Ngô Bao Châu, Gregory Voth, and Paul Wiegmann have received distinguished service professorships and Michael Kremer, John List and Lisa Wedeen have received named chairs.

Fields medalist Ngô Bao Châu, professor in mathematics and the College, has been named the Francis and Rose Yuen Distinguished Service Professor.

Ngô specializes in algebraic geometry, automorphic representations and group theory. He joined the UChicago faculty last September, shortly after receiving the Fields Medal, which is regarded as the highest professional honor a mathematician can attain. Fields Medals are given every four years to the most distinguished mathematicians aged 40 or under.

The International Congress of Mathematicians awarded Ngô the Fields Medal “for his proof of the Fundamental Lemma in the theory of automorphic forms through the introduction of new algebro-geometric methods.”

Ngô has delivered invited addresses to the International Congress of Mathematicians in 2006 and 2010. His honors include the Oberwolfach Prize, the Prix Sophie Germain de l’Académie des Sciences de Paris, the Clay Research Award and an honorary doctorate from the Vietnamese National University. His proof of the Fundamental Lemma also was named one of Time magazine’s top 10 scientific discoveries of 2009.

A native of Hanoi, Vietnam, Ngô received gold medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad in 1988 and 1989. He received his PhD from Université Paris-Sud in 1997. Before coming to Chicago he held appointments at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J., and at Université Paris-Sud.

Gregory Voth, professor in chemistry and the College, has been appointed the Haig P. Papazian Distinguished Service Professor in Chemistry.

Voth has developed leading expertise in the development and application of integrated theoretical and computational methods to study problems involving the dynamics of complex condense-phase systems, including proteins, membranes, liquids, and materials.

He has pioneered an approach known as “multiscale coarse graining,” which reduces the “resolution” of molecular-scale entities into simpler structures while retaining key information about their interactions. The resulting computer simulations based on this method can accurately and efficiently predict the properties of large assemblies of complex molecules such as lipids and proteins.

In 2009, Voth was elected to the inaugural class of fellows of the American Chemical Society. Other honors include a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship and a National Science Foundation Creativity Award.

Voth earned his PhD from the California Institute of Technology in 1987. He was the IBM Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, before joining the University of Pennsylvania faculty. Voth joined the UChicago faculty last year, following 13 years at the University of Utah, where he was elected a distinguished professor in 2005.

Paul Wiegmann, professor in physics and the College, has been named the Robert W. Reneker Distinguished Service Professor in Physics.

Wiegman discovered integrable structures in a number of important problems of theoretical condensed matter physics, which led to essential progress in understanding important quantum phenomena in electronic physics and magnetism. He also emphasized a role of topology in formation quantum states in interacting quantum systems and developed and applied topological methods to problems of condensed matter physics. In his recent works, Wiegman has developed a theory of singularities in certain driven quantum and classical fluids out-of-equilibrium.

Wiegman joined the UChicago faculty in 1992 and now directs the James Franck Institute. Last year, he co-organized the first academic conference ever held at the University’s new Center in Beijing, on novel quantum states in condensed matter.

Wiegmann received his BS in theoretical and mathematical physics in 1975 from the Physical Technical Institute in Moscow, and his PhD in 1978 in theoretical physics from the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics. Before coming to Chicago he held appointments at the Landau Institute and at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Wiegmann has received many international honors, including a Humboldt Research Award for senior U.S. scientists from Germany’s Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

He has served as the Kramers Chair of the Spinoza Institute at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands and as the Blaise Pascal Research Chair of Ille de France at the Université Paris-Sud. He also is a fellow of the American Physical Society.

Michael Kremer, professor in philosophy, has been named the Mary R. Morton Professor in Philosophy and the College. Kremer has published numerous articles on logic, philosophy of language, early analytic philosophy.

Kremer’s current research projects include work on the 19th-century mathematician and philosopher Gottlob Frege, and on the early 20th-century philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein.

He is the recipient of a 2009-2010 Franke Institute fellowship and a 2008 Llewellyn John & Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

Kremer taught at the University of Notre Dame prior to joining the UChicago faculty. He received his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh.

John List, a leading researcher on environmental economics and a pioneer in using field experiments in economics, has been named the Homer J. Livingston Professor in Economics and the College.

List has been at the forefront of environmental economics and has served as senior economist on the President’s Council of Economic Advisors for Environmental and Resource Economics. He is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, a research fellow at the Institute for the Study of Labor, and a university fellow at Tilburg University in the Netherlands.

In his work using field experiments, he developed scientific methods for testing economic theory directly in the marketplace. That work has provided insights into such issues as pricing behavior, market structure, the valuation of non-marketed goods and services, the impact of environmental regulation, the economics of charitable giving and the impact of incentives on education and weight loss.

Recently, List has been involved in creating an experimental laboratory to study the role incentives play for preschool children and their parents at Griffin Early Childhood Center in Chicago Heights. On that project, List is working with Steven Levitt, the William B. Ogden Distinguished Service Professor in Economics, and Roland Fryer, the Robert M. Beren professor of economics at Harvard University. Chicago philanthropists Kenneth and Anne Griffin are funding the project.

List joined the faculty in 2005 after serving on the faculties at the University of Maryland, the University of Arizona, and the University of Central Florida. He received a PhD in Economics from the University of Wyoming in 1996.

Lisa Wedeen, an expert on Middle East politics, has been named the Mary R. Morton Professor in Political Science and the College.

In addition to the Middle East, Wedeen’s research interests include comparative politics, political theory, and feminist theory.

She is the author of numerous articles and two books, Ambiguities of Domination: Politics, Rhetoric, and Symbols in Contemporary Syria (University of Chicago Press, 1999) and Peripheral Visions: Publics, Power and Performance in Yemen (University of Chicago Press, 2008).

Wedeen does fieldwork throughout the Middle East, and spent 18 months doing research in Yemen. She analyzed the development of national attachments in an environment with weak state institutions.

Through her work, Wedeen found that much of public life in Yemen revolves around qat, a leafy stimulant, typically chewed during afternoon socializing. By analyzing these informal gatherings, Wedeen showed how the study of public discussions, existing outside of official electoral or governmental institutions, provides insights into the development of participatory politics.

From 2006 to 2007, Wedeen was a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ.  She also did research at the Bellagio Study and Conference Center in Italy using a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. She also received a Franke Institute for the Humanities fellowship for study in 2002-2003.

In 2010, Wedeen won the American Political Science Association’s Qualitative and Multi-Methods David Collier Mid-Career Award for
Achievements in Interpretive Methods.

Currently on sabbatical in Syria, Wedeen received a UChicago Faculty Award for Graduate Teaching in 2008. She received her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1995.

From humanities to sciences, six faculty members receive named appointments | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Evanston parents will get a chance on Monday to sound off on a controversial proposal to eliminate some freshman honors classes at the city’s public high school. The measure is designed to address concerns of a lack of diveristy in such classes.

Deborah Graham has a son who will be a freshman at Evanston Township High School next year. Graham’s also a member of the district’s board of education,  which is considering a move to alter some freshman humanities honors classes.

“ETHS has, in some ways in the past, functioned as two different schools–one for white students and one for students of color,” said Graham.

To tackle that quagmire, the board hired Eric Witherspoon in 2006 as the high school’s superintendent and gave him the mandate to come up with a plan to address racial equity at Evanston Township High School. Witherspoon is now proposing to merge some freshman honors classes with regular classes. He believes teachers will be able to handle classrooms with students coming from different learning tracks.

“Teachers have always understood that in any class, no matter how narrow of a band you try to create, you still have a range of students in every class,” said Witherspoon.

The board is expected to vote on the proposal at its Dec. 13 meeting.

Originally reported by Chicago Public Radio. Read the original article here.

Evanston board of education evaluates plan to alter high school honors programs | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

WASHINGTON – The stately White House East Room, home to many a bill signing and ceremonial gathering, becomes a stage Tuesday for pirouettes, jetes, gravity-defying leaps and maybe even some bumps and grinds as Michelle Obama inaugurates a new dance series.

Dancers of all types — ballet, modern, hip hop and Broadway — take over the room, first for an afternoon workshop, during which students from around the country will have the chance to work with some of the biggest names in dance.

Then, after a short break, the students return to see their mentors perform in an hour-long, star-studded show. Even Broadway’s young “Billy Elliot” will be there — four Billys actually, from the show’s rotating cast.

But the main attraction is the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and that’s because its celebrated artistic director, Judith Jamison, soon to retire after two decades in the job, is the honoree of the event.

“What a rare opportunity, to be invited by your country’s first lady to be honored like this,” Jamison said in a weekend interview. “I’ve been to the White House a couple of times before, but this event is totally unique. It’s so terribly important to recognize this art form and to understand how important it is to the fabric of this country.”

“This will be another clarion call to people: Pay attention to your arts!” Jamison said. “My dancers are so excited.”

The 67-year-old Jamison is an icon of the dance world. She joined the Ailey company in 1965 and became the choreographer’s muse, her dramatic power as a dancer epitomized in the unforgettable 1971 solo piece “Cry.” In 1989, after Ailey’s death, she took over as artistic director. She is scheduled to step down in 2011.

Tuesday’s program is directed by Damian Woetzel, the recently retired star of the New York City Ballet who is on the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. He had a dizzying array of choices from which to cull an hour of the country’s best dance. And he said it wasn’t exactly hard to find dancers, no matter that the event comes just after a summer vacation weekend.

“Everyone was so excited to be a part of this,” Woetzel said in an interview. “It’s really an exciting opportunity to present the variety of dance in this country. And the student component makes it especially unique. It’s a great way to start the school year.”

Though the Obamas have spotlighted many varieties of music since they came to the White House — there have been events celebrating Latin music, rock, jazz, country, classical and Broadway show tunes — the dance world might have felt ignored, until now.

But Michelle Obama seems to be a dance fan. Jamison noted proudly that the Obamas and their daughters spent one of their first nights out as first family taking in an Ailey performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

“They came backstage, took pictures — the dancers were thrilled,” she said.

Also on the program Tuesday: the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Broadway’s “Billy Elliot the Musical,” The Washington Ballet, Super Cr3w and the New York City Ballet.

The students are from dance schools around the country: The Alvin Ailey School, Ballet Hispanico, Cab Calloway School of the Arts, Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Chicago Multicultural Dance Center and others.

Michelle Obama hosts first White House dance event | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Roger Hertog, who guaranteed Conrad Black‘s $2m bail, is an old friend and business partner.

He was born in 1941 in New York to what he described as “poor German-Jewish immigrants” who had fled to America in 1937. He studied at the City College of New York – the “Harvard of the poor” – while trying to break into Wall Street. Decades later, he described his early priorities as “Money and girls. Ideas came in third.”

Today, he is a philanthropist. He is said to have given away more than $100m, including paying for a new library in the Bronx where he grew up, and for military “grand strategy” to be taught at several US universities. His support for Judaism includes funding undergraduate courses on Jewish thought at Princeton and the New York University’s law school.

But he has also made significant donations to New York’s Catholic schools in an attempt to give poor children a chance of a better education, having previously financed several scholarships.In 2007 he was awarded the National Humanities Medal. He launched The New York Sun in 2002, with Black as an investor.

It lasted only six years.

Conrad Black’s bail guarantor: Roger Hertog | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Join The Public Square, a program of the Illinois Humanities Council, for a panel discussion on possible futures for Chicago as a city that “works for us” in light of the civic energy that surrounded the failed 2016 Olympic bid.

This event will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 1 from 6 to 8pm at Roosevelt University’s Congress Lounge (430 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago).

The panel will feature Louder Than a Bomb founder and poet Kevin Coval; University of Chicago associate professor of American history Adam Green; Executive Director of the Grassroots Collaborative Amisha Patel; and Amy Skeen, Executive Director of Girls in the Game.

The discussion will be moderated by Natalie Moore, Chicago Public Radio South Side Community Bureau Reporter.

This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are recommended and can be made at prairie.org/publicsquare, emailing events@prairie.org or call 312-422-5580.

This event is presented by Chicago Public Radio-WBEZ 91.5FM, the Mansfield Institute for Social Justice and Transformation at Roosevelt University, and The Public Square.

MORE ABOUT THE PANELISTS

Kevin Coval is author of Everyday People (EM Press 2008) and Slingshots (A Hip-Hop Poetica) (EM Press 2006), which was nominated for a Book of the Year Award by The American Library Association.

He is also a faculty member at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, poet-in-residence at The Jane Addams Hull House-Museum, and Minister of Hip-Hop Poetics at The University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Adam Green is associate professor of American history at the University of Chicago. His fields of study are modern U.S. history, African American history, urban history, comparative racial politics, and cultural economy.

His publications include Selling the Race: Culture and Community in Black Chicago, 1940-1955 (University of Chicago Press, 2006) and Time Longer than Rope: Studies in African American Activism, 1850-1950 (co- editor Charles Payne, New York University Press, 2003). He holds a Ph.D. from Yale University.

Amisha Patel is Executive Director of Grassroots Collaborative, a community-labor coalition working to win racial and economic justice in Chicago and statewide.

She previously worked as a union organizer and did arts-based violence against women prevention programming in communities of color in the Bay Area.

The documentary that her youth created, entitled Young Azns Rising! Breaking Down Violence Against Women, screened in film festivals across the country and won the Asian Emmy for best documentary.

Amy Skeen, MSW, LCSW, is Executive Director of Girls in the Game, a nonprofit recognized for leadership in sports, health, and leadership programming for girls citywide.

She has fifteen years of experience in nonprofit program operations, specifically working with youth and families. Amy has received numerous awards for her leadership, including One of Chicago’s Top Women Making a Difference for Girls, (Women Employed 2008).

Natalie Moore is the reporter for Chicago Public Radio’s bureau in Englewood, a neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side.

Natalie’s work has been published in Essence, Black Enterprise, the Chicago Reporter, Bitch, In These Times, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune.

She is co-author of the book Deconstructing Tyrone: A New Look at Black Masculinity in the Hip-Hop Generation.

She is a 2009 fellow at Columbia College’s Ellen Stone Belic Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media. She’s also on the board of directors of the Neighborhood Writing Alliance.

About the Public Square

The Public Square, a program of the Illinois Humanities Council, fosters debate, dialogue, and exchange of ideas about cultural, social, and political issues with an emphasis on social justice.

Programs promote participatory democracy by creating space for public conversations.

More information about The Public Square is available at prairie.org/publicsquare.

About the Illinois Humanities Council

The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities.

Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location.

The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

Join the Illinois Humanities Council for “After the Olympic Bid, What’s Next for Chicago” Panel Dec. 1 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) invites grant applicants to a free IHC Community Grants Application Workshop on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009 from 9am to 11pm.

This workshop will be held at Shawnee Community College (8364 Shawnee College Rd, Ullin) in the River Room.

Any nonprofit group, organization, or institution in Illinois is eligible to apply for financial support from the IHC for a public project in the humanities. 

Registration is required.

To register for this workshop, please contact the IHC at 312-422-5580, send an e-mail to ihc@prairie.org, or visit prairie.org.

Space is limited, therefore only one representative per organization will be allowed and preference will be given to first-time applicants.

Kay Rippelmeyer-Tippy, IHC program officer, will staff the meeting and field questions about guidelines for major and mini grants for various types of projects, including local and community history projects, oral history projects, documentary film projects, and reading/discussion programs, for example.

The next deadlines for mini grant proposals are Jan. 15 and April 15, 2010; the next deadline for major grant proposals is Feb. 15, 2010.

The IHC puts a priority on funding projects developed by, for, or aimed at reaching new or historically neglected audiences.

These include—but are not limited to—residents of rural communities, men and women with little formal education, inner city or other underserved youth (in after-school or weekend programs), people who are economically disadvantaged, or the elderly.

The IHC especially invites applications from organizations that serve these communities and strongly encourages other applicants to extend their programs to include such audiences. The IHC also encourages applications for projects about American history and culture.

For more information on the IHC Community Grants Program, visit prairie.org/grants, e-mail ihc@prairie.org, or call 312-422-5580.

About the Illinois Humanities Council

The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities.

Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location.

The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

Illinois Humanities Council Announces Nov. 19 IHC Grant Application Workshop in Ullin | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

This award, now in its 10th year, recognizes individuals who have made a lasting contribution to the cultural life of their communities.

These 44 local “humanities heroes” were selected by their mayors for their exemplary efforts to champion the humanities in their communities, from Carbondale to Chicago and from Savanna to Springfield.

Many of these recipients were involved in creating awareness about local or regional history in their communities through the establishment of historical societies or museums.

Others were noted for their outstanding dedication to education, formal and informal; to literacy and library programs; and to creating awareness for cultural heritage, music, literature, and the arts.

“The IHC could not have identified the more than 40 Studs Terkel medallists without the help of Illinois mayors and village presidents,” said IHC Executive Director Kristina A. Valaitis.

“We are so pleased that in the 10th year of this program, we are able to honor these champions of the humanities that make their communities and our whole state more vibrant.”

The awardees of the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award will receive an engraved medal of recognition at ceremonies held in their communities throughout the fall.

The medals are struck in solid bronze by the Medallic Art Company—the company that makes both the Pulitzer Prize and the Peabody Award—and engraved with the names of the recipients and their communities.

Please contact the Mayor or Village President’s office for local ceremony dates and times.

ABOUT THE STUDS TERKEL HUMANITIES SERVICE AWARD

Named after the prize-winning oral historian and author, Studs Terkel, the awards reflect the spirit of this prominent son of Illinois.

Terkel was a modern-day renaissance man: an actor, playwright, jazz columnist, film narrator, and disc jockey. He is perhaps most admired for documenting 20th-century America through the words and voices of ordinary people.

Recipients were selected for their service in the humanities, which include significant and sustained efforts to further public understanding of, and appreciation for, the humanities at the community level.

This program was started in 1999, in honor of the IHC’s 25th anniversary; this year marks the 10th anniversary of this special honor.

For more information about recipients of the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Awards, call 312-422-5580 or visit prairie.org/studsterkelaward.

For more information about the IHC’s programs and events, please visit our Web site at prairie.org.

About the Illinois Humanities Council

The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities.

Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities.

The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

Studs Turkel Humanities Service Award Recipients

Illinois Humanities Council Announces 2009 Studs Terkel Service Award Recipients; 44 Individuals Selected | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) invites grant applicants to a free IHC Community Grants Application Workshop on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009 from 10am to 12pm.

This workshop will be held at the Freeport Arts Center (121 North Harlem Ave, Freeport).

Any nonprofit group, organization, or institution in Illinois is eligible to apply for financial support from the IHC for a public project in the humanities.  Registration is required.

To register for this workshop, please contact the IHC at 312-422-5580, send an e-mail to ihc@prairie.org, or visit prairie.org.

Space is limited, therefore only one representative per organization will be allowed and preference will be given to first-time applicants.

Ryan Lewis, IHC program officer, will staff the meeting and field questions about guidelines for major and mini grants for various types of projects, including local and community history projects, oral history projects, documentary film projects, and reading/discussion programs, for example.

The next deadlines for mini grant proposals are Jan. 15 and April 15, 2010; the next deadline for major grant proposals is Feb. 15, 2010.

The IHC puts a priority on funding projects developed by, for, or aimed at reaching new or historically neglected audiences.  These include—but are not limited to—residents of rural communities, men and women with little formal education, inner city or other underserved youth (in after-school or weekend programs), people who are economically disadvantaged, or the elderly.

The IHC especially invites applications from organizations that serve these communities and strongly encourages other applicants to extend their programs to include such audiences. The IHC also encourages applications for projects about American history and culture.

For more information on the IHC Community Grants Program, visit prairie.org/grants, e-mail ihc@prairie.org, or call 312-422-5580.

About the Illinois Humanities Council

The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities.

Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location.

The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

Illinois Humanities Council Announces Grant Application Workshop in Freeport Nov. 12 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

This special discussion will take place from 6 to 7pm on Monday, Oct. 26 at Intelligentsia Coffee (3123 N. Broadway St.) in. It is free and open to the public, no reservations are required.

North Side Community Federal Credit Union is a community development credit union founded in 1974 with a history of serving people who are not using mainstream financial institutions through financial education and budgeting help, in addition to affordable loans and low-cost checking and savings accounts.

Joining Mark Fick, board member of North Side CFCU, to discuss co-op businesses will be Victor Cortez of Salsedo Press, Lowell Thompson of Stone Soup Cooperative, and Ali McDonald of the Chicago Women’s Health Center.  This month’s Café Society conversation is co-sponsored by The Public Square and North Side CFCU in honor of Co-Op Month.

This program is part of The Public Square’s Café Society program. Café Society fosters a more robust civil society, more cohesive and interactive communities, greater media literacy, and a more informed and engaged citizenry through weekly conversations about contemporary social issues.

The Public Square currently runs four Café Society sites in the Chicago area and one in Carbondale.

Café Society locations:

1^st Thursdays

7-8 p.m., Valois, 1518 E. 53rd St., Chicago

7:30-8:30 p.m., Panera Bread, 1126 E. Walnut St., Carbondale

2^nd Fridays

5-6 p.m., Ron’s Barber Shop, 6058 W. North Ave., Chicago

3rd Wednesdays

12:30-1:30 p.m., Chicago Cultural Center’s Randolph Street Café, 77 E. Randolph St., Chicago

4^th Mondays

7:30-8:30 p.m., Intelligentsia Coffee, 3123 N. Broadway St., Chicago

For more information on Café Society, visit prairie.org/cafesociety.

ABOUT THE PUBLIC SQUARE

The Public Square, a program of the Illinois Humanities Council, fosters debate, dialogue, and exchange of ideas about cultural, social, and political issues with an emphasis on social justice.

Programs promote participatory democracy by creating space for public conversations. More information about The Public Square is available at prairie.org/publicsquare.

About the Illinois Humanities Council

The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities.

Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location.

The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

Join The Public Square and North Side CFCU for a Cafe Society Discussion on the Importance of Co-Ops Oct. 26 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The exhibition will run from Oct. 24, 2009 through Dec. 6, 2009.

Viewing hours are 10am to 2pm on Tuesday through Friday, 10am to 4pm on Saturday, and 1pm to 4pm on Sunday.

This program will be free and open to the public. For more information please contact Carol Klopmeyer at 618-566-2567.

ABOUT “JOURNEY STORIES”

“Journey Stories” tells how we and our ancestors came to America.  From Native Americans to new American citizens and regardless of our ethnic or racial background, everyone has a story to tell.

Our history is filled with stories of people leaving behind everything – families and possessions – to reach a new life in another state, across the continent, or even across an ocean.

Many chose to move, searching for something better in a new land. Others had no choice, like enslaved Africans captured and relocated to a strange land and bravely asserting their own cultures, or like Native Americans already here, who were often violently removed by newcomers.

“Journey Stories” is part of the Illinois Humanities Council’s Museum on Main Street (MoMS) program, a partnership between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and state humanities councils nationwide.

MoMS serves museums, libraries, and historical societies in towns of fewer than 30,000 residents by bringing them Smithsonian-quality exhibitions.

For more information about MoMS, call Ryan Lewis at 312-422-5585, Ext. 231 or visit prairie.org/moms.

About the Illnois Humanities Council

The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities.

Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location.

The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

Illinois Humanities Council Brings “Journey Stories” Exhibition to Mascoutah Heritage Museum Oct. 24 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The challenges we face ahead in managing oil and water resources can be daunting.

What are the imaginative and creative solutions being developed? Can technology and design really solve the problems we face or will we need to consider much more significant changes and sacrifices at the individual and global level?

This event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 11am to 1pm at Archeworks (625 N. Kingsbury St., Chicago).

It is free and open to the public, but reservations are required.

To make reservations or for more information, contact the IHC by phone at 312-422-5580, email events@prairie.org, or visit prairie.org/OilandWater.

The panelists for this program are:

• Scott Bernstein, President and Co-founder of the Center for Neighborhood Technology;
• Greg Watson, Senior Advisor for Clean Energy Technology at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs and Vice President for Sustainable Development at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative; and
• Henry Henderson, Midwest Program Director for the Natural Resources Defense Council (moderator).

Before the panel discussion, also have the opportunity to learn about Chicago’s award-winning Green Alley Program on a tour of the Couch Place green alley with Janet Attarian, Director for the Chicago Department of Transportation Streetscape and Sustainable Design Program.

The tour will begin at 10am in front of the ABC 7 Chicago television studios (190 North State Street).

Space is limited and separate reservations for the tour are required. Reserve your place by emailing events@prairie.org or calling 312-422-5580.

“Wellsprings Eternal: Imagination and Innovation for Oil and Water” is presented in partnership with Archeworks and the Center for Neighborhood Technology.

From Fall 2008 to Fall 2009, the Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) presents All-Consuming: Conversations on Oil and Water, a year-long statewide series aimed to increase public knowledge of oil and water issues by engaging Illinoisans in conversations about the individual, regional, and global impact of these two essential resources.

Programs will feature scholars, scientists, ethicists, artists, and philosophers as guest speakers.

For a full calendar of events or for more information, please visit prairie.org/OilandWater or call 312-422-5580.

Lead sponsorship for All-Consuming: Conversations on Oil and Water is provided by the Motorola Foundation and The Boeing Company, with additional support from Illinois American Water.

Chicago Public Radio (WBEZ 91.5) and Illinois Channel are the media sponsors.

About the Illinois Humanities Council

The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities.

Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location.

The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

Illinois Humanities Council Presents “Wellsprings Eternal: Imagination and Innovation for Oil and Water” Oct. 24 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

This luncheon will celebrate the Illinois Humanities Council’s 35 years of creating public dialogue.

Since 1973, the IHC has been using the humanities to create initiatives that explore subjects and issues that affect our lives as individuals, community members, and citizens of the world.

At the luncheon, each table will have its own discussion on a timely issue, facilitated by well-known local personalities and experts in their field. Confirmed conversation hosts and their topics include:

• Rick Kogan, senior writer for the Chicago Tribune – “Who Needs Newspapers?”

• Geoffrey Baer, producer and program host for WTTW Channel 11 – “Where Do You Draw the Line on Lakefront Development?”

• Welz Kauffman, president and CEO of the Ravinia Festival – “What Has Lincoln Meant to the Arts?”
• Dawn Clark Netsch, professor at Northwestern University Law School and former gubernatorial candidate – “What Do We Have to Do in Illinois to Restore Ethics in Government?”
• Adam P. Green, Associate Professor of History at the University of Chicago – “Might Political Partisanship in Fact Be Part of the Solution for the Challenges Facing the United States Today?”
• Gordon Quinn, artistic director and co-founder of Kartemquin Films – “It Is a Wonderful Life: What Do Movies Have to Tell Us About the Financial Crisis?”

A complete list of hosts and topics is available at prairie.org/luncheon.

The Honorable Richard M. Daley, Mayor, City of Chicago, serves as the Honorary Chair for this event. Deborah Epstein, Founding Director of the Neighborhood Writing Alliance, and Arthur M. Sussman, Vice President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, are the event co-chairs

Tickets cost $150 each, with additional sponsorship levels. For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, including the purchase of tables, please call Maureen McCarthy at 312-422-5580 Ext. 235 or visit prairie.org/luncheon. All proceeds from this event will support the Illinois Humanities Council.

About the Illinois Humanities Council

The Illinois Humanities Council broadens intellectual horizons by creating educational opportunities in the humanities for all Illinoisans.

Whether deepening our understanding of the history right under our feet or encouraging dialogue within neighborhoods and across communities, IHC programs bring together Illinoisans from all walks of life to reflect, think critically, and actively exchange ideas about what is important to all of us.

Through film, performance, exhibitions, lectures, seminars, and public forums, the IHC is a catalyst for imaginative ventures of the mind and heart.

Organized in 1973 as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Illinois Humanities Council is an independent, nonprofit educational organization, (501 [c] 3) supported by state, federal, and private funds.

For more information on this event, call 312-422-5580 or visit prairie.org/luncheon.

Illinois Humanities Council Presents Benefit Luncheon Oct. 28 at the W Chicago City Center to Feature Conversations with Local Luminaries | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Now is your chance to be radically creative and show the world what democracy, making it and sustaining it, means to you!

Submit a short film to our Looking for Democracy: How to Make It, How to Sustain It 2nd Annual Film & Video Contest for a chance to win a private consultation with award-winning filmmaker and founder/president of Kartemquin Films Gordon Quinn, along with a Flip camera.

The postmark deadline for film entries is Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009. Winning films will be screened at the Looking for Democracy: How to Make It, How to Sustain It 2nd Annual Film & Video Contest Screening, in the Spring of 2010.

Entries must address the idea of democracy within society, and how individuals or groups make of sustain that democracy. Films can be of any genre/style, but must be under five minutes in length. All entrants must reside in the state of Illinois.

For a complete listing of rules and prizes, visit prairie.org/DemocracyFilmContest or contact Charlotte King at The Public Square at 312-422-5585 x232 or at cak@prairie.org.

This contest is co-sponsored by The Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council, Independent Television Service (ITVS), Kartemquin Films, Independent Feature Project (IFP) Chicago, Columbia College Television and Film Departments, Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV), Chicago Short Film Brigade, and the Reeltime Independent Film and Video Forum.

ABOUT THE PUBLIC SQUARE

The Public Square, a program of the Illinois Humanities Council, fosters debate, dialogue, and exchange of ideas about cultural, social and political issues with an emphasis on social justice.

Programs promote participatory democracy by creating space for public conversations.

This event is part of The Public Square’s “Looking for Democracy” series, which is designed to launch a conversation about the kind of world we want to build together by creating forums for intelligent discussion of politics in America through art and dialogue.

The “Looking for Democracy” series is supported in part by a grant from the Woods Fund of Chicago.  More information about The Public Square is available at prairie.org/publicsquare.

The Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council Challenges Local Filmmakers “Looking for Democracy” with Video Contest, Entries Due Dec. 1 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The Illinois Humanities Council Board of Directors has awarded a total of $7,000 to four nonprofit organizations for development and production of public humanities projects.

Funded programs include a writing workshop to help immigrant women tell their stories (Libertyville), an effort to create a museum focusing on teen culture (Chicago), a performance and discussion highlighting scenes from Shakespeare’s plays that depict characters with disabilities (Chicago), and a commemoration of the 100^th anniversary of the Cherry Mine Diaster of 1909 (Cherry). Community support for these projects totaled $13,550.

A complete list of grants and the organizations that are sponsoring these programs is listed below:

• Bridges and Borders: Jane’s Stories Press Foundation, Libertyville ($1,000)
• Chicago Teen Museum: Teen Council: Chicago Teen Museum, Chicago ($2,000)
• Not Shaped for Sportive Tricks: Victory Gardens Theater, Chicago ($2,000)
• Cherry Mine Disaster: 100^th Anniversary Program: The Illinois History Society, Cherry ($2,000)

The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) invites non-profit organizations to apply for its next cycle of grants. Upcoming application deadlines for mini grants (up to $2,500) are October 15 and January 15, 2009.  The application deadline for major grants (up to $10,000) is February 15, 2009.  Any non-profit group, organization, or institution is eligible to apply for financial support from the Illinois Humanities Council for a public project in the humanities, including documentary films, local and community history projects, literary symposia, and oral history projects.

Mini Grants are restricted to organizations with annual budgets under $1 million or organizations applying for new or experimental programs.  The IHC makes it a priority to fund projects developed by, for, or aimed at reaching new or historically neglected audiences.  The IHC also encourages applications for projects about American history and culture.

Potential applicants may review and download grant applications and guidelines by visiting prairie.org/grants.

Grant information may also be requested by calling 312-422-5580 or by sending an email to ihc@prairie.org.  IHC program officers are available for consultation at this number as well, and new applicants are encouraged to seek consultation and submit a draft proposal prior to the final deadline.

For further information about the IHC or the grants program, please contact us at 312-422-5580 or visit our Web site at prairie.org.

About the Illinois Humanities Council

The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities.

Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

Illinois Humanities Council Awards Mini Grants to Four Illinois Non-Profit Organizations | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Chairman Leach, who was sworn-in as NEH chair on August 12, 2009, served thirty years representing southeastern Iowa in the U.S. House of Representatives. He recently announced an expansion of the focus of the NEH to emphasize “Bridging Cultures,” both domestically and internationally.

In Chicago, he will be discussing this dual challenge while celebrating the distinctive American trait of social organization around voluntary community causes. “In our society” says Leach, “respect begins with civility, which has unfortunately broken down on important issues of the day.”

Leach will highlight the connections between the humanities and the spirit of volunteerism by visiting a reading and discussion group from the Illinois Humanities Council’s Meaning of Service program at 3:30pm at City Year Chicago (36 S. Wabash St). He will join City Year Chicago volunteers in discussing the poem “The Same Inside” by Anna Swir and the short story “Fellowship” by Franz Kafka.

He will also attend an evening reception for Illinois humanities organizations at 6:30pm at The Newberry Library (60 W. Walton St, Chicago), where he will make some short remarks on the importance of service in an increasingly global world and the need to respond to the challenges of globalization and other issues with understanding and respect.

ABOUT JAMES LEACH

Jim Leach is the ninth Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Nominated by President Barack Obama on July 9, 2009, and confirmed by the Senate in early August, Leach began his four-year term as NEH Chairman on August 12, 2009.

Leach previously served 30 years representing southeastern Iowa in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he chaired the Banking and Financial Services Committee, the Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, and founded and co-chaired the Congressional Humanities Caucus.

After leaving Congress in 2007, Leach joined the faculty at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School, where he was the John L. Weinberg Visiting Professor of Public and International Affairs until his confirmation as NEH chairman.  In September 2007, Leach took a year’s leave of absence from Princeton to serve as interim director of the Institute of Politics and lecturer at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Leach graduated from Princeton University, received a Master of Arts degree in Soviet politics from the School of Advanced International Studies at John Hopkins University, and did additional graduate studies at the London School of Economics.

Leach holds eight honorary degrees and has received numerous awards, including the Sidney R. Yates Award for Distinguished Public Service to the Humanities from the National Humanities Alliance; the Woodrow Wilson Award from Johns Hopkins University; the Adlai Stevenson Award from the United Nations Association; the Edgar Wayburn Award from the Sierra Club; the Wayne Morse Integrity in Politics Award; the Norman Borlaug Award for Public Service; and the Wesley Award for Service to Humanity.

A three-sport athlete in college, Leach was elected to the Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and the International Wrestling Hall of Fame in Waterloo, Iowa. Leach resides in Iowa City and the Washington, D.C., area with his wife Elisabeth (Deba), son Gallagher, and daughter Jenny.

MORE ABOUT THE MEANING OF SERVICE

The Meaning of Service (MoS) is a reading and discussion program for service volunteers featuring discussions that use short stories, poems and essays that reflect on the nature of justice, service, and related themes.

Founded by the Illinois Humanities Council in 2002, it provides young service volunteers with the tools and opportunity to consider their desire to serve in all of its depth and complexity.

The program currently engages close to 200 young volunteers at ten sites in Illinois: City Year, Public Allies, Literacy Volunteers of Illinois, Project YES, Neighborhood Relations VISTA, Asian Human Services, PCC Westside AmeriCorps, Notre Dame Mercy AmeriCorps, East St. Louis AmeriCorps, and Southwestern IL College AmeriCorps. In 2005, through the support of an NEH grant, MoS expanded to a nationwide program. It is currently being run by humanities councils in five other states: Ohio, Mississippi, Montana, Florida, and New York.

ABOUT THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY

The Newberry Library provides a home to a world-class collection of books, manuscripts, and maps, and also to a growing community of readers. Our collections, spanning many centuries, feature a wide range of materials, from illuminated medieval manuscripts to rich genealogical resources, and from early printed books to the personal papers of Midwest authors. The Newberry offers highly acclaimed programs for serious readers: fellowships for scholars, seminars for undergraduates, professional development activities for teachers, and a variety of adult education seminars, public lectures, and workshops.

Visit us online at newberry.org or in person at 60 W. Walton St., Chicago, Ill.

ABOUT THE ILLINOIS HUMANITIES COUNCIL

Since its founding in 1973 as the Illinois state affiliate of the NEH, the Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) has been dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities.

The IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

For more information about the Illinois Humanities Council, visit prairie.org or call 312-422-5580.

National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman Jim Leach to Commemorate Sept. 11 Anniversary in Chicago | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The Board will convene at 9am. The meeting agenda will include a welcoming of new board members Rodrigo del Canto, Adam P. Green, Thomas Kallen, Roger L. Taylor and Kay Torshen, along with a review of grant proposals and a presentation of the FY10 budget and future program planning.

Currently, 33 members comprise the Illinois Humanities Council Board of Directors.

They are:

Alton B. Harris (Chicago), Chair; Danielle Allen (Chicago); Matti Bunzl (Champaign); Rodrigo del Canto (Chicago); Michael C. Dorf (Chicago); Deborah Epstein (Chicago); Stuart Flack (Chicago); The Honorable Joan B. Gottschall (Chicago); Adam P. Green (Chicago); J. Paul Hunter (Chicago); Falona Joy (Chicago); Thomas E. Kallen (Chicago); Gary Koch (Springfield); Greg Koos (Bloomington); Robert F. Lipman (Evanston); Grayson Mitchell (Chicago); Anita Nagler (Chicago); James M. Newcomb (Wilmette); Gayl S. Pyatt (Pinckneyville); Gordon Quinn (Chicago); Mike Ross (Urbana); Patricia Jean Simon (Makanda); Gerald Skoning (Chicago); Arthur M. Sussman (Chicago); Roger L. Taylor (Galesburg); Rolf Thienemann (Rockford); David Thigpen (Chicago); Nancy Tom (Chicago); Maria (Nena) Torres (Chicago); Kay Torshen (Chicago); George Van Dusen (Skokie); Willard E. White (Oak Park); and John A. Wing, (Evanston).

The IHC accepts public nominations for new Board members throughout the year. For more information about the IHC, call (312) 422-5580 or visit prairie.org.

About the Illinois Humanities Council

The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) is a nonprofit educational organization (501 {c} 3) dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities.

Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

Illinois Humanities Council Conducts Fall Board Meeting at the Chicago History Museum September 25 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CHICAGO – The Illinois Humanities Council announces the opening of “Journey Stories,” a traveling exhibition of the world-renowned Smithsonian Institution, at the Lincoln Heritage Museum of Lincoln College (300 Keokuk St., Lincoln). The exhibition will run from September 8, 2009 through October 18, 2009. Viewing hours are 9am to 4pm on Monday-Friday and 1 to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.

This program will be free and open to the public. For more information please contact Ron Keller or Paul Gleason at 217-732-3155 x295.

ABOUT “JOURNEY STORIES”

“Journey Stories” tells how we and our ancestors came to America.  From Native Americans to new American citizens and regardless of our ethnic or racial background, everyone has a story to tell. Our history is filled with stories of people leaving behind everything – families and possessions – to reach a new life in another state, across the continent, or even across an ocean. Many chose to move, searching for something better in a new land. Others had no choice, like enslaved Africans captured and relocated to a strange land and bravely asserting their own cultures, or like Native Americans already here, who were often violently removed by newcomers.

“Journey Stories” is part of the Illinois Humanities Council’s Museum on Main Street (MoMS) program, a partnership between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and state humanities councils nationwide. MoMS serves museums, libraries, and historical societies in towns of fewer than 30,000 residents by bringing them Smithsonian-quality exhibitions.  For more information about MoMS, call Ryan Lewis at 312-422-5585 x231 or visit prairie.org/moms.

About the Illinois Humanities Council

The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

Illinois Humanities Council Brings “Journey Stories” to Lincoln September 8 Through October 18 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Nomination forms have been mailed to all Illinois mayors, and final nominations are due September 15, 2009. If nominated individuals are certified by the criteria stated in the nomination packet, they will receive a specially designed medal in a local ceremony this fall.

This prestigious award is given to individuals who have demonstrated a sustained and significant contribution to furthering public understanding of the humanities within their community. These humanities heroes should foster the importance of our diverse heritage and cultural traditions, embrace the importance of reflection and critical thinking, understand the importance of reading, storytelling and creative expression, and use the humanities to enrich community life using such methods as historic preservation and civic dialogue, among others.

This can include anyone from teachers who create after-school programs about local history, to the lawyer who organizes discussion groups at the library about current events.

