Upcoming April events at Monmouth College

Scholars Day, art exhibit, classics lecture, psychology conference on tap

by Barry McNamara

Monmouth, Ill. (04/20/2026) — With Monmouth College's May 17 Commencement exercises less than one month away, the sprint to the finish of the spring semester has clearly begun. Here are a few of the many events that will be happening on campus through the end of April. They are all free and open to the public.

Art exhibit

Works by eight senior art majors are currently on display in the Len G. Everett Gallery on the upper level of Hewes Library. The artists are Andrea Castaneda, Paige Clark, Damius Collins, Ryan Finn, David Perez, Eric Pio, Averi Rangel and Rose Tresch. The artists will speak in depth about their work from 2-4 p.m. May 1.

Classics lecture

At 7:30 p.m. April 23 in Room 276 of the Center for Science and Business, Lisa Ayla Cakmak will deliver a guest classics lecture. Cakmak is the Mary and Michael Jaharis Chair and Curator of the Arts of Greece, Rome and Byzantium at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Her lecture will outline the five-year process of bringing a selection of works from the storied Torlonia Collection to the United States. From initial conversations with the Torlonia Foundation, to selecting from over 600 sculptures, to working with the Art Institute team to create a compelling and refreshing narrative to present in Chicago, Cakmak will share the complex processes involved in organizing a major special exhibition at one of the largest encyclopedic museums in the U.S.

Cakmak earned her Ph.D. from the interdepartmental program in classical art and archaeology at the University of Michigan. In 2017, she completed an MBA at Washington University in St. Louis.

Psychology conference

Monmouth will host the annual ILLOWA Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference in the Center for Science and Business from noon to 4:30 p.m. April 25. Student research presentations begin at 12:30 p.m., and the keynote talk will be presented at 2:30 p.m. in the Pattee Auditorium on the lower level. Psychologist Chad Brownfield's keynote address is titled "Cracking the Case: Careers and Stories in Forensic Psychology."

Scholars Day

The annual Honors Convocation will kick off Scholars Day activities on campus. It will be held at 10 a.m. April 28 in Dahl Chapel. From 2-4 p.m., student research will be on display on the concourse of the Huff Athletic Center.

"Scholars Day is a chance for the Monmouth community to celebrate our students' amazing intellectual and creative endeavors," said faculty member Saad Bashir, one of the organizers of the event. "It gives me immense joy to watch our students present their projects. Each year, I am struck by the depth of creativity and intellectual acumen they exhibit. Scholars Day is truly a wonderful exhibition of their abilities, and I encourage everyone in our community to stop by to see the students' presentations."