Illinois Featured Content

New book explores the history of the phony cancer drug Krebiozen

Oct 1, 2024 11:15 am

Journalism professor emeritus Matthew C. Ehrlich examines the dramatic story of a controversial medicine once touted as a miracle cure for cancer in his new book.

Entries from the concussion database are projected over the MRI control room - and author Annabelle Shaffer - at the Beckman Institute for Advanced science and Technology at the U. of I. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Finding my calling as a neurosurgeon

Oct 10, 2024 10:15 am

'As I scroll through another sheet of data, I know each entry represents the story of a high school athlete whose season — and, potentially, life — was altered due to a possible concussion. I am looking for trends and risk factors...'

graphic of the Illini Men's Basketball schedule for 2024-2025

Men's Basketball times & TV announced

Oct 10, 2024 9:15 am

Start times and television designations have been assigned for the majority of games on the 2024-25 Illinois Men's Basketball Schedule.

Graphic for the House of Brick documentary shows side-by-side images of the (color) stadium with the (black and white) stadium on dedication day in 1924. Graphic by Kaitlin Southworth.

New BTN documentary ‘A House of Brick’ celebrates 100 years of Memorial Stadium

Oct 9, 2024 10:45 am

'A House of Brick' premieres at 9:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14 and is repeated at 9:30 a.m. CT Thursday, Oct. 17; 3:30 p.m. CT Friday, Oct. 18 on the Big Ten Network. In central Illinois, viewers can watch the documentary on WCIA 3-TV at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16.

How is AI changing health care?

Oct 4, 2024 4:15 pm

Dr. Mark Cohen, dean of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, discussed the risks and rewards of using AI tools in health care and medical discovery.

Sarah Douglass (left) and Mark Davis (right) holding salamander mussel specimens. Image courtesy of Mark Davis.

Endangered salamander mussel found alive in Illinois after nearly 120 years

Oct 9, 2024 10:30 am

For the first time in nearly 120 years, U. of I.researchers confirmed the presence of live individuals of the state-endangered salamander mussel in Illinois, marking a major biodiversity milestone for the state.

Keturah Johnson, international vice president for flight attendant union AFA-CWA. Photo by John McDonnell for AP

More Black, Latina women are leading unions - and transforming how they work

Oct 9, 2024 10:15 am

AP (Oct. 6) While female-dominated fields have made strides in union leadership diversity, 'there is still a long way to go' for unions in male-dominated fields like building and manufacturing trades, said U. of I. labor historian Emily Twarog.

wide perspective of the field and crowds at the Memorial Stadium dedication game in 1924

The most famous Fighting Illini speech you’ve never heard

Oct 9, 2024 10:00 am

Some predicted it would be as famous. Repeatedly, alumni wrote in to say how moving Robert Zuppke’s speech was. So beloved was his speech that recordings were made of it on vinyl and made available through the Alumni Association.

banner for Hall of Fame 2024 features images of the inductees

Fighting Illini legends to be inducted into athletics Hall of Fame

Oct 9, 2024 9:45 am

Eight new members will be inducted into the U of I Athletics Hall of Fame during ceremonies Friday, Oct. 11, at State Farm Center. It begins at 7 pm and is free and open to the public,

A Matternet drone makes a home delivery in Mountain View, Calif. Photo courtesy of Matternet

Drone deliveries, slow to take flight, arrive in Silicon Valley

Oct 8, 2024 12:45 pm

NBC News (Oct. 3) U. of I. professor Yanfeng Ouyang hopes some of the potential negative consequences can be curtailed. 'It’s right around the corner, and we will see very rapid development in the next year or two,' he says.

student section is mostly orange at Memorial Stadium

Battle for the cannon: #23 Illinois hosts Purdue on Saturday

Oct 8, 2024 11:00 am

Illinois will return to Memorial Stadium for the first time in four weeks on Saturday, when Purdue makes the short trip to Champaign. The Illini and Boilermakers will battle for the Cannon, with kickoff slated for 2:30 p.m. on FS1.

hands of several people are stacked together as at the end of a team huddle

Join the 2024 Campus Charitable Fund Drive

Oct 8, 2024 10:15 am

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign raised approximately $1.3 million in 2023 for non-profit organizations in our local community and around the world. See how you can join this important charitable effort.

