for 18 years. One nominator calls her a “positive, solution-focused person with an incredible caring attitude and huge heart.”

During her time at Cox Children’s Center, Gilmore oversaw the design and building of the Cox Children’s Center garden and development of the annual on campus Trick-or-Treat for Canned Goods, which helps stock the UIS Cares Food Pantry.

The pandemic put her exceptional experience to the test. “Stacey worked tirelessly to help support students, staff, children and families,” said a nominator, who called her a pioneer in her field. “Stacey worked with DCFS and applied for an emergency license to be able to provide care for families who are essential workers. That was no small feat as the guidance and rules were constantly changing.”

Stacey and her staff developed and implemented at-home curriculum options for enrolled families, redesigned their school-age space to adapt for year-round learners and worked with local school districts to adapt programming to assist virtual and hybrid learners.

“In my 21 years at UIS, this past year has been the most challenging by far,” said Gilmore. “That that being said, it has also been the most rewarding. I have watched families struggle, yet survive and prosper. I have watched children remain resilient and remind us all that they are capable and strong. I have watched my staff thrive, mentoring and supporting each other along the way. I feel very blessed to be here with so many brilliant colleagues.”

Under Stacey’s leadership the Cox Children’s Center has received and maintains the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation as well as the Gold Circle of Quality designation, the highest rating possible from ExceleRate Illinois, the state’s quality rating and improvement system for early learning and development providers.

The following Academic Professional employees were also nominated for the CAPE award: Gael Carnes, assistant to the chair and online coordinator for the Department of Public Administration; Renee Clausner, assistant to the dean, College of Business and Management; Sarah Collins, writing coordinator at The Learning Hub; Sean Crawford, broadcast reporter and editorial director at NPR Illinois; Myra Kaufman, assistant director of recruitment for GPSI; Craig McFarland, undergraduate academic advisor for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Erin Sotelo, undergraduate academic advisor in the College of Business and Management and Allison Thornley, assistant athletic director for strategic planning and finance in UIS Athletics.

UIS' Ann Comerford named to International Association of College Unions Board of Directors

Ann Comerford, executive director of the UIS Student Union has been chosen to serve as an at-large board member for the International Association of College Unions (ACUI.) Comerford's two-year term will include advancing the principles in the Association's vision and core values, performing various ceremonial duties such as attending regional conferences, speaking functions and writing articles for ACUI publications. 

Comerford has volunteered and been recognized for her work within the Association in various capacities. She was a member of the 2018 annual conference planning committee, served on the International Education Council, was director of ACUI's Region 9, and has volunteered as a course instructor, presenter and faculty member for a variety of ACUI education courses and institutes. 

The International Association of College Unions is a nonprofit educational organization that brings together college union and student activities professionals with the primary mission of building campus community through education, advocacy and the delivery of services.

UIS student to serve as the Student Representative on the Illinois Board of Higher Education

Mackenzi Matthews of Springfield, a senior political science major at the University of Illinois Springfield, has been chosen to serve as the Student Representative on the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Matthews was elected by her peers, after having successfully served on the IBHE Student Advisory Committee articulating policy and student issues on their behalf. The Illinois Board of Higher Education is made up of 14 members, one student representative and one non-traditional student representative.

“Mackenzi has personified Leadership lived in her extracurricular involvement, academic diligence, and active interest in student leadership and policy development,” said Ginger Ostro, IBHE executive director.

At UIS, Matthews currently serves as the parliamentarian for the Student Government Association (SGA). Last year, she worked to rewrite parts of the SGA constitution and bylaws as chair of the Constitution and Rules Committee. As a member of Model Illinois Government, she was elected as Majority Leader and was awarded Outstanding Member of the House in 2020.  Matthews currently works as a committee clerk in the Office of the Clerk for the Illinois House of Representatives.

Matthews plans to earn a master’s degree and pursue a career in politics. She hopes to one day become a United States Senator.

Newest Prairie Stars meet through virtual KickStart

KickStart Orientation is a UIS staple in preparing new Prairie Stars for a transition from home to campus. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's orientation transitioned to an all-online format, and according Lisa McGuire, director of New Student Orientation and Parent Relations, it has been successful. 

Behind the scenes, McGuire and her team of experienced orientation leaders worked fast to attend webinars and trainings on how to take their programming online. They were guided by schools who had years of experience in online orientations.

“The National Orientation Directors’ Association was a great place for sharing ideas on how larger schools do online orientation or have components of it online. It was like having 3000 colleagues sharing resources to help with online development,” McGuire said.

