Illinois Featured Content

Geese exhibit what bird experts call “sentinel” or “sentry” behavior — one bird watches while the other eats, so that if a predator comes, they both don’t have their faces to the ground. It’s looking out for one another, a skill that humans struggle to understand.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times file

Geese embody cooperation, a value humans too often forget

Mar 27, 2025 4:45 pm

Chicago Sun-Times (March 25) Haveyou ever watched geese eat? One goose eats, the other stands watch. Professor Michael Ward calls it 'sentinel behavior - trying to detect predators. A lot of things want to eat birds,' so they take turns.

stock image of a petri dish under a microscope

New IVF method mimics fallopian tube environment, increasing sperm viability

Mar 25, 2025 1:15 pm

“There are companies, especially related to dairy cattle, that use IVF to produce and sell high-genetic-merit embryos that... will produce milk more efficiently,' said professor David Miller. 'This technology could help produce meat and milk more efficiently.'

Emily E. LB. Twarog, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois and author of the 2017 book “Politics of the Pantry: Housewives, Food, and Consumer Protest in Twentieth-Century America.” Photo by L. Brian Stauffer.

What are the historical precedents for consumer activism, economic blackouts?

Mar 26, 2025 2:00 pm

Social media has changed the boycott since the days when that meant picketing outside stores, says professor Emily Twarog. 'There was a physical space where they were handing out flyers about why you, too, should join the boycott. It was very personal.'

graphic image of green LED-emitting eyeglasses

CI MED team develops light therapy to treat children with migraines

Mar 27, 2025 11:30 am

The physician-innovators at Carle Illinois College of Medicine revolutionizes migraine therapy for children with a new side-effect-free, drug-free treatment device: a special set of glasses that emits green LED light.

recreation, sport and tourism professor Nick Pitas in partnership with the Champaign Park District to gather feedback from community members who have housing and those who are homeless about the district’s facilities operations and its relationship with all its visitors, regardless of their housing status. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Research explores Champaign Park District’s relationship with users who are homeless

Mar 20, 2025 12:15 pm

'That was something that the Champaign Park District really wanted to understand ― how do the various constituent groups in the community see this issue and what do they want them to do about it?' said Professor Nick Pitas.

graphic promoting the lecture, 'The Magic of RNA' by Thomas Cech

Nobel Laureate Thomas R. Cech to give IGB Distinguished Public Lecture

Mar 25, 2025 12:00 pm

'The Magic of RNA: New Medicines, Immortality, and the Power to Control Evolution' will be delivered by Nobel Laureate Thomas R. Cech at 3:30 p.m. on April 1st, 2025 at the I Hotel & Illinois Conference Center.

Three Illinois faculty named AAAS Fellows

Mar 27, 2025 10:15 am

Animal sciences professor Isaac Cann, chemistry professor Stephan Link and animal sciences professor Matthew Wheeler are among the 471 scientists, engineers and innovators chosen by their peers for their distinguished achievements.

Both teams queue along the first and third base lines for the National Anthem before Tuesday's game.

Illini's late rally not enough in Braggin' Rights defeat

Mar 26, 2025 3:15 pm

Illinois baseball (12-10) nearly dug its way out of a 9-0 hole but ultimately fell to Missouri (9-14), 11-9, on Tuesday night at Grizzlies Ballpark. Illini sophomore Collin Jennings had a grand slam in the rally.

Nancy Averett, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign lecturer of journalism and expert in science and environmental journalism. Photo by Craig Pessman

How can science literacy help people better understand the news?

Mar 24, 2025 10:15 am

People get news from a wide range of sources that may not be trustworthy. 'Joe Rogan told viewers that he wasn’t going to get the COVID-19 vaccine because he worried about its safety...even though Rogan had zero evidence that it was unsafe.'

What effect will a weakened consumer watchdog agency have on borrowers, bankruptcies?

Mar 26, 2025 2:30 pm

A weakened Consumer Financial Protection Bureau likely won’t lead to another subprime mortgage meltdown but 'a steady ratcheting up of unfair practices' for the average consumer, says bankruptcy expert Robert Lawless.

A screen capture from Birth of Planet Earth modeling photosynthesis.

