blog posts Meet a spring grad who's already helping people at the U.S.-Mexico border Jun 12, 2019 9:30 am I was a psychology major when I first enrolled but my I-Promise mentor suggested that I look into Human Development and Family Studies because it seemed like a better fit, and it was! Max Levchin: The Making of a Tech Mogul Mar 18, 2018 11:00 am Max Levchin is the poster child for transformation. From Soviet refugee, through the University of Illinois, to becoming one of the world's most influential tech pioneers Making big waves Nov 19, 2019 9:15 am From Illinois graduate to CEO of CurlMix, Kim Lewis is on a mission to empower curly-haired women. Making air traffic safe for real-life George and Jane Jetsons Jul 15, 2021 2:45 pm 'Because these flights will operate in major metro cities...there's going to be a lot of potential for interaction between the urban air mobility flights and the commercial air traffic,' says aerospace engineering alumna Heather Arneson. Looking back on dorm life at the University of Illinois Nov 22, 2016 10:15 am Residence halls act as a home away from home for college students as they navigate their campus lives. Here’s a look at Illinois’ dormitories over the years, from bedrooms to lounge areas to on-site eateries. Levenicks donate $5m toward Illinois Football Performance Center Feb 8, 2018 8:15 pm Former team captain, offensive MVP Stu Levenick and his wife, Nancy, have committed $5 million toward the new Illinois Football Performance Center Late 'Laugh-In' brothers Arte, Coslough Johnson share comedy history with U of I Library Nov 29, 2023 11:45 am The brothers each have donated artifacts to the University Library from Emmy Award-winning work on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, which aired 1968-73 on NBC, and for which Arte was an actor and Coslough was a writer. LAS alumna Alison Kirby rethinks school-based health clinics Oct 21, 2019 9:00 am She co-founded a school-based health clinic that has drawn nationwide attention, even being featured in 'Paper Tigers,' a documentary about Lincoln High School directed by Robert Redford’s son, Jamie. July 18 at Millennium Park, RSVP now Jun 18, 2019 2:00 pm Celebrate your Illini pride in downtown Chicago at Illini Fest! Drinks, live music, notable Illini, and more! First 1,000 registrants receive a free Illinois flag at the event. Journalists Balz and Simon part of panel on Trump-era political reporting Apr 6, 2018 9:15 am The panel will include alunmni Dan Balz, chief correspondent for The Washington Post, and Roger Simon, who retired last year as chief political columnist for Politico Journalism grad receives Pulitzer Prize Apr 22, 2016 2:30 pm Leonora LaPeter Anton ’86, of the Tampa Bay Times was awarded a 2016 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. The reporting was a joint project between the Times and the Herald-Tribune into Florida’s state-funded mental hospitals. Journalism alumnus lands Edward R. Murrow Award Jul 4, 2016 1:45 pm Charlie Meyerson has won a 2016 national Edward R. Murrow Award for audio investigative reporting from the Radio Television Digital News Association. Join us in Chicago the week of November 13 Nov 2, 2016 7:30 am Paint Chicago orange this November at a variety of events including alumni gatherings, networking receptions, and the annual Illinois Luncheon at the historic Chicago Cultural Center. Jennifer Neubauer named president of UI Alumni Association May 18, 2017 9:30 am Champaign native and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign alumna Jennifer Lewis Neubauer has been named president of the University of Illinois Alumni Association. In WWII, alumna found herself behind enemy lines Feb 8, 2017 9:00 am Jill Pitts Knappenberger drove a modified Red Cross bus that delivered coffee, doughnuts and goodwill to Allied troops - until she found herself surrounded by German soldiers in the Battle of the Bulge Interview with alumnus, astronaut Lee Archambault Jul 7, 2021 6:00 pm 'The research is phenomenal. The instruction is outstanding. The faculty we have here is second to none. This is an engineering program that was always great and it’s even better than it was when I was here. It continues to improve.' Illinois to honor its only Medal of Honor awardee Oct 25, 2017 8:00 am Maj. Kenneth Bailey of Danville, a 1935 graduate, was awarded the medal posthumously for