blog posts

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  CPAE Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Brooke Depenbusch, Legal Studies

  Dec 1, 2022 9:00 am144 views

  CPAE Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Brooke Depenbusch, Assistant Professor in the Department of Legal Studies, whose teaching and research center on the intersection between economic inequality, state structure & social policy, and social movements in the modern United States.

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  CPAE Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Daniel Platt, Legal Studies

  Aug 25, 2022 9:00 am269 views

  CPAE Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Daniel Platt, Assistant Professor of Legal Studies, whose research focuses on the intersection of legal history, legal culture, and the history of capitalism.

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  CPAE Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Jae Sik Ha, School of Communication & Media

  Aug 4, 2022 9:30 am65 views

  CPAE Faculty Spotlight of Dr. Jae Sik Ha, Associate Professor in the UIS School of Communication & Media, whose background is in journalism and whose teaching and research focuses on the relationships bewtween media and society.

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  CPAE Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Jennifer Martin, School of Education

  Sep 22, 2022 9:00 am85 views

  CPAE Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Jennifer Martin, Associate Professor in the UIS School of Education, who's teaching, scholarship, and service intersect with her educational advocacy for historically marginalized and underserved populations. 

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  CPAE Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Meghan Kessler, School of Education

  Dec 8, 2022 9:00 am139 views

  CPAE Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Meghan Kessler, Assistant Professor of Teacher Education in the UIS School of Education, whose recent research focuses on the implementation of new state standards for educator preparation.

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  Dean's July Quarterly Connection - COVID-19 Update

  Jul 9, 2020 9:15 am35 views

  An update on response to COVID 19 by the U of I System, UIS, and College , and an outline of the disruptions, our responses, and our plans.

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  Dean Smith's September Public Affairs Minute

  Sep 15, 2022 9:00 am67 views

  Welcome back as we start our new 2022-23 academic year! I’m going to jump right in and address a topic that represents the ”Elephant in the Room” in any discussions about public affairs, public policy and politics today! It involves the political volatility or outright violence being displayed between our two main political parties and zealous followers at both ends of the political spectrum. table.

• Do You Have Information Problems? Meet the Institute for Legal, Legislative, and Policy Studies (ILLAPS) at the University of Illinois Springfield

  Jan 29, 2021 11:00 am125 views

  When government entities or non-profit organizations want to make decisions on policies and practices, they often run into the problem of not having necessary, easy to understand information to move their work forward. This often leads to uncertainty, inaction, or incomplete decisions. However, it doesn’t have to be like that.

  The Institute for Legal, Legislative, and Policy Studies (ILLAPS) in the Center for State Policy and Leadership at UIS’ mission is to help solve these information problems for non-profits and government entities of all sizes. In coordination with our partners, we solve information problems in three ways:

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  Dr. Betsy Goulet Appointed APL for the Human Services Program

  May 23, 2022 2:30 pm39 views

  The School of Public Policy and Management at the University of Illinois Springfield congratulates Dr. Betsy Goulet on her appointment as Academic Program Lead for the Human Services Program.

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  Dr. Junfeng Wang appointed Lead for MPA Program

  May 26, 2022 11:30 am61 views

  The School of Public Policy and Management at the University of Illinois Springfield congratulates Dr. Junfeng Wang on her appointment as Academic Program Lead for the Masters of Public Administration Program.

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  Earth Day: Celebrating 50 Years of Environmental Awareness & Action

  Apr 22, 2020 7:00 am217 views

  Today, Earth Day remains an important day to reflect on how far we have come, identify the problems that we must still solve, and decide what actions to take to protect and restore the ecosystems that sustain all of us.

  Although COVID-19 may keep us from gathering together at large public rallies this year, here are three things you can do to celebrate Earth Day today and every day.

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  Economic Update July 2020: The Shortest? And Deepest Recession in Generations?

