Illinois Featured Content

Four faculty members elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Apr 25, 2025 2:45 pm

Founded in 1780, the academy recognizes scientists, artists, scholars and leaders who have distinguished themselves in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

Student developing portable tech to prevent chemo-induced hair loss wins fellowship

Apr 23, 2025 10:30 am

During her clinical rotations, Mahima Goel had the idea to create a more patient-friendly device after hearing patients describe the bulk, cost, and movement restrictions that come with existing devices on the market.

silhouette of man puping bar bell that balances a hamburger with broccoli. Graphic by Michael B. Vincent

Omnivorous? Vegan? Makes no difference to muscle building after weightlifting, study finds

Apr 21, 2025 9:15 am

A new clinical trial tested a vegan diet against an omnivorous diet and found no difference in the rate of muscle-protein synthesis after weight training.

portrait of Paul Bruno by Brian Stauffer

Computer science teachers may be better qualified than their peers

Apr 25, 2025 12:00 pm

A study by Professor Paul Bruno found that instructors’ teaching experience both in general and in computer science specifically had the greatest impact on student learning - not whether faculty members were licensed to teach the subject.

Ujjal Kumar Mukherjee, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign business scholar who studies technology adoption in health care.

New analytics-driven framework aims to improve care of chronic disease

Apr 21, 2025 9:30 am

New U. of I. research finds that a data-informed approach to scheduling patient appointments can reduce risks associated with diabetes management by up to 19.4%, especially for underserved populations.

Illinois professor Bumsoo Han, left, and postdoctoral researcher Sae Rome Choi are authors of a new study exploring the use of DNA origami for better imaging of dense pancreatic tissue for cancer detection and potential treatment. Photo by Fred Zwicky

DNA origami guides new possibilities in the fight against pancreatic cancer

Apr 22, 2025 3:00 pm

'This research highlights not only the potential for more accurate cancer imaging, but also selective chemotherapy delivery, a significant advancement over current...treatments,' said U. of I. Professor Bumsoo Han.

Alumnus Nate Reichard donates $5 million to elevate real estate program

Apr 25, 2025 8:45 am

Gies College of Business has received a $5 million gift from alumnus Nate Reichard, CEO of Reichard Capital. In recognition, the Real Estate Finance Academy will be renamed the 'Reichard Real Estate Academy.'

ten year old picture of landscape architecture professor William Sullivan and (then) PhD candidate Bin Jiang, who now is a professor at the University of Hong Kong

New study finds link between green spaces and police violence

Apr 24, 2025 3:00 pm

Higher levels of greenness may reduce violence in four ways: reduced crime, improved short-term and long-term mental health, sending a signal that a place is well-cared for and increasing the use of outdoor spaces by nearby neighbors.

image show the cover of the book '1984.' Photo by Ethan Rougon on Unsplash

When opinions become thoughtcrimes

Apr 24, 2025 3:45 pm

Visible Magazine (April 18) Illinois curriculum and instruction professor Stephanie Toliver discusses the consequences of banning language, thoughts and opinions.

Hoda Elshorbagy, shown racing in her hot pink chair, aims to develop the sport of wheelchair racing and become Egypt’s first qualified wheelchair racing coach (Photo provided)

A woman of determination and vision: Hoda Elshorbagy

Apr 18, 2025 8:00 am

As a girl in Egypt, she learned English so she could understand U of I racing coach Adam Bleakney’s videos. She dreamed of one day learning from him face to face. For seven years, she planned and practiced. Then came her break.

still image from story video shows cans of prebiotic soda on store shelves

What is prebiotic soda? Experts on whether there are health benefits

Apr 23, 2025 8:45 am

Today (April 21) Prebiotics and probiotics aren’t the same. U. of I. professor Kelly Swanson says prebiotics help support overall health and may have a number of benefits when consumed at a sufficient dose.

Sara Gerke, the Richard W. & Marie L. Corman Scholar at the College of Law. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Federal privacy law needed for sensitive consumer data when companies go bankrupt

Apr 16, 2025 11:30 am

What happens to your personal information when a genetic testing company goes belly up? It would most likely be sold to a successor company that customers might not want to entrust with their genetic data, says law expert Sara Gerke.

banner reads Undergraduate Research Week, April 20 - 26

A celebration of student innovation and excellence at Illinois

Apr 21, 2025 1:30 pm

Undergraduate Research Week showcases the best of undergraduate research and creative inquiry at the University of Illinois. Events include workshops on getting started in research, special exhibits, and highlighting the best student research.

Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship is part of his sweeping immigration crackdown. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

What to know about birthright citizenship as it heads to Supreme Court

Apr 21, 2025 11:00 am

Axios (April 17) SCOTUS will hear arguments next month over Trump’s efforts to restrict birthright citizenship. Illinois professor Michael LeRoy says that a Supreme Court ruling in Trump’s favor would have far-reaching legal repercussions.