leading his company in defending an airfield during the Guadalcanal Campaign in September 1942 Illinois: The early years Jun 22, 2017 8:00 am From the muddy prairie rose a school—and a student body—rooted in manual labor and religious worship, in addition to cultural activities that left sports in the dust Illinois' Tatyana McFadden won her fourth straight New York City Marathon Sunday Nov 7, 2016 11:30 am the 27-year-old U.S. Paralympian won her fifth overall New York title, earning her a fourth straight sweep of all four major marathons – not done by anyone else in the history of wheelchair racing or elite running. Illinois' Tatyana McFadden is on Forbes '30 Under 30' list Jan 5, 2017 11:30 am McFadden solidified her legacy as the top Paralympic marathoner in the world as she completed her fourth straight sweep of the marathon majors, and dominated the track at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games Illinois names inaugural class to its Athletics Hall Of Fame Feb 23, 2017 10:45 am The 28-person Class of 2017, dates back to the first Illini football team in 1890, through the addition of women's varsity teams in the early 1970s, and up to coaches and athletes from the current century. Illinois Homecoming Week 2017 Oct 12, 2017 10:30 am Return to your campus, explore the University's 150 year history, and share your photos, memories and stories via social media Illinois grads who care for Brookfield Zoo's menagerie Jun 5, 2019 10:15 am The work of Drs. Michael Adkesson and Jennifer Langan helps keep the more than 3,000 animals at Brookfield Zoo healthy and helps ensure the survival of their cousins in the wild. Illinois grads' invention may just be the cast of the future Oct 27, 2016 10:45 am “We decided to design a cast that was waterproof, but also had a more open structure so it wouldn’t trap any debris against the skin.” Alumni Jason Troutner Illinois alum wins Columbia's John Chancellor Award for journalism Sep 19, 2017 10:45 am '(Dan) Balz is the chief correspondent of The Washington Post and one of the country’s most trusted political reporters.' Illinois alumni help keep ABC7 Eyewitness News No. 1 in Chicago Apr 24, 2018 8:30 am Stop by the plate glass window on State Street in Chicago to watch the ABC7 Eyewitness News and you’re likely watching an Illinois graduate Illinois Alumni Association to present awards during Homecoming Week Oct 7, 2019 9:15 am During Homecoming Week, the Illinois Alumni Association will recognize Illinois alumni and friends with awards. Illinois alumna oversees NASA's Ingenuity helicopter mission Apr 7, 2021 9:30 am NASA's Ingenuity helicopter recently landed on Mars along with the Perseverance Rover. Once the helicopter detaches, it will conduct several test flights on the surface, marking the first powered flights on another planet. Illinois alum Charles David Keeling: The man who tied human actions to climate change Apr 30, 2018 8:45 am Keeling was the first scientist to develop an accurate technique for measuring the air concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) — a greenhouse gas that traps atmospheric heat Illinois alum awarded Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Jan 26, 2023 4:15 pm Brittney Nadler will complete a summer internship at the State Department in 2024 and an overseas internship at a U.S. embassy or consulate in summer 2025. Upon successful completion of the program, Nadler will become a U.S. diplomat. Illini Football legend Dick Butkus passes away at 80 Oct 6, 2023 10:00 am Dick Butkus, regarded as the greatest linebacker in football history, passed away at his home in Malibu, California. As an Illini, Butkus played center on offense, linebacker on defense and led the team to the 1963 Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl victory. Illini Baseball star Casey Fletcher: Going to bat for a dream Sep 6, 2016 1:00 pm Casey Fletcher’s father, Darrin, played for the Illini prior to leaving for a 14-year career in the major leagues, and his grandfather, Tom, an alumnus, played for the Illini in the 60s before signing with the Detroit Tigers How blockchain is disrupting business applications, personal identity Mar 14, 2022 11:00 am Those exploring the impact of blockchain on their business and personal lives should proceed with caution, according to a U of I alumnus who has pioneered enterprise blockchain technology