blog posts Navajo scholar’s Indigenous leadership research aids educators of Native students Feb 8, 2024 10:30 am Sometimes researchers discover something they weren’t looking for—something as valuable, perhaps even more so, than the original treasure they sought. Such is the case with Oliver Tapaha. Study tracks emerging contaminants from landfill to treatment plant to application Feb 8, 2024 10:45 am 'Once in landfills, the stuff moves into the leachate... We’re just moving them from one environmental compartment to the next without addressing the problem. We never get rid of them; we’re just shifting them back and forth.' Possible genetic basis found for severe nonalcoholic fatty liver disease Feb 9, 2023 2:45 pm A mutant or damaged gene may be a cause of a severe, mysterious form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease that affects an estimated 25% of Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. Geography, language dictate social media and popular website usage, study finds Feb 9, 2023 9:15 am Many of the same social media platforms and websites are popular around the world, but how people use them remains vastly different based on their languages and geography. Illini defense dominates in 69-60 win over Rutgers Feb 12, 2023 5:30 pm Illinois used a 19-0 second-half scoring run to defeat No. 24 Rutgers, 69-60, on Saturday afternoon. The Illini outscored the Scarlet Knights, 39-26, in the second half en route to the team's fourth win over an AP Top-25 opponent this season. White people more likely to confront authors of racist online posts to set discussion rules Feb 12, 2024 9:45 am 'If the objective is reframed from trying to change a transgressor’s deep-seated attitudes to a potentially more achievable goal (defining social norms)...participants’ willingness to confront others about racist content increases.' Did you see the Super Bowl 2023 food commercials? Feb 13, 2023 10:45 am Mashed (Feb. 10) U. of I. professor Maria Rodas says the Super Bowl is an attractive event for advertisers – despite the expensive prices – because it’s one of the few TV events where people don’t change the channel or walk away during commercials. State asks: Is carbon capture part of climate agenda? Feb 14, 2023 11:30 am E&E News (Feb. 14) 'Incentives alone are not enough for successful, responsible tech deployment, which also requires standards that provide regulatory certainty and safeguard public health and the environment,' says U of I scientist Sallie Greenberg. Illini take care of business in dominant home win over Michigan Feb 14, 2024 8:00 am No. 14 Illinois trailed for only 10 seconds and completed the regular-season sweep over Michigan with a resounding 97-68 home win over the Wolverines at State Farm Center on Tuesday night. A new, more effective way to assess teachers’ competency Feb 15, 2023 2:45 pm Nancy Latham, director of the Council on Teacher Education at Illinois, coauthored a book that makes the credentialing system for teachers simpler and more trustworthy for those hiring them. As a bonus, it can be used in other industries, too. Project tracks how stories of racial violence spread, were reported Feb 15, 2023 8:30 am Professor Ryan Cordell is leading a project to examine how stories of racial violence circulated in late 19th century and early 20th century newspapers and how those stories relate to trends in contemporary social media. How can our federal government solve big problems? How about over dinner? Feb 15, 2024 8:15 am The Meadville Tribune (Feb. 14) Jim Nowlan, with the U of I Institute of Government and Public Affairs, proposes the president, cabinet, and four top congressional leaders be required to have dinner regularly to wrestle with big problems. Strong second half gives Illini resounding road win over Penn State Feb 16, 2024 10:30 am Five Illinois scorers finished in double figures as Illinois took down Penn State, 86-71, at Bryce Jordan Center on Thursday. The Illini secured their third conference road victory with four regular-season games to play. What's the importance of state scientists at U of I? Feb 16, 2024 11:30 am U of I's Prairie Research Institute provides a home to five state scientific surveys: the state Natural History Survey, Geological Survey, Water Survey, Sustainable Technology Center, and the State Archaeological Survey. Shannon named Big Ten Player of the Week Feb 19, 2024 3:15 pm Shannon earns the award after averaging 29.0 points on 54.8% shooting from the field, 40% from 3-point range, and 85.7% from the free throw line while leading the Illini to a home victory over Michigan and road win at Maryland. Illini run past Penn State for 20th win Feb 20, 2023 9:00 am Illinois Womens Basketball cruised to victory on Sunday afternoon, using 20-point outings from Kendall Bostic and Genesis Bryant to take down Penn State, 85-62, in front of a big State Farm Center crowd. Illini earns first ranked win of season in 20-point victory over Indiana Feb 20, 2024 