blog posts Corn genetic heritage the strongest driver of chemical defenses against munching bugs May 3, 2022 1:30 pm University of Illinois researchers compared how different corn varieties responded to chewing insects in the presence of a soil bacterium. First major breakthrough for U of I's Molecule Maker Lab May 3, 2022 2:00 pm It would have been a tedious process using conventional methods. The Molecule Maker Lab made it easier because it’s designed to facilitate molecular discovery research that requires testing of large numbers of molecules. Illini Baseball wins Tuesday night battle with Indiana State May 4, 2022 9:00 am The Fighting Illini won the second game of the season against Indiana State on Tuesday night, 6-3. Jacob Campbell and Cam McDonald led the Illini at the plate, driving in a combined three runs while both tallied hits in the win. Supreme Court leak investigation will be led by U of I Law alumna May 4, 2022 10:15 am Bloomberg Law (May 3) Col. Gail A. Curley, who earned a law degree from U of I in 1999, will lead the probe of the leak of a draft opinion that would overturn abortion rights in the U.S. by striking down a 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision. Artificial intelligence produces a recipe for lower-carbon concrete May 4, 2022 10:30 am 'We designed new formulations that nearly halve the carbon requirements of concrete yet are just as strong or stronger than traditional formulations. Given the popularity of concrete, there is a global scale of potential applications.' Professor Nancy Sottos elected to National Academy of Sciences May 4, 2022 11:45 am Election to the NAS is one of the highest professional honors a scientist can receive. Sottos is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Four Illini Men's Golf team members earn All-Big Ten honors May 5, 2022 9:30 am Among the awardees, Adrien Dumont de Chassart earned his second consecutive Player of the Year award and head coach Mike Small took home his 12th B1G Coach of the Year laurel overall, and his 11th of 13 dating back to 2009. Four-story vertical wind tunnel installed within walls of Talbot Lab May 5, 2022 12:45 pm The wind tunnel that spans Talbott Lab’s four stories is the largest of its kind. It was designed to study turbulent flows laden with particles, but it also enables research on wall-bounded turbulence and heat transfer effects. Green roofs are worth the cost for urban residents May 5, 2022 1:00 pm Countries around the world are investing resources to reduce the impact of stormwater runoff. 'Green roofs are part of the solution because they capture some of the rain that would otherwise end up in sewage systems,' says Prof. Amy Ando. How does history suggest work will change following the pandemic? May 6, 2022 8:45 am Following a pandemic, workers historically have recognized the value of their labor and become unwilling to accept poor wages and working conditions, said medieval studies expert Carol Symes. World's largest softball tailgate returns Saturday May 6, 2022 9:00 am With a goal of filling every seat at Eichelberger Field, tailgating begins at 11:00 a.m. with inflatables, balloon artists, face painting, food trucks, and more. Fans are encouraged to stay to watch their Fighting Illini take on Penn State. Miami's Wong shows college sports hurtling toward free market May 6, 2022 11:00 am Washington Post (May 5) 'We are rapidly moving toward professionalization at full market rate for these NCAA players,' says U of I's Michael LeRoy. 'It’s very clear it’s really not about endorsements, it’s about paying guys for their performance.' Illini earn third seed in 2022 Big Ten softball tournament May 9, 2022 8:45 am Illinois earned a first-round bye as the third seed, and will begin action in the quarterfinals on Thursday (May 12) at 12:30 p.m. CT, facing the winner of No. 6 Ohio State and No. 11 Purdue. 