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Volume 3, Issue 26: April 2, 2007
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. | Preeminent writer, scholar and critic Henry Louis Gates, Jr. will speak at ISU at 7:30 p.m. on April 12 in the University Galleries. The speech is part of the University’s sesquicentennial celebration and is free and open to the public. Gates has used his position as one of the country's most respected scholars to promote his theory of education reform, which calls for the expansion of black studies programs at universities nationwide and a broadening of the literature curriculum to include in-depth study of the works of authors from non-Western cultures.
In 2006, Gates wrote and produced the PBS documentary "African American Lives." He recently completed his book, “Finding Oprah’s Roots: Finding Your Own,” which stems from his documentary and traces Oprah Winfrey’s roots to Liberia and her first known matrilineal ancestor, a woman sold into slavery. Previously, Gates wrote and produced the documentaries "Wonders of the African World" (2000) and "America Beyond the Color Line" (2004) for the BBC and PBS, and authored the companion volumes to both series.
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Volume 3, Issue 26: April 2, 2007
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Dr. Jeanne Howard and
Dr. Doris Houston | Dr. Jeanne Howard and Dr. Doris Houston of the School of Social Work’s Center for Adoption Studies received a grant from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS) as part of a region-wide effort to increase permanency for children in the child welfare system and to reduce over-representation of children of color. Center staff conducted focus groups of stake holders and analyzed permanency achievement data to examine outcomes for children in foster care and identify barriers to family stability and permanency. This project is part of a collaborative partnership that includes IDCFS, The Illinois African American Family Commission, and the Illinois African American Advisory Council. A particular concern of the project partners is the much greater risk that African American children face. For example, while approximately eight percent of children in central Illinois are African American, nearly 42 percent of the children in foster care are African American.
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Volume 3, Issue 26: April 2, 2007
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Ms. Andrea Cossey
| The College of Arts and Sciences was well-represented in the 2007 Illinois State Graduate Research Symposium, showcasing student research, scholarship, and creative achievement. Almost 70 percent of the nearly 200 participants in the Symposium were from College of Arts and Sciences programs. The Symposium, which was held on March 30, allowed graduate students to present their research to a large audience in a professional setting through poster displays, multimedia displays, table displays, and oral presentation sessions by students. “I always enjoy visiting the Graduate Research Symposium to see first-hand the great diversity and quality of the research our students are doing,” said Senior Associate Dean Sam Catanzaro. “It is a testimony to the quality and dedication of the faculty that we have so many students so actively engaged in creating knowledge, solving important problems, and seeking answers to intriguing questions, and it really highlights the value of a research university like Illinois State to society.” Click READ MORE for additional photos.
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Volume 3, Issue 26: April 2, 2007
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Dr. George Kiser and Dr. Gary Klass | The Department of Politics and Government held its 15th annual Illinois State University Conference for Students of Political Science at the Bone Student Center on March 23. Twenty-five academic institutions participated in the conference, which was divided into four different sessions. Each session contained two or three sub-sessions totaling ten different panels of speakers. Richard Mikan, Co-founder of World Hospital Project, delivered the keynote address, “Apathy to Action: A Journey to Becoming an Advocate.” Eight students from Illinois State University presented papers. In addition, eleven ISU students served as Chairs or the Discussants for the sessions. A reception followed the conference in the Founders Suite. “I am proud of the student conference. It is a testimonial of the student-centered program the Department of Politics and Government has. Students from all over the country and abroad come to Illinois State to participate,” said Dr. Jamal Nassar, Chair of the Department of Politics and Government. Dr. Gary Klass and Dr. George Kiser organized the conference, working with a team of students.
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Volume 3, Issue 26: April 2, 2007
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Ms. Allison Schraiber | Throughout the month of April, members of the Illinois State University Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) will be collecting denim on the quad and in the residence halls via designated collection boxes. PRSSA will be running the Denim Drive with the help of Cotton Incorporated, the research and marketing company representing U.S. upland cotton. The denim will be sent out to a shredder and cut down to create home insulation, which will then be sent to The Habitat for Humanity. “I hope to see everyone out supporting the cause,” said Allison Schraiber, freshman Public Relations major and PRSSA Media Relations Liaison. “Every pair of denim counts, so no matter how big or small the donation, every bit brings us closer to reaching our goal to help insulate homes."
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Volume 3, Issue 26: April 2, 2007
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Dr. Rati Ram | Dr. Rati Ram, Distinguished Professor of Economics, received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and joined the ISU faculty in 1977. He is recognized world-wide for his work in the areas of economic growth and development, income distribution, and human capital. Early in his career, he coauthored a paper with Nobel Laureate Theodore W. Schultz and has published over 130 journal articles and refereed for more than 75 academic journals. Ram also currently serves on the editorial board of three journals. His work has appeared in such top-rated journals as the American Economic Review, Econometrica, Journal of Political Economy, Quarterly Journal of Economics, and the Review of Economics and Statistics and also in such top field journals as the Journal of Development Economics, Economic Development and Cultural Change, and World Development. “A large part of the external research reputation of the Department of Economics can be attributed to Rati’s research productivity”, said Dr. James Payne, Chair of the Department of Economics. “What I believe has served Rati well in sustaining his research productivity is his work ethic and persistence in a meticulous examination of published research.”
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