  Jul 7, 2020 1:15 pm98 views

  At the time of this post, the United States economy clings is at a crossroads. The economic slowdown engendered by the coronavirus pandemic and measures to contain its spread were the deepest on record, but there are already signs that the recession may be over. There are lingering issues and pain from the recession, especially in the labor market. But there is a palpable sense that the situation may be resolving itself. However, the economy faces many uncertainties going forward. The question is whether the sense of recovery comes from false hope generated by temporarily good economic news or whether it signals a return to a “normal” economic situation.

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  Effect of K-12 instruction types on reported COVID-19 cases and deaths in Illinois counties

  Oct 29, 2020 8:45 am8 views

  Few decisions made by state and local governments in response to the coronavirus pandemic have affected families as much as decisions about K-12 instruction types – whether to provide in-person instruction, online-only instruction, or a hybrid of in-person and online instruction. Decisions about instruction types this fall have varied widely across states, counties, and school districts, partly because of differences in COVID-19 case metrics and partly for other reasons, including political differences.

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  Election Day 2020: More than a Presidential Election

  Nov 2, 2020 9:30 am76 views

  Every four years, we elect a president based upon each candidate’s vision for the future and our assessments of who is most capable of addressing the issues facing the country.  As is common in most presidential elections, supporters of both candidates are calling this the most important election of their lifetime.  Of course, no matter how important the presidential election may be, it is not the only important decision voters have to make this year.

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  Elevated Gun Violence in U.S. Cities of All Sizes

  May 1, 2023 10:00 am174 views

  Observes political science professor, Magic M. Wade, “Gun violence is not merely a red state or blue city problem, it is a worsening, widespread phenomenon affecting American communities everywhere.”

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  Ensuring A Just University

  Nov 5, 2020 2:15 pm51 views

  As an educator and a civically engaged citizen, I believe we will never fully realize “this great experiment of democracy” until we fully realize the common cause for justice. We cannot have justice until we reduce racism to such a level that the civic life of our society can conduct itself in a forward and consistent fashion to ensure that all people, no matter their race, can expect and receive the fruits and benefits of our society. 

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  Evaluating Plastic Litter Prevention Strategies on Lake Springfield, Illinois

  Jul 22, 2021 10:00 am330 views

  As summer in Central Illinois rolls on, one thing is sure: Illinois residents depend on and love our waterways. However, some of our main recreational activities and everyday consumption patterns can also lead to high levels of shoreline litter or even widespread pollution, endangering wildlife, ecosystems, and the many summer pastimes that so many of us love.

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  Everything you wanted to know about Ranked-Choice Voting (and maybe somethings you didn’t)

  Apr 12, 2023 10:00 am1314 views

  In recent months, there has been increased news coverage of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in Illinois. At this point, you may be asking “what in the world is ranked-choice voting?”

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  Exploring UIS’ Relationship With Springfield

  Mar 4, 2021 8:30 am67 views

  Through my coursework in the Doctor of Public Administration program I had to opportunity to do an independent study with Bruce Sommers, the Executive Director of Economic Development and Innovation.  I was charged with investigating the best practices in corporate and community engagement by colleges and universities and identifying colleges/universities that have optimized town/gown relations for the commercialization of technology. 

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  Fed Up with the Status Quo: Read This

  Sep 17, 2020 9:45 am191 views

  Look around your organization. Are you amazed at just how resigned everyone is to the status quo? Does the seeming acceptance of mediocrity bother you?  Despite severe environmental pressures, are the people around you behaving in obviously ineffective ways that could be threatening the very survival of the organization?  The problem is that most organizations are incapable of learning or changing themselves in response to experience (i.e., the discrepancy between expectations and results).  So what is the solution?

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  First-Generation College Student Celebration

  Nov 18, 2021 9:00 am326 views

  On November 8th colleges and universities celebrate their students, faculty, and staff who are first-generation college students.

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  Forecasting as (Fallible) Science and Art

  Dec 15, 2022 9:45 am27 views

  Given the high level of uncertainty in the world now, forecasters should definitely admit that they have less of an idea about the potential outcomes in the economy than they usually would.