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. Law professors: Illinois should prep for influx of out-of-state abortion seekers May 9, 2022 11:00 am Chicago Tribune (May 9) If the leaked draft becomes a SCOTUS decision, 'Illinois should brace for the effect. Overnight, this state will become a destination for abortion,' write U of I's Robin Fretwell Wilson and Jason Mazzone. Kayla Burbage joins Illini Volleyball for Fall 2022 May 10, 2022 9:30 am A 6-4 opposite/outside hitter from Clayton, N.C., Burbage transferred to Illinois following a year at the University of Missouri, where she started 24 of their 28 matches as a Freshman and led the team in blocks. Professor's new book explores racism in Russia over the past 150 years May 10, 2022 9:30 am White militarism has flourished in Russia under Putin’s rule, making it one of the most dangerous places in the world for racial violence, writes professor Eugene Avrutin in 'Racism in Modern Russia: From the Romanovs to Putin.' Alumnus Eli Murray wins Pulitzer Prize with ‘Tampa Bay Times’ team May 10, 2022 4:15 pm Murray, and his colleagues won for their series 'Poisoned,' an exposé of highly toxic hazards inside Florida’s only battery recycling plant that forced the implementation of safety measures to protect workers and nearby residents. Congratulations! May 11, 2022 10:15 am This linked page includes the complete Commencement program, links to the livestream of the ceremony, and much more. William Trent wins Spencer Foundation Mentorship Award May 11, 2022 10:30 am 'We wanted to tell the story of his mentorship from his students’ perspective... We each had our own personal story of how Dr. Trent had affected us as humans and scholars, and when we shared our stories his cumulative impact was clear.' Long-term study of pregnant women finds increasing chemical exposure May 11, 2022 10:45 am A national, long-term study that enrolled a highly diverse group of pregnant women found rising exposure to chemicals from plastics and pesticides that may be harmful to development. Illini Softball: Seven named to All-Big Ten teams May 11, 2022 11:00 am Avrey Steiner named First Team All-Big Ten. Sydney Sickels, Kailee Powell named Second Team. Paige Berkmeyer, Lauren Wiles, Stevie Meade named to the All-Freshman team. Lakyn Wagoner earned the Sportsmanship Award. Alumna Lisa Holder White to replace state Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman May 11, 2022 11:30 am Fourth District Appellate Justice Lisa Holder White was named Tuesday to replace retiring Justice Rita Garman on the Illinois Supreme Court, becoming its first Black female justice. Both Garman and White are U of I alumna. Expert: Secure Act regulations seek to dispel 'illusion of wealth' for older adults May 12, 2022 9:45 am New disclosures on quarterly retirement account statements may alarm some workers who could find their projected monthly retirement income to be 'seriously deficient,' says law professor and tax policy expert Richard L. Kaplan. Saturday: Your last chance to visit the Undergraduate Library May 12, 2022 10:15 am By popular demand, the UGL will remain open Saturday to allow folks to visit over graduation weekend! It will be open May 14th from 1-4 pm for anyone who would like to visit the building one last time. Its doors will close for good at 4 pm. 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. Can the state of Illinois require gas stations to advertise on its behalf? May 13, 2022 2:15 pm Verdict (May 13) U of I College of Law Dean Vikram Amar writes about state legislation requiring retailers to publicly display notices to customers of a scheduled gasoline tax increase’s deferral. Illini Baseball hosts Nebraska in final home series this weekend May 13, 2022 2:15 pm Illinois (26-19, 12-6) is currently in fifth place in the Big Ten and is coming off a series sweep of Miami (OH) last weekend. Nebraska is 19-27 (7-11 B1G) and won one of three at Minnesota last weekend. Illini walk-off Nebraska on Senior Day in wild finish May 16, 2022 9:30 am The Illini came back from a four-run deficit to take the final game of the series against Nebraska, 5-4. Justin Janas singled home Branden Comia in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Illinois the series win. Fighting white-nose syndrome in bats benefits agriculture, study shows May 16, 2022 9:45 am 'Lost bat populations have harmful ripple effects on food and agriculture,' says Professor Amy Ando,. 'Crop yields fall and input costs rise as farmers try to compensate for the services bats usually provide.' Could wheat’s worst enemy be eliminated in the next few decades? May 16, 2022 11:30 am Illinois Farmer Today (May 13) 'By the time I retire, we should be at the point where almost all the varieties will have pretty good resistance by default,' says U. of I. crop sciences professor Jessica Rutkoski. U of I team develops automated platform for plasmid production May 16, 2022 2:45 pm These small, circular DNA molecules are well known for their applications in the production of therapeutic proteins like insulin, but designing and constructing them has been one of the most time-consuming, labor-intensive steps in biology research. Student expenditures decrease at some colleges that receive promise scholarship funds May 17, 2022 9:15 am 'We looked at the alignment between promise program money coming into postsecondary institutions and whether institutions spent it in ways that benefited students... In some ways these were aligned, in other ways they were not.' 