Reaching for the Stars: The awesome work of the NCSA Visualization Lab to explain mind-boggling science

Mar 26, 2025 10:30 am

NCSA’s visualization team has been creating stunning, multi-dimensional representations of data and information for many years.You've seen it in popular IMAX films, like 2010’s 'Hubble 3D', featuring narration by Leonardo Dicaprio or 2013’s 'Solar Superstorms' with Benedict Cumberbatch.

Illustration of a flashlight illuminating a DNA strand by Sarah Grillo/Axios

23andMe bankruptcy underscores health privacy gaps

Mar 25, 2025 4:00 pm

Axios (March 25) Medical technology companies are vacuuming up more personal information with little regulatory oversight. 'We’re getting into an era where we have more entities sitting on these big datasets,' says law professor Sara Gerke.

Webinar Series: Social Work in Changing Political Landscapes

Mar 19, 2025 10:30 am

Recent Executive Orders are reshaping access to critical services and presenting new challenges for social workers committed to advocacy, equity, and justice. This series looks at these evolving social and political landscapes.

portrait of Janice Harrington beside an image of the cover of her new book, "Yard Show"

Poetry book looks at how people create a sense of place for themselves

Mar 19, 2025 9:00 am

English professor Janice Harrington draws on her love of the prairie and her interest in Black history in the Midwest to examine how people create a sense of place in her new book of poetry, 'Yard Show.'

Illinois concludes historic season with loss at top-seeded Texas in NCAA Tournament

Mar 25, 2025 10:15 am

Illinois' season came to a close in the NCAA Tournament Second Round on Monday afternoon. After winning their first Tournament game since 2000 on Saturday, they finished the season with 22 wins, tied for their third-most in program history.

an underwater cave. Photo by Jason Edwards//Getty Images

Scientists found 10 million-year-old remnants of massive kilonova in the bottom of the ocean

Mar 24, 2025 3:15 pm

Popular Mechanics (March 21) U of I Astronomer Brian Fields discovered remnants of a kilonova - the collision of two neutron stars - believed to have happened relatively close to Earth about 10 million years ago.

Illini players huddle during the second half of their game against Kentucky on March 23, 2025.

Illini fall to Kentucky in NCAA Tournament second round

Mar 24, 2025 7:00 am

Sixth-seeded Illinois fell to third-seeded Kentucky, 84-75, on Sunday evening. The Illini close the season with a 22-13 mark, including 12-8 in Big Ten play, and the program's fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

How federal staff cuts at NOAA are affecting regions with extreme weather

Mar 21, 2025 6:15 pm

WGN-AM (March 20) Climate researcher Don Wuebbles discusses the importance of NOAA and how the staff cuts to the agency are affecting regions of the U.S. where extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common.

Byrd holds his arms aloft after winning his match

Byrd Wins national wrestling title at 133 pounds

Mar 23, 2025 8:15 am

Lucas Byrd won his first national title at 133 pounds on Saturday (March 22) at the NCAA Championships. He became the 21st Fighting Illini wrestler to win a national championship.

Illinois soars past Creighton, earns first NCAA Tournament win since 2000

Mar 23, 2025 8:00 am

With the win, [8] Illinois advances to the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday, with the Illini set to take on the winner of [1] No. 5 Texas and [16] William & Mary.

NCAA Tournament second round preview: Illinois vs. Kentucky

Mar 23, 2025 7:00 am

Following an 86-73 victory over Xavier, No. 6 seed Illinois advances to the NCAA Tournament Second Round and will face No. 3 seed Kentucky on Sunday in Milwaukee (4:15 p.m. CT, CBS).

Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn featured on a promotional graphic for the Illini's first round NCAA tournament game against Xavier

Round One: Illinois vs. Xavier, 8:45 pm tonight

Mar 20, 2025 12:45 pm

With junior Ty Rodgers redshirting, sophomore Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is the lone scholarship player who has appeared in the NCAA Tournament with the Illini. Gibbs-Lawhorn came off the bench in all four games last year as a true-freshman.

students walk across an unidentified college campus under a rainbow-colored sign. New York Times photo by Sophie Park

Trump’s battles with colleges could change American culture for a generation

Mar 20, 2025 5:15 pm

The New York Times (March 20) 'I have not experienced, across 46 years of higher education, a period where there’s been this much distance' between the agendas of university leaders and Washington, says U. of I. chancellor Robert Jones.

promotional banner for the women's first round game on Saturday, March 22, 2025

Illini Women's Basketball takes on Creighton in first round of NCAA tournament on Saturday

Mar 20, 2025 12:45 pm

The Illini enter the tournament with a 21-9 record and look to win their first NCAA Tournament game since 2000 on Saturday. This is their second appearance in the national competition under third-year head coach Shauna Green.