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  Get Started with CO.STARTERS @iSPI

  Feb 23, 2021 2:00 pm35 views

  Quick question ━ are you entrepreneurial? Scratch that. Have you ever had a lemonade stand? Have you ever tried to sell something that you made? Do you have an excellent process, product, service, or recipe that you think others could benefit from and would pay for?

  If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you could answer “yes” to the first question. You are entrepreneurial!

  The trouble is, entrepreneurs have great ideas and often don’t have the means or the support to see them through. That’s why CO.STARTERS at Innovate Springfield is an excellent opportunity for anyone ready to invest in their big idea and turn it into a reality.

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  Give Local this Holiday: iSPI Holiday Shop

  Dec 10, 2020 9:00 am65 views

  This giving season, we're celebrating the small businesses who have established their headquarters at Innovate Springfield, in the heart of our community, and who proudly call Springfield their home. Welcome to the iSPI Holiday Shop, a curated selection of Innovate Springfield member-owned products and services.

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  Gloves, boxes, and masks: Waste visibility, challenges, and opportunities during and post COVID - 19 pandemic

  Dec 3, 2020 9:00 am216 views

  Garbage is everywhere but is mostly overlooked in our everyday environment. Though as individuals we deal with municipal solid waste every day, waste infrastructure – like black bags, covered bins, enclosed trucks, industrial waste cycles, and publicly inaccessible landfills - keeps the majority of garbage out of sight and mind.  In reality, in Illinois, landfill space is limited (average lifespan = 21 years), and the Covid-19 pandemic is exposing just how essential, complex, and fragile our waste cycle is.

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  GPSI: Onward and Upward!

  Jun 23, 2022 9:00 am185 views

  We’re thrilled to announce a record-breaking interview round for GPSI this May, not only did we place the highest number of interns, but we also had the most intern positions and intern applicants.

• GPSI Springing Forward

  Apr 15, 2021 9:00 am146 views

  As each academic semester comes to a close, students, faculty, and staff take time to reflect on the accomplishments of the previous year and look forward to the coming year. In GPSI, the month of April is a time for celebration, recognition, and new beginnings. As we say “See you later” to one group of graduating interns, we are simultaneously interviewing for their successors. For the past many years, GPSI has hosted a Recognition Breakfast that highlights graduating interns, special projects, and shares new updates with our community members. At the breakfast, GPSI awards one outstanding intern the Brian T. Milbrandt Memorial Intern Award for Academic and Professional Excellence and one exceptional supervisor the Sagarika Madala Memorial Award for Exemplary Leadership. Both awards are named in memory of two former GPSIs.

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  Graduation from CPAA: An End and a Beginning

  May 11, 2021 10:15 am27 views

  The 2020-2021 academic year is coming to a close and our spring graduation celebration will be held on May 13 and 14.  In the midst of one of the most turbulent, unsettled and confusing academic years to date, our graduates have stayed the course, completed their studies and will receive their diplomas. They and their families and friends and loved ones all deserve our sincere congratulations!

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  Happy Holidays! A video message from Dean Smith

  Dec 22, 2020 9:00 am33 views

  Holiday Greetings from Dean Robert Smith

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  Helping Preserve and Enhance our Urban Trees

  Mar 29, 2021 10:30 am123 views

   Urban trees are the pillars of our community. They help decrease air pollution, reduce flooding, produce valuable resources, provide a habitat for wildlife, promote physical and mental health, and encourage a sense of community (Turner-Skoff & Cavender, 2019). We marvel at these benefits, but we also have a responsibility to take care of these trees. 

  You are invited to join us on Wednesday, March 31 from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. for a virtual program on Urban Trees: Planning, Policy, and Planting. This program, which is sponsored by the Citizens Club of Springfield in partnership with the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) Center for State Policy and Leadership, is part of the National Endowment of the Arts Big Read: Sangamon County. Programs and activities are taking place throughout our community in March and April based on the featured book Lab Girl by Hope Jahren.

