blog posts Recycling breakthrough turns one common type of plastic into another Oct 4, 2022 10:15 am New Atlas (Oct. 3) A team co-led by U. of I. professor Damien Guironnet has demonstrated a promising new plastic-recycling process that could lead to massive reductions in global greenhouse emissions. Homecoming Week at Illinois Oct 3, 2022 2:15 pm Events throughout the week include a student dinner on the Quad, the Global Talent Show, Saturday Night Live: Homecoming Edition in downtown Champaign, two concerts at State Farm Center and - of course - football on Saturday. Where did all the MBA applicants go? Oct 3, 2022 11:30 am Crain’s Chicago Business (Oct. 2) Some MBA programs are taking practical steps to encourage more applicants. U of I's Gies College of Business increased its offerings in digital commerce to attract more learners, says Associate Dean Nerissa Brown. U of I joins five tech industry leaders in new Speech Accessibility Project Oct 3, 2022 10:30 am 'This task...requires a lot of infrastructure, ideally the kind that can be supported by leading tech companies, so we’ve created a(n) interdisciplinary team with expertise in linguistics, speech, AI, security, and privacy to help us meet this challenge.' Scientists crack upcycling plastics to reduce greenhouse gas emissions Oct 3, 2022 9:45 am Researchers have developed a breakthrough process to transform the most widely produced plastic - polyethylene - into the second-most widely produced plastic, polypropylene, which could reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Illini overpower Wisconsin for Big Ten West road win Oct 3, 2022 8:00 am Illinois picked up its first Big Ten win of the season on Saturday, taking down Wisconsin, 34-10, in Madison for the first time since 2002. The Illini scored 17 points on three takeaways to move to 1-1 in conference play and 4-1 overall. 20 years of research on relationship maintenance: More diversity needed Sep 30, 2022 12:00 pm 'Instead of saying, "past research found this in this sample, so we should assume it is truth," we need to think about how things may be different and how they may or may not apply to diverse populations," says Professor Brian Ogolsky. Who should manage public land that is sacred to Native Americans? Sep 30, 2022 10:30 am The Conversation (Sept. 30) 'That is the question that the U.S. government and some states hope recent policy changes will address by giving Indigenous people greater input into managing such land,' writes Professor Rosalyn LaPier. Chip bans on countries like China will hurt the U.S. more than they’ll help Sep 29, 2022 1:15 pm Fortune (Sept. 28) U of I professor Rakesh Kumar: 'The U.S. believes its economy and national security is threatened if advanced chips end up with the Chinese... But the belief in export controls rests on two assumptions, both of which' may be false. Men's experiences of sexual racism differ in two online dating communities Sep 29, 2022 10:45 am While sexual minority men report that racialized sexual discrimination is rampant on dating apps and websites, Black men reported differing experiences on Grindr and Jack’d, according to a study led by social work professor Ryan Wade. Fighting Illini run away with Folds of Honor Collegiate title Sep 29, 2022 9:00 am The Illini used another strong start to open Wednesday's final round, and continued to push throughout the day en route to a 54-hole team tally of 854 (-10), led by sophomore Jackson Buchanan's closing 68 (-4). More physical activity, less screen time linked to better executive function in toddlers Sep 29, 2022 9:00 am A new Illinois study finds that toddlers who spend less than 60 minutes looking at screens or engage in more than 60 minutes of exercise per day tend to have better executive function than toddlers who do not. U of I researchers ID genes that make roots grow toward gravity Sep 28, 2022 11:45 am Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (Sept. 27) 'NASA is interested in growing crops in space, and they need to know what you’d have to breed for to do that,” says U of I's Mathew Hudson. 'Plants are pretty discombobulated without gravity.' Student debt relief plan: A shot in the arm Sep 28, 2022 11:30 am 'Student loan debt is impacting people’s lives,' says Prof. Jennifer Delaney. 'When you borrow for college, you’re much less likely to buy a house right away, you hold back on retirement savings, don’t start a small business, wait on starting a family.' Wrestler Lucas Byrd selected to NWCA All-Star Classic Sep 28, 2022 10:45 am Illinois wrestler Lucas Byrd has been selected to wrestle in the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic on November 22 in Austin, Texas. 