blog posts

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  CPAE Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Beth Ribarsky, School of Communication & Media

  Oct 27, 2022 9:00 am200 views

  CPAE Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Beth Ribarsky, Professor in the UIS School of Communication & Media, who's areas of teaching, scholarship, and service include interpersonal communication, especially within romantic relationships, as well as public speaking, assessment and pedagogy.

   

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  GPSI Student Spotlight

  Oct 21, 2021 9:00 am197 views

  The Office of Graduate Intern Programs would like to recognize one of our student leaders and intern, Cynthia “Liz” Sanchez (PSC).

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  We Know This Much is True

  Jan 25, 2022 9:00 am196 views

  Deidre Graham Silas was laid to rest this past weekend, in a beautiful service that intentionally celebrated the life she lived, rather than the circumstances that tragically ended her life on January 5th.  But to fully understand this reflective piece it is sadly necessary to point out how Deidre’s life was ended....

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  Power in Other Places: On Uprisings, Black Lives Matter, and Politics

  Aug 20, 2020 9:00 am195 views

  I have always been drawn to the politics of everyday people who act outside of and against conventional politics. This grounds my interest in the resurgence of Black Lives Matter uprisings. I am interested in those moments when presumptively “powerless” people mobilize and realize other powers than those of the established institutional apparatus of politics, an apparatus which includes the police, prisons, courts, and military.

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  COVID and its Impact on Higher Education

  Jul 23, 2020 9:00 am193 views

  In our article recent article for Administrative Theory & Praxis “COVID and the Impact on Higher Education: The Essential Role of Integrity and Accountability”, we discuss challenges facing postsecondary institutions due to the COVID crisis and the critical roles that institutional integrity and accountability will play for postsecondary institutions in the COVID era, as well as the importance of embracing the role higher education plays in advancing social equity.

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  Conservative Judges and Transgender Rights After Bostock v. Clayton County

  Jul 27, 2022 9:30 am193 views

  In a book recently published by the University Press of Kansas, Before Bostock: The Accidental Precedent of Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, I explore the background of the recent landmark LGBTQ rights case of Bostock v. Clayton County (2020).

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  My UIS Experience

  Mar 30, 2021 9:00 am192 views

  UIS has been an incredible steppingstone in building my future. UIS encouraged me to be open minded, adventurous, independent, and confident. These qualities led me to become the successful Attorney I am now.

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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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  CPAA Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Matthew Geras, SPIA

  Jan 7, 2022 9:00 am186 views

  CPAA Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Matthew Geras, Assistant Professor of Political Science in the UIS School of Politics and International Affairs, whose teaching and research focuses on U.S. elections and American political institutions, including Congress, the presidency, and political parties.

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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.

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  Reform: Restoration, Revitalization, and Representation

  Jun 11, 2021 11:15 am183 views

  You are invited to Reform: Restoration, Revitalization, and Representation, the first in a series of webinars on critical societal issues resulting from social determinant factors directly impacting historically marginalized populations.  The series is sponsored by The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, the UIS College of Public Affairs and Administration, and the UIS Center for State Policy and Leadership.

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  PAR Alumni Spotlight: Andrea Zelinski hikes 2,193-mile Appalachian Trail

  Feb 16, 2021 12:15 pm182 views

  In the years since completing the Public Affairs Reporting program in 2008, Andrea Zelinski has been covering politics and government for news organizations in Illinois, Tennessee and Texas. But in 2020, she pause her journalism career for a seven-month journey on the Appalachian Trail, the 2,193-mile hiking trail that covers 14 states.

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  Why Should You Consider A Political Science Bachelor’s Degree at UIS?

  Jul 29, 2021 10:00 am177 views

  I learned about politics when I asked for a new bike at age seven.  First my mom, and then my dad, asked me if the other parent had agreed to this life-changing purchase.  I was running interference between my parents. I could tell that my mom was supportive of my quest for a bike, so I teamed up with her to convince my dad. A few days later, I was a happy little girl with a shiny new bike.  Come study politics with us at UIS to learn how individuals, societies, and states cooperate and compete with each other to get what they want.

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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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  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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  The Economy at the Start of 2022

  Mar 30, 2022 9:00 am168 views

  The economy at the start of 2022 can be summarized by the proverbial glass-half-full or glass-half-empty scenario. In this blog post, I will attempt to summarize the current data on the national, state, and regional economy, address concerns that continue to plague the economy, and summarize forecaster’s best guesses about what the economy will do for the rest of this year and into 2023.

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  Purposefully Connecting and Collaborating Online

  Jun 3, 2021 9:15 am168 views

  Like many people over the past year, I found myself at the kitchen counter with my kindergartener as we peered into his computer screen and listened to his teacher.  Eyes glued to the screen, we watched his teacher move two red cubes and then four yellow, explaining the day’s math lesson.  This was a big change for both of us.  His experience being online was limited to a treasured hour on the iPad each weekend, while my work for the last decade revolved around online degree programs.