• Honoring GPSIs 2021 Milbrandt and Madalla Award winners

  May 20, 2021 9:00 am84 views

  On April 22, 2021, the Office of Graduate Intern Programs hosted a virtual event to honor our graduating interns and their supervisors. Springing Forward was meant to symbolize the commitment GPSI has to the growth and expansion of this vital program as well as celebrate all the student and supervisor accomplishments over this tumultuous year. Molly Lamb, Executive Director of the Center for State Policy and Leadership, gave an exciting overview of the Center and introduced many resources to our state agency partners. Additionally, our viewers received an update on the Illinois Legislative Staff Intern Program (ILSIP) from Barbara Van Dyke-Brown, Director.

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  How Can We Prevent the Next Pandemic by Addressing the Wildlife Trade?

  Apr 22, 2021 7:00 am64 views

  The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the world, infecting 134 million and killing nearly 3 million people. The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the COVID-19 disease is thought to have likely originated in bats, a misunderstood and often maligned order of mammals that includes over 1,400 species. How the virus jumped the species barrier remains unclear, but strong evidence exists linking the wildlife trade to human exposure to the virus.  So, what can be done to prevent the next pandemic?

   

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  How Do Foreign Policy Experts Think About Allies?

  Sep 2, 2021 11:30 am58 views

  A new experiment by researchers from the University of Illinois at Springfield, the University of Chicago, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs finds that policy experts care about formal alliances. But even alliance relationships have limits.   How Do Foreign Policy Experts Think About Allies?  a blog post by Sibel Oktay, Paul Poast, Dina Smeltz, and Craig Kafura, for the Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs.

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  How to Help Abuse Victims during the COVID-19 Global Pandemic

  May 28, 2020 9:00 am75 views

  Across the world, people are spending a lot more time at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Shelter in place orders and closures have put extra stress on families.  Economic uncertainty and social isolation have also been linked to increased use of substances and mental health issues.  These stressors and negative effects have been exacerbated for abuse victims, particularly those who are currently living in an abusive environment, where spending extra time at home can lead to even more danger, with few outlets for escape.

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  Human Services Program - the End of an Era

  Apr 6, 2022 9:00 am125 views

  Saying farewell to Dr. Denise Bockmier-Sommers, Associate Professor & Human Services Program Lead, as she retires at the end of this academic year.

• I Believe in Being 18

  Mar 11, 2021 1:15 pm23 views

  Another ten area high school seniors have been selected by our community committee for the 2021 edition of This I Believe on NPR Illinois. That’s 150 students since the program started with the 2007 selected authors. The program continues to pull at your emotions and remind you of when you were about to enter the adult world.

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  Illinois Bill Explores How to Save Local Journalism

  Jun 22, 2021 10:00 am175 views

  In the blur of legislative activity that closed out the spring 2021 session of the Illinois General Assembly, state lawmakers passed a bill that would help figure out how to save local journalism. If signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the law would create a group of 15 people to study communities underserved by local journalism and recommend ways to preserve and/or restore coverage in those area.

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  Illinois Could Adopt Ranked-Choice Voting. What Do Illinois Voters Think of It and Other Alternative Electoral Systems?

  Apr 18, 2023 10:00 am73 views

  Illinois was once known for its innovative electoral system, where it was the only state in America to utilize cumulative voting to elect some members of the Illinois General Assembly.  We asked voters what they think about more recent electoral innovations proposals.

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  Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike to speak on health equity, October 19

  Oct 15, 2021 9:30 am234 views

  Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), will discuss health equity in Illinois at 6 p.m. Tuesday, October 19. This is a free, virtual presentation that is open to the public.

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  Illinois Municipalities Face Difficult Decisions during COVID 19 Pandemic

  Oct 22, 2020 11:15 am35 views

  Six months ago, the world was a completely different place. The American economy was growing. Families were regularly coming together for birthdays, weddings and other special occasions. The 1,298 cities, villages and towns throughout Illinois were providing regular and critical services to support the health, safety and welfare of their residents.