Corn is harvested in late September on Nick Koeller's farm in Greenfield, Illinois. Prices for corn and other crops have fallen, meaning farmers expect to make less money this year. Photo by Sophie Proe

Farmers are making less money this year, which could have larger economic consequences

Oct 7, 2024 3:00 pm

WNIJ-AM (Oct. 7) 'The farm economy is in a downturn relative to what we have experienced in 2022 and 2023, which was kind of a boom in agriculture,' says Joe Janzen, a professor of agricultural and consumer economics at Illinois.

The LIFE Home has several assistive robots (Photo by Ethan Simmons)

U. of I. wins international award for study on improving assistive care robots

Sep 25, 2024 11:15 am

The research team designed a process in which an older adult with significant mobile disabilities worked with an occupational therapist and an engineer over two years to improve the design of an assistive robot from Hello Robot Inc.

an elderly couple works with a laptop computer and a microphone

Automatic speech recognition learning to understand people with Parkinson’s

Sep 27, 2024 10:30 am

Listening to people with Parkinson’s disease made an automatic speech recognizer 30% more accurate, according to initial findings from the U. of I.'s Speech Accessibility Project.

University of Illinois professor Jim Best. Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

How do hurricanes impact inland regions hundreds of miles from coastal landfall locations?

Oct 7, 2024 12:00 pm

The flooding associated with hurricanes can extend deep into the interior of the continents and needs to be viewed as much more than just too much water, says University of Illinois professor Jim Best.

Stuart L. and Nancy J. Levenick. Credit: iSEE

Gift establishes Levenick Center for a Climate-Smart Circular Bioeconomy

Sep 24, 2024 1:30 pm

A climate-smart circular bioeconomy puts recycling, regeneration at the center of food growth and processing. The aim is to reduce the use of fossil fuels and synthetic chemicals, and instead use technological and biological resources.

Willem Bartsius, Netherlands, ca. 1612–in or after 1639. “Samson and Delilah,” ca. 1632. Oil on panel. Museum Purchase through the Iver J. Nelson Jr. Fund. 2024-5-1 Credit: Courtesy Krannert Art Museum

Krannert Art Museum’s new acquisitions expand collection, research and teaching opportunities

Oct 7, 2024 9:30 am

'When we are investing in purchasing works of art or taking in a large collection, we always have a sense of how the works of art can expand or change what we’re already doing,' said KAM director Jon Seydl.

six Illini players celebrate on their home court

Balanced attack leads Illini Volleyball to victory over Northwestern

Oct 7, 2024 8:30 am

Illinois volleyball took down Northwestern in four sets at Huff Hall on Sunday afternoon. The Fighting Illini improved to 9-5 this year with a 1-3 Big Ten record.

Illinois partnering with City Colleges of Chicago engineering program to diversify the industry

Oct 4, 2024 4:00 pm

Illinois has entered into an agreement that will allow some students who enroll in the engineering program at City Colleges of Chicago to simultaneously enroll at the university and receive additional advising from the university’s staff.

Illinois Men's Golf selected to host 2025 NCAA Regionals at Atkins Golf Club

Oct 4, 2024 3:45 pm

For the first time in program history, the U. of I. men's golf team will host an NCAA postseason tournament as of one of six NCAA Regional sites from May 12-14 at Atkins Golf Club.

Illinois Volleyball Welcomes No. 2 Nebraska for Stuff Huff

Oct 3, 2024 2:15 pm

Illinois volleyball welcomes No. 2 Nebraska for the annual Stuff Huff match Thursday night. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. on FS1.

Port strikes extend a new era of American labor activism

Oct 2, 2024 4:45 pm

A database maintained by the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the U. of I. and Cornell recorded 250 strikes and other labor actions in 2024 as of Monday as U.S. dockworkers walked off the job this week.

Illini women's basketball fifth-year senior Makira Cook

Cook named Preseason All-Big Ten by coaches

Sep 29, 2024 6:30 pm

Fifth-year senior Makira Cook has been named to the 2024-25 Preseason All-Big Ten Team by conference head coaches. Cook led the Illini to the program's first-ever postseason championship as Illinois won the inaugural WBIT.

