blog posts New study from U. of I. found that using corn for biofuel comes with more costs than benefits Jul 5, 2017 10:15 am WBEZ-FM (June 29) Corn is a main export of Illinois, used for both food, biofuel. In fact, about 40% of U.S.-grown corn is used for biofuel. ‘Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Illinois’ opens newer window to old world Jul 6, 2022 11:15 am Chicago Sun-Times (July 3) Three experts, including Illinois Natural History Survey herpetologist Christopher Phillips, have published an illustrated guide to all things herpetology in Illinois, with 177 photographs, 100 maps and an identification key. Why math education is getting better despite all the controversy Jul 7, 2016 1:00 pm Forbes (July 6) “According to scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, (U.S.) students are getting a better math education than they were 20 years ago," says Illinois education professor Sarah Lubienski Illinois alumna sworn in as first Black woman on state Supreme Court Jul 8, 2022 4:30 pm Daily Herald (July 7) Lisa Holder White was sworn in as the first Black woman to serve on the Illinois Supreme Court. Holder White earned a law degree from the U. of I. College of Law in 1993. Use of fans, liquid cooling to keep electronics cool may be replaced by newly developed crystals Jul 9, 2018 12:15 pm ZDNet (July 6) Research co-written an Illinois materials science professor finds crystals tailored for optimal thermal conductivity have the potential to replace less-effective cooling methods Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner probably faces a difficult re-election Jul 10, 2017 12:15 pm The State Journal-Register (July 8) . 'It’s hard to really point to a lot of strong accomplishments,' says Christopher Mooney, director of U of I's Institute of Government and Public Affairs Unionized UPS workers could strike by the end of July Jul 12, 2023 11:00 am WBBM-TV (July 11) 'We have to keep an eye on Amazon. I think if the teamsters win a good contract at UPS, they'll then use it to go after Amazon and try to convince those workers to organize,' says U of I labor expert Robert Bruno. Arlington Heights teenager wins U of I's inaugural high school innovator award Jul 14, 2015 11:15 am Chicago Tribune (July 13) -- An Arlington Heights teen's popular YouTube channel that offers tips on using smartphones and other mobile devices has netted him the 2015 Celebrating High School Innovators Award from the U. of I. Post-COVID, door opens wider for rural Illinois tourism Jul 14, 2023 2:00 pm The Center Square (July 12) U of I professor Sharon Zou says the pandemic has given rural communities an opportunity 'because people feel safe to travel to a destination that is rural, outdoors and has lower population density.' Thirteen student startups are working out of the new iVenture accelerator program at Illinois Jul 15, 2015 11:30 am ChicagoInno (July15) - Though the program is firmly rooted in Urbana-Champaign, there is a notable effort to get students connected to Chicago resources, mentors, and advisors. U.S. trade, immigration and biofuel policies are hitting American farmers hard Jul 16, 2018 4:15 pm Star Advertiser (July 15) 'If this continues...I would not be surprised if there are tractor parades going to DC at some point in the next year,' says Illinois agricultural economist Scott Irwin Rude email can not only stress out the recipient, but also affect their family members, new study finds Jul 19, 2018 11:30 am The Economic Times (July 18) Negative effects of email incivility go beyond the recipient's work and can even play a role in their partner's withdrawal from their own work, says Illinois' YoungAh Park Illinois Supreme Court upholds state law ending cash bail Jul 19, 2023 12:00 pm WLS-AM (July 19) U. of I. law professor Andrew Leipold discusses the implications of the decision, the elimination of cash bail and the measures judges will take to safeguard residents against dangerous suspects. The possible consequences of over-drawing from three major U.S. aquifers Jul 20, 2015 12:00 pm Public News Service (July 20) - Aquifers provide a natural source of groundwater, and a new study from Illinois examines the possible consequences of over-drawing from three major aquifers in the U.S. Experiment shows people can detect flashes of light as feeble as a single photon Jul 20, 2016 1:00 pm Scientific American (July 19) The study “finally answers a long-standing question about whether humans can see single photons – they can!” says Paul Kwiat, a quantum optics researcher at Illinois. UI researchers discover molecules with anti-inflammatory properties like those of marijuana Jul 21, 2017 11:15 am Medical News Today (July 20) These molecules come from cannabinoids that are made naturally from omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential nutrients found in meat, fish, eggs and nuts. No question - internet has transformed our societies. Sorting through how, why is much more contentious Jul 26, 2018 4:45 pm KPFA-FM (Berkeley, July 24) U of I media expert Robert McChesney discusses