blog posts Child of War, Man of Peace: Shozo Sato, founder of Japan House, always paints with a purpose Oct 5, 2023 4:15 pm Like a tide at the mercy of the moon, a sense of urgency weighs on Sato to share the horrors of World War II. 'Not too many people remember anymore, or they aren’t alive. I should leave this memory for the next generation.' The Illini softball team's community service goes on the road Mar 5, 2024 8:00 am The Softball team had done plenty of service at home in C-U, but not right before a game. Would volunteering instead of practicing affect their performance on the road? The first time they tried it, they run-ruled Nebraska. Curiosities from our collections: 1893 Chicago World's Fair Apr 9, 2024 1:00 pm According to Winton Solberg, a renowned historian of the university, it took our faculty two and a half years to prepare our exhibit, 'which consisted of nine freight carloads...and occupied eight thousand square feet in the Illinois State Building.' Professor Cynthia Oliver: The dance is enough Apr 26, 2024 8:45 am 'We danced in the woods, on the beach, in the mountains,' Oliver recalls of her childhood. 'We danced everywhere.' Oliver answers the Proust Questionnaire for Storied. Brownfield Woods: A gem that was nearly lost Aug 12, 2024 11:15 am For nearly a century, Illinois scientists have protected Brownfield Woods, a treasured outdoor ecological laboratory. Here's how Lelah Brownfield bucked her family and worked with U. of I. to preserve it. Illinois Storytellers: Illini Hall of Famer Rashard Mendenhall Sep 12, 2024 4:30 pm The famed running back, Super Bowl champion, and Illini Hall of Famer recalls his journey to Illinois and how his alma mater has impacted his life beyond football. Mrs. Smith and the Mob Feb 11, 2025 11:30 am When a Chicago mobster was ready to talk, FBI agent and Illinois alum Elaine Corbitt Smith was ready to listen. '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. Music Man: Dr. Claudius Conrad of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine May 2, 2025 3:30 pm As a teenager, Conrad grew more proficient at the piano and showed brilliance in understanding the medicine he was seeing his father practice. He started to lay the groundwork for what would become a momentous career. Fueling change, one (nuclear) reaction at a time Sep 22, 2025 9:45 am At a critical climate crossroads, Professor Katy Huff stepped up to lead the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy. No she's back on campus to continue her mission.