McGuire used the university’s new learning management system, Canvas, to build orientation modules introducing new Prairie Stars to academic advising and expectations, financial information, student success, living on campus and technology. An optional module on student life and opportunity fairs was also available. KickStart attendees begin with a 90-minute online Zoom that includes an introduction to McGuire and her team; they then are placed in breakout rooms with other students and orientation leaders like UIS senior Libby Price.

“The whole point of summer orientation is to get to know each other, which is a little harder on Zoom, but we’re getting there,” Price said. “We have several ice breakers that help students get comfortable in a group and we allow them to share their thoughts and feelings anonymously on going to college.”

McGuire said with the change to online format, she was not able to hire all of her orientation leaders back, but those who are working, like Price, have gone above and beyond making the experience special for incoming freshmen.

“It is our job to create that first sense of community, engagement and relationship building,” said McGuire. "We are missing the in-person component, especially the evenings -- that’s where relationships develop -- but our orientation leaders are going above and beyond to keep these new students in contact with each other. They are hosting extra activities like trivia nights each week where new students can log in, trying to create those experiences and maintain those interactions.”

McGuire admits it was a lot of work to transition KickStart to an online format, but it was worth the effort.

“An online version of KickStart had been on our back-burner for a while,” McGuire said. “This year it became a front burner project.”

McGuire also credits the many faculty and staff who helped in the success of the transition and created content through videos and Google slides to share information or experiences with new students. 

And even when things go back to normal, and KickStart can return to an in-person format, McGuire said she plans to maintain some of the online components she worked so hard to build. “There are more things we can look at, things we can do online to create a richer experience in a shorter time and be mindful of costs,” she said.

New students will have one final Kickstart module available to them closer to move-in day which will give them the latest information on plans for move-in and health checks.

Collaboration Success

The moment the Illinois “stay at home” order went into effect on March 21, the wheels were turning in Bruce Sommer’s head. Sommer, UIS’ Director of Economic Development and Innovation knew businesses would have questions on how to handle the temporary shutdown, so he gathered a team of experts to field those questions online.

“In the beginning, there were so many questions and so many things going on,” Sommer said. “People were concerned, so our first webinars were about the relief programs for businesses, how to take your business online and the economic impact of a shutdown. No one was providing them that information.”

Sommer used his own personal Zoom account for the first free webinar which limited his capacity to 100 attendees. Those spots filled within the first minute. The next week he used a UIS Zoom account, and attendance surpassed 100.

Since that time, Sommer and his rotating team of experts have hosted nearly 1,500 attendees with weekly webinars on business, education, health and the economy. Some topics came about as suggestions from frequent flier attendees.

“The amazing thing is that, for many of the panelists, I’ve asked them to participate on very short notice and no one has turned me down. We typically have five panelists each week. The collective collaboration around this has been my greatest reward,” Sommer said.

The weekly webinars are a collaboration between the UIS Office of Economic Development and Innovation, Innovate Springfield, and the UIS colleges of Business and Management and Public Affairs and Administration. Community partners include The Community Health Round Table, SIU School of Medicine, local businesses and state and local government officials.

“When I moved back to Springfield, people in social impact circles within the community felt like UIS was an underutilized resource,” Sommer said. “Through these webinars, we have inserted UIS into the conversations. We have incredible researchers and teachers and the community is craving that leadership."

Sommer said the success of the webinars is directly attributable to the layers of knowledge around the Springfield community and UIS campus. That is what Innovate Springfield, the first hub in the Illinois Innovation Network is about, bringing local resources and collaboration together.

“People came together in a time of crisis,” Sommer said. “It’s a great example of IIN’s goal of working collaboratively at all times.”

Moving forward, webinars will alternate between a business and health focus. Older webinars can be accessed on the UIS Academic Affairs website.

Virtual summer stargazing

The University of Illinois Springfield's long-standing Star Parties have gone online, for now, to accommodate safe social distancing of participants. UIS Associate Professor of Astronomy and Physics John Martin hosted the first virtual Star Party on May 30.

“We didn’t know what to expect. We could have had from three to 300 participants,” Martin said. “We did not have 300, but it went really well. Those who showed up were interested and captivated.”

UIS Information Technology Associate Jeff Suddeth logged on to the virtual Star Party to make sure all technology was working properly. His children logged on to participate in the fun.

“The iPad app that Dr. Martin used was really fun because you could see what was happening in the sky right now,” said Suddeth’s son, Weston, age 11. The free app is called GoSkyWatch.

Suddeth said his youngest child was equally captivated by the constellations and how they could create pictures in the sky.

“I encouraged people to be outside,” Martin said. “We started with a tour of the night sky just before sunset. I told them that if they looked west, they could see planets and the Big Dipper. We looked at the moon and were able to identify where the first moon landing happened.”

