Skip to main content

Faculty & Staff in the News

blocks with questions connected by a web of fibers

2025-26 Advancing Research and Creative Scholarship (ARCS) award winners announced

The associate vice president for Research and Graduate Studies is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025-26 Advancing Research and Creative Scholarship (ARCS) awards. 
Dr Ashley Waring-Sparks

Dr. Ashley Waring-Sparks named interim director of CeMaST

Illinois State University (ISU) has named Dr. Ashley Waring-Sparks as the new Interim Director of the Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology (CeMaST). Waring-Sparks brings a strong background in STEM education and leadership, along with deep institutional knowledge and experience within CeMaST. 
On the left is a headshot photo of a woman with long brown hair dresses in a purple shirt, black blazer, and black, white and gold beaded necklace and earrings. On the right is a headshot of a man dressed in traditional Native American tribal coat and headdress and holding a drum and baton.

Bridging the gap in the curriculum: Indigenous scholars present in response to HB 1633 Native American History

A new Illinois law, HB 1633, mandates that every public school shall include a unit of instruction studying the events of the Native American experience and history within the Midwest and the state. As a result of HB 1633’s implementation, a group of educators recognized a critical need due to a gap in curriculum and took action to organize a professional development event in response through support from a College of Education SEED grant. 
On the left is a headshot photo of a white man with a bald head and goatee wearing glasses, a black button down shirt and multicolored tie. On the right is a headshot photo of an Asian woman with mid length brown hair wearing glasses and a black shirt.

Friendship outside the classroom: Dr. Benjamin Wellenreiter and Dr. Yun-Ching Chung observe the social lives of middle schoolers with and without disabilities

Funded by the University Research Grant (URG) Fellowship, Dr. Benjamin Wellenreiter and Dr. Yun-Ching Chung ventured beyond traditional classroom settings to explore the intricate friendships between middle school students with and without disabilities.  
a person bending over to shake hands with a service dog

Graduating Redbirds: Ethan Edwards is leaving Illinois State a more accessible place

A Laboratory Schools alum who will soon become an Illinois State alum, too, has left a legacy at Illinois State.  
2024-07-30T15:02:03.648922012-07:00 2024