The University of Illinois Springfield begins a new academic year today, marking the 56th first day of classes since our university welcomed its first students in 1970. A lot has changed since then, but our commitment remains the same: providing an excellent educational experience, both in and out of the classroom, for every learner. I […]
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Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
UIS students find purpose while building a home in Guatemala
Earlier this summer, I stood on the side of a hill in Guatemala watching a University of Illinois Springfield student mix concrete by hand for the first time in her life. Getting there meant meeting on campus at 2 a.m., driving to St. Louis Lambert International Airport, and traveling for more than 12 hours, but […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Reflecting on a year of progress and what’s ahead for UIS
A few weeks ago, I stood on the stage of the Bank of Springfield Center, shaking the hands of more than 1,000 University of Illinois Springfield students who earned their degrees this year. Each graduate represents a story of perseverance, growth and achievement. It is a privilege to celebrate those journeys and to see the […]
Posted inNews
Sangamon Auditorium to reopen in October with major upgrades
After more than a year without performances, there’s finally a date to circle on the calendar: Sangamon Auditorium is set to reopen this October. The UIS Performing Arts Center has been closed since June 2025 to make way for a major plumbing replacement throughout the building. It’s not the most glamorous upgrade, but it was […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
Illinois Innocence Project marks 25 years of fighting wrongful convictions
The Illinois Innocence Project has come a long way since it began as the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project in 2001 at the University of Illinois Springfield. What started with a couple of professors, an investigator, a few UIS undergraduates and a handful of supporters intent on exonerating one innocent man has grown into an organization […]
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Just win? At UIS, success runs deeper
Raiders owner Al Davis made “Just win, baby” a famous rallying cry in the NFL. Some people assume that motto applies to college sports, too. And while winning is absolutely part of what we do at the University of Illinois Springfield — and yes, we enjoy it tremendously — it isn’t our only goal. In […]
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Paving the way: How UIS champions first-generation college students
As the University of Illinois Springfield continues to grow and evolve, one student population stands out for its resilience, drive and increasing presence on campus: first-generation college students. These students are the first in their families to navigate the world of higher education – a journey that often comes with unique challenges. Our enduring mission […]
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New Innovate Springfield space aims to grow jobs, talent and opportunity
Innovate Springfield, the University of Illinois Springfield’s hub for innovation, has spent the last 10 years supporting a community of entrepreneurs and helping expand opportunity across the region. Earlier this month, we launched an exciting new phase in this venture by relocating to the third floor of the Horace Mann headquarters building in downtown Springfield. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Talking to Ry
The Sangamon Auditorium at UIS presents An Evening with Ry Cooder, Sharon White and Ricky Skaggs on Sunday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. Off we dash through the end of January, heading pell-mell into February like nobody’s business. Look out world; here comes the music, and there’s not a thing you need to do but […]
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A civil rights icon comes to Springfield
Illustration of John Lewis speaking at the 1963 March on Washington from MARCH. ALL ILLUSTRATIONS ARE BY NATE POWELL “We are tired. We are tired of being beaten by policemen. We are tired of seeing our people locked in jail over and over again. And then you holler, ‘Be patient.’ How long can we be […]
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IDOT spends $143,000 on zombie-themed seat belt ad
IDOT’s “Driving Dead” short film on seat belt use features an armored Mustang with a machine gun and actor Michael Rooker from the “Walking Dead” TV series about zombies. PHOTO COURTESY IDOT In a dusty, dimly-lit warehouse, a horde of zombies closes in two men with high-powered firearms trying in vain to escape through a […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Our objects, ourselves
University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery kicks off their season Monday, Aug. 25, with the installation project Filler by Springfield native Jeff Robinson, UIS Visual Arts Gallery director, UIS instructor and DEMO Project gallery co-founder. Explains the artist, “I’m interested in exploring the role that amassed objects play in our lives and how we, […]