Jonathan W. Coppess, the Leonard and Lila Gardner-Illinois Farm Bureau Family of Companies Endowed Associate Professor in Agricultural Policy at the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Seriously. Photo by Fred Zwicky

What effect will tariffs have on consumers, farmers?

Apr 16, 2025 10:00 am

For U.S. farmers, tariffs are a double whammy of paying more for imported goods such as fertilizer and losing out on export markets, says U. of I. agricultural expert Jonathan W. Coppess.

educational psychology professor Kaylin Ratner. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Young adults juggle conflicting pressures to hurry up ― and wait

Apr 16, 2025 12:00 pm

Researchers have found that young adults today may feel caught between opposing forces, some pressuring them to accelerate their maturation and assume adult responsibilities earlier, others striving to hold them back.

AI-generated graphic of woolly mammoth toy or model in a box. Stephanie Arnett/MIT Technology Review | ChatGPT

Jurassic Patent: How Colossal Biosciences is attempting to own the 'woolly mammoth'

Apr 17, 2025 12:15 pm

MIT Technology Review (April 16) 'Any animal with woolly mammoth genes falls under the claims' of this Texas startup company trying to bring back extinct species, says U. of I. law professor Jacob Sherkow.

Graduate student Jonathan Cerna monitors heart data from a “smart shirt” that tracks electrical activity as graduate student Laila Shaaban exercises and rests. Researchers are working to develop the technology to make heart-related predictions more widely accessible through the use of wearables. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Wearable technology continuously monitors heart-rate recovery to predict risk

Apr 9, 2025 11:00 am

U. of I. researchers used a 'smart shirt' to track participants’ heart-rate recovery after exercise and developed a tool for analyzing the data to predict those at higher risk of heart-related ailments.

Illinois history professor Kristin Hoganson and English professor Corey Van Landingham are recipients of 2025 Guggenheim Fellowships. Image of Van Landingham was submitted by subject.

Illinois faculty members receive Guggenheim Fellowships

Apr 17, 2025 10:00 am

This year’s Illinois fellows are history professor Kristin Hoganson and English professor Corey Van Landingham. They were chosen through a rigorous peer-review process from nearly 3,500 applicants.

A worker processes copper wire at a workshop in Huai 'an City, East China's Jiangsu Province, on June 28, 2023. CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty Images

Here’s what’s about to become more expensive with the next round of tariffs

Apr 16, 2025 2:30 pm

CNN (April 15) The Biden administration's CHIPS Act incentivized chipmakers to open U.S. facilities, but even if tariffs do spur more domestic chip production, America still lacks electronic assembly capabilities, says professor John Dallesasse.

Professor Christopher Gaulke. Photo by Craig Pessman

How does what lives in your gut affect your health?

Apr 8, 2025 2:45 pm

Professor of pathobiology Chris Gaulke discusses what roles the gut microbiome plays in digestion, immune health and cancer, as well as how what we consume affects it.

A new test strip system developed by Ferritiva uses body fluids like urine to detect markers that indicate an iron deficiency. The second phase of the team's work involves creating a sensor (prototype shown) that can quantify those results for use in monitoring a patient's results over time.

CI MED students create at-home screening test for iron deficiency

Apr 16, 2025 10:30 am

Some 40% of people don't have enough iron content in their blood but many of them go undiagnosed. This innovation will allow people to test at home by applying a small sample of urine, rather than blood, to a special test strip.

Greene Valley Forest Preserve (Naperville, Illinois). Photo by Corey Seeman

Sold-out conference addresses tri-state forestry challenges, points to solutions

Apr 9, 2025 11:30 am

Private landowners manage 80% of the region's forests while facing challenges from invasive species, extreme weather events, and changing markets. That's why this Extension conference became an unexpected hit.

Bioengineering professor Holly Golecki, left, works with Andy Granados, a participant in the First-Generation Scholars Research Program, designing an actuator with a balloon inside polyester mesh in order to create a silicone heart model that pumps fluids. Photo by Fred Zwicky.

First-Generation Scholars Research Program provides research experience and more

Apr 11, 2025 9:15 am

The First-Generation Scholars Research Program at Illinois provides students with research skills and help with the ins and outs of college life that those who haven’t been exposed to higher education may not know.

Third place winner The Melting Arctic: A Fleeting Beauty by Lijia Guo from Plant Biology

2025 Image of Research winners announced

Apr 16, 2025 9:00 am

U. of I.'s Graduate College and the Media Commons of the University Library are pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Image of Research competition, which reflects the creativity and intellectual diversity of our grad students.

