LLCC is hosting the annual Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (WYSE) Academic Challenge this morning in Cass Gymnasium. An awards ceremony is being held at 1:05 p.m.

Students from 18 area high schools in the LLCC district are participating in the regional level competition. The academic challenge, hosted by more than 50 community colleges and universities in Illinois and Missouri, is sponsored by the WYSE office in the School of Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). The regional level competition is being sponsored by LLCC, the WYSE office at UIUC and the Capital Chapter of the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers (ISPE).

All new or current employees who have not completed Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) training are encouraged to sign up now for the next session on March 30, 2018! Facilitators will be Nicole Ralph and Karen Sanders. Register by calling 524-6749 or emailing cctc@llcc.edu.

LLCC hosts the 10th annual Lincoln Lecture Monday, Feb. 12 at 9 a.m. in the Robert H. Stephens Room of Menard Hall.

James M. Cornelius, Ph.D., curator of the Lincoln Collection at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, will speak on the topic, “Abraham Lincoln: Nature Boy or Science Drone.”

Dr. Cornelius, a native of Minneapolis, worked for 10 years as an editor in New York City at Doubleday, Random House and Collier’s Encyclopedia, then for eight years in the University of Illinois Library’s Illinois History and Lincoln Collections. Read more about the featured lecturer.

Also on Lincoln’s birthday, representatives from the Lincoln Home National Historic Site will sponsor an informational display in A. Lincoln Commons on the Springfield campus.

LLCC-Litchfield will live stream the movie “Lincoln” at 1 p.m.

On Feb. 13, LLCC-Taylorville will sponsor a presentation on President Lincoln at 1 p.m. in the South Building, Room 1115.

On Feb. 14, LLCC-Jacksonville will host Pam Brown as Mary Todd Lincoln in “Taking Leave,” written by Ken Bradbury, at 10 a.m. followed by a Q & A session. The Gettysburg Address will also be read.

The public is invited to all events without charge.

In addition, LLCC-Beardstown will sponsor a student trip to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield on Feb. 12.

The Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) has awarded the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting (COE) to LLCC for the 17^th consecutive year. ASBO International’s COE recognizes educational institutions that have met the program’s high standards for financial reporting and accountability. The college earned the Certificate of Excellence for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year ending 2017.

The James S. Murray Gallery is currently featuring the exhibit “A Fire Within: New Work by Michelle Coakes.” All are invited to a closing reception with the artist today from 4-6 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

Coakes is professor of art and the ceramics expert at LLCC, having taught and managed the college ceramics lab since 2002. She has created ceramic pieces for more than 40 years and taught at schools throughout the country. In 2013, she founded Bad Wolf Pottery, a pottery shop and studio producing handmade, functional pottery and sculptural clay objects. She is the author of the book “Creative Pottery: A Step by Step Guide and Showcase” and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts from Northern Illinois University.

Coakes is best known for her functional and quasi-functional vessels in stoneware, most of which are finished in a wood-fired kiln. Almost all of her work is wheel-thrown and manipulated. The rich, variable wood-fired surfaces add greatly to the illusion and references she sets up between old and new.

The exhibit is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Read more about Professor Coakes, LLCC’s James S. Murray Gallery and its exhibits at www.llcc.edu/james-s-murray-gallery.

The James S. Murray Gallery is currently featuring the exhibit “A Fire Within: New Work by Michelle Coakes” through Feb. 1. All are invited to a closing reception with the artist on Thursday, Feb. 1 from 4-6 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

Coakes is professor of art and the ceramics expert at LLCC, having taught and managed the college ceramics lab since 2002. She has created ceramic pieces for more than 40 years and taught at schools throughout the country. In 2013, she founded Bad Wolf Pottery, a pottery shop and studio producing handmade, functional pottery and sculptural clay objects. She is the author of the book “Creative Pottery: A Step by Step Guide and Showcase” and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts from Northern Illinois University.

Coakes is best known for her functional and quasi-functional vessels in stoneware, most of which are finished in a wood-fired kiln. Almost all of her work is wheel-thrown and manipulated. The rich, variable wood-fired surfaces add greatly to the illusion and references she sets up between old and new.

The exhibit is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Read more about Professor Coakes, LLCC’s James S. Murray Gallery and its exhibits at www.llcc.edu/james-s-murray-gallery.

We extend our condolences to Jan Szoke, program director, respiratory care, on the passing of her father, Ross Jennings, Jan. 27 in Warrenton, Ore. A memorial service will be planned for this summer.

Terri Bailey, VALIC financial advisor, will be on campus today from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the VP conference room to answer questions about the 403(b) and 457(b) deferred compensation plan options available to LLCC employees from VALIC. View the invitation to find out how you can register for a consultation time. Deferred compensation options are available to employees from VALIC and TIAA-CREF.

LLCC hosts the 10th annual Lincoln Lecture Monday, Feb. 12 at 9 a.m. in the Robert H. Stephens Room of Menard Hall.

James M. Cornelius, Ph.D., curator of the Lincoln Collection at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, will speak on the topic, “Abraham Lincoln: Nature Boy or Science Drone.”

Dr. Cornelius, a native of Minneapolis, worked for 10 years as an editor in New York City at Doubleday, Random House and Collier’s Encyclopedia, then for eight years in the University of Illinois Library’s Illinois History and Lincoln Collections. Read more about the featured lecturer.

Also on Lincoln’s birthday, representatives from the Lincoln Home National Historic Site will sponsor an informational display in A. Lincoln Commons on the Springfield campus.

LLCC-Litchfield will live stream the movie “Lincoln” at 1 p.m.

On Feb. 13, LLCC-Taylorville will sponsor a presentation on President Lincoln at 1 p.m. in the South Building, Room 1115.

On Feb. 14, LLCC-Jacksonville will host Pam Brown as Mary Todd Lincoln in “Taking Leave,” written by Ken Bradbury, at 10 a.m. followed by a Q & A session. The Gettysburg Address will also be read.

The public is invited to all events without charge.

In addition, LLCC-Beardstown will sponsor a student trip to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield on Feb. 12.

Each semester, LLCC tests its emergency alert system called LLCC ALERT. LLCC ALERT allows the college to communicate with you by text, phone and email in an emergency, as well as for severe weather and other closures. Current employees and students are automatically enrolled in LLCC ALERT.

The next test will take place today, Friday, Jan. 26, at 11 a.m. You will receive a test message from LLCC ALERT.

We encourage you to visit www.llcc.edu/alert and log in with your LLCC username and password to check your current contact information and manage how you receive emergency notifications. LLCC ALERT uses the information about you currently stored in the college’s Colleague system, and this information may need updating. Please add your office phone number if it is not listed, and make any other revisions needed.

For assistance, please contact the IT Service Desk at 786-2555 or helpdesk@llcc.edu.

Note: Updating your contact information in LLCC ALERT will NOT update that information in Colleague. To update your information in Colleague, please contact LLCC Human Resources.