The University of Illinois Archives is hosting a monthly Women in Science Lecture Series that will feature speakers from across the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s diverse and multidisciplinary scientific enterprise. The lecture series seeks to highlight the important innovations and contributions of women in the sciences at the University of Illinois, and center the importance of documenting women scientists and engineers to create a diverse and inclusive archival record.
This lecture series is now hybrid and will take place at the University Archives, Main Library Room 146, or over zoom once a month from noon to one pm CT. Please view our schedule and registration links below.
Upcoming Lecture
Bethany Anderson, Dr. Mary Ton, and Kristen Wilson
February 20, 2026, 12:00-1:00 pm CT
Bethany Anderson, Mary Ton, and Kristen Wilson will discuss their their work in making domestic science archival materials accessible and using AI to help with OCR and Named Entity Recognition. Hear how this data will then be used to create dynamic web stories on the Science Stories platform to highlight women scientists.
Land Acknowledgement
We would like to recognize and acknowledge that the University of Illinois (where the Archives is located and where our speakers work) is on the lands of the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Piankashaw, Wea, Miami, Mascoutin, Odawa, Sauk, Mesquaki, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Chickasaw Nations. These lands were the traditional territory of these Native Nations prior to their forced removal; these lands continue to carry the stories of these Nations and their struggles for survival and identity.
As a land-grant institution, the University of Illinois has a particular responsibility to acknowledge the peoples of these lands, as well as the histories of dispossession that have allowed for the growth of this institution for the past 150 years. We are also obligated to reflect on and actively address these histories and the role that this university has played in shaping them. This acknowledgement and the centering of Native peoples is a start as we move forward for the next 150 years.
Contact Us
Bethany Anderson, Natural and Applied Sciences Archivist
bgandrsn@illinois.edu | (217) 244-5041
Kristen Allen Wilson, Illinois Distributed Museum Coordinator
klallen3@illinois.edu | (217) 300-7488
Partners and Sponsors:
Funding for the initial lecture series provided by the University of Illinois Library Innovation Fund
2025 – 2026 Funding Sponsors
Donna Cox Sponsor (Under $500)
- Cancer Center at Illinois
Temple Grandin Sponsor ($500 – $999)
- Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity
- Grainger College of Engineering
Isabel Bevier Sponsor ($1,000 – $1,499)
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology
- LAS Office of Inclusive Excellence
Rosalyn Sussman Yalow Sponsor ($1,500+)
5 Year Report
You can view our 5 year report which discusses our speakers, participation numbers, how participants are affiliated with the University of Illinois, how participants heard about the lecture series, funding for the series, preservation of these lectures, future goals and more.