A cilantro leaf inside a soap bubble; soap is how the herb tastes for those with a genetic sensitivity to its bitter taste. Photograph by Mark Thiessen, Nat Geo Image Collection

Hate cilantro or anchovies? Evolutionary science could explain why

Apr 15, 2025 9:45 am

National Geographic (April 14) If you want to learn to like something, it’s best to eat that food when you’re very hungry, says Illinois food science and human nutrition professor Yanina Pepino.

Quinn Koeneman made this risograph-printed image of his hand-drawn illustrations for “The Imminent,” a science fiction comic book series he created. Credit: Courtesy of the artist

Graduate art and design students exhibit their work at Krannert Art Museum

Apr 15, 2025 9:30 am

The annual School of Art and Design MFA Exhibition runs through April 26. It includes 12 graduate students in studio art, industrial design and Design for Responsible Innovation. The work is the culmination of their graduate education.

'wood carving' graphic of hands holding a bottle of generically labeled 'seed oil'

Guess what kind of cooking oil is tariff-proof? Seed oils are about to get their revenge

Apr 14, 2025 2:30 pm

The Atlantic (April 11) Trump's tariffs may increase the cost of olive oil - a lot. 'If the goal is to get people away from the seed oil, well, these tariffs are going to drive people into the arms of seed oils,' says professor William Clifton Ridley.

Three Illini softball players express their joy by embracing at home plate

Fighting Illini earn 5-4 walk-off victory, series win against Michigan State

Apr 14, 2025 10:30 am

Fighting Illini softball rallied to score three runs in the seventh inning and walked it off on Eileen Donahue's solo home run to pick up the 5-4 win over the Spartans on Sunday.

Kendall Bostic claps her hands in celebration on the basketball court and smiles her signature, dimpled smile

Student-athlete, student-teacher: Kendall Bostic masters grad school and Big Ten basketball

Apr 10, 2025 4:15 pm

Kendall Bostic didn't compromise when it came to her goals. She dreamed of big basketball achievements. And she dreamed of helping kids learn, despite their challenges. She's accomplished both.

Professor Charles Fogelman, an expert on the politics of Lesotho. Photo by Fred Zwicky

How will (now 10%) tariffs, cuts to USAID, affect Africa's smallest nation?

Apr 11, 2025 8:45 am

Illinois professor Charles Fogelman describes how the tiny African country of Lesotho will likely experience the dual blows of ever-changing tariff announcements and the cessation of USAID funding.

KickStart is designed to prevent long-term AMI, a complication that can delay recovery from knee and thigh surgeries.

CI MED innovation triple-teams recovery from knee surgery

Apr 4, 2025 4:00 pm

A Carle Illinois College of Medicine team has designed a new knee brace that combines three evidence-based therapies to help knee surgery patients avoid a common setback that can delay recovery by years.

Freshman Ella Cushing, shown high-fiving teammates, already has four home runs, including a grand slam, this season

Illinois hosts Michigan State for Strikeout Cancer weekend

Apr 10, 2025 11:30 am

Illinois softball hosts Michigan State this weekend. The Fighting Illini face off against the Spartans at 7:30 p.m. on Friday with the game airing on Big Ten Network. (Saturday @1 p.m.; Sunday @ noon)

Woman walks in a flooded neighborhood in Bowling Green, Ky., on Saturday. Credit...Austin Anthony for The New York Times

‘Getting heavier’: Climate change primes storms to drop more rain

Apr 9, 2025 4:45 pm

The New York Times (April 8) 'When we have these very heavy rain events, the trends have been pointing toward those heavy events getting heavier,' says Deanna Hence, a U. of I. professor of atmospheric sciences.

psychology professor Benedek Kurdi. Photo by Craig Pessman

Study finds global downturn in bias against stigmatized groups

Apr 7, 2025 10:45 am

A study in 33 countries between 2009 and 2019 found substantial reductions in explicit, self-reported bias against all categories of stigma they examined: age, race, body weight, skin tone and sexual orientation.

Led by bioengineering professor Xing Wang, Illinois researchers developed drug-delivering DNA aptamers that target elusive leukemia stem cells. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch

Apr 3, 2025 9:45 am

The aptamers - short single-strand snippets of DNA that can target molecules like larger antibodies do - not only deliver cancer-fighting drugs, but also are themselves toxic to the cancer stem cells, the researchers said.

volunteers pose at a previous BCCD event

Boneyard Creek Community Day, April 12

Apr 7, 2025 11:00 am

Boneyard Creek Community Day is a way to celebrate and protect lakes and streams in Champaign County by engaging volunteers to pitch in and clean.

promotional graphic with same text as headline

Fighting Illini Athletics to host Spring Sports Fest, April 11-13

Apr 8, 2025 11:30 am

Spring Sports Fest will feature eight home events across three sports - baseball, softball, and men's tennis. Admission is free all weekend.