the crucial element missing from societal consideration of the internet: capitalism Solar energy could help purify water, researchers find Jul 26, 2023 11:45 am Engineering & Technology (July 25) U of I research team integrated solar energy into the electrochemical separation process using a semiconductor, demonstrating that water remediation can be powered by renewable energy sources. Illinois named one of top 20 universities most likely to land you a Silicon Valley job Jul 27, 2015 3:30 pm Jobvite, a recruiting platform, analyzed 7 million applications and 40,000 hires to determine the schools that had the most students hired by top companies in and around Silicon Valley. Smokers who quit before menopause experience fewer, less severe hot flashes Jul 27, 2015 8:00 am Tech Times (July 25) -- Women who formerly smoked but quit the habit experience fewer and less severe hot flashes during menopause compared with their counterparts who continue to smoke, findings of a new Illinois study suggest. George Will: What if China imposes a 25% tariff on soybeans as a result of trade wars? Jul 27, 2018 10:45 am Salt Lake Tribune (July 26) U of I and Ohio State researchers estimate that over four years this 'would result in an average 87% decline in income for a midsize Illinois grain farm.' Consumer Financial Protection Bureau looks at regulating 'Buy Now, Pay Later' Jul 28, 2022 10:30 am Bloomberg (July 28) 'There’s always going to be some new transaction that existing statutes don’t cover, so we need a regulatory agency to track these things, because Congress – even a functioning one – can’t keep up,' says Professor Robert Lawless. What black women wrote in an era when their contributions were few, or even illegal Jul 30, 2018 1:15 pm HPCwire (July 26) 'How is inequality expressed or hidden in the everyday lives of African American women? How do they seek to challenge that inequality?' asks professor Ruby Mendenhall Kids' weight loss strategies largely depend on their parents health knowledge Jul 31, 2015 10:30 am Medical Daily (July 30) -- Professor Janet Liechty: "Parents with higher health literacy were more likely to check the recommended weight-control strategies...parents with lower health literacy were significantly less likely to do so." House races key to Illinois's political power struggle Aug 1, 2016 5:00 pm Northwest Herald (Aug. 1) The next election will be seen as a race between the governor's vision or that of the Democrats. Chris Mooney, director of Illinois's IGPA: “Even if voters aren’t voting that way, it’s going to be seen that way.” Long wait for science adviser is over: Trump will nominate UI grad Kelvin Droegemeier Aug 1, 2018 11:15 am Science (July 31) Droegemeier, a university administrator and former vice-chair of the governing board of the U.S. National Science Foundation, earned a Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences from Illinois in 1985 Babies want leaders to intercede when they see someone being treated unfairly Aug 1, 2019 11:15 am Scientific American (July 31) 'When these transgressions occur, babies evaluate parents and other leaders and say, "Well, you saw this transgression....Are you going to do something about it?"' Scientists concerned EPA chief will kill a new report on the state of climate change science Aug 2, 2017 3:00 pm Nature (Aug. 1) 'We can’t allow science to be held hostage,' says Illinois researcher Don Wuebbles. 'I’m hopeful it won’t get to that, because it would look really bad for the administration to fight this.' Illinois geophysicists find there are 'tears' in the mantle beneath the Tibetan Plateau Aug 2, 2018 1:00 pm IFL Science (Aug. 1) Considering that this region is one of the most seismically complex, frequently active parts of earth, this is no small discovery Illinois ‘most promising state’ for clean energy investments, Pritzker says Aug 3, 2023 10:00 am The Pantagraph (Aug. 2) Gov. Pritzker was in Decatur for the groundbreaking of a new electric vehicle innovation hub. U of I Chancellor Jones and other university leaders pledged to educate workers for jobs in that bourgeoning industry. Illinois' gentically engineered pig model holds cancer-treatment potential Aug 5, 2015 10:15 am Agri-View (August 3) - Illinois researchers have genetically engineered a pig to induce the types of cancer tumors seen in humans Last week, an Illinois Ph.D. student left his 'Jeopardy' appearances with $137,088 in winnings Aug 8, 2016 11:45 am Chicago Tribure (Aug. 5) It took seven shirts, six wins, two days of filming and at least one utterance of “Oh my God, I’m an idiot” Stark warning in new climate change report: It's here globally, locally Aug 10, 2021 10:30 am Chicago Tribune (Aug. 9) State climatologist Trent Ford says past reports indicated what was coming. 