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  Making My Case

  Jan 23, 2023 9:00 am165 views

  Scott Pyles, a political science graduate student in the UIS School of Politics & International Affairs, discusses his experience arguing a case before the Illinois Supreme Court last week.

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  New executive orders target climate change, job creation, and environmental justice

  Mar 31, 2021 8:30 am164 views

  A new Presidential Administration brings with it new people, priorities, actions, and policies. Presidents’ approaches to environmental policy, in particular, have oscillated drastically during the last several administrations depending on which party the then-President identified with. This oscillation is so familiar to us it may feel like a given - but it wasn’t always this way.

• 2020 Reset: Do not give up on the year just yet …

  Jul 10, 2020 3:15 pm163 views

  We recently past the 2020 half-way point. Have you given up on your hopes and dreams for the year? Do you feel like the goals that you set for this year are no longer possible? Have you settled into a wait-and-see pattern, and now just trying to tread water? It’s understandable. After all, we all tend to move toward urgency, and we are still dealing with a global pandemic.

  For many of you, it is time for a reset. Many of you need to pick a direction and start swimming so that your long-term goals do not drown (i.e., die) along with your yearly goals. 

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  The Great Dissenters: “Writing not for today but for tomorrow”

  Oct 7, 2020 2:00 pm163 views

  In the last decade of her life, Justice Ginsburg was revered as a genuine American cultural icon.  Her life serves as a testimony of the importance to fight for the equal citizenship stature of men and women in the U.S.

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  Researching the Relationship Between Military Service And Public Service Motivation

  Jun 24, 2021 9:00 am161 views

  As I was preparing to retire from my military career, and focus on my civilian career in Human Resources, I started the Doctorate of Public Administration program at University of Illinois Springfield.  As I began the program and considered potential research topics, I began to focus on a way to leverage my military experience with a relevant human resource-related concept. 

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  Separate and Unequal: PR in the USA Map Amid Covid-19

  May 5, 2020 7:00 am159 views

  Is a USA map complete in 2020 leaving out America’s populated unincorporated territories - Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, United States Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa?

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  Taking Stock of Bostock

  Jul 2, 2020 9:00 am159 views

  Last month, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) handed down a 6-3 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County. The central finding from SCOTUS was that Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects employees based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Put more simply, an employer cannot fire an employee simply for identifying as a LGBTQ+.

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  BEST KEPT SECRET – NO MORE

  Feb 17, 2022 9:00 am155 views

  The Illinois Legislative Staff Intern Program (ILSIP) is the best kept secret at the University of Illinois at Springfield. It is hard to fathom why this is so.

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  COVID-19: Present and Future Challenges for Education Leaders

  Jun 4, 2020 9:15 am155 views

  When Governor JB Pritzker issued a Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 12, 2020, the effects on the P-20 education spectrum were complex and far reaching.

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  Mission Control: Misinformation

  Nov 4, 2021 9:30 am155 views

  Misinformation has cost us all a lot of time and is increasingly costing us more.  How do you make sure you have credible information? 

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  2022 U.S. Senate Elections

  Nov 4, 2022 9:00 am155 views

  This semester in PSC 407: Campaigns and Elections, political science students at UIS have been researching some of the most competitive and high-profile congressional elections taking place in 2022. Here is some of their analysis.  

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  Commencement and Graduation and Pomp and Circumstance: What does it Really Mean?

  May 18, 2022 9:00 am152 views

  Just what is graduation, what is commencement, why are they important life milestones? Let’s take a brief look.

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  Want to know who is going to win an election? Ask the voters!

  Nov 21, 2022 9:00 am148 views

  Out of growing concern about the ability of polling to accurately capture voter intention and “predict” the results of an upcoming election, some researchers have begun to explore a switch from asking voters who they intend to vote for to so-called “citizen forecasts.”

• 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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  To China and Back: A Student’s Air Pollution Study Leads to Adventures beyond the Academic

  Jun 2, 2020 9:00 am146 views

  Before I began my research project “Investigation of Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality in China and United States: Volatile Organic Compounds”, I had never experienced the feeling of holding a project so near and dear to my heart that I would fall asleep thinking about it and wake up in the morning having the project on my mind.

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  Centering the Ocean in an Uncertain World: A Post for Inland Communities on World Oceans Day

  Jun 8, 2020 4:30 pm146 views

  June 8 is World Oceans Day. And on every June 8 since 1992, this day has marked an opportunity to raise awareness about the benefits humans derive from the ocean, as well as humans’ reciprocal duty to protect the ocean and use its resource responsibly and sustainably.