The virtual Star Party happened the same day SpaceX launched. “We had a visible pass of the International Space Station where the Dragon capsule was six to ten minutes behind it,” Martin said.

The next UIS Star Party also will be hosted virtually on June 27. Viewing information can be found on the star party website.

 

“We are taking it a month at a time,” Martin said. “We like to do the live ones; they are a ton of fun with more than a few telescopes. The Sangamon Astronomical Society comes out with their telescopes. But in the meantime, we wanted to do something to sustain the interest.”

Martin said he will be working with Lincoln Memorial Gardens, with advice from health professionals, to assess transitioning back to live Star Parties later in the summer.

Photography students shift focus to capture pandemic moments

UIS Associate Professor of Communication Kathy Novak, Ph.D., was only a few weeks into  her COM 407 Photojournalism and Photo Documentary Class when Illinois began to shelter in place and UIS students returned home to begin remote learning.

The already-online class did not have to adjust for remote learning, but assignments had to be modified immediately.

“Their weekly photo assignments normally send them out into the public to photograph people, places and events,” Novak said. “I encourage them to meet people, introduce themselves and take photographs, these are all professional skills. Meeting and photographing people are central to what this course is about.”

But in the midst of a pandemic, when the world is essentially shut down, meeting people in public spaces would prove to be a challenge.

“A teacher’s goal is to impress and exercise the content of the course, and I was worried that wasn’t going to happen,” Novak said.

But it did.

Olivia Mitchell, a 2020 PAR graduate and student in the class, was worried whether she would be able to complete assignments on lighting, profiles and angles.

“I was scared to be outside and be around people,” Mitchell said. “But I let go of the fear and decided to take pictures of any opportunity I saw.”

One of those opportunities was her 30th birthday, when she snapped photographs of her niece and nephew playing outdoors.

Mitchell admits the pandemic closures forced her to re-think her dynamic angles assignment, as she had originally planned to take pictures from the top of the Wyndham Hotel.

“I still went downtown. It was so empty,” she said. “Since I couldn’t go inside, I laid down on the ground to take the photo looking up. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, I still accomplished everything I was supposed to do.”

Novak said when students turned in their final project photo essays, she was amazed at the stark moments that were captured; photos that tell the story of how the world stood still and how life was altered by COVID-19.

Some of those photos included a hospital laryngoscope prepped and ready to be used on patients, a pop-up COVID-19 testing site, social distancing while grocery shopping, volunteers delivering meals and the empty streets of downtown Chicago during rush hour.

“Even with the added restraint on their daily lives, students were able still to chronicle what it has meant to live during the COVID-19 outbreak, to create visual work of consequence,” Novak said.

A sampling of this important work can be found on the UIS Communication Department Facebook page. Mitchell’s work is also featured on the NPR Illinois website.

“I learned that I loved to take photographs,” Mitchell said. “People may read the story, but they will always look at the photos. A picture really is worth one-thousand words.”

Chris Lowe: Athletic performance on and off the field

University of Illinois Springfield athletes may be at home, but during remote learning they were still actively training with athletics staff and preparing for their next season. UIS Director of Strength and Conditioning Chris Lowe had played a large role in that.

“We’ve been using an online software program, and the athletes have an app on their phone that is really user friendly,” Lowe said. “Normally they would be on campus training with me, and I could make changes. We have had to be extremely creative with at-home workouts. Not every person has the luxury of a weight room and access to weights. Our staff has done a great job developing programs for at-home settings.”

Lowe said athletic staff is concentrating on more than reps and sets, they are focusing on the athlete as a whole. The app allows for connections beyond just physical workouts. It comprises overall wellness including mental, physical and emotional well-being.

Athletes had weekly challenges to learn new skills while at home, such as cooking which is tied directly into nutrition, an important part of being an athlete. Lowe said cooking proved to be motivational.

Zoom has also helped UIS athletes connect with their teammates. “It allows for that face-to-face interaction, which is great to see in coaching, it’s that human interaction you don’t get in text messages,”

Lowe said. He is impressed with the dedication UIS athletes have demonstrated at home. “They take a step every day to be champions, to reach a goal. This has not deterred them, “Lowe said. “That is a testament to them and the coaching staff.”

Lowe also said the virus has opened doors for athletic staff from throughout the Great Lakes Valley Conference to connect and learn from each other. “For the first time ever, we had a Zoom session with all of the coaches in the GLVC to learn from each other, how each one operates and how it differs from school to school. Lowe also recently attended the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association online convention. We all still want to get better in our profession and there is so much more communication than we have had in the past.”

