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  • A jacana, sometimes called a lily trotter, navigating among white lilies in Guatemala. Credit: iLantis/Getty Images

    Cleaning water naturally the ancient Maya way

    Jan 29, 2024 9:15 am

    Scientific American (Jan. 26) U of I anthropology professor Lisa Lucero discusses the way ancient Mayans cleaned their water naturally, and the lessons we can learn from them. 

  • Shozo Sato, Fury of the Pacific, 1994. Blue tone ink, standard in, and silver pigment on sized, pre-mounted paper. Courtesy of the artist.

    Exhibition explores black ink, watercolor paintings by Shozo Sato

    Mar 21, 2023 1:45 pm

    The black ink and watercolor paintings by Shozo Sato, including landscapes of the American West, are featured at Krannert Art Museum. Contemporary work by artists using traditional Japanese  aesthetics has not been well-studied by art historians, says curator Maureen Warren.

  • College of Law building at Illinois. Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

    U of I gets grant to start First Amendment clinic

    Aug 2, 2022 10:45 am

    Crain’s Chicago Business (Aug. 1) U of I's College of Law is establishing a First Amendment clinic to take on freedom-of-expression cases and train lawyers in the subject. Dean Vik Amar says the college already has about a half dozen clinics on other themes.

  • freshman class poses in a 'Block I' pattern on the football field at Memorial Stadium. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    Illinois welcomes second-largest freshman class

    Sep 7, 2022 11:00 am

    U of I's incoming class of 7,957 first-year students brings greater representation by gender, nationality and students who are the first in their family to go to college, while a change in the application process resulted in greater academic competition.

  • graphic shows profile image of Chase Brown with text, 'Chase Brown: Chasing History

    Chase Brown: Chasing History

    Oct 20, 2022 9:15 am

    The nation's leading rusher is Illini Chase Brown. He's the first Illini to rush for 100+ yards in the first seven games of a season, leads the nation in all-purpose yards, yards gained after contact, and rushes of 10+ yards. This website is all about him.

  • Jer'Zhan Newton in motion running forward

    Newton named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year

    Nov 29, 2023 9:15 am

    Illinois defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year and the Defensive Lineman of the Year. He's just the fourth Illini in history to earn the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award. 


  • A group of U of I administrators pose for a picture on a porch. The group includes just one woman, first dean of women Violet Jayne. Image via U of I Archives

    Visionary Violet: A U of I feminist pioneer

    Jan 5, 2023 12:30 pm

    This short documentary from U of I's BTN producers tells the story of the first dean of women at Illinois, Violet DeLille Jayne, who championed women’s inclusion on campus, including the first women’s intermural basketball team.

  • Hunter Heck celebrates a point in an Illini Men's Tennis match

    Heck earns second B1G Athlete of the Week honor

    Apr 20, 2022 8:45 am

    Hunter Heck extended his singles win streak to eight and moved to 14-4 on the season including 5-0 in Big Ten Play on Saturday.

  • The fossilized molar, seen here from several angles, is thought to have belonged to a young Denisovan girl that died between 164,000 and 131,000 years ago. Photo by F. Demeter

    150,000-year-old human tooth rare evidence of Denisovans

    May 20, 2022 11:45 am

    If confirmed, this discovery would be the first fossil evidence that Denisovans — an extinct hominin species that co-existed with Neanderthals and modern humans — lived in southeast Asia.

  • a completed Iowa-class battleship at sea. No caption or credit information available.

    USS Illinois: The forgotten Iowa-class battleship the Navy never finished

    Feb 23, 2024 8:45 am

    The National Interest (Feb. 21) The ship’s bell was finished, and you can see the bell at the U. of I.’s Memorial Stadium, where Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps students strike the bell to signal touchdowns.
     

  • the Alma Mater statue at sunset

    U of I is getting into the business of angel investing

    Mar 2, 2023 11:15 am

    Crain’s Chicago Business (Feb. 28) The Urbana campus is launching Illini Angels, a program that will allow U. of I. alums to invest in startups coming out of the university as well as companies started by students after they leave. 

  • Logo for the new Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament

    Illini Women's Basketball will host Missouri State on Thursday in WBIT

    Mar 18, 2024 8:30 am

    The Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament is a postseason single-elimination tournament sponsored by the NCAA. This is the first year of WBIT play.. 

  • Pre-game huddle of Illini women's basketball team

    WBIT first-round game time announced for Illinois at State Farm Center

    Mar 20, 2024 8:00 am

    Illinois women's basketball will play its first-round matchup of the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament against Missouri State at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday, March 21. Illinois is one of 16 host schools for the first round.