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...' Online M.B.A.s overtake residential programs May 17, 2022 2:30 pm Inside Higher Ed (May 17) U of I was an early adopter of the online model. 'The traditional MBA market is extremely competitive, particularly for public institutions,' says Brooke Elliott, who helped launch the iMBA program in 2016. Grilling and BBQ Science class: Making meat more than a meal May 18, 2022 8:00 am A driven undergraduate student, Jenna Spangler, tackles pork loin and fruit in ANSC 210 - Grilling and BBQ Science - at Illinois. Students develop wearable ultrasonic scanner for improved ‘sight’ May 18, 2022 9:30 am The Carle Illinois College of Medicine student team's handheld device uses ultrasound technology to allow people with poor vision to comprehensively scan their environment for obstacles to avoid hazards. Tooth of an ancient girl fills gap in human family tree May 18, 2022 10:15 am New York Times (May 17) 'We knew that Denisovans should be here,' said Laura Shackelford, a U of I paleoanthropologist and a co-author of the new study. 'It’s nice to have some tangible evidence of their existence in this area.' Study tests rotary blade designs in quest for quieter copters, drones May 18, 2022 11:15 am Researchers at Illinois are testing the limits of rotary blade design to find an efficient, but quieter option for helicopters and drones. Noise is one of the key bottlenecks for the urban air mobility market. Three awarded Boren Scholarships for international language study May 19, 2022 10:00 am The National Security Education Program selects students to add international and language components to their education by studying overseas in world regions critical to U.S. interests. 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. Illini bats erupt for 18 runs in dominant win at Penn State May 20, 2022 9:45 am Illinois scored 18 runs on 17 hits to take the series opener at Penn State on Thursday evening, 18-7. The Illini improve to 29-20 overall on the season and 15-7 in the Big Ten. Researcher: Women rarely prosecuted for abortions prior to 1973. U of I's Regan disagrees. May 20, 2022 11:00 am Reuters (May 20) But U of I history professor Leslie Reagan says her research showed that women were often threatened by police, interrogated in hospitals and forced to testify about intimate personal details. 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. Illinois earns four seed in Big Ten Tournament May 23, 2022 8:45 am The Fighting Illini baseball team is the No. 4 seed in the upcoming B1G tournament in Omaha (May 25-29), will play No. 5-seeded Michigan on Wednesday night in its first-round matchup at Charles Schwab Field. New census figures: Illinois’ population actually gained. Experts say warning signs remain May 23, 2022 2:00 pm Chicago Tribune (May 23) Follow-up survey shows Illinois’ population was likely undercounted in 2020 census that cost it a congressional seat. 'Our problem is we are not growing as fast as places like Florida and Texas,' says U of I's Cynthia Buckley. U of I is a top producer of Fulbright U.S. scholars May 23, 2022 2:30 pm Twelve scholars from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign were awarded Fulbright awards for 2021-2022 — making the university the top doctoral degree-granting institution in terms of numbers of scholars offered grants. Considering a nation without Roe v. Wade May 24, 2022 9:30 am How other nations deal with abortion reveals what the U.S. might face in the near future, and U of I sociologist Cynthia Buckley says the U.S. is not prepared to deal with a likely increase of unwanted and unplanned births. Denial of institutional racism linked to anti-Black prejudice, U of I study says May 24, 2022 11:00 am UPI (May 23) 'The denial of structural racism appears to be a big barrier to racial equity because it allows for more victim-blaming explanations of systemic inequality,' says doctoral student, study leader Jacqueline Yi. Beckman professor elected to European Academy of Sciences & Arts May 24, 2022 11:00 am Martin Ostoja-Starzewski was nominated by colleagues in Europe on the basis of his scholarship, editorial activities, and collaboration with European institutions and European centers of scholarship.