With finals over, Lowe said athletes are on a summer schedule with no mandatory Countable Athletic Related Activity (CARA) hours. He is hopeful the fall semester will resume and with it, fall sports.

“When that comes up, we are being realistic and optimistic,” he said. “We can only control our response and that is a huge mental piece of this puzzle. I remind them of our mission statement which is to be the best version of themselves as a person.”

Strength in numbers

It would be nearly impossible to have a health class without acknowledging the elephant in the room, COVID-19.

Assistant Professor of Exercise Science Angela Doehring said one of her first assignments for students in her EXR352 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention class this semester was to research a hot health topic in the news. Nearly every student chose to write about Coronavirus.

“The very first week of class we discussed a novel virus originating in China,” Doehring said. “Even though this was January and there were no confirmed cases in the United States yet, it was just this strange, unknown virus in China.”

Doehring said tracking the spread of the virus in real time is helping teach students that exercise science and health and wellness are integrally linked to disease prevention, infections and epidemiology.

The virus is providing extra opportunities for learning. Doehring’s students can receive extra credit for participating in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webinars. Many have logged in to learn about social distancing and the spread of the disease.

But while extra opportunities for learning is positive, the loss of the annual UIS Health and Wellness Fair on campus was a blow for her classes.

Each year, students in EXR233 Personal Health and Wellness class create poster presentations and health assessments they deliver during the fair. “We had to figure out how to do a virtual health fair,” Doehring said. Students had to create their posters and make a video of themselves sharing it. Everyone has had different approaches. It’s been interesting how you envision it and then how someone interprets it.”

Another important part of the Health and Wellness Fair presentation was the physical assessments that accompanied it for the other EXR classes like EXR 412 Exercise Management for Special Populations.

“Originally the whole class would work together to plan out one or two assessments to deliver at the health fair. Instead, I let students take the lead at home, choose one assessment they’ve done and perform it on someone in their home and take a video of it,” Doehring said. “Students had to assess the individual, just like they would have at the Health Fair, and explain how they could do better or how it applied to their overall health.”

Doehring said with remote learning, she let her students help direct how the classes would work best for them.

“I put a survey out to my students to see if they wanted the class to be synchronous with zoom meetings at the same time, or asynchronous with a video or Powerpoint each week so they could work at their own pace,” she said. Doehring said her students chose asynchronous learning to work at their own pace. They can log in anytime, and most students are working ahead.

“It seems to be working well,” she said. “But I miss the face-to-face comradery and students interacting with each other. That’s what I miss, classroom discussion, that is the part of teaching that I enjoy most, the student interaction.”

Doehring said despite the initial challenge, both she and students in the class are feeling accomplished and she has tapped into COVID-19 as a teaching tool.

“From a health promotion standpoint, what they’ve learned is playing out in real life, and they are learning the importance of disease and early detection,” Doehring said. “It’s a real-life invaluable lesson.”

A different kind of theatrical transition

Professionally, the COVID-19 closures and cancellations dealt a double blow to Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson, UIS associate professor of theatre; she lost face-to-face contact with her students, and was forced to cancel the university’s spring production, "Twelfth Night," which was set to open in mid-April.

“It was just heartbreaking, there was so much time and energy that had been put into it already,” she said. "We were really in the home stretch. And, we didn’t get closure, which is important in theatre productions.”

Before she could even think about how to convert her classes to remote learning, Thibodeaux-Thompson had to drive across the country to bring her own daughter home from college.

She credits several colleagues and Kara McElwrath from ITS for helping her get ready to teach remotely. “Kara is my hero, she needs to be the employee of the millennium,” Thibodeaux-Thompson joked.

“I learned that you don’t have to replicate everything that you would in an on-ground class,” she said.

Thibodeaux-Thompson’s students will use Zoom’s Kaltura feature to act and record monologues for class feedback. And she’s found workarounds. Instead of students writing a paper on a live production they’ve gone to see, they are watching a production online from provided links.

One of the best remote-learning experiences she has had so far is her students showing up for her first Zoom class. “They’re dealing with crazy things like being at home,” she said. “On that first day, they just showed up and waved from their bedrooms, just to say hi. Their heads were in the game and that speaks volumes of our students, that they would rather be in the classroom.”

Thibodeaux-Thompson is also applying her newfound technology skills to other parts of her career, participating in Zoom meetings with UIS Campus Senate, other directors in Art, Music and Theatre as well as the regional leadership team from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

And she says "Twelfth Night" will debut on stage in spring 2021. “The design and conceptual work were already done,” Thibodeaux-Thompson said. “We understand some people will have graduated and may have other plans or commitments but they are welcome to come back. We’ll take as many people who can come back.”

Adapting to online learning in MLS

Like most professors across the country, Amandailee Adams, assistant professor of medical laboratory science, had to re-think her curriculum at a moment’s notice, or so it seemed.

She chose Zoom learning for her lectures and said it has worked well, although she admits there are a few kinks to work out in the coming weeks.

“I like that I can create breakout rooms in my Zoom sessions. I can lecture for 20 minutes and then place students in breakout rooms for interactive learning,” she said. While lecturing online, Adams has students submit their questions to Blackboard, and she answers them at the end of the lecture. 

Adams found online videos for some of her laboratory work.

She said internet connection is the biggest challenge for both her and her students.

Covid-19 challenges have caused her to step out of her comfort zone and try instructional techniques she might not have tried before. “I feel lucky we live in this technological state, that we have options,” she said.

Every day when she logs on, she reminds herself to be flexible, patient and willing to try something new. It’s the same advice she gives her students. “We’re all learning this new process; you have to be willing to laugh at yourself.”

UIS Model Illinois Government Delegation Wins Outstanding Large Delegation at 2020 MIG

The University of Illinois Springfield Model Illinois Government delegation was named the Outstanding Large Delegation at the 2020 Model Illinois Government simulation at the Illinois State Capitol.

The delegation also took home three individual honors. Mackenzi Matthews, of Springfield, was named Outstanding Member of the House, Collin Moseley, of Flora, was named Outstanding Committee Chair in the House and Aislinn Diaz, of Chicago, was named Outstanding Committee Chair in the Senate.

Four UIS students were elected to leadership positions within MIG. Kallie Matthews, of Springfield, who served as the Speaker of the House this year, was re-elected to that position for 2021. Mackenzi Matthews was named Majority Leader, Joseph Partain, of Iuka, was named Minority Leader and Collin Moseley was named Majority Whip.

Each year, students from more than 20 colleges and universities around the state gather at the Illinois State Capitol to serve as legislators, staffers, lobbyists, journalists and officials of the executive branch.

Through committee actions, a regular legislative session and a veto session, participants learn the legislative process by actively participating in the simulation.

MIG members start preparing legislation during the fall term, polish their parliamentary skills and organize membership into a delegation for the spring conference.

The UIS delegation is led by Kenneth Owen, MIG faculty advisor and UIS associate professor of history.

Executive Director of UIS' Center for State Policy and Leadership honored for career

David Racine, executive director for UIS’ Center for State Policy and Leadership has been chosen to receive the 2020 Rail Splitter Public Service Award, given by the Central Illinois Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration.

Racine was chosen as outstanding individual whose career exemplifies public service.

He began his career with the American Public Welfare Association in Washington, DC, and went on to serve as a senior policy advisor, legislative director and was the founding staff member and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Points of Light Foundation.

Racine came to UIS to direct academic research and training at the Institute for Legal, Legislative and Policy Studies. He now serves as the executive director over that program and also oversees UIS’ Survey Research Office, NPR Illinois, GPSI, Innovate Springfield, the Illinois Innocence Project and Child Protection Training Academy.

Racine also offers his expertise to community projects including MOSAIC, the Community Health Roundtable and Sangamon County Continuum of Learning.

Racine will be presented with the award during the chapter’s annual spring banquet and awards ceremony on March 16, 2020 in the UIS Student Union Ballroom.

UIS professor pens book about the environmental and human rights impacts of Kenyan rose farming

Springfield native Megan Styles, an assistant professor of environmental studies at the University of Illinois Springfield, has written a new book investigating how the floriculture industry shapes Kenyan livelihoods, landscapes and politics.

“This book tells the story of one of many global commodities that we purchase and use daily without thinking about who made or grew them, how far they have traveled, and how they connect us to the world,” said Styles.

“Roses from Kenya: Labor, Environment, and the Global Trade in Cut Flowers,” explores the experiences and perspectives of the many people who work in the fresh cut roses industry; low-wage farm workers, farm managers and owners, Kenyan officials and the human rights and environmental activists advocating for reform. The lucrative and controversial industry employs approximately 90,000 workers, mostly women.

“Roses from Kenya isn’t just about cut flowers, it is also about Kenyan aspirations for development and the particular place, Lake Naivasha, where most of these roses are grown,” said Styles. “I wanted to tell this story from the viewpoint of people living and working in Naivasha, through their eyes and words. My hope is that once readers understand the deeper history of the Kenyan rose, they will want to know more about the people and places that provide us with chocolate, coffee, tea and all of the other everyday luxuries that enrich our lives.”

Styles is a Springfield native, who graduated from Southeast High School. She holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Washington. Styles is also the co-editor for Culture, Agriculture, Food, and Environment (CAFÉ), a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Anthropological Association and helped to start the Community Garden at UIS.

“Roses From Kenya” is available for purchase online from the University of Washington Press at https://uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295746500/roses-from-kenya/ and locally at Barnes & Noble in Springfield.

UIS Police Captain Ross Owens graduates from Northwestern University’s Center for Public Safety

University of Illinois Springfield Police Captain Ross Owens has graduated from the School of Police Staff and Command at Northwestern University.

The 10-week program provides upper-level college instruction in leadership, human resources, employee relations, organizational behavior, applied statistics, planning and policy development, plus budgeting and resource allocation.

The Center for Public Safety was established at Northwestern University in 1936 with the goal of expanding university-based education and training for the Law Enforcement Community.

Since its inception, the center has broadened its original objective and now provides a variety of courses and programs in the area of police training, management training and executive development.

The program has graduated more than 20,000 students both nationally and internationally.

Owens has been with UIS Campus Police since 1999. He is an alumni of UIS with degrees in both business administration and management. Owens is a former resident of Virden. He currently resides in Springfield.

Assistant Professor of Computer Science Yanhui Guo named the University Scholar at UIS

Yanhui Guo, assistant professor of computer science at the University of Illinois Springfield, has been named University Scholar for 2019.

The award, considered the university system’s highest faculty honor, recognizes outstanding teaching and scholarship. Only one faculty member receives the annual award at UIS.

Guo’s research focuses on computer vision, machine learning, deep learning, computer-aided detection/diagnosis and big data analytics.

He has successfully contributed to the development of a new set theory called neutrosophic set in computer vision and image processing. His reputation, as an important scholar within his field, continues to grow. In recognition of his accomplishments, Guo was made an honorary member and Head of the U.S. branch of the Neutrosophic Science International Association.

Since coming to UIS, Guo has published 39 peer-reviewed journal articles, nine peer-reviewed conference papers, and co-edited one book. The impact of his research is evidenced by the numerous citations he has received. According to Google Scholar, he has 2109 citations, a number that grows steadily.

In 2018, he received the Innovator of the Year award at the Illinois Capital Innovation Competition. The award stemmed from his work on computer-aided micro-classifications in the detection of breast cancer.

He also received the UIS College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Faculty Excellence Award for scholarship in 2018.

Nominators call Guo’s research “inherently collaborative,” for teaming up with researchers from different universities and countries. In collaboration with researchers from the Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine, Guo was awarded a $10,000 grant under the Caryl Towsley Moy, Ph.D. Endowed Fund for Collaborative Research.

At UIS, Guo has taught five courses including on-campus and online, core and elective. He has developed and taught CSC 570 Digital Image Processing, CSC 562 Data Visualization and CSC 501 Graduate Program Practicum. Of special importance is Guo’s expertise in artificial intelligence and his ability to develop innovative courses at the forefront of data science, which provides excellent career opportunities for students.

“It is remarkable that Dr. Guo shares his enthusiasm and knowledge of the discipline with his students in order to support their intellectual endeavors and enhance their learning,” said one University Scholar award nominator. “He has collaborated with students on several research projects, leading to one peer-reviewed journal article and two peer-reviewed conference papers published with students.

Guo earned his doctorate in computer science from Utah State University in 2010. He served as an assistant professor at St. Thomas University in Florida prior to joining the Computer Science Department at the University of Illinois Springfield in 2015.

As University Scholar, Guo will receive $15,000 a year for three years to support research and other scholarly activities. Faculty do not apply for this award; they are nominated by their peers. A committee of senior faculty makes the final selection.

UIS honors Randall F. Dunn and Larry Golden with alumni awards for achievement and service

Larry Golden (Left) and Randall F. Dunn (Right)

The University of Illinois Springfield honored the significant achievements and contributions of Randall F. Dunn and Larry Golden during the annual Alumni Gala on Friday, February 22, 2019, at the UIS Student Union.

The 2019 Alumni Achievement Award for outstanding success and national or international distinction in one’s business, profession or life’s work was presented to Randall F. Dunn, a southwest Florida entrepreneur and community leader. The award is the highest honor bestowed upon alumni of the University. Dunn earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UIS, then Sangamon State University, in the 1970s.

Upon completion of his graduate degree, Dunn relocated to southwest Florida and within 18 months, partnered with a radiologist to establish the Oncology Center, a radiation therapy and medical oncology cancer treatment center. Dunn also administered Radiology Associates, a hospital-based radiology practice. Dunn and his partner sold their holdings to Navix Diagnostix (Navix Imaging), a merger which saw Dunn become senior vice president of Navix Imaging, Inc., overseeing regional growth and expansion.

Fueled by a passion for entrepreneurship and leadership, Dunn went on to found multiple organizations devoted to medical practice management; home, condominium, medical facility and hotel/motel development; and personal and business finance.

Dunn’s passion for leadership has made a significant impact on his local community in southwest Florida. Dunn is credited with leading the Punta Gorda Revitalization Committee; YMCA; American Cancer Society of Florida; United Way; and has helped found, or served as a member of, other non-profit, community focused organizations including his local Chamber of Commerce, where Dunn was awarded Pacesetter of the Year.

Dunn is a past recipient of the UI Loyalty Award for Exceptional Alumni Service; served on the Development Advisory Board and the National Commission on the Future of UIS; initiated the Capital Steps Scholarship Fund drive, financing its first scholarship; and is a former member of the UI Alumni Association board of directors. His daughter, Rebecca (Dunn) Albertini, is also a UIS graduate, having earned both a business administration and MBA from the University.

The 2019 Distinguished Service Award for extraordinary commitment, dedication and service to the advancement of the University of Illinois was awarded to Springfield resident Larry Golden, UIS emeritus professor of political science and legal studies and founding director of the Illinois Innocence Project. The award is presented to individuals or couples whose consistent, exceptional and meritorious service has made significant impact on the University’s overall welfare and advanced its mission.

Golden is a founding faculty member of the University who earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Minnesota, who has dedicated his life and career to teaching and activism on the issues of civil rights and liberties, and of law, inequality and justice.

When Golden first arrived to Springfield, he helped organize efforts to address school desegregation, and the form of local government and representation.

Golden helped found The Springfield Project (TSP), which seeks to unite the city as a community by working to improve the quality of life for all throughout its neighborhoods. Founded upon principles of a similar organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, a service model was implemented to help improve Springfield in areas of most need.

Golden helped found the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project, the forerunner to the Illinois Innocence Project (IIP). The IIP seeks to bring justice to the wrongfully convicted through advocacy, education and reform of the criminal justice system. UIS undergraduates work alongside law students from the state’s public law schools and attorneys to investigate and legally pursue claims of innocence. Golden has been instrumental in securing more than $3 million in grants for IIP in the past 8 years.

Golden retired from full-time teaching and continues to volunteer with IIP. In addition, Golden contributes to a course on conviction of the innocent; and presents on the topic of wrongful conviction and the work occurring across the country to free the innocent.

His distinguished service and leadership are recognized nationally. Golden is a former executive board member of the National Innocence Network, the organization linking more than 50 innocence projects around the country. Golden is also a past recipient of the Courageous Voices Award, presented by the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs. The award recognizes individuals who are at the forefront of pressing issues affecting the community.

UIS names new director of economic development and innovation in an effort to spur local business growth

The University of Illinois Springfield has named Springfield-native Bruce Sommer as its new director of economic development and innovation. Sommer will serve as the lead facilitator in UIS’ efforts to spur local business growth in the Springfield area as a hub of the Discovery Partners Institute and the Illinois Innovation Network (DPI-IIN).

Sommer will work with local business and community partners, linking the region with the wide array of economic and educational resources and opportunities being created by the DPI-IIN within Illinois and beyond. Sommer will foster the development of local partnerships to create the capacity for Springfield to be a vital and sustainable hub in the statewide network.

“This hiring, coupled with the acquisition of Innovate Springfield and the announcement of Springfield as the first hub of the Discovery Partners Institute and the Illinois Innovation Network, reflects a serious and sustained commitment by the University of Illinois Springfield to advance the economic health and vitality of Springfield and the region through partnership with the state of Illinois, the city of Springfield, and local business leaders,” said Dennis Papini, UIS vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost.

Sommer has taught at UIS since 2010 as a visiting instructor in the Department of Management and has served as an executive-in-residence at the UIS Center for Entrepreneurship. He is the co-founder and chair of Innovate Springfield, a business and social incubator located in downtown Springfield that was recently acquired by the University of Illinois Springfield. Sommer is a co-founder and previously served as chair of the Sangamon CEO program, a year-long curriculum for high school seniors in Sangamon County that teaches them about entrepreneurship.

“I am looking forward to working with local business and community leaders to grow our economy by utilizing our incredible talent and new resources at UIS, as well as the Illinois Innovation Network and Discovery Partners Institute, to expand existing businesses and develop new ones,” said Sommer.

