blog posts Resources to support our international community Mar 23, 2017 5:45 am 'Our success rests on the principle of inviting the best and brightest into our community and supporting their capacity to thrive...' - Chancellor Robert Jones Robotic arm gives architecture students more fabrication options Mar 15, 2017 3:30 pm The School of Architecture has a new fabrication tool for students to use in building objects they’ve designed. Sapora Symposium honors Grange, provides networking opportunity for RST students Nov 15, 2019 10:00 am The first day of the 16th annual Sapora Symposium was a tribute to Red Grange, the former Illini football star who put college football and the NFL on the map in the 1920s. Searching for an ancient Maya pilgrimage path: Fire and water Jul 30, 2017 4:15 pm You can't just walk to the edge of the Mayan underworld. You have to beat a path to it. Searching for an ancient Maya pilgrimage path: The elusive pools Jul 2, 2017 9:00 am Researchers are mapping the final three of 25 sacred pools at Cara Blanca, an ancient Maya pilgrimage site in central Belize Searching for turtles in a sea of grass Jun 5, 2018 10:30 am To survey local Ornate Turtles, one has to find them. Turtle tracking dogs help a lot. See campus through the eyes of #ILLINOIS2019 Apr 23, 2019 9:15 am Before Illinois graduates go on to change the world, we asked them to share the places on campus that changed their lives. Shachi Mittal's moment of inspiration Aug 3, 2021 9:00 am Heading to the University of Washington for her first professorship, the former Beckman Institute Postdoctoral Fellow reflects on her eight-year research career and pinpoints her own 'moment of inspiration.' She's loyal to you, Illinois. Jada Peebles' fifth year as an Illini Dec 13, 2023 10:15 am Jada Peebles received her first college offer from North Carolina State as a seventh-grader. By her senior year in high school, she had decided to attend the U of I, where she started the first 11 games as a freshman. Snake Road Sojourn Apr 19, 2017 9:15 am Illinois Natural History Survey conservation biologist Mark Davis hopes treks to see snakes, frogs, salamanders and other creatures in the wild will instill in his students a commitment to work for conservation. Stage-crossing experience offered to 2020, 2021 graduates Mar 9, 2021 10:15 am The stage crossing will be an individual procession specific to each graduate. Graduates can register for a time slot (May 10 - 17). Two guests will be allowed to accompany each graduate as they cross a stage. Student researcher, veterans work together to study brain health Nov 11, 2021 1:00 pm 'Veterans Day is a great day to say not just 'thank you,' but to reflect upon how you yourself can be of service to the veterans in your community,' says student researcher Elizabeth Spurlock. Students' first steps back to campus life Aug 12, 2020 10:00 am Everyone on our campus has to do their part to keep our community steps, from planning your move-in to testing immediately upon arrival and picking up your PPE kit. Students stop hackers while earning course credit Sep 13, 2017 9:30 am 'We’re a major research university with a world-renowned Computer Science department.These students...can look at some our code and clean it up, make it more efficient, in just a few minutes' Students' technology resource guide for Fall Aug 18, 2021 9:15 am Welcome to the University of Illinois! Technology Services is here to connect you to the technology resources you need. Students travel to Costa Rica for a deeper look at sustainability Jun 17, 2018 11:00 am 19 LAS students traveled into the communities and landscape of Costa Rica and came back with knowledge that can only come from immersion in the environment and the people who sustain it Student Success Initiative aims to further improve undergrad success Aug 20, 2019 11:30 am As part of ongoing efforts to ensure the university is providing world-class student experiences, Illinois has launched a new effort called the Student Success Initiative. Student Success Initiative identifies themes, continues to gather feedback Dec 13, 2019 3:30 pm The Student Success Initiative is an effort to better understand what constitutes, supports and carries forward undergraduate student success by bringing together working groups from across campus. Students use TikTok to learn about biomechanics in virtual summer camps Aug 13, 2020 1:15 pm Researchers developed a virtual summer camp that gave about 500 high school students across the U.S. the opportunity to sample 12 engineering disciplines. Study: I-Promise grants boost low-income U. of I. students’ graduation rates Apr 29, 2019 9:00 am Freshmen from low-income families who received Illinois Promise loan-replacement grants at Illinois were much more likely to graduate within five years compared with similar peers who did not get grants Synapses and silicon: Student contest blends biology and computer science to advance AI Jan 24, 2023 9:00 am The 2023 Bio-informed AI Research Competition encourages students in the behavioral and computer sciences to pursue collaborative AI research. The inaugural winners advise applicants in 2023 to 'be brave' and stay open-minded. Team creates game-based virtual archaeology field school Jan 29, 2020 10:15 am 'This class makes it possible for many more students to get an education or explore a career in archaeology,' says Professor Laura Shackelford - more affordable than traditional field school, and accessible to everyone. Theatre department films political satire with COVID-19 safety changes Nov 23, 2020 12:00 pm They were entering final rehearsals when COVID restrictions started. 'The set was still up, the lights were hung and the costumes were made,' says director Lisa Dixon. But now they needed to stage it safely, and present it to an audience. 