ABOUT THE STUDS TERKEL AWARD

Since 1999, nearly 400 recipients of the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award have been honored in civic ceremonies across Illinois. These recipients are the types of people who see the connection between the past and future of their neighborhoods and communities. By their examples, they help us to recognize the importance of the humanities in all our lives and enrich civic life at the local level.

For more information on this award, please contact the IHC at 312-422-5580, ihc@prairie.org, or visit our Web site at prairie.org/studsterkelaward.

About the Illinois Humanities Council

The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities.

Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Illinois Humanities Council, 312-422-5580
ihc@prairie.org

Nominate Community Humanities Heroes to Be Honored At 10th Annual Studs Terkel Humanities Service Awards | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Rodrigo del Canto is an architect with over 30 years of national and international experience in the areas of urban design, architecture, community development and economic development, as well as redevelopment planning and historic preservation. Mr. del Canto’s notable accomplishments include leading the redevelopment of Navy Pier in Chicago in the early 1980′s and directing the Collateral Development Opportunities Study for the three most important airports in Mexico City in 1992. He has held several senior positions in the City of Chicago Departments of Planning, Development and the Mayor’s Office. Mr. del Canto represented the United States in the Quito, Ecuador Biennale of Architecture for planning efforts in the Humboldt community of Chicago which has been an example nationwide of creative redevelopment efforts with large community participation in strongly ethnic enclaves.  His degrees include a B.A. in Civil Engineering from George Washington University in Washington D.C., a B.A. and an M. Arch. in Architecture from Clemson University and a doctorate from the University of Venice, Italy.

Adam P. Green is associate professor of American history at the University of Chicago. His fields of study are modern U.S. history, African American history, urban history, comparative racial politics, and cultural economy. His publications include Selling the Race: Culture and Community in Black Chicago, 1940-1955 (University of Chicago Press, forthcoming) and Time Longer than Rope: Studies in African American Activism, 1850-1950 (co- editor Charles Payne, New York University Press, forthcoming). He holds a Ph.D. from Yale University.

Thomas E. Kallen retired after 35 years as chairman and chief executive officer of Bake-Line Products, Inc., the largest private label manufacturer of cookies in the United States. Company volume exceeded $100 million dollars annually. In 1993, the company was sold to United Biscuit P.L.C. of the U.K. which also owned the Keebler Company in the United States. While continuing as chief executive officer of Bake-Line Products for the next two years, Mr. Kallen also served on the senior management committee of Keebler’s Cookie and Cracker Division. He currently serves as a founding member of the Paul H. Berger Graduate Fellowship Fund and teaches part-time in Columbia College’s Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management Department. Mr. Kallen has a business degree from the University of Illinois.

Roger L. Taylor, has served as President of Knox College in Galesburg since 2002, having previously been Chair of the College’s Board of Trustees. A native of Fulton County, Illinois, Mr. Taylor is a 1959 graduate of Cuba High School. He served in the United States Navy for three and one-half years, including a year in Viet Nam, before entering law school in 1968. Mr. Taylor is an experienced trial lawyer specializing in commercial litigation. He is a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) and the ABA Section of Litigation and has been published in the Journal of the ABA Section of Litigation and the San Diego Law Review. Mr. Taylor retired in 1999 from the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis, where he practiced for 30 years and remains Of Counsel. Mr. Taylor is married to Anne Zweifel Taylor, a 1963 alumna and Knox College’s Pro Bono Counsel. He received his bachelor’s degree in English from Knox College in 1963. Mr. Taylor graduated with honors from Northwestern University School of Law in 1971 and served as an editor of the law review.

Kay Torshen is President and Managing Member of Torshen Capital Management, LLC. The firm manages the Plymouth Rock Fund, L.P. (onshore) and the Plymouth Rock Fund, Ltd. (offshore), which are portfolios of actively managed hedge funds targeting stable market returns across a broad range of market environments. She has been a professional trader of equities and derivatives for over twenty years. Ms. Torshen is the author of numerous articles and a book, The Mastery Approach to Competence-Based Education (Academic Press, New York, 1977) in the field of educational psychology. She serves as a board member or trustee of a variety of educational, cultural, and civic institutions.  Ms. Torshen holds the Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Chicago, an M.A. from Harvard University, and a B.A. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

“We are so pleased to add Rodrigo, Adam, Thomas, Roger, and Kay to our board of directors,” said Kristina A.Valaitis, IHC Executive Director. “They each bring a deep appreciation of the humanities, as well as creativity and individual expertise to the IHC.”

Currently, 33 members comprise the Illinois Humanities Council Board of Directors. They are:

Alton B. Harris (Chicago), Chair; Danielle Allen (Chicago); Matti Bunzl (Champaign); Rodrigo del Canto (Chicago); Michael C. Dorf (Chicago); Deborah Epstein (Chicago); Stuart Flack (Chicago); The Honorable Joan B. Gottschall (Chicago); Adam P. Green (Chicago); J. Paul Hunter (Chicago); Falona Joy (Chicago); Thomas E. Kallen (Chicago); Gary Koch (Springfield); Greg Koos (Bloomington); Robert F. Lipman (Evanston); Grayson Mitchell (Chicago); Anita Nagler (Chicago); James M. Newcomb (Wilmette); Gayl S. Pyatt (Pinckneyville); Gordon Quinn (Chicago); Mike Ross (Urbana); Patricia Jean Simon (Makanda); Gerald Skoning (Chicago); Arthur M. Sussman (Chicago); Roger L. Taylor (Elmhurst); Rolf Thienemann (Rockford); David Thigpen (Chicago); Nancy Tom (Chicago); Maria (Nena) Torres (Chicago); Kay Torshen (Chicago); George Van Dusen (Skokie); Willard E. White (Oak Park); and John A. Wing, (Evanston).

The IHC accepts public nominations for new Board members throughout the year. For more information about the IHC, call 312.422.5580 or visit prairie.org.

About the Illinois Humanities Council

The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Illinois Humanities Council, 312-422-5580
ihc@prairie.org

Illinois Humanities Council Board of Directors Elects New Members and Officers | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.