The Center for Delta Studies sponsors conferences and symposia that bring together scholars across disciplinary and institutional boundaries. Many of these conferences involve members of the public, as well.

2008-09

The Algebra Project. October 18, 2008.

• The Algebra Project was established by Civil Rights leader and MacArthur Fellow Bob Moses to establish the fundamental right of every child to a quality public school education. The Algebra Project works to change the deeply rooted social attitudes that encourage the disenfranchisement of a third of our nation’s population.It delivers a multi-pronged approach to build demand for and support of quality public schools. This conference launches the Algebra Project's third major NSF grant for curriculum development. Algebra Project founder Bob Moses, SIUC Math Professor Greg Budzban, collaborators on the successful Lanier High School cohort in Jackson, Mississippi, and other Algebra Project staff will introduce the project to Southern Illinois and the Delta.

Mindbody medicine.

• Mind/body medicine is an evidence-based medical practice that elicits a "relaxation response." The relaxation response produces physiological changes useful in countering the unhealthy stress (or fight-or-flight response) that accompanies many, if not all, disease. It has been shown to be effective in treating a wide range of medical conditions, including hypertension and obesity. We anticipate focusing on obesity and related eating, lifestyle, and health problems. We will have a symposium this year to inform both the research community and the larger community of health providers about this tested medical practice, and to jump-start the process of creating an interdisciplinary research project in the region.

Wounded Warriors.

• Many of our vets are returning from deployment with injuries. SIUC, with its wide range of services, school of medicine with its focus on rural health, long history of research and training in rehabilitation and associated areas, and engaged law school, provides a supportive environment for these men and women and their families. This symposium will draw together all the resources at the university, with public and private entities, to enhance the network of research, service, and education for these veterans.
  

Cultural and Natural Heritage.

• We will host a conference in the spring that brings together faculty and key members of the public sector involved in cultural heritage and management, from the DRA states bordering the Mississippi River . The aim is to develop, over the next three years, a multi-state project (or series of projects) focused on the region’s unique cultural attributes.
  

Climate Change Forum: The Cascading Effects of Global Warming...And What You Can Do Now! September 16, 5:30-9:00 p.m., SIUC Student Health Center Auditorium

• A forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters, Shawnee Chapter Sierra Club, United Nations Association USA-Southern Illinois Chapter, SIUC Student Environmental Center, Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, Interfaith Center Gaia House, and the Center for Delta Studies, with support from OxFam International, League of Women Voters Education Fund, and the Center for Delta Studies.
  
  Podcasts and PowerPoints of the lectures posted here

2007-08

Complementary Medicine: What You should Know. Co-sponsored with the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. March 31, 2008.

Changing Climates: Evidence of Long Term Trends and Their Social Consequences. February 7, 2008.

Disaster Planning and Response: What Can the Academy Bring to the Table? November 1, 2007.

Creating Collaborative Partnerships: Interdisciplinary Research Involving Environment, Natural Resources, and Community at SIU. April 24, 2007.

Creating Collaborative Partnerships: Interdisciplinary Research in Health and Related Fields at SIU. March 28, 2007. Flyer here