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  Illinois Police and Fire Pension Funding Challenges

  Mar 10, 2021 9:30 am33 views

  View this video presentation on "Illinois Police and Fire Pension Funding Challenges".  The video is part of the Illinois Municipal Policy Journal (IMPJ) Webinar Series. In this presentation Dr. Beverly Bunch, UIS, and Amanda Kass, UIC, present their research which was detailed in the December 2020 volume of the IMPJ.  The presentation is moderated by Dr. Kenneth Kriz, UIS.

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  ILSIP Interviews - Round #2

  May 19, 2022 9:00 am278 views

  The Illinois Legislative Staff Intern Program (ILSIP) has announced a second round of interviews, focused on filling ten remaining positions.

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  Improving Public Safety in our Communities – Introducing the Project for Public Safety and Justice at UIS

  Feb 26, 2021 10:00 am13 views

  The mission of the Project for Public Safety and Justice (PPSJ) is to promote public safety as a philosophy and practice for all members of a community. It is through partnerships and community engagement; organizational change and transformation; innovative approaches and strong community based leadership combined with quality technical assistance and training that the essence of community policing is redefined and applied to enhance the quality of life across the United States.  PPSJ continues to play its roll in this endeavor by looking to the future in an effort to take good research and transform it into practical applications through national and local initiatives.

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  Inside an Immigrant Detention Center

  May 27, 2021 9:45 am353 views

  “Will he hurt me?” She shrank back in her seat, her eyes filling with tears as she clung to the toddler in her lap.  It was the summer of 2019, and a group of six UIS students and I were at STFRC for a week, volunteering with the Dilley Pro Bono Project. We spent 15-hour days working directly with asylum-seeking women and children, preparing them for their credible fear interview—the first step in the asylum application process—and drafting legal documents.

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  Institutional Fixes for Growing Political Polarization

  Aug 18, 2022 9:00 am53 views

  Previously I wrote a detailed blog about the rise of affective partisan polarization in America. A question I’ve gotten since that post is “well what do we do about it?!”

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  International Students Make Our Education System Richer, Better, and Stronger

  Jul 16, 2020 9:00 am119 views

  On July 6th, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a guidance that announced: “The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States.” As institutions continue to grapple with COVID-19 and how to reopen campuses safely for the fall semester (which is just a few weeks away), the administration’s decision to potentially penalize universities for going fully online in the fall sent shockwaves to all constituents of the U.S. higher education system.

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  Introduction to the CSPL Centerpiece

  Jan 6, 2021 4:00 pm60 views

  With the start of 2021, CSPL enthusiastically joins in partnership with the College of Public Affairs and Administration (CPAA) to administer and connect with you via The Capitol Connection Blog (thank you CPAA!).  One goal for CSPL is to communicate, connect and collaborate more to build awareness and increase public value of CSPL.  Many years ago, CSPL released a monthly newsletter called The Centerpiece.  Built on great history, The Centerpiece will serve as the identifying monthly blog entry for CSPL. 

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  Investing in Youth – Youth Evolvement Summit & Job Fair on July 1

  Jun 22, 2022 9:00 am96 views

  UIS students and alumni are playing important roles in a collaborative community effort to host a Youth Evolvement Summit to be held at Springfield HS on July 1.

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  Is It A Lost Cause To Get Young People To Read Newspapers?

  Oct 20, 2020 9:30 am676 views

  When we think about the average reader of a newspaper – the actual paper kind – the profile tends to be older, more educated and more affluent compared to a non-newspaper reader.  Combine that with the stereotypical image of a college student – younger and less affluent with their eyes and fingers glued to a screen – and you might think there’s little chance of ever turning a 20-something into someone who sips their coffee over the morning paper.  It might not all be a lost cause, however.

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  Is It Too Early to Talk About a Post Covid-19 World?

  Sep 24, 2020 10:45 am56 views

  In our CPAA All-College meeting last week, we discussed the topic of navigating in a “post Covid-19” environment; a future we all look forward to sharing. In the meantime, Covid-19 looms large in each one of our lives. I am pleased to share two important initiatives to move us toward the post-Covid-19 goal.