11:00 am Leading for the final three quarters, all six Illini players who saw the court finished in double figures as the Orange and Blue improved to 7-8 in conference play with three regular-season games left on the schedule. What does the death of Aleksei Navalny mean for the future of opposition movements in Russia? Feb 20, 2024 1:15 pm Russian dissident Aleksei Navalny was able to unite activists and set the agenda for the anti-Putin movement. Now that he’s gone, the coalition he built might splinter, says Professor Richard Tempest. Illinois theatre production of 'Airness' follows journey of air guitarists Feb 21, 2024 4:30 pm A group of nerds playing air guitar competes in bars across the country, seeking the pinnacle of self-expression that the competitors call 'airness.' 'This play is crammed with rock and roll. The play is fast and funny and loud. It’s so much fun.' Illini falter late at Penn State Feb 22, 2024 8:15 am The Fighting Illini led by as many as 14, but the Nittany Lions scored the final eight points of the night in the Orange and Blue's fifth Big Ten loss of the season. Starving mosquitoes for science Feb 22, 2024 9:30 am Go Behind the Scenes with Illinois Natural History Survey medical entomologist Jiayue (Gabriel) Yan as he studies how nutrition influences mosquito infection with dengue virus. Insect Fear Film Festival celebrates 40 years of entertaining, educating about insects Feb 27, 2023 11:00 am The 2023 Insect Fear Film Festival celebrates 40 years of entertaining and educating people about insects and their close relatives. This year’s festival (March 4) features living fossil organisms. Sand runs the world. Most don't realize the conflict it generates Feb 29, 2024 8:45 am Salon (Feb. 25) 'In some regions, illegal sand and gravel mining is associated with crime syndicates, coercion and violence, and many other related social impacts,' says James Best, a U of I professor of sedimentary geology. Protecting genomic privacy through phone apps Mar 1, 2023 11:15 am Police are increasingly using genomic databases in their investigations. U of I faculty offer possible technological solutions, such as phone applications, that will ensure Fourth Amendment protections of consumer’s genomic data. Study compares third-trimester sound exposures in fetuses, premature infants Mar 1, 2023 11:15 am The analysis reveals profound differences in their exposures to noise, language and the biological sounds of the mother, with implications for the infants’ development, says study leader Brian Monson, a professor of Speech and Hearing Science. How Black American distance runners shaped the sport from the shadows Mar 1, 2024 11:15 am The world of competitive long-distance running took off in the 1970s. But stories of the sport’s Black architects and pioneers who laid its foundation have been largely untold for decades. Illini beat Michigan in double overtime thriller Mar 3, 2023 10:45 am As the Fighting Illini honored the contributions of Terrence Shannon Jr. and Matthew Mayer on Senior Night, the duo did what they have done all season in leading the Illini to a 91-87 double-overtime victory over Michigan. Cook's last-minute free throw clinches Illinois' Senior Day victory over Nebraska Mar 4, 2024 8:00 am The Fighting Illini held the Cornhuskers without a field goal for the final five minutes and scoreless for the final two-and-a-half minutes, as the hosts closed the contest on a 6-0 run en route to the one-point victory. Illini fall to the third-ranked Boilermakers at State Farm Center Mar 5, 2024 1:30 pm No. 12 Illinois led by as many as 10 in the first half, but it was not enough in the Fighting Illini's 77-71 loss to No. 3 Purdue at State Farm Center on Tuesday night. 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. Reimagining electron microscopy: Bringing high-end resolution to lower-cost microscopes Mar 6, 2024 10:00 am U of I researchers have shown for the first time that expensive aberration-corrected microscopes are no longer required to achieve record-breaking microscopic resolution. Historic racial covenants in property deeds linked to disparities in exposure to dangerous heat Mar 6, 2024 8:00 am A study by urban and regional planning professor Rebecca Walker is the first to examine the environmental impact of racial covenants, using the first database to map the presence of the covenants in a U.S. metropolitan area. First atom-level model of a DNA-packed viral capsid could lead to new drug targets Mar 7, 2024 1:15 pm A computational model of the more than 26 million atoms in a DNA-packed viral capsid expands our understanding of virus structure and DNA dynamics, and could provide new research avenues and drug targets. U of I researchers develop a novel approach to mapping brain behavior Mar 7, 2024 1:30 pm LabRoots (March 5) 'If you look at the brain chemically, it’s like a soup with a bunch of ingredients. Understanding... how those chemical reactions support computing is critical to having a better idea of how the brain functions.' With more opportunities than ever, why are teen girls so depressed? Mar 8, 2023 1:00 pm Courthouse News Service (March 7) U of I's Karen Rudolph says bullying is down overall, but bullying on social media can be worse. 