Formerly a startup entrepreneur and now an established business leader and investor, Sommer is currently a founder and managing partner of Springfield-based private equity firm NextGen Ventures, which invests in startups and mature companies. He is also a founder and managing partner at Hill-Hanover Group, a real estate investment firm based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Sommer earned his bachelor’s degree in public accounting from Illinois Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire. He also worked as a research associate at the Center for Venture Research and as a fellow/lecturer at the Whittemore School.

In August 2018, it was announced that Springfield would become the first hub of the statewide Discovery Partners Institute and the Illinois Innovation Network. The new initiative, led by the U of I System, was announced last fall and is being developed to accelerate statewide job creation and economic development through groundbreaking research and innovation.

As the network’s first hub, UIS will receive $1.5 million in funding over the next three years to expand programs supporting start-up businesses, entrepreneurs and innovation that promotes the public good.

DPI will be developed in Chicago and will bring together top faculty in agriculture, healthcare, computing and other critical fields from the U of I System and partner universities. Nearly 100 new researchers also will be added, and together they will connect with hundreds of businesses and thousands of students over time, as well as with entrepreneurs and venture capital firms.

UIS Professor to present research on “Preventing the Next State Budget Crisis” at a Federal Reserve Conference

University of Illinois Springfield Professor Beverly Bunch, Ph.D., will serve on a panel during a one-day conference by the Volcker Alliance and Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

The conference, “Preventing the Next State Budget Crisis: Improving Budget Transparency to Bolster Fiscal Sustainability,” will discuss strategies for avoiding a state budget crisis, including long-term forecasting, stress-testing, and management of fiscal reserves and physical assets.

The conference is expected to draw attendance from government officials, academia, business leaders, public policy analysts and the media.

Bunch will participate on a panel that will address, “Deferred Infrastructure Maintenance: How to Measure It, How to Finance It.” She will share information obtained from her participation in a national study of the fifty states’ budget processes sponsored by The Volcker Alliance.

Bunch is a full professor in the UIS Department of Public Administration and in the Center for State Policy and Leadership. She is currently leading a team of researchers as part of a national state budget project administered by the Volcker Alliance.

“Preventing the Next State Budget Crisis: Improving Budget Transparency to Bolster Fiscal Sustainability” takes place all day on September 17, 2018, at the Chicago Federal Reserve.

Feng-Shun “Leo” Bin named the PNC Distinguished Professor at UIS

Business Administration Professor Feng-Shun “Leo” Bin has been named the PNC Distinguished Professor in Banking & Finance at the University of Illinois Springfield. The endowed professorship will provide Bin significant financial support to conduct research and other scholarly activities.

“Dr. Bin brings both skill and enthusiasm to his teaching in financial management and analysis at UIS, and his research is robust, some of it first in his field,” said James Ermatinger, interim dean of the UIS College of Business and Management. “We are pleased to have him represent the academic excellence available in the College of Business and Management at UIS.”

As part of the professorship, Bin plans to further outreach activities to build close connections with local bankers and financial practitioners; gather more information helpful for the development of the UIS finance curriculum, student enrollment and employment; and obtain additional data helpful for influential research in banking and finance.

“Investment requires a return, and support demands professionalism,” said Bin. “In response to this honor, therefore, I will work hard to repay my supporting colleagues and my banking and finance community.”

Bin came from China to the United States in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Zhongshan University. In 2000, having earned a master’s degree in economics at the University of Mississippi, he completed a Ph.D. from the same university in finance with two minors, in accounting theories and quantitative methods. He joined the UIS Business Administration Department in 2001 and teaches classes on corporate financial management, investment analysis, financial institution management, and capital budgeting. He became a full professor in 2016.

Bin’s published scholarship focuses on financial analysis and international investment, especially related to risks. Some of his research is first in its field, such as investment group decision efficiency and risk-return effectiveness as simulated in the StockTrak portfolio management program and the risk-return association for U.S. gaming industry stocks.

Thanks in large part to Bin, who earned his professional Chartered Risk Analyst (CRA) certificate in 2015, the UIS College of Business and Management now has an undergraduate concentration in finance and a graduate certificate in applied finance. While at UIS, Bin has also been actively involved in serving the business community locally by building ties to China. In November 2002, he invited executive officials from China’s Agricultural Bank to Springfield. He has also arranged for Chinese bankers to meet with UIS College of Business and Management faculty and the local banking community regarding U.S. banking practices and Chinese banking reforms.

PNC Bank and the PNC Foundation have long histories of strengthening and enriching the lives of communities in which they live and work. They provide resources to seed ideas, foster development initiatives and encourage leadership. The Foundation makes it a priority to partner with local nonprofit organizations to enhance educational opportunities and promote economic growth. Their continued support of a Distinguished Professor in Banking and Finance at UIS exemplifies this commitment.