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Research in Focus
History professor to discuss new book on colonial violence November 18
Dr. Taylor Soja, assistant professor of history and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies affiliate, will present her new book, Little Wars of Empire, during a book talk and lunch on Wednesday, November 18, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the Center for the Visual Arts, room 149.
Dr. T.Y. Wang co-authors chapter on Chinese coercion in Taiwan
Dr. T.Y. Wang, emeritus University Professor at Illinois State, publishes a co-authored book chapter titled “The China Threat: How Do Taiwan Citizens React to Beijing’s Military Coercion?” in Gauging China’s Influence Abroad edited by Dr. Steve Chan (University of Cambridge Press, 2026).
ISU anthropologist helps identify burial site of first Black man to vote in Illinois
Among the gravestones of Evergreen Cemetery in El Paso, about 20 miles north of Illinois State University, a mystery more than a century old has been put to rest. At its center is David A. Strother, a respected barber who lived in El Paso until his death in 1905. Following passage of the 15th Amendment, Strother became the first Black man to vote in Illinois, casting his ballot in 1870—not without being stopped and questioned by election judges.
Student Researcher Accomplishments
From bugs to circuits, internships give Redbirds direct career experience
Pick any interest, and there’s bound to be an internship opportunity to match. In the case of these four Illinois State University students, summer 2026 internship experiences ranged from analyzing beetles and mapping electrical circuits to caring for expecting mothers and designing corporate apps.
ISU audiology faculty and student highlight clinical outreach at ILAA conference
Nearly everyone two Illinois State Illinois State University audiology faculty and students presented at the Illinois Academy of Audiology (ILAA) Mini Conference, sharing clinical outcome data from Special Olympics hearing screenings and discussing how volunteer outreach impacts both athlete care and student clinical training.
2026 Valle Gianni field school advances Northwest Bolsena Archaeological Project
When Maria Sanso Font arrived in the This past May and June, Illinois State University anthropology, history, and art history students took part in archaeological excavations at the site of Valle Gianni near Italy’s Lake Bolsena. The field school is part of a larger project directed by Illinois State faculty Dr. Kathryn Jasper (history) and Dr. Lea Cline (art history) since 2018. Anthropology faculty member Dr. Abby Stone joined the project in 2024 and took over as field director the following year.
Resources For Faculty
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