A photo of thunderstorm outside of Blackwell, Oklahoma. A lapse in a government contract through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will stop severe weather alerts from being translated to other languages. (Photo by Jeff Hutchens/Getty Images)

National Weather Service pauses severe weather alerts in Spanish, other languages

Apr 8, 2025 11:45 am

PBS News (April 4) NWS has paused severe weather alerts in languages other than English after the government contract for those services expired. U. of I. researcher Joseph Trujillo-Falcón says the loss of these messages puts communities at risk.

graduates applaud as confetti rains down on them during a Commencement ceremony at Illinois. Photo by Fred Zwicky

U. of I. graduates succeed. Here's the report

Apr 8, 2025 10:45 am

Ninety percent of graduates secured a 'first destination' (job, grad school, or volunteer work) within six months of graduation. The average starting salary for a recent Illinois graduate is $75,373.

portrait of history professor emeritus John A. Lynn adjacent to image of book cover

Book by Professor John Lynn explores surrender from the middle ages to the present

Apr 2, 2025 11:45 am

History professor emeritus John A. Lynn examines surrender and the treatment of prisoners of war as an ever-evolving aspect of war that reflects and defines the nature of society, culture, and conflict.

Stanley Ikenberry, former U of I System president who left a strong legacy, has passed away

Apr 2, 2025 2:00 pm

Stanley O. Ikenberry, who became the youngest president in the University of Illinois history in 1979 and later returned to the presidency in an interim capacity, died Tuesday at age 90 in Boca Grande, Florida.

Campus Instructional Facility photographed at night by Fred Zwicky

Sixteen employees honored with 2025 Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award

Apr 2, 2025 10:00 am

Sixteen academic professionals and civil service staff members have received the Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award recognizing exceptional performance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Iconic photo from the Illinois campus shows the bell tower at the top of Altgeld Hall

The Forbes new Ivies: Graduating the talent employers seek

Apr 7, 2025 9:45 am

Forbes (April 2) Forbes has selected 10 outstanding public universities that are graduating students who outpace most Ivy Leaguers in the eyes of employers. Illinois is on the top 10 list.

Illini players react in jubelation following the series sweep against Maryland

Illini Baseball blanks Maryland to earn series sweep

Apr 7, 2025 9:30 am

Illinois baseball (18-11, 7-5) shutout Maryland (14-18, 3-9), 11-0 in seven innings over the weekend. The Fighting Illini have now won four-straight contests, their longest winning streak of the season, and improved to 8-1at home.

dirt flies from the glove of Fighting Illini Softball catcher Paige Berkmeyer as an umpire looks over her shoulder

Illini Softball travels to Northwestern for Saturday to Monday series

Apr 4, 2025 4:15 pm

Illinois softball heads to Northwestern for a three-game series in Evanston, Ill. Saturday and Sunday's games are slated for 2 p.m. on B1G+. Monday's contest is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

A research team led by food science and human nutrition professor Yong-Su Jin combined the special attributes of E. coli with the photosynthetic capabilities of microalgae to take in carbon dioxide and convert it to useful biological chemicals. Credit: Photo by Craig Pessman

Study: Microalgae and bacteria team up to convert CO2 into useful products

Apr 1, 2025 12:15 pm

The successful production of these compounds is a proof-of-concept that the system works, said study lead Yong-Su Jin. 'We can also imagine that we can use this approach to make other valuable proteins such as insulin.'

The Fram2 crew launched on board a Falcon 9 rocket on Monday (March 31) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. (Image credit: SpaceX)

'Notch above a gimmick': Experts question merit of billionaire's 'space adventure' around poles

Apr 4, 2025 11:45 am

Live Science (April 2) U of I aerospace engineer John Prussing thinks so little of the mission that he initially thought it was an April Fools' joke. 'There's nothing unique to a polar orbit, and the science advantages are kind of overblown.'

Illinois anthropology professor Ellen Moodie describes the agreement between current U.S. and Salvadoran administrations that has allowed hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants to be deported from the U.S. and detained in an El Salvador “terrorism confinement center.”

Why were Venezuelan immigrants sent to El Salvador?

Mar 31, 2025 8:00 am

Professor Ellen Moodie describes the agreement between U.S. and Salvadoran administrations allowing hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants to be deported from the U.S. and detained in an El Salvador 'terrorism confinement center.'

Signage at an entry to the Urbana-Champaign campus. Photo by Michelle Hassel

University of Illinois to pilot new community college transfer program

Apr 3, 2025 8:00 am

Forbes (April 2) The U. of I. System hopes to increase transfer rates from community colleges to its universities. The program will provide eligible students with academic coaching, financial assistance and career advice as they transfer to the U. of I.

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