'This group is the elite of the elite in college wrestling,' said Illini head coach Mike Poeta. Wearable tech offers up-close look at infant development Sep 28, 2022 10:00 am Illinois researchers have developed a tool to measure stress regulation and parent-child bonding in young children. The device enables infants as young as one month to provide useful information from the comfort of their own home. Meet the Downing Brothers: The first black men with a show on HGTV Sep 27, 2022 2:15 pm Black Enterprise (Sept. 27) Identical twins Anthony and Anton Downing, both U of I grads, became the first Black men to get their own HGTV pilot. They make it a point to show Black men in a positive light. Experimental composer headlines events examining art-science connections Sep 27, 2022 11:45 am David Rosenboom, a pioneer in experimental music, will lecture, perform and conduct workshops with students during a two-week series of events, 'Experimental Arts & Sciences at UIUC,' beginning Oct. 3. Physics for the masses, one song at a time Sep 27, 2022 10:00 am A shared love of physics, music and education outreach brought Maggie and Fahad Mahmood together. The couple continues their musical journey in the Physics Department at Illinois with song parodies celebrating all things physics. Coach Bielema press conference quotes ahead of contest at Wisconsin Sep 27, 2022 9:15 am 'I like where we're at from a health standpoint... Actually, we're going to see Jamal Woods back, he's been out the last two weeks...it's going to be a huge advantage in a tough game, obviously.' U of I announce plans for Discovery Partners Institute for South Loop Sep 26, 2022 1:45 pm WGN-TV (Sept. 23) The University of Illinois announced Friday it is ready to make its mark on Chicago’s South Loop. Ground will be broken on the Discovery Partners Institute in 2024, creating a new hub for technology and innovation in Chicago. Women's Tennis earns singles and doubles championships at UTR College Circuit Sep 26, 2022 9:15 am Illinois women's tennis racked up 26 combined wins across two days of play in the UTR College Circuit hosted at the Atkins Tennis Center. Ashley Yeah and Josie Frazier earned the doubles title. In singles, all four semifinalists were Illini. Vet Med Open House, Oct. 2: The Adventure Awaits! Sep 23, 2022 2:15 pm On Sunday, October 2, more than 300 veterinary students will host a behind-the-scenes look at the state’s only veterinary college. Aspiring veterinarians, animal lovers of any age, there’s something for you at Vet Med Open House. DNA nets capture COVID-19 virus in low-cost rapid-testing platform Sep 23, 2022 1:00 pm Tiny nets woven from DNA strands can ensnare the spike protein of the virus that causes COVID-19, lighting up the virus for a test – and also impeding the virus from infecting cells, opening a new possible route to treatment, study finds. Illini dominate Chattanooga in 31-0 shutout Sep 23, 2022 10:30 am Illinois closed non-conference play with a resounding 31-0 win against Chattanooga in the first Thursday night fame at Memorial Stadium, moving the Fighting Illini to 3-1 on the season. Art about Black experiences headlines faculty exhibition at Krannert Art Museum Sep 22, 2022 11:00 am The 'Black on Black on Black on Black' exhibition showcases the work by Black art and design faculty. The Sept. 24 opening celebration will be a daylong event with music, food, conversation and all-ages activities. Washington Post obituary for legendary U of I professor Nick Holonyak Jr. Sep 22, 2022 10:45 am Nick Holonyak Jr., whose development of the first practical visible-spectrum light-emitting diode(LED) was a breakthrough with countless applications, including lightbulbs, cellphones, TVs and microscopic surgical equipment, died Sept. 18. Volleyball returns to Huff after spending non-conference slate on the road Sep 22, 2022 9:45 am Sitting at 5-5, the Fighting Illini will host its first home matches of the season against Big Ten opposition, starting with Maryland on Friday at 8 p.m. and Northwestern on Saturday at 7 p.m. What's behind the teacher shortage in US schools? Sep 21, 2022 2:15 pm Teacher shortages plaguing primary and secondary schools in the U.S. could be game-changers for people entering the field by boosting salaries and improving benefits and working conditions, said education professor Nancy Latham. Theatre's playwright residency program allows students to help develop new plays Sep 21, 2022 1:15 pm Mallory Raven-Ellen Backstrom wrote 'A Darkling at Nightfall' and worked on it for two weeks in the Daniel J. Sullivan playwrite-in-residence program. Students' reading of the play will inform Backstrom's edits as she prepares it for the stage. A deaf football team and the birth of the huddle Sep 21, 2022 1:00 pm The Guardian (Sept. 21) Legendary U. of I. coach Robert Zuppke, who is widely credited as the inventor of the huddle, admitted that he got the idea from a deaf football team. Job-quality indicator points to mixed bag for Illinois workers Sep 19, 2022 2:00 pm A team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign labor experts has developed a metric for measuring the quality of jobs throughout the state of Illinois. The findings are a mix of positive and negative news for Illinois workers. Thursday night football: Illini close nonconference slate hosting Chattanooga Sep 19, 2022 11:45 am The Fighting Illini play their final nonconference opponent when the Chattanooga Mocs come to Memorial Stadium. Illinois is coming off its first bye week of the season and sits at 2-1 on the year. Chattanooga enters the contest with a 3-0 record. Deal averting railroad strike could still fall apart Sep 19, 2022 11:00 am The Hill (Sept. 18) U of I labor expert Robert Bruno predicts that a tentative deal to avert a national railroad workers strike will ultimately pass but with a "sizeable number of ‘no’ votes” because of sticking points around sick leave and assigned days off. Nick Holonyak Jr., renowned pioneer of LED lighting, dies Sep 18, 2022 3:00 pm Nick Holonayk Jr., the inventor of the first visible-light LED among other illuminating innovations, has died aged 93. Bats’ midnight snacks reveal clues for managing endangered species Sep 16, 2022 11:15 am 'This was an in-depth study of these two imperiled (bat) species in landscapes where they co-occur. Nobody's done that before. (It)gives us a much better sense of how bats not only coexist, but also how they benefit our forests,' says U of I's Joy O'Keefe. USDA will triple its investment in 'climate-smart' agriculture to reduce carbon emissions Sep 16, 2022 10:00 am Marketplace (Sept. 15) So, what exactly does that mean? 'We’re trying to figure that out,' says Jonathan Coppess, an agricultural economist at the U. of I. Fighting Illini Hall of Fame Class of 2022 induction set for Sept. 23 Sep 16, 2022 9:00 am Illinois Athletics will formally induct 15 new members to the Hall of Fame Class of 2022 on Friday, Sept. 23, 6 PM at State Farm Center. The ceremony is open to all and admission is free. Posters will be available to the first 500 fans. The future of higher education: What it means for students and educators Sep 15, 2022 11:30 am Forbes (Sept. 14) Gies College of Business Dean Jeffrey R. Brown: 'The idea that one can earn a degree at the age of 22 and be set for a career has become as antiquated as the pocket watch.' What were the underlying issues of the railroad labor dispute? Sep 15, 2022 10:15 am A strike by railroad unions would have been bad news for the Biden administration and for an already-stressed economy, says Michael LeRoy, an expert in labor relations at Illinois. Illini Volleyball secures fourth straight win with sweep at EIU Sep 15, 2022 9:30 am Wednesday's win pushed Illinois to a 5-3 record on the season including a 3-1 mark in true road matches. The victory moved the Orange and Blue to 20-4 in all-time meetings against Eastern Illinois. What explains 'quiet quitting' in the workplace? Sep 15, 2022 9:15 am 'Quiet quitting' means forgoing the extra mile at work but is different than work withdrawal or employee disengagement, says U of I labor expert YoungAh Park, who studies work stress and recovery. New digital ag degree prepares candidates for highly skilled technology careers Sep 14, 2022 10:30 am 'Agriculture is entering a transformative age, where advanced technology will change how we support a growing healthy population and will serve as a catalyst for collaborative work across engineering and agricultural disciplines.' Wang earns top-15 finish at Cougar Classic Sep 14, 2022 10:15 am Graduate student Crystal Wang picked up right where she left off last season, finishing tied for 13th. Dating back to the end of the 2021-22 campaign, Wang has finished in the Top 15 in four-straight events. Threatened rail strike: Shipments of food, ag, energy products could screech to a halt Sep 14, 2022 10:00 am Dallas Morning News (Sept. 14) It’s been decades since we've had an industrywide shutdown, says U of I labor expert. 'We don’t see national strikes anymore. They tend to be conflicts between one union and one workplace, not against an entire industry.' Study tracks waterbird use of Chicago-area wetlands Sep 14, 2022 10:00 am Researchers found that several wetland bird species make use of even small Chicago-area wetlands, and that the level of urbanization had little effect on most studied species’ use of such sites, provided the right kinds of habitat were available. Who are America’s missing workers? Labor supply has not fully recovered from COVID Sep 13, 2022 2:15 pm New York Times (Sept. 12) 'People were retiring and opening up these positions. Employers are searching for them, so if you were in one of these difficult lower-paid jobs, there’s more opportunity for you to move up,' says U of I professor Eliza Forsythe. Ludacris returns home to perform at State Farm Center Sep 13, 2022 1:00 pm Ludacris, a Champaign native and rapper, will perform Saturday, October 15 at 8:00pm as part of the University of Illinois Homecoming festivities. 2022 Supreme Court term notable for overturning Roe, invalidating NY gun regulation Sep 12, 2022 11:30 am Verdict (Sept. 12) 'But more fundamentally,' write two U of I law professors, 'this past term marks the clear commitment by a majority of justices to an originalist methodology of constitutional interpretation.' Illini Football handles Virginia, 24-3 Sep 12, 2022 9:30 am The Illini scored 24 unanswered points, while the defense held the Cavaliers to 1-for-16 on third down, 1-for-4 on fourth down, and racked up five sacks on the day.