  • Undergraduate researcher Lilian Lucas, left, and geology professor Patricia Gregg. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    Ice-capped volcanoes slower to erupt, study finds

    May 9, 2022 8:45 am

    Undergraduate researcher Lilian Lucas and geology professor Patricia Gregg found that additional pressure from thick overlying glacial ice can make volcanic systems more stable and slower to erupt than volcanoes without ice.

  • image of Sheila Johnson beside graphic announcing her role in the Title IX Summit planned for this summer.

    Alum Sheila Johnson, co-founder of BET, to keynote Title IX summit

    May 17, 2022 9:45 am

    'Sheila has been a pioneer in every sense of the word, breaking new ground throughout the course of her life in education, media, business, and sports,' said DIA Director Josh Whitman. 'Sheila has always been a proud Illini...'

  • stock image of tractor harvesting corn in light of setting sun. Getty images

    PBS NewsHour live from U of I: 'Tipping Point: Agriculture on the Brink'

    May 17, 2023 11:30 am

    PBS (May 16) – U. of I. professor of crop sciences Andrew Margenot joins a PBS NewsHour panel discussion called 'Tipping Point: Agriculture on the Brink' on Wednesday, May 24.

  • Terrence Shannon Jr. and Matthew Mayer stand beside each other on court in photo featured in larger graphic promoting the final Illini home game of the season

    Senior Night for Illini Men's Basketball Thursday vs. Michigan

    Mar 2, 2023 9:00 am

    Illinois  will recognize five members of its program at State Farm Center on Thursday night – three managers and two players (Matthew Mayer and Terrence Shannon Jr.) – in a pre-game ceremony that begins at 5:39 p.m.

  • Ian Skirkey competing on the pommel horse and sophomore Ashton Anaya competing on the still rings

    Skirkey, Anaya earn national titles at NCAA Championships

    Apr 17, 2023 8:00 am

    Ian Skirkey (pommel horse) and Ashton Anaya (still rings) both were named national champions at the NCAA Championships Saturday night in State College, Pa. This is the first time Illinois has two national champions since 2012.

  • graphic by Laura Baker/Education Week and iStock/Getty

    How bad is the teacher shortage? What two new studies say

    Sep 7, 2022 10:30 am

    Education Week (Sept. 6) Three researchers, including U of I's Paul Bruno, spent years crunching data. Thier estimate: more than 36,500 teacher vacancies nationally, and more than 163,500 positions filled by teachers who aren’t fully certified.

  • civil rights leader Thurgood Marshall speaking into a microphone in 1956. Associated Press photo

    Reflecting on Thurgood Marshall's speech at U of I in 1956

    Jan 17, 2024 10:15 am

    On March 8, 1956, future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall visited the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to talk about his work, the many cases of segregation in Illinois, and the murder of Emmett Till.

  • wrestler Lucas Byrd works out with 75 pound dumbbells

    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. 

  • Elizabeth Beilke, postdoctoral researcher and lead author on the study, works in a forest to prepare for bat research

    Bats protect young trees from insect damage, with three times fewer bugs

    Nov 1, 2022 1:45 pm

    Bats help keep forests growing. Without bats to hold their populations in check, insects that munch on tree do three to nine times more damage than when bats are on the scene, according to a groundbreaking new study from the U of I.

  • informational graphic for the NCAA Tennis Championships hosted at Illinois

    U of I hosting 2022 NCAA Tennis Championships

    May 19, 2022 10:45 am

    The NCAA Championships will take place at Illinois from May 19-28, with the team championship taking place on May 19-22 and individual bracket play taking place May 23-28.

  • U of I's Formula SAE race car cruises down the track

    Illini Motorsports: National Champions!

    Jun 28, 2022 9:30 am

    For the first time in its Formula SAE 40-year history, U of I's team won both competitions that comprised the 2022 Formula SAE National Collegiate series, finishing as the national champions with a nearly clean sweep of first-place trophies.

  • fans watch a movie from the field at Memorial Stadium at a past FamILLy Night

    FamILLy Day at Memorial Stadium Set for Aug. 14

    Jul 14, 2022 10:30 am

    You'll get a first look at the Fighting Illini football, soccer, and volleyball teams by interacting with student-athletes on the field. That's followed by a movie night (free admission) where the first 500 fans will receive a free Illini popcorn bucket.

  • excited students on a previous move-in day

    Details on move-in week at Illinois residence halls

    Aug 8, 2022 11:30 am

    Book your move-in slot, see information specific to your residence hall, and check out information on traffic and parking. Plan ahead for a smooth move!

