NPR Illinois' Community Voices published this story on May 5, 2023.

"UIS computer science professor and director of the new Orion Lab Joshua Smith sat down with Community Voices to explain its creation, its current status, and how it is designed to allow accessibility to those who may not have access to the tools to help make their dreams a reality."

The following is an excerpt of a story published in the Illinois Times on on May 4, 2023.

"The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board has made the state the first in the nation to mandate wrongful conviction awareness and avoidance training at all seven police training academies in the state. The Illinois Innocence Project (IIP) at University of Illinois Springfield will continue to manage the training, which until now had only been offered in Champaign, and there only as an elective.

The following is an excerpt from a story published in The State Journal-Register on May 1, 2023.

"UIS will hold its commencement at the Bank of Springfield (BOS) Center at 2 p.m. on May 13. A total of 706 students will participate in the ceremony out of the 1,177 students who are eligible to graduate.

UIS professor emeritus of communication Raymond Schroeder will be awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters.

7.31.23

Dear Faculty and Staff —

I am pleased to share that Jacob K. Friefeld has been selected to serve as the Director of the Center for Lincoln Studies. He will begin his appointment Aug. 16.

Jacob K. Friefeld, Ph.D., has been named the director of the Center for Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield starting Aug. 16, 2023. He comes to UIS from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield where he served as the Illinois and Midwest studies research historian.