'This report had the feel of this is happening ...and we are going to continue to be in a mess of trouble irrespective of what we do.' Team led by Illinois Prof. Schulten has constructed an atomic model of an immature retrovirus Aug 14, 2015 11:30 am Sci-News (Aug. 13) - "You have two forms of the virus: the immature and the mature. The immature is not infectious, so...ultimately you want to prevent it from becoming the mature form,” said co-author Juan Perilla, also from Illinois. Bankruptcy case at Supreme Court: 'The stakes are enormous' Aug 14, 2023 3:45 pm Bloomberg Law (Aug. 11) 'The legality of these non-debtor discharges is one of the most important and consequential issues of bankruptcy law...to ever come before the Supreme Court,” says U of I law professor Ralph Brubaker. Illinois snags $18.7M grant to develop a test of the nation's response to an electric grid attack Aug 17, 2016 11:45 am Daily Herald (Aug. 17) The aim of the project is to take a “generational step forward” in proving that the tools being built to deal with such an attack are reliable. Hawaii wildfires are a reminder: Natural disaster risks are everywhere Aug 17, 2023 4:15 pm The Hill (Aug. 15) The lessons of the Maui wildfires and so many natural disasters are that although we can’t control nature, we can control how we prepare for and respond to unexpected natural disasters, writes U of I professor Sheldon Jacobson. Bible, 40 other books, removed from libraries in Texas school district Aug 19, 2022 2:30 pm Deseret News (Aug. 18) U of I's Emily Knox: 'What you’re seeing is how much we do not trust teachers to have the expertise in what they do. It’s really the job of the teacher to say,"This is the best book for my curriculum, and this is how I’m teaching it.”' Digital models of underwater robots show energy-efficient swimming Aug 21, 2017 3:30 pm New Scientist (Aug. 21) A new digital model of how fish are able to propel themselves forward without expending much energy may help create energy-efficient robots that swim just like the real thing. Investors betting on a record corn crop will get a closer look at yields, may not like what they see Aug 22, 2016 11:15 am Bloomberg (Aug. 21) “While we’ve had plenty of moisture, we’ve had above-average temperatures, which doesn’t usually bring high ear weights,” says Illinois atmospheric sciences professor Darrel Good Heat, humidity combining to create conditions at the limits of human survivability Aug 23, 2023 11:00 am NBC News (Aug. 22) Climatologist Trent Ford says of the combination of high heat and humidity: 'It’s a nonlinear process – we can have significant community-scale health impacts at wet-bulb temperatures that are well below that threshold.' Illinois home to highest number of international students in Big Ten Aug 24, 2016 11:30 am Forbes (Aug. 23) – Of the original 10 public universities, Illinois not only enrolled the highest number of international students (over 11,000) but also witnessed a higher growth than average with a rate of 89 percent as compared with 74 percent for the Big Ten. A small 'pollinator pocket' in your yard can make a big difference to beneficial insects Aug 26, 2015 10:00 am Washington Post (August 25) - "...people think that when you plant things for insects that they won’t be pretty. They’ll look wild,” says Sandra Mason, an Illinois horticulturist. “But by selecting certain plants, you can have beauty and help out pollinators.” Computer science classes at Illinois are going to look a little different this fall Aug 26, 2016 11:45 am Chicago Inno (Aug. 25) Nearly half – 46 percent – of the 190 incoming freshman computer science students in the College of Engineering are women. Illinois campus one of 12 cited as 'leading the way for sustainable dining' Aug 27, 2015 2:45 pm The Christian Science Monitor (Aug. 26) - Illinois spends 25 percent of its yearly food budget on locally grown or processed food, exclusively serves fair trade coffee, and almost all seafood is sustainably harvested. Illinois' new noise-cancelling tech doesn’t require bulky noise-blocking headphones Aug 27, 2018 12:30 pm New Atlas (Aug. 27) Because wireless signals travel a million times faster than sound waves, 'Our ear device gets the sound information in advance, and has much more time to produce a better anti-noise signal' In releasing water from Houston dams, Army Corps picks least bad option Aug 29, 2017 11:15 am Wall Street Journal (Aug. 28) Water that tops earthen dams will quickly erode the soil and ruin the dams, says civil and environmental engineering professor Timothy Stark DeKalb is the first county in Illinois to have a verified case of bacterial leaf streak in corn Aug 30, 2016 10:45 am WNIJ-89.5 FM (Aug. 28) Dennis Bowman, with Illinois Extension, says bacterial leaf streak could affect crop yield in northern Illinois. To prevent campus outbreaks, test each student every few days. U. of I. doing just that Aug 31, 2020 2:15 pm Axios (Aug. 30) 'Everybody’s watching the U. of I. right now,' says Joshua Salomon, a professor of medicine at Stanford University. New generations gearing up to address climate change Aug 31, 2023 1:30 pm Chicago Tribune (Aug. 30) Trent Ford, Illinois state climatologist based at the U. of I., and Jessie Choate, an academic advisor in atmospheric science at Illinois, comment on students’ growing interest in climate science.