Illinois researchers combined microbiology with microfluidic device technology to find that when antibiotics are delivered by flowing fluids, as would be the case in the body, they are more effective against resistant bacteria. Photo by Fred Zwicky

To overcome antibiotic resistance, new research says to let it flow

Mar 18, 2025 8:00 am

Some notoriously difficult to treat infections may not be as resistant to antibiotics as has been thought, according to research using a microfluidic device that more closely duplicates the fluid flow found in the body than standard cultures.

a farmer spreads liquid manure on a field in Italy. Public domain photo

How do we address the problem of PFAS in sewage sludge?

Mar 20, 2025 12:00 pm

Communities and federal agencies are waking up to the dangers of 'forever chemicals' in wastewater treatment sludge, which is often sprayed on farm fields as fertilizer. Researcher John Scott studies the problem.

Coach, researcher and alumnus Adam Bleakney. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Adam Bleakney: Legacy Builder

Mar 18, 2025 10:45 am

Adam Bleakney is becoming an Illini legend. He has coached the world’s most successful wheelchair racing team, advocated for disability rights and developed new assistive technologies that could change what it means to be in a wheelchair.

U. of I. natural resources and environmental sciences researcher Lowell Gentry. Photo by Craig Pessman

Study: 'Sustainable intensification' on the farm reduces nitrate losses, maintains yields

Mar 13, 2025 8:30 am

U. of I. researcher Lowell Gentry and his colleagues found that an intensive three-year crop-rotation system reduced nitrate pollution runoff by 50% without compromising crop yields.

Left handed reliever Reed Gannon, shown on the pitchers' mound, pitched a shutout ninth to recorded his first save of the season.

Six-run second inning propels Illini past Indiana State

Mar 19, 2025 9:15 am

Illinois baseball (11-7) concluded its five-game homestand with an 8-6 victory over Indiana State (9-12) Tuesday at Illinois Field. Junior infielder Jack Zebig went 3-for-4 with three runs, a home run, three RBI and a walk.

U. of I. hosts National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament

Mar 17, 2025 1:45 pm

As the flagship program in wheelchair athletics, Illinois brings a long history of excellence at the Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball level. All games will be played at State Farm Center from March 25 to 29.

cars in a McDonald's drive thru. Getty images

U. of I. study shows your commute can increase your fast food intake

Mar 18, 2025 10:00 am

Prevention (March 15) 'If there’s traffic between 5 and 7 p.m., which happens to be right around the evening mealtime, we see an increase in fast food visits,' says Becca Taylor, a U. of I. professor of agricultural and consumer economics.

image of Aja Martinez beside image of the cover of her book, "Critical Race Theory: The People and Ideas that Created a Movementy."

Book recounts history of critical race theory

Mar 11, 2025 2:30 pm

Critical race theory is often misunderstood. In her new book, 'The Origins of Critical Race Theory: The People and Ideas that Created a Movement,' professor Aja Martinez explains what it is and how it was founded.

image of the product, Pail, holding a lunch.

Design students win award for innovative lunch box design, Pail

Mar 12, 2025 11:00 am

U. of I. industrial design students won the IHS Global Innovation Award for Excellence in Student Design, awarded by The International Housewares Association for their innovative lunch box design, Pail.

Johns Hopkins University conducts research around the world, much of it financed by federal grants and contracts.Credit...Andrew Mangum for The New York Times

Slashing of U.S.A.I.D. budget is crippling university research, outreach

Mar 17, 2025 11:00 am

The New York Times (March 13) At the U. of I., 30 people have lost their jobs at a Feed the Future lab that worked on improving soybean cultivation in Africa, according to professor Peter Goldsmith, who ran the laboratory.

graphic promoting women Illini gaining #8 seed in NCAA tournament, first game against Creighton

Illini Women's Basketball secures #8 seed in NCAA Tournament, play Creighton on Saturday

Mar 17, 2025 9:15 am

Illinois will face Creighton at 6:15 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 22, in Austin, Texas. The winner of that game will take on the winner of No. 1-seeded Texas vs No. 16-seeded High Point/William & Mary on Monday.