  • graphic says 'Class of 24' and features images of signees Morez Johnson Jr., Jason Jakstys and Jase Butler

    Illinois Men’s Basketball signs top 20 class for 2024

    Nov 9, 2023 9:00 am

    Head coach Brad Underwood announced Wednesday the signing of top-35 national recruit Morez Johnson Jr. and three-star prospects Jason Jakstys and Jase Butler to national letters of intent on the first day of the early signing period.  

  • Celebrate Black History Month at Illinois

    Feb 1, 2023 10:15 am

    Black History Month gives everyone the opportunity to share, celebrate and understand the impact of Black heritage and culture. Uase this site to find events and stories of impact from Black students, alumni, faculty and staff at U of I.

  • A Silicon Valley Bank customer meets the press March 13, 2023, after exiting the bank’s headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP)

    Did 'woke' investments cause Silicon Valley Bank's collapse?

    Mar 14, 2023 11:15 am

    PolitiFact (March 13) U of I business law expert Robert Lawless says 'wokeness' didn’t cause the bank’s collapse. 'It had nothing to do with it. It’s like saying, "Why isn’t ‘blue’ the answer to ‘one plus one’?" It’s Banking 101. That’s what was going on.'

  • a previous watch party at State Farm Center with Illini basketball shown on the videoboards

    Illini Basketball doubleheader watch party set for State Farm Center

    Mar 27, 2024 8:30 am

    Fighting Illini Athletics will host a doubleheader watch party at State Farm Center on Thursday, with both women's and men's basketball playing postseason games being shown on the videoboard. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and admission is free.  

  • Iowa Wesleyan University will close this spring despite a $26 million loan from the Agriculture Department. (The Gazette )

    The government is rescuing rural colleges that would otherwise close

    Apr 27, 2023 11:15 am

    The Washington Post (April 27) Having a university nearby not only raises household income, U of I research has found; it increases high school graduation rates and boosts employment and other things that contribute to local economies.

  • signage with map of Chicago State University, one of the schools that could benefit from the state's revised funding plan.

    State of Illinois crafting new, equity-based higher education funding formula

    May 12, 2022 2:00 pm

    Crain’s Chicago Business (May 12) Dollars could shift from the flagship U of I system to other state schools which enroll fewer people, but have higher percentages of minority and low-income students.

  • Promotional image for Ludacris

    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. 

  • Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Getty

    Scientists found a way to predict your death by how you walk

    Oct 24, 2022 11:00 am

    Yahoo News (Oct. 21) The test is 'a very good external measure of what’s going on internally,' and could easily be replicated using the accelerometer in a wrist sensor or a smartphone, says Professor Bruce Schatz, a leader of the U of I study.

  • RBML curator Cait Coker, RBML head Lynne M. Thomas and Elias Petrou, the librarian for classical studies, medieval studies and modern Greek studies, are pictured with the volume. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    U of I Library acquires first edition of Plato’s works in Greek

    Feb 6, 2024 4:30 pm

    The Rare Book and Manuscript Library has acquired a rare first edition of Plato’s works printed in the Greek language. it was printed in Venice in 1513 by Aldine Press, one of the most successful printing houses of the time.

  • Brochure image for Freedom Conference. The corridor is a connected network of sites in west-central Illinois and eastern Missouri linked to the Underground Railroad, such as New Philadelphia National Historic Site in Pike County.

    Freedom Corridor aims to create narrative of region's Black history

    Feb 7, 2024 1:15 pm

    Journal Courier (Feb. 5) "So our story — small 'o' — is now Our story — capital 'O'," says U of I professor Gerald McWorter, the great-great-grandson of he first African Americans to found a town in the U.S.

  • Yu-Chieh Chiu launches a paper airplane. Photos by Joerg Mitter / Red Bull Content Pool

    Yu-Chieh Chiu: Clear for take off

    Jul 6, 2022 9:45 am

    How the joy of paper planes led graduate student, Yu-Chieh Chiu, to compete on the world stage at the Red Bull Paper Wings World Championships in Austria, and find community at Grainger Engineering

  • volleyball players huddle on court wearing pink uniforms for breast cancer awareness in a file photo

    Illinois Volleyball welcomes Northwestern for midweek clash at Huff Hall

    Nov 1, 2023 11:15 am

    Illinois volleyball goes for its sixth straight victory when the team hosts Northwestern at Huff Hall on Wednesday night. First serve on Big Ten Network is slated for 8 p.m. CT. 

