Spring 2020 Speakers and Events
See additional events for the campus 2019-20 Theme "Fact or Fiction" here!
April 2020
Job & Internship Searching During COVID-19
Monday March 30, 2020 @ 6pm
Wednesday, April 1, 2020 @ 11am
Virtual Meeting Space: Job & Internship Search Help 4/1 Google Meet
Please RSVP here!
The Hart Career Center is hosting an informative session to help students navigate job/internship
searching and professional development during COVID-19. Please RSVP for this event.
Sponsored by the IWU Hart Career Center.
Titan Career Chats: Environmental and Social Impact Consulting Careers
Virtual Speaker: John Haugen '06, Principal & Client Director at Third Partners
Friday, April 3, 2020
12:15 pm
Virtual Meeting Space: Titan Career Chat 4/3 Google Meet
Please RSVP here!
"Doing good, doing well" - what does the even mean? Join us for one of the Career Center's Titan Career Chats,
meant to bring alumni and students together virtually. Hear from a sustainability
and impact consultant that works with organizations of all types to identify ways
to improve environmental and social impacts. John Haugen '06 will walk through some
samples of his sustainability advisory work with Fortune 500 companies and leading
nonprofits. John is currently Principal and Client Director at Third Partners, one
of the first multidisciplinary sustainability consulting firms in the world. Founded
in New York City in 2013, Third Partners works with leaders in organizations where
environmental and social impact are critical to business performance and brand equity.
John advises companies on sustainability and impact strategies, including carbon footprinting, corporate social responsibility, waste reduction, energy and
real estate management, and green building design. His clients include Morgan Stanley, UNICEF, Hyatt, Virgin, Honest Company, and many others. Prior to founding Third Partners, John worked for small firms in
Chicago as a data and marketing consultant. John is a LEED Green Associate, WELL AP,
earned a B.A. in Economics from Illinois Wesleyan University, and was awarded an Innovation Scholarship from Columbia University while earning a M.S. in Sustainability Management. Please RSVP for this event. Sponsored by the IWU Hart Career Center.
Fact or Fiction in Environmental Communications: An IWU Alumni Panel
POSTPONED until fall - Date TBA
This dynamic panel features four IWU alum speakers - Katie Coleman, Anna Groves, Leslie Morrison, and Amanda Solliday - who are currently working within the field of environmental communications. Katie Coleman ('04) is Director of Communications with IFF, a nonprofit lender that
creates opportunities for low-income communities and people with disabilities, and
earlier she received a Masters in Environmental Journalism from Michigan State University. Anna Groves ('11) is currently editor at Discover Magazine, after completing her Ph.D.
research on prairie restoration ecology from Michigan State University which included
a summer writing for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on a AAAS Mass Media Fellowship. Leslie
Morrison ('08) currently works as an outreach facilitator at the Union of Concerned
Scientists (UCS) where she works with staff across all issue areas to increase the
impact of UCS issue campaigns. Amanda Solliday ('06) is currently the Director of
Communications for the Office of Global Affairs at Duke University, after receiving
a Masters in Crop and Soil Sciences, with a focus on International Agriculture and
Rural Development and later a Masters in Journalism. (More info to come). Part of the Fact or Fiction annual theme event series. Co-sponsored by the IWU Environmental
Studies Program and Hart Career Center.
CANCELLED: Fact or Fiction Spring Course Cluster Open House
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
11am -1 pm
A variety of student work will be showcased at the Course Cluster Open House from
many different IWU courses, including some environmental studies courses. Free and
open to the public.
Navigating the Job/Internship Search
Presenters: Amber Spiewak ’11, Campus Recruiting - Program Manager, Charles Schwab; and
Tera Peplow,
HR Professional with recruiting experience in business and educational settingTuesday, April 21 Tuesday, April 21, 2020
6:30 pm
RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/iwuhrpanel
Log-in: meet.google.com/fbc-zeuv-tmo
Sponsored by IWU Hart Career Center
Challenging times require that you are equipped with knowledge. Don't take our word
for it, hear from two Human Resources professionals regarding how to market your IWU
education to employers. Learn the tips and tricks to navigate your job and internship
search. No questions are off-limits.
Special Earth Day Virtual Film Screening: THE STORY OF PLASTIC
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Virtual viewing available between 6pm to midnight (link will be provided to registered
participants).
Hosted by Illinois Wesleyan University
Free and open to students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of Illinois Wesleyan
University
RSVP required - submit request HERE. Virtual viewing space is limited to 300.
Link for film
website and trailer
Join us, on the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, for a screening of the THE STORY OF PLASTIC. The film takes a sweeping look at the man-made crisis of plastic pollution and the worldwide effect it has on the health of our planet and the people who inhabit it. Spanning three continents, the film illustrates the ongoing catastrophe: fields full of garbage, veritable mountains of trash, rivers and seas clogged with waste, and skies choked with the poisonous emissions from plastic production and processing. THE STORY OF PLASTIC features interviews with experts and activists on the front lines of the fight, revealing the disastrous consequences of the flood of plastic smothering ecosystems and poisoning communities around the world, and the global movement that is rising up in response. With engaging original animation, archival industry footage beginning in the 1930s, and first-person accounts of the unfolding emergency, the film distills a complex problem that is increasingly affecting the planet’s and its residents’ well-being. THE STORY OF PLASTIC is presented by The Story of Stuff Project, a nonprofit dedicated to changing the way that we make, use, and throw away Stuff so that it is more sustainable, healthy, and fair. Registration is required - submit RSVP here.The free viewing will be available between 6pm and midnight on April 22 and is limited to the first 300 people to respond. If you miss the chance, the film will also be available on the Discovery Channel. Co-sponsored by the Illinois Wesleyan University GREENetwork, the Environmental Studies Program, the Sierra Student Coalition, and Student Senate.