and the adoption of digital assets. Great friends, beautiful memories: UIAA's Korea Chapter celebrates 100 years Jan 24, 2023 10:30 am Duck Choo Oh’s Homecoming coronation in 1955 symbolized the blossoming of an international era for the University of Illinois. The seeds of that growth started nearly five decades earlier with President Edmund Janes James (1904–20). Forber-Pratt appointed by White House as institute director May 24, 2021 4:15 pm Dr. Anjali Forber-Pratt, a wheelchair racing star who holds three degrees from the U of I, has been appointed Director of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. First woman to fly a transoceanic jumbo jet on breaking through the 'glass cockpit' Sep 30, 2021 10:15 am 'As I quizzed those pilots—and later studied a pilot’s training manual one of them gave to me to “answer questions without bothering people”—I realized they weren’t doing anything I couldn’t do,' says U of I alumnus Lynn Rippelmeyer. Find your local Illini club May 17, 2016 11:00 am Illini clubs, affinity groups and college groups are a great way to stay connected to the University and your fellow alumni. They offer a variety of social, cultural, educational, community service and networking events. Film industry heavyweights descend on Champaign to pay tribute to Ebert’s lasting legacy Apr 20, 2017 11:30 am Norman Lear: 'It’s one thing to criticize, another to criticize out of love. To know his work is to know how much he cared for film and for filmmakers.' Entrepreneur, UI grad Max Levchin to deliver commencement address Mar 15, 2018 10:00 am Levchin is co-founder of PayPal, former chairman of the board of Yelp, and currently the CEO, founder of the consumer-financing platform Affirm. He graduated from the U. of I. in 1997 Education alumna creating a buzz in Chicago Public School Feb 28, 2018 9:30 am First year CPS teacher and Illinois alumna Amanda Fagenson is drawing an audience and admiration for her teaching skills Educational entrepreneur, postdoc researcher make Forbes '30 under 30' list Jan 10, 2017 9:45 am Illinois' Ryan Hoch, alumnus and co-founder of Overgrad, and current postdoctoral researcher Lydia Kisley, were named to the 2017 Forbes "30 Under 30" ranking for Education and Healthcare, respectively. ECE's Phil Krein named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors Jan 8, 2018 10:15 am Krein made significant strides in optimizing the use of solar power as a feasible energy resource, and wrote the first undergrad text to provide an engineering framework for power electronics 'Do we want to get to the moon or not?' Nov 22, 2019 10:00 am He called himself 'a voice in the wilderness.' He sat in conference rooms filled with scientists who ridiculed his ideas. But Houbolt was going to be heard. And we were going to land on the moon. Doris Derby: Alumna, photographer documented Civil Rights Movement Dec 23, 2019 1:30 pm 'When I came here, the University of Illinois embraced me in terms of my interests and my values. I see this as the home for the kind of things I value.' Designing the iconic Chicago Theatre Mar 11, 2019 11:45 am Illinois graduates played center stage in designing this State Street landmark in 1921...and in rescuing it sixty years later. Dave Eggers and the Secret Agent Supply Co. Nov 12, 2018 3:30 pm Dave Eggers talks about 826CHI, the Chicago chapter of his nonprofit that provides tutoring support for young writers and aims to illuminate children’s voices around the world Couldn't get to Illini Fest? Check out the video Aug 8, 2019 9:00 am We painted Chicago orange and blue, with drinks, live music, notable Illini, and more! Enjoy watching a celebration of Illini pride in downtown Chicago at Illini Fest! College of Business receives $150 million naming gift Oct 26, 2017 8:30 am The College of Business at Illinois will be known as the Gies College of Business after an unprecedented investment from a distinguished alumnus. Chicago Illini of the Year Awards to Rich Sieracki, Jill Wine-Banks Jun 3, 2019 10:15 am Chicago Illini of the Year Awards recognize outstanding alumni who live and work in the Chicago metropolitan area. Chemistry alumna recognized for groundbreaking career in biotech Jul 5, 2016 11:00 am “It was an opportunity to ask questions to which we didn’t know the answers yet,” said Chilton, recipient of the 2016 U of I Alumni Association Achievement Award.