U.S. President Donald Trump discusses tariffs with Congressmen Sean Duffy, left, and Robert Aderholt in the White House on Jan. 24. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Ex-Obama adviser warns Trump's promises could force fed to hike rates

Sep 27, 2024 2:00 pm

Benzinga (Detroit, Sept. 26) Trump would impose a hefty tariff on John Deere for moving production to Mexico. U. of I. professor Jonathan Coppess says relocating jobs has serious consequences, but Trump’s solution may not be effective.

Illinois biochemistry professor Satish Nair. Photo by Christine des Garennes

Team discovers naturally occurring DNA-protein hybrids

Sep 17, 2024 9:15 am

Researchers discovered a new class of DNA-protein hybrids and determined how they are formed in bacterial cells. The findings will speed the process of finding and developing new DNA-protein hybrid molecules for therapeutic use.

Helene strengthened into a Category 3 storm on Thursday afternoon. Photo by NOAA

Storm chasers prepare to measure Hurricane Helene

Sep 26, 2024 3:00 pm

NBC News (Sept. 25) When Hurricane Helene makes landfall, U. of I. researchers Karen Kosiba and Josh Wurman plan to be at the center of it. 'We’re trying to position ourselves right where the eye is going to come on shore,' Wurman says.

the Illini huddle on the field during the game against Nebraska on September 20, 2024

Illinois travels east for Saturday night showdown against Penn State

Sep 26, 2024 12:45 pm

No. 19 Illinois will play its second ranked road game in as many weeks as it travels to take on No. 9 Penn State (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten) on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on NBC as part of NBC's Big Ten Saturday Night.

a row of voting booths in Chicago. Photo by Chicago Tribune

Chicago Board of Elections objects to election workers’ union petition

Sep 25, 2024 3:30 pm

Chicago Tribune (Sept. 24) The board says union membership would constitute ‘political activity’ by the workers, which is prohibited. U. of I. labor expert Robert Bruno says the board’s reasoning is 'spurious and very speculative.'

jet flies in clear blue skies. Stock image by Matthew Lakeland, Unsplash

Waste plastic can improve sustainable aviation fuel, researchers find

Sep 20, 2024 11:15 am

'To reduce carbon emissions associated with aviation fuel, sustainable aviation fuel is the only option. Landfill-bound waste plastic can be a source for sustainable aviation fuel,' said Hong Lu, a U of I research scientist.

Credit: Photo by Bettymaya Foott/NSF NRAO/AUI, composition by U.S. National Science Foundation

SkAI collaboration launched to apply AI to space exploration

Sep 25, 2024 12:15 pm

'The massive amount of data that will be gathered in the coming years by large-scale astronomical projects is simply too vast and rich to be fully explored with existing methods,' said NSF director Sethuraman Panchanathan.

Director and theatre professor Aaron Muñoz with the cast of "No Puedo, I'm Sorry." Photo by Sabrina Felinger

Theatre department’s season features theme of reconciliation

Sep 24, 2024 10:15 am

The season opener is 'No Puedo, I’m Sorry,' produced as part of the Daniel J. Sullivan Playwright-in-Residence program, which provides support for an emerging playwright to develop a work.

Dr. Claire Malone uses Voiceitt to complete her PhD research using data from the ATLAS detector at CERN. iMAGE courtesy of oiceitt

AI-powered tech could help people with speech impairments to work remotely

Sep 24, 2024 1:45 pm

CNN (Sept. 23) The Speech Accessibility Project, led by U. of I.'s Beckman Institute, is collecting voice data from people with different conditions to build algorithms for supporting people with non-standard speech.

researchers involved in this work: Professor Eric Nelson, grad student Hashni Epa Vidana Gamage, and Professor Paul Hergenrother

Researchers identify compound that may help immune system slow, stop tumor growth

Sep 13, 2024 10:00 am

'We must target cancer cells and engage the immune system to move toward curative treatments.' The researchers have identified a protein that can potentially stop or slow regulatory T cells from suppressing the immune system.

