WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield will hold three Lunch & Learn Series events this spring. The series is presented by the UIS Alumni SAGE Society and the Illinois State Historical Society.
WHERE: Illini Country Club, 1601 Illini Road, Springfield
DETAILS:
March 12 – “Artificial Intelligence and Us: Transforming Human Life”
Doors open at 11 a.m., lunch at 11:30 a.m., program at NoonHei-Chi Chan, associate professor and co-founder of the Artifcial Intelligence Campus Learning Community, will present on the history of AI, Human-AI interaction, ethical considerations and the future of AI. Artificial Intelligence traces back to myths of artificial beings possessing intelligence or consciousness. Early 20th-century research led to the invention of the programmable digital computer, inspiring scientists to explore the possibility of an “electronic brain.” Today, AI influences nearly every aspect of life, from work and entertainment to shopping and relationships.
April 9 – “Sound Foundations: An Introduction to Speech-Language Pathology”
Doors open at 11 a.m., lunch at 11:30 a.m., program at Noon
UIS Chancellor Janet L. Gooch, a certified speech-language pathologist (SLP), will provide an overview of the speech pathology field and diagnosing, treating and preventing speech, language, communication and swallowing disorders. Gooch will also explore conditions SLPs address, including language delays, stuttering, voice issues and cognitive-communication impairments. Issues associated with cleft lip and palate, Gooch’s areas of specialty as a practicing clinician, will also be covered.
May 8 – “Native Americans in Illinois in 1818: Treaties and Treachery in the Path to Statehood”
Doors open at 11 a.m., lunch at 11:30 a.m., program at Noon
Michael Wiant, historian and retired director of the Illinois State Museum and Dickson Mounds Museum, will discuss Illinois’ complex path to statehood and the role of treaties with Native American tribes. In the early 1800s, Illinois was a sparsely populated territory, home to Native Americans, European settlers and African American communities—both free and enslaved. Wiant will examine the events and treaties that led to the displacement of tribes from the Illinois Territory and their eventual removal to reservations west of the Mississippi River.
The in-person events cost $50 a person and include a hot buffet lunch. A portion of the registration fee will be processed as a gift to the UIS Alumni Association scholarship fund. Virtual viewing options are also available. Participants can register online. Registration closes one week before the event.