March 2020
March activites postponed in response to coronovirus pandemic and online transition
for programming.
February 2020
"Seasons of Change on Henry’s Farm" - a film by Ines Sommer -
Film "sneak preview" and Q&A
with farmer Henry Brockman and film co-producer Terra Brockman
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
7-9 pm
Beckman Auditorium in Ames Library (lower level - map)
Illinois Wesleyan Library
Free and open to the public
Illinois Wesleyan University will be showing a sneak preview of the new documentary
“Seasons of Change on Henry’s Farm” directed by Ines Sommer. This film features local
organic farmers Henry and Hiroko Brockman who have been farming in the Mackinaw watershed
for 25 years. However due to unpredictable changes brought on by climate change, Henry
must grapple with the future of farming on personal, generational, and global levels.
Find out more about the film at
Seasons of Change On Henry's Farm
. See the IWU news release here. Following the film showing, there will be a Q&A with Henry Brockman and film co-producer
Terra Brockman. This event is part of the IWU Fact or Fiction annual theme event series. It is free
and open to the public. Co-sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program, GREENetwork,
Peace Garden RSO, and Student Sierra Coalition RSO at Illinois Wesleyan University;
the Ecology Action Center, and StraightUp Solar.
Climate Change and Asia: The View From Vietnam
Speaker: Dr. Abigail Jahiel
Wednesday, February 12
12 pm
Old Main Room, Bone Student Center, Illinois State University
Illinois Wesleyan's Environmental Studies professor, Abigail Jahiel, will be giving
a talk at ISU as part of their 2019 International Seminar Series. This talk links
the local to the global by first situating the conversation within a regional context
- Asia, home to 60% of the global population - and then focusing on the case of Vietnam.
We ask how is climate change being experienced today? What does the future portend?
What factors are responsible for these impacts? And how does the United States fit
in? Part of the 2019-2020 International Seminar Series. Sponsored by the Office of International
Studies and Programs at Illinois State University. Free and open to the public.
The Center for Human Rights and Social Justice at Illinois Wesleyan University will
be sponsoring its 8th annual Human Rights Undergraduate Research Workshop. This year’s
theme is Facts and Fictions: Human Rights and the Search for Truth(s), emphasizes the way in which human rights discourse has evolved and responded to contemporary
political, social, and economic challenges. It especially invites exploration regarding
the relationship between the spreading of false information and its repercussions
for the undermining of basic rights. This two-day event will gather undergraduate
students from liberal arts institutions to present their independent research related
to this theme. In the spirit of the workshop setting, presentations will be informal
and there will be ample room for dialogue among all participants. Faculty mentors
are encouraged to attend.
This event complements the University's annual theme, Fact or Fiction. Sponsored by the IWU Center for Human Rights and Social Justice at Illinois Wesleyan University.
The Dynamics of Environmental Policy-Making in China
Speaker: Xueying Yu, Ph.D., Fulbright Visiting Scholar from the People's Republic
of China
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
4 pm
Beckman Auditorium in Ames Library (lower level),
Illinois Wesleyan University
Dr. Xueying Yu is an associate professor in the School of Economics and Management, Beihang University. Her research efforts are dedicated to finding the optimal institutional designs that help promote pro-environmental behaviors. She is currently a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the Cornell Institute for China Economic Research at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. China is a major contributor to global economic growth, but also to global environmental challenges. This talk introduces how China has developed and utilized regulatory tools to combat environmental hazards over the past three decades. It will cover some basic elements in this policy-making process, including the structure of China's political system, the state, business, and civil actors involved in environmental policy-making and implementation, and the key regulatory approaches. Discussion of individual policies will focus on those targeting air pollution, forest degradation and climate change. This presentation is made possible through the Fulbright Scholar Program’s Outreach Lecturing Fund (OLF). Hosted by the Illinois Wesleyan University Environmental Studies Program, Asian Studies Team-International Studies Program, and Department of Economics, with support from the Office of the Provost, and in collaboration with Illinois State University.
Asian Studies Colloquium Speaker
Speaker: Dr. Rohan Kalyan of the Virginia Commonwealth University
Thursday, February 20, 2020
4 pm
Beckman Auditorium in Ames Library (lower level)
Illinois Wesleyan University
Join us for this talk given by Dr. Rohan Kalyan of the Virginia Commonwealth University on urban development in India and Prime Minister Modi. Sponsored by the IWU Asian Studies Team of the International Studies Program.
Film:
ACTIVIZED: It’s the American Thing to Do
(Advance preview screening of documentary film)
Tuesday, February 25 @ 7 pm
The Normal Theater in UpTown Normal
(
209 W North St)
More info here.
ACTIVIZED is a new documentary that follows a handful of ordinary Americans who left their comfort zones and became involved in gun violence prevention, voting rights, and immigrants’ rights. The film weaves their personal stories against the backdrop of the causes they fight for, their motivations, successes and failures, their sacrifices, and their victories. It celebrates inspiring, courageous citizens for embracing one of the most basic of American traditions…dissent. Immediately after the screening, the audience will have the opportunity to video chat with Vikiana Petit-Homme, an activist featured in the film. Petit-Homme was only 16 years old when she joined March for Our Lives, a national gun control movement organized by students following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. She’s now a college student and regional organizing director for the March for Our Lives organization. Sponsored by the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning at Illinois State University. Free and open to the public.
January 2020
Click here for a sampling of Fall 2019 Events and Speakers
Aaron Wilson - Chair and Associate Professor of Environmental Studies
Department - Environmental Studies