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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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  CPAA Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Bob Blankenberger, SPMP

  Feb 10, 2022 9:15 am142 views

  CPAA Faculty Spotlight on Dr. Bob Blankenberger, Associate Professor of Public Administration in the UIS School of Public Management and Policy, whose research interests are focused on educational policy, program evaluation, and how to improve educational attainment.

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  A Place to Call Home – But Not For Everyone

  Jun 23, 2020 9:45 am141 views

  Dismantling systemic racism must include addressing the denial of rentals to voucher holders. The seemingly neutral policy of refusing to accept Housing Choice Vouchers (commonly known as Section 8), often disproportionately affects minorities.

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  November Public Affairs Minute - Civility

  Nov 9, 2021 11:15 am139 views

  There is one concept that emerges above all in trying to seek a solution or a way forward in our current divisive political environment and social discord. That missing ingredient is civility.

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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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  PAR grad Ray Long talks about Michael Madigan with us on March 17

  Feb 16, 2022 9:00 am136 views

  Ray Long, PAR '81, chronicles Speaker Madigan’s storied legislative career in a new book – “The House That Madigan Built: The Record Run of Illinois' Velvet Hammer”, which comes out March 22.  We’d like to invite you to join us on Zoom at noon March 17 to hear from Long about his book and his career covering Madigan.

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  Chicago mayor-elect Brandon Johnson defies respectability politics: Is a paradigm shift underway?

  Apr 11, 2023 11:30 am134 views

  The recent election of Brandon Johnson as Chicago’s new mayor has been the center of attention in the US this week. This outcome raises questions about the existence of a paradigm shift in urban politics.

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  Welcome to Innovate Springfield - Social Innovation & Business Incubation

  Jun 26, 2020 9:00 am134 views

  Hello from Innovate Springfield the UIS social Innovation and Business incubator located in the heart of downtown Springfield, IL and the newest members to the UIS family! At Innovate Springfield, we’re creating new and disruptive ways to support the “communiversity” and the local economy through our two programs, Social Innovation and Business Incubation.

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  Recollections of Springfield

  May 26, 2021 9:00 am133 views

  Being the politics nerd and longtime Springfield resident that I am, I’m always interested when well-known political figures offer their impressions or memories of our capital city.  Two books I’ve read over the last few months include the Springfield recollections of two people on the national stage – President Barack Obama and former White House press secretary and current Fox News host Dana Perino.

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  UIS to host Midwest Public Affairs Conference

  Jun 1, 2022 9:00 am133 views

  On June 23-24, the UIS College of Public Affairs and Administration is hosting the 2022 Midwest Public Affairs Conference (MPAC) and this year the theme is “Designing and Running the Innovative Public Service Agency.” 

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  Protests on the Streets: Seeing From the Lens of Goodness

  Nov 3, 2020 9:00 am132 views

  A beautiful Arabic proverb teaches us that a vessel only spills that which it contains. If a cup of water falls, it will spill merely that which it holds. Our heart is also a vessel of sorts. If it harbors prejudice and hate, what it divulges is simply a manifestation of what was in it. But if it houses compassion and love, then it will accordingly release what it bears.

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  Announcing the 2023 Railsplitter's Banquet on March 31st

  Feb 9, 2023 3:30 pm131 views

  You are invited to the 2023 Railsplitter's Banquet on March 31st, 2023 at 6:30pm featuring guest speaker Federal District Court Judge, The Honorable Brian S. Miller.  Sponsored by the UIS School of Public Management and Policy.

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  Saving Local News

  May 26, 2020 8:45 am129 views

  Local journalism was in serious trouble before anyone heard of COVID-19, but amid a worldwide shutdown intended to stem the spread of the dangerous virus, the financial struggles of your local media outlet are even more serious now. So how can we fix this?

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  Connor Krater: My Experience at UIS

  Jun 15, 2021 10:00 am129 views

  The reasons I chose the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) are simple. Coming out of high school, I wanted to become involved in Illinois state politics, as Illinois had been my home for my entire life. UIS offered me ample opportunity to get involved in the Illinois state capital and its associated internships while studying its politics.

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  New Academic Year, New Interns

  Jun 17, 2021 9:00 am128 views

  Every Spring, as GPSI says Farewell and Congratulations to a group of graduating interns, we simultaneously go through a process of hiring a new group of graduate interns.  This year, we are celebrating the success of May’s virtual interviews which resulted in 85 new hires for the GPSI program. 

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  J.P. Lucas, MPA 19’: A Peruvian-American Budget Analyst

  Jan 26, 2022 9:30 am127 views

  Jean-Pierre Lucas earned his MPA from UIS in 2019 - the MPA enabled him to connect theory and practice by linking his experiences in the classroom with his work in a state agency.

• 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: