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College of Arts and Sciences

Distinguished Lectureship

The College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Lectureship is one of the highest honors bestowed upon a faculty member by the College, and may be awarded only once to any particular person. Recipients are accorded this honor in recognition of the excellence of their professional attainments, exemplifying the values and mission of Illinois State University and the College of Arts and Sciences; in particular, they demonstrate the active pursuit of learning, creative activity, scholarship, and research, as well as their dissemination through publication and teaching. Each year, the College Council selects up to two faculty members as recipients of this award.

Award Application

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Distinguished Lecturers

Dr. Christopher Mulligan
Dr. Christopher Mulligan

Spring 2023
Chemistry

"Pushing the Boundaries of Chemical Identification with Mass Spectrometry"

Dr. Cheri Simonds
Dr. Cheri Simonds

Fall 2022
Communication

"Designing General Education Curriculum with Assesment in Mind"

Dr. Amy Wood
Dr. Amy Wood

Fall 2022
History

"Sympathy for the Devil: The Origins of Modern Criminology"

Dr. Maura Toro-Morn
Dr. Maura Toro-Morn

Spring 2022
Sociology and Anthropology

"Gendered Migrations in the Age of Global Disruption"

Dr. Lisa Szczepura
Dr. Lisa Szczepura

Fall 2021
Chemistry

"Precious Metal Clusters"

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First 20 Years

The first twenty years of lectures have been collected into a volume published in 1990: First 20 Years: Arts and Sciences Lectures 1968-1988, edited by Dr. Richard H. Dammers.

Distinguished Lecture Archive

We have chosen to list all of The Arts and Sciences Lectures of the past, both in chronological order and by department. We do this to honor those who have earned this distinction and because the topics of the lectures give a good overview of the many dimensions of the College of Arts and Sciences.

  • 2015-2020
  • Rajeev Goel
    Economics, Fall 2019
  • Alison Bailey
    Women and Gender Studies, Spring 2019
  • Daniel Liechty
    Social Work, Fall 2018
  • Laura Vogel
    Biological Sciences, Spring 2018
  • Maria Smith
    Sociology and Anthropology, Fall 2017
  • Alan Lessoff
    History, Spring 2017
  • David Malone
    Geography-Geology, Fall 2016
  • Dr. Tim Hunt
    English, Spring 2016
  • Dr. Ken Clements
    Mathematics, Fall 2015
  • Robert McLaughlin
    English, Spring 2015
    So Many Possibilities: Stephen Sondheim and the American Musical Theater
    View lecture
  • Roger Thomas
    Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Fall 2014
    "Word Spirit": Language Ideologies in Japan and Elsewhere
    Listen to lecture
  • 2010-2014
  • 2005-2009
  • James Stanlaw
    Anthropology, Fall 2009
    Culture, Cognition, and Contact: What the Meeting of Japanese and English Has to Say About Current Theories in Anthropology, Linguistics and Cognitive Science
    Listen to lecture
  • Lynn Worsham
    English, Spring 2009
    The Humanities in an Age of Catastrophe
    Listen to lecture
  • David Williams
    Biological Sciences, Fall 2008
    Not Neglecting Neglected Diseases: Efforts to Identify New Drugs for the Treatment of Schistosomiasis
  • Ron Fortune
    English, Spring 2008
    'Scattered Impostures': Writing and the Work of Literary Forgery
  • Paul Garris
    Biological Sciences, Fall 2007
    The Chemistry-Biology Interface: Bridging rat and human to understand Parkinson's disease
    Listen to lecture
  • Radheshyam K. Jayaswal
    Biological Sciences, Spring 2007
    Evolution of Super Bug Staphylococcus aureus: How far from the pre-antibiotic era?
  • Curtis White
    English, Fall 2006
    Contrition: a Performance and Reading from Requiem
  • Charles Su
    Physics, Spring 2006
    Enlightened by Lasers
  • Charles Thompson
    Biological Sciences, Fall 2005
    Life in Little Wooden Houses on the Prairie: What House Wrens Have Taught Us About the Evolution of Reproductive Tactics
  • Norma Presmeg
    Mathematics, Spring 2005
    Bridging the Arts and Sciences in Mathematics Education Research
  • 2000-2004
  • Manfred Steger, Politics and Government, Fall 2004
    From Market Globalism to Imperial Globalism: Ideology and U.S. Hegemony after 9/11
  • John Shields, English, Spring 2004
    My Love of Learning and Desire for God
  • Susan Sprecher, Sociology, Fall 2003
    Close Relationships: The Study of Attraction, Love, and Friendship
  • Rainer Grobe, Physics, Spring 2003
    Atoms, Lasers and Computers
  • Thomas Simon, Philosophy, Fall 2002
    Confessions of a Virtual Terrorist: "An Autobiography of Someone Else?"
  • Janice Neuleib, English, Spring 2002
    Women Can't Do That: Writing Beyond the Rules
  • Paul Holsinger, History, Fall 2001
    TALES FROM THE DARK CORNER: Kinfolks and Strangers in the Mountain South
  • A. Lee Beier, History, Spring 2001
    Why Class? Why Gender? Why Race? The World Picture and its Dissolution in Renaissance England, 1500-1600
  • Steven Juliano, Biological Sciences, Fall 2000
    Homage to St. Francis, St. Mark, & St. Genevieve: Mosquito ecology from behavior to communities
  • Douglas H. Lamb, Psychology, Spring 2000
    Slippery Slopes: Sexual and Other Dual Relationships Between Psychologists and Their Clients, Supervisees, and Students
  • 1995-1999
  • Robert Hunt, Politics and Government, Fall 1999
    Resilient Communities for a New Era: Sustenance Without Magic?
  • Richard Martin, Physics, Spring 1999
    Aurora, Chaos, and Undergraduate Education
  • Charles Orser, Anthropology, Fall 1998
    An Archaeological Look at Race and Tradition in Pre-Famine Ireland
  • Sandra Metts, Communication, Spring 1998
    The Pervasive Influence of Face and Facework in Social and Personal Relationships
  • Diane F. Urey, Foreign Languages, Fall 1997
    Homer, Cervantes, and Galdós: Heroic Sieges in History
  • Raymond M. Bergner, Psychology, Spring 1997
    Approaches to Problems of Meaninglessness
  • Willard Bohn, Foreign Languages, Fall 1996
    Conceiving Concrete Poetry
  • Brian J. Wilkinson, Biological Sciences, Spring 1996
    Staph Germs and Us: Flash Fire Invasions and Smoldering Border Disputes
  • Jamal R. Nassar, Politics and Government, Fall 1995
    In Search of Destiny: The Middle East Between Peaceful Coexistence and Religious Revivalism
  • William Morgan, English, Spring 1995
    Of Fiddles, Manuscripts, and Silences: Watching Thomas Hardy at Work
  • 1990-1994
  • Laura E. Berk, Psychology, Fall 1994
    Why Children Talk to Themselves
  • John Barron Pryor, Psychology, Spring 1994
    The Social Psychology of Sexually Harassing Behavior
  • Mark Wyman, History, Fall 1993
    America, Europe, and Immigrants Who Returned
  • Richard J. Payne, Politics and Government, Spring 1993
    Culture and Force in American Foreign Policy
  • Lucia Cordell Getsi, English, Fall 1992
    Matters of Life and Death: Poetry and the (Un)Making of Self
  • Glenn D. Reeder, Psychology, Spring 1992
    Inferring the Traits that Others Possess
  • L. Moody Simms, History, Fall 1991
    Why Popular Culture?
  • Elizabeth McMahan, English, Fall 1990
    Edith Wharton, Summer, and Sexuality
  • Richard A. Stivers, Sociology, Spring 1990
    The Deconstruction of the University
  • Carl J. Ekberg, History, Fall 1989
    Stealing Women in French Illinois
  • 1985-89
  • Anthony E. Liberta, Biological Sciences, Spring 1989
    The Influence of Surface Mining on the Survival of Symbiotic Soil Fungi
  • Earl Reitan,History, Fall 1988
    The Glorious Revolution in England, 1688-89: A Tri-Centennial View
  • Carol Thomas Neely, English, Spring 1988
    Reading Women and Madness in Shakespeare and His Culture
  • Alan Monroe, Politics and Government, Fall 1987
    Does the U. S. Government Do What the People Want?
  • Gerlof D. Homan, History, Spring 1987
    The Fall and Rise of France, 1940-1945
  • Ray Lewis White, English, Fall 1986
    A Walking Tour of Winesburg, Ohio
  • Rodger L. Tarr, English, Spring 1986
    The Victorian Lady Jane Welsh Carlyle and the Psycho-Feminist Myth
  • John B. Freed, History, Fall 1985
    The Medieval Legacy of the Family
  • Roger C. Anderson, Biological Sciences, Spring 1985
    The State of Prairies
  • John A. Dossey, Mathematics, Fall 1984
    The Second International Mathematics Study: Who's on First and Why
  • 1980-84
  • Joel G. Verner, Politics and Government, Spring 1984
    The Cuban Revolution and the International System
  • Cheryl R. Stevenson, Chemistry, Fall 1983
    The Interface Between the Atom, Electron and Dasein (Consciousness)
  • John F. Cragan, Communication, Spring 1983
    American Political Communication: An Orwellian View of Computer-based Campaign Speeches and Rallies
  • Jonathan E. Reyman, Anthropology, Fall 1982
    Prehistoric Pueblos: Models for the Future
  • William Linneman, English, Spring 1982
    Will Rogers and Art Buchwald: Fifty Years of Political Humor
  • John Guegen, Politics and Government, Fall 1981
    Selfism and the Dark Night of the Intellect
  • Arlan Richardson, Chemistry, Spring 1981
    Aging, Diet, and Cancer
  • F. James Davis, Sociology, Fall 1980
    Who is Black?: The Societal Definition of Race
  • Charles B. Harris, English, Spring 1980
    Humor and the Recent American Novel
  • 1975-79
  • Harvey G. Zeidenstein, Politics and Government, Fall 1979 Presidential Popularity and Presidential Support in Congress: Eisenhower to Carter
  • Mark A. Plummer, History, Spring 1979
    Lincoln's Railsplitter: Richard J. Oglesby
  • Norton B. Crowell, English, Fall 1978
    The Anti-Intellectual Legacy of Romanticism
  • Phares G. O'Daffer, Mathematics, Spring 1978
    Mathematics in the Schools: Myths, Realities, and a Look into the Crystal Ball
  • Jack A. Ward, Biological Sciences, Fall 1977
    Fish Tales and Facts - Food for Thought and the Impoverished
  • Bernard L. Ryder, Chemistry, Spring 1977
    A Mural of Organic Chemistry for the Ivy'd Halls
  • Frederic N. Firestone, Economics, Fall 1976
    Change in Economics: Darwin Meets Newton
  • Roger J. Champagne, History, Spring 1976
    Political Leadership and the American Revolution
  • E. Joan Miller, Geography, Fall 1975
    Nothing but Feet on the Ground: Folk Geography of the Ozarks
  • Robert K. Ritt, Mathematics, Spring 1975
    Non-Deterministic Model of the Universe
  • 1970-74
  • Dale B. Vetter, English, Fall 1974
    Likeness, Difference, and the Humanities
  • Herman E. Brockman, Biological Sciences, Spring 1974
    Most Precious Heritage--Is it Endangered
  • Vernon C. Pohlmann, Sociology, Fall 1973
    The Census Counts on You - Can You Count on the Census
  • Walter S. G. Kohn, Politics and Government, Spring 1973
    Wine, Voters, and Song: An Essay on Austrian Politics
  • Edward L. Schapsmeier, History, Fall 1972
    Paul H. Douglas From Pacifist to Soldier - Statesman
  • Edward B. Jelks, Anthropology, Spring 1972
    Digging is My Bag
  • Wesley C. Calef, Geography, Fall 1971
    The Public Lands: Perennial Problem
  • Stanley E. Grupp, Sociology, Spring 1971
    The Marihuana Muddle
  • Stanley S. Marzolf, Psychology, Fall 1970
    What Has a Clinical Psychologist Been Up to All These Years?
  • Alice L. Ebel, Politics and Government, Spring 1970
    The Dilemma of Local Government
  • 1965-69
  • Edward L. Mockford, Biological Sciences, Fall 1969
    Natural History of Bark Lice and Book Lice
  • Gary L. Cronkhite, Speech/Psychology, Spring 1969
    Cultural Deprivation the Wasp Ghetto
  • Helen M. Cavanagh, History, Fall 1968
    Illinois in Region and Nation, 1850-1861