  • Illinois Public Media launching new radio station: Illinois Soul debuts February 1

    Dec 15, 2023 1:00 pm

    Illinois Soul will be broadcast on WILL-FM 101.1 and available to stream live at illinoissoul.org. 'We are so excited to launch Illinois Soul, bringing the best in jazz, R&B, and gospel to our listeners, with a unique focus on the Black community.'

  • Computer Science professor Heng Ji, who is also an Amazon Scholar, will serve as AICE Director.

    Launch of new Amazon-Illinois Center on AI for Interactive Conversational Experiences

    Mar 27, 2023 11:15 am

    'To begin AICE will focus on a multimodal form of knowledge acquisition. Some tools intake only textual data, but a multimodal interface can continually learn and update knowledge from users through voice, text, image and video interactions...' 

  • graduate student Maxine Katz and undergraduates Neel Khattri, Tina Wayne and Kellie Sucha received Boren Awards for intensive language study abroad during the 2023-24 academic year. Student photos submitted

    Four U of I students awarded Boren funding for overseas language study

    Apr 26, 2023 3:30 pm

    Graduate student Maxine Katz and undergraduates Neel Khattri, Kellie Sucha and Tina Wayne have received prestigious Boren Awards for study abroad during the 2023-24 academic year. 

  • Ted Underwood, Photo by L Brian Stauffer/University of Illinois; beside iStock photo by Rebecca Zisser/BI

    America's greatest AI visionary is... an English professor at Illinois

    Dec 6, 2023 3:45 pm

    Business Insider (Dec. 6) In a world filled with artificial intelligence skeptics and chatbot alarmists, Illinois English professor Ted Underwood is making one of the strongest, most compelling cases for the value of artificial intelligence.

  • 100th anniversary logo over orange-tinted photo of playing field at Memorial Stadium

    U of I celebrates Memorial Stadium 100th Anniversary in 2024

    Jan 10, 2024 11:15 am

    Illinois is set to host Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 19 - 100 years and one day from Red Grange's historic six-touchdown game at the stadium's opening. 100th anniversary celebrations are planned throughout the year.

  • an Illini pitcher winds up for his delivery

    Illini Baseball's weekend road trip at Coastal Carolina

    Mar 10, 2023 8:45 am

    Illinois baseball returns to action in Conway, S.C., facing the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers for three games and capping off its 13-game road trip to begin the season. The Illini earned their second-straight series win last week against Sam Houston.

  • Big Ten Baseball Tournament bracket

    Illini Baseball kicks off Big Ten Tournament against Michigan Thursday

    May 25, 2022 10:45 am

    The  Illinois travel to Omaha, Nebraska, for the 2022 Big Ten Baseball Tournament at Charles Schwab Field. Illinois is making its 24th Big Ten Tournament appearance and looks for its fifth tournament title (1989, 1990, 2000, 2011).

  • bat roosts in a pine tree. stock photo via pxfuel, Wikimedia Commons license

    Why you want bats in your yard — and how to attract them

    Jul 28, 2023 10:00 am

    Washington Post (July 27) 'Plant long-lived trees like oaks, which will provide both foraging and roosting habitat,' says Professor Joy O’Keefe. Also, fast-growing trees like pines will provide roosting space under the bark, or in cavities inside dead branches.

  • stylized graphic uses images of Hall of Fame inductees

    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 University of Illinois system's Discovery Partners Institute in Chicago

    U of I's Discovery Partners Institute will launch cannabis research facility

    Dec 16, 2022 11:30 am

    Green Market Report (Dec. 15) Given its strengths in agriculture, genomics, medicine, 'It’s a natural for us to be a gathering point' for cannabis research, says DPI director Bill Jackson. 'It’s an industry Illinois wants to win in, ...that’s going to be sizable.'

  • file photo from an earlier Illinois-Wisconsin football game

    Illinois' Homecoming game time announced

    Oct 9, 2023 9:45 am

    Illinois' Homecoming game against Wisconsin on Saturday, Oct. 21 will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT, the conference office announced on Monday. Television coverage for the game will be announced following games played on Oct. 14.  

  • Researchers at Hebrew University reconstructed the face of a Denisovan based on DNA alone. Almost no fossils of Denisovans have been found.Credit...Maayan Harel/Hebrew University in Jerusalem, via Associated Press

    On the trail of the Denisovans

    Mar 4, 2024 12:30 pm

    The New York Times (March 2) U of I anthropology professor Laura Shackelford said her team's discoveries raised the possibility that Denisovans and modern humans coexisted and interacted for tens of thousands of years.