Dr. Catherine Zeman's presentation delves into the intricate relationship between environmental factors and health outcomes, particularly focusing on disparities across human communities. By analyzing trends in U.S. lifespan and healthcare expenditures, Dr. Zeman highlights the divergent pathways experienced by different racial/ethnic groups. She underscores the impact of neighborhood characteristics, such as income levels and educational attainment, on health outcomes, emphasizing the increased risk of chronic diseases and limited access to healthcare services in disadvantaged areas.

John Early will share images from his studio art practice while discussing projects that engage deeply with the cultural and social landscapes of various communities. Through his site-based work, he explores issues of spatial injustice, urban renewal, and community identity. By addressing topics like the anti-Black racism underlying the absence of basketball courts in St. Louis’s Forest Park and the human toll of urban renewal in the St. Louis Place neighborhood, Early's work highlights the importance of understanding and respecting diverse cultural perspectives.

In this event, Dr. Todd will present research about the process some Christian faith communities engage in to become and then live out being open and inclusive to the LGBTQIA+ community. There will be a broad discussion on historic context and research focused on the intersections of religious and LGBTQIA+ identities. He will discuss a movement within Protestant Christianity to create LGBTQIA+ open and inclusive faith communities. Dr. Todd will discuss his ongoing project “Becoming and Being Open and Inclusive Faith Communities” where he has interviewed over 70 people across the U.S.

One Hundred Strings is a collaboration between musicians Nirmala Rajasekar, Sandip Chatterjee, Thanjavur K. Murugaboopathi, and Ramdas Palsule that highlights the diversity of music and culture within India and fosters cultural connections within the South Asian diaspora of the United States.

This event discusses how Asian American young adults understand, consolidate, and articulate their identities in comics. Using examples from graphic memoirs by Laura Gao (Chinese American and queer), Malaka Gharib (Filipino Egyptian American), Robin Ha (Korean American), Thien Pham (Vietnamese American), and others, it examines how comic creators are tasked with avenging their immigrant parents’ failed dreams, how they strive to follow and/or disentangle themselves from their parents’ hopes, and how they take ownership of their own aspirations.

The 19th ANNUAL ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS presents 16 exceptional animated shorts from around the world. At a time of increasing social instability and global anxiety, the works have a special resonance, presenting compelling ideas about our place in society and the world. “Because animation is such a natural medium for dealing with abstract ideas and existential concerns, the ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS has always included a number of thoughtful and engaging films,” says curator Ron Diamond.

The event features three segments. First, we will screen the 30-minute documentary Descended from the Promised Land, which centers on family stories of transgenerational trauma and resilience related to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Then, a panel consisting of members of families touched by the 1908 Springfield Race Riot will share perspectives about issues raised by the film, but in a local context. We will conclude with a moderated audience discussion.

Fast fashion poses major social and environmental challenges, including poor labor conditions, the overuse of resources, and the generation of waste to create throw-away clothing. Dr. Gupta, the 2023 UIS University Scholar, will draw on her research to explain why some consumers are drawn to fast fashion and how the industry encourages overconsumption. Some consumers approach clothing acquisition from a style orientation, choosing distinctive clothing tailored to their sense of self.

Guen Montgomery will present a lecture about her work while sharing images from her art practice, which draws inspiration from her rural Appalachian heritage and identity as a femme gay person. She is interested in the complexity and inherent theatricality of real and imagined human characters. She will discuss the performative intricacies of gender, queerness and societal expectations, and the varied identities which haunt the words queer, lesbian, and femme.