Director of the Online Graduate Program Piper Hodson records a lesson for the new wetlands graduate certificate offered by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. Credit: Kevin Southworth

ACES debuts five online certificates in agribusiness, conservation, and nutrition

Sep 19, 2024 11:15 am

Five new online graduate certificate programs will equip students with cutting-edge knowledge and skills in areas such as sustainable food production economics, alternative investments, wetland conservation, human nutrition, and dairy nutrition.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign business administration professor Rosanna K. Smith. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Ads featuring interracial couples produce mixed results for brands

Sep 16, 2024 8:30 am

'The prevalence of interracial couples in advertising suggests that firms assume this is an effective strategy. But there’s no clear evidence that brands benefit from this inclusion,' said business professor Rosanna K. Smith.

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer lets a pass fly in the game against Nebraska

Altmyer named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week

Sep 24, 2024 9:45 am

Altmyer led Illinois to a 31-24 win at Nebraska by throwing for four touchdowns on 21-of-27 passing and amassing 236 total yards of offense. He tied the game with a touchdown pass, then threw the game-winner to Pat Bryant in overtime.

Illinois entomology professor Adam Dolezal, right, and graduate student Edward Hsieh. In a field of pollinator plants. Photo by Michelle Hassel

Study: Good nutrition boosts honey bee resilience against pesticides, viruses

Sep 24, 2024 9:45 am

U. of I. researchers wondered, how do nutritional stress, viral infections and exposure to pesticides together influence honey bee survival? By looking at all three stressors together, the scientists found that good nutrition enhances honey bee resilience against the other threats.

Supporters wait for the arrival of Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris during a campaign rally at the McHale Athletic Center on Sept. 13, 2024, in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. Harris and her opponent, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, have been holding events across Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground state in the 2024 election. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)

How the Electoral College concentrates candidate attention and why it matters

Sep 23, 2024 4:45 pm

Chicago Tribune (Sept. 22) The outcome of the 2024 presidential election will likely hinge on what happens in seven key states, writes U. of I. political science professor Scott Althaus.

the number 19 imposed on a grainy, color-treated image of Illini players

Illinois up to #19 in the AP Top 25

Sep 23, 2024 8:30 am

The Fighting Illini will be looking for their third ranked-win of the season when it travels to Penn State on Saturday. The Nittany Lions are #9 in the AP Top 25 and #8 in the Coaches Poll.

two Illini players embrace in celebration

Illinois improves to 4-0 with overtime road win at Nebraska

Sep 21, 2024 10:30 am

The Illini became the first team in the nation with two AP Top 25 wins and improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2011. Illinois moved to 3-0 in overtime games under head coach Bret Bielema.

graphic promoting the Illini vs Cornhuskers football game on 9/20/2024

Game Day: #24 Illinois at #22 Nebraska

Sep 20, 2024 10:00 am

With both teams ranked in the AP top-25 poll and undefeated ahead of the nationally televised primetime kickoff, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is eager for his squad to square off with a talented Cornhuskers program.

Michael Ward, professor at the University of Illinois, and Kelly VanBeek, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, affix a GPS tag onto the back of a Common Grackle. Photo: Anne Readel

Where have all the common grackles gone?

Sep 19, 2024 2:00 pm

Audubon Magazine (Sept. 19) Professor Michael Ward is a leading scientist delving into why the Common Grackles are disappearing. Whatever is harming grackles is likely affecting adults, Ward says, because the chicks are fledging successfully.

graduate student Christina Martinez Mundo serves for the Illini

Illini volleyball wraps up its non-conference slate this weekend vs Missouri, Lipscomb

Sep 19, 2024 1:45 pm

Illinois volleyball wraps up its non-conference slate at the Lippy Invitational, facing off against Missouri on Friday at 4 p.m. and Lipscomb on Saturday at 6 p.m. The matches will be available on ESPN+.

window air conditioners crown a high-rise building in Kuala Lampur. Photo courtesy Tinou Bao

Urban heating, cooling to play substantial role in future energy demand under climate change

Sep 13, 2024 11:15 am

Global energy projections underestimate the impact of climate change on urban heating and cooling systems by roughly 50% by 2099 if greenhouse gas emissions remain high, researchers report.

If interest rates go down, do home prices go down? Not quite

Sep 18, 2024 3:00 pm

Vox (Sept. 17) 'There’s a lot of pent-up demand right now from first-time buyers, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see a big shift in prices right after the rate cut because there are a lot of people waiting on the sidelines,' says U of I's Julia Fonseca.

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