'Social media is 24/7. It was bad before, but you could escape. Now it’s constant and the whole school knows...' Attend a summer program and experience Illinois firsthand! Mar 8, 2024 4:45 pm To get a jump-start on college and all it entails, sign up for a U of I summer program. Whether you want to earn class credit or explore possible majors, we have something for you! House bill would lift nuclear power construction moratorium Mar 9, 2023 4:00 pm Illinois Times (March 9) U of I professor Rizwan Uddin says the current prohibition puts Illinois researchers at a disadvantage since they can’t study new techniques and technologies without traveling to other states. Illini secure road win over Iowa in regular-season finale Mar 11, 2024 8:15 am Leading by as many as 21 points, the Fighting Illini finished with the conference's second-best road record in Big Ten play with a 6-4 mark away from State Farm Center. Statistics, history researchers' new model re-evaluates MLB's 'greatest ever' Mar 13, 2023 10:30 am 'Under this model, great all-time statistics requires that an MLB player is both better than their peers and played during a time in which the MLB eligible population is large. ...The model constructs an even playing field that extends across eras.' Study: Default testing for COVID-19 in K-12 schools more effective than voluntary testing Mar 13, 2024 9:00 am A new paper co-written by U of I business professors found that default testing of K-12 students for COVID-19 during the pandemic could have saved up to one out of every five school days lost to the coronavirus during the fall 2021 semester. Five more years of funding for U of I's Bioenergy Research Center Mar 17, 2023 1:15 pm 'Continuing to fund the important scientific work conducted at our Bioenergy Research Centers is critical to ensuring these sustainable resources can be an efficient and affordable part of our clean energy future,' said Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. Designing AI software to improve student learning Mar 17, 2023 1:30 pm Can artificial intelligence be used to improve students’ learning—while keeping their data private and being fair and effective for students from all demographic backgrounds? Nigel Bosch and Dong Wang aim to find out. Different, not broken: Asexual people still reckon with erasure from their doctors Mar 18, 2024 11:45 am Salon (March 16) 'There is this burden of guilt in some contexts for marginalized people, racially marginalized people and people who are asexual. That’s a piece of the puzzle that doesn’t often get talked about,' says Professor Brittney Miles. Learning by listening to the people who live it Mar 18, 2024 9:15 am Experts from Illinois visit a cooperative prawn and rice farm in Southeast Vietnam to hear the farmers' stories about their challenges and adaptations to a changing climate. How should voters feel about polls heading into the presidential election? Mar 19, 2024 11:15 am With the small number of swing states in play, national polls will be of limited value, says University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign political science professor Brian Gaines. Greenhouse gas emissions in Global South countries linked with IMF lending policies Mar 19, 2024 12:45 pm Sociology professor Matthew Soener's study found that Global South countries' greenhouse gas emissions rose after borrowing from the International Monetary Fund using a structural loan, and rose even faster with additional loans. Beneath the surface: Charting the Mahomet Aquifer for water security Mar 20, 2024 10:00 am The volume of the Mahomet Aquafir has always been a mystery, but a groundbreaking technology is giving us a deeper understanding of this vital water source, laying the groundwork for critical, equitable water management and governance. CI MED students establish new free eye care clinic Mar 20, 2024 10:15 am 'We have a lot of patients who are excited to see us because they often do not have vision insurance... Many patients have waited over three or four years to be seen because they simply cannot afford new glasses or an eye exam.' Illini complete comeback in WBIT opener against Missouri State Mar 22, 2024 8:15 am Illinois overcame a double-digit second-half deficit to take down Missouri State, 74-69, in the first round of the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament at State Farm Center on Thursday night. How emotional intimacy became politically valued in post-WWII Britain Mar 24, 2023 1:30 pm History professor Teri Chettiar's new book looks at how the intimate emotional life of families took on great political importance in post-WWII Britain, and emotional well-being was seen as a key factor for a stable democracy.