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. The challenges, triumphs of a Deaf physics grad student Nov 26, 2019 8:15 am The exhilaration of performing cutting-edge research was accompanied by a sobering discovery: the lack of a common language model for scientific discourse in sign language was going to be a greater challenge than he’d anticipated. The fun way to explore your academic future: U of I Open House Weekends Mar 18, 2022 2:45 pm Illinois Open House Weekends give you a chance to explore college opportunities and get up-close, hands-on experiences related to your interests. The Image of Research 2019 semi-finalists Mar 15, 2019 2:30 pm Attend the Image of Research Reception on April 3 to see the 25 semi-finalists on display and vote for the People's Choice Award! Winners will be announced at the event. The launching of the blizzard balloons Feb 18, 2022 9:15 am Two graduate students were tasked with launching weather balloons in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in the midst of a Nor’easter that was delivering 60 mph winds and 20 inches of snow to the region to help NASA research snowstorms. The short story behind a novel career Dec 11, 2023 1:15 pm 'I learned a lot with (my professors), particularly how to write weekly even when I didn’t have anything immediately that I wanted to say...' Phillip Williams said. 'But because they saw something in my work, I only grew from there.' 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. Tracking a forest’s recovery one year after storm Aug 1, 2018 10:00 am In February, 2017, a tornado swept through this part of the Shawnee National Forest. There are few canopy trees left standing and invasive understory plants have taken over Try an Illinois summer program Mar 1, 2019 3:15 pm To get a jump-start on college life, sign up for an Illinois summer program. Whether you’re looking to earn class credit, explore majors, or just see what life at Illinois is really like, we have something for you. Two decades of student investment in campus sustainability Apr 19, 2023 11:30 am In 2003, U of I students approved a 'Cleaner Energy Technologies Fee' of $2 per semester. Its overwhelming approval marked one of the first times a university’s student body financially committed to funding renewable energy sources. Two Illinois undergrads to study at U.K. Fulbright Summer Institute Jun 6, 2018 10:15 am Madeline Ford of Henning, Illinois, and Michael Mitchell, of DeKalb, Illinois, are among 60 U.S. students selected for U.K. Summer Fulbright opportunities Two undergrads improve plant carbon-cycle models Jul 24, 2017 10:30 am Researchers found that plants vary a lot in the efficiency with which they uptake carbon dioxide and conserve water Un camino a sí misma: Brenda Nov 20, 2019 12:30 pm Brenda's Illinois journey involved both connecting with her Mexican heritage through La Casa Cultural Latina, and opening herself to new experiences and challenges. Undergrads choose their own adventure in wildlife research group Oct 20, 2017 10:15 pm The students are told, ‘If you have an interest in a particular part of the lab, let us know. We’ll let you try it out and see if you still like it after you’ve tried it.’ Undergrad's TikTok stardom: From classroom practice to influencer status Feb 17, 2021 10:00 am Sierra Reed says studying advertising at Illinois actually helps her understand how to use TikTok. She’s learned how to measure engagement and target videos to her audience - which isn't exactly the audience she imagined. Undergraduate Research Week, April 15 - 21 Apr 14, 2018 8:00 am A celebration of student innovation and excellence Undergraduate Research Week, April 23 - 29 Apr 16, 2017 10:30 am Undergraduate Research Week showcases the best of undergraduate research and creative inquiry at the University of Illinois. Undergraduate Research Week, April 26-May 1 Apr 19, 2021 8:45 am Undergraduate Research Week showcases the best of undergraduate research and creative inquiry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. U of I featured on The College Tour. Watch it now May 20, 2021 9:00 am Featuring 11 Illinois students who will inspire you as they share what they love about the U of I, from a freshman blown away by undergraduate research opportunities to graduating seniors sharing how they carved a path to their dream jobs. U of I named a top Peace Corps volunteer producer Apr 29, 2024 10:45 am Matt Coughlin, the campus Peace Corps recruiter, thinks that Illinois students are poised to be good volunteers. 'There is a commitment to serving others instilled in U. of. I. students.' U of I online social work degree programs address diversity needs Feb 8, 2023 4:00 pm U of I has online bachelor and masters of social work degree programs for community college transfer students. 'This is another way to reach some of the communities and prospective students ... and in turn, increase access to social work services.' U of I student named Young Innovator of the Year for gynecological cancer innovation Oct 4, 2023 10:45 am A Carle Illinois College of Medicine student was named Young Innovator of the Year for her presentation on a new way to detect human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer with a simple test that provides results within 15 minutes. U of I students bring volunteer force to Special Olympics’ 'Medfest' Jan 17, 2024 12:45 pm 'Thinking back to when I was at the U. of I., I wish I would’ve done stuff like this. They drove up two hours to spend the day with us—the athletes loved them,' said Melissa Garritano, senior director of Special Olympics in the Chicagoland area. U of I students win second place in food science competition with 'Churroats' Aug 28, 2023 1:30 pm 'Churroats' are a rethinking of churros, made with oat pulp and baked instead of deep fried for a lower-fat snack. Oat pulp is a residue from the production of oat milk; it degrades quickly and usually goes to waste. U of I to host virtual summer camp for high schoolers diagnosed with autism May 5, 2021 12:45 pm Illinois high school students who were diagnosed with autism and are considering attending the U of I can explore college life and hear the experiences of current students in a new virtual summer camp called I Ready. Urbana's Trelease Woods offers old-growth lessons Sep 9, 2019 2:45 pm Partly because of its close proximity to the University of Illinois, which owns it, and partly because it’s so old and rare, the 60-some acres of woodland is one of the most-researched tracts of forest in the world. View entries to the Illinois Abroad photo contest and vote Apr 7, 2018 9:45 am Great photos from around the globe taken by Illini students. Vote in the People's Choice category by Friday, April 13 at 5 pm