Illini players watch TV as the NCAA tournament rankings/pairings are announced

Illini Men's Basketball earns fifth straight NCAA tournament bid

Mar 17, 2025 8:15 am

Illinois is the No. 6 seed in the Midwest region. The Fighting Illini open play in the First Round on Friday in Milwaukee, taking on the winner of Wednesday's First Four match-up between No. 11 seeds Texas and Xavier.

graphic promoting the Friday night quarterfinals game against Maryland features sophomore Tomislav Ivisic

Illini face Maryland today in Big Ten tournament quarterfinals

Mar 14, 2025 12:30 pm

Following a 106-94 victory over 15th-seeded Iowa in Round 2, No. 7 seed Illinois advances to face No. 2 seed Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament (BTT) Quarterfinal on Friday (5:30 p.m. CT, BTN).

still image from WLS-TV video - Trump in Oval Office with lower-third graphic "ICE arrests in first 50 days"

ICE touts immigration arrests; opponents warn of pending $10B 'blank check' for enforcement

Mar 14, 2025 12:15 pm

WLS-TV (March 12) 'You’re seeing (Trump administration) messaging that is very strong and harsh, but you’re not seeing the follow-through on the numbers that match the rhetoric,' says U. of I. Professor Michael LeRoy.

Huff Hall in 1929. Photo courtesy U. of I. Library Archives

'March Madness' was born here

Mar 14, 2025 12:00 pm

The yearly NCAA bracket bonanza owes its namesake partly to the facility in which it was coined, Huff Hall, which marks its 100th anniversary this year.

Kylan Boswell had 24 points, four 3-pointers, seven assists, three rebounds, one steal.

High-flying offense sends Illinois soaring past Iowa in B1G Tournament

Mar 14, 2025 7:00 am

Setting a new program record for points scored in a conference tournament game, the Fighting Illini had five scorers finish in double figures in the 106 - 94 victory over the Hawkeyes. Kylan Boswell had a career-high 24 points,

southwest airlines photo montage by Alamy, via Adobe Stock

Southwest moves are a reaction to changing landscape in airline industry

Mar 11, 2025 2:00 pm

Southwest Airlines is reversing several policies - first come, first serve seating and 'Bags Fly Free' - in an effort to better compete with other airlines with razor thin profit margins. Professor Ed Rogowski explains why it was necessary now.

Recent deans of the College of Education. From left, Mary Kalantzis (2006-2016), Chrystalla Mouza (current), James Anderson (2016-2022) and Susan Fowler (2000-2006). Photo courtesy of Bill Cope.

New book explores the U of I scholars, ideas that made history in education

Mar 13, 2025 3:30 pm

'Arguments for Learning: An Intellectual History of the College of Education at the University of Illinois,' is a history of the work of the college and its contribution to national and international educational reform.

Chancellor Jones presides at a previous Illinois Commencement event. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Chancellor Robert J. Jones named 2025 Commencement speaker

Mar 13, 2025 3:30 pm

Jones announced last November that he would be ending his time as the longest serving chancellor at Illinois since that position was created. But before he goes, he'll speak to his final U. of I. graduating class.

promotional graphic for Illinois' first game in the Big Ten Tournament features Kylan Boswell.

Illini begin Big Ten Tournament title defense tonight

Mar 12, 2025 4:00 pm

Illinois enters the 2025 Big Ten Tournament as the No. 7 seed after posting a 12-8 league record. Under head coach Brad Underwood, Illinois is the only program with a winning B1G record in each of the last six seasons.

worker uses a cell phone to analyze sidewalk safety issues

Alum named to Forbes 30 under 30 after class project becomes startup success

Mar 12, 2025 10:45 am

'With the DeepWalk app, a single intern will be able to perform over 200 (sidewalk) inspections a day. This allows municipalities to take a strong first step in avoiding or meeting the requirements of these (ADA) lawsuits.”

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby. Image by Bloomberg

United Airlines CEO sees ethanol plants as key to eco-friendly jet fuel

Mar 12, 2025 1:00 pm

Crain’s Chicago Business (March 11) 'In the long run, Sustainable Aviation Fuel is probably going to be the only way for the U.S. ethanol industry to maintain its current size,' says ag economist Scott Irwin. But he says it won’t be a quick transition.

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