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  • Jonathan Butler-Duplessis in costume as Aaron Burr from 'Hamilton.'

    Champaign-raised, U of I grad actor gets Broadway shot in 'Hamilton'

    News Gazette (Feb. 1) Jonathan Butler-Duplessis, a Champaign schools and U of I grad, will make his Broadway debut Thursday, playing the iconic Aaron Burr from hit rap-musical 'Hamilton.'

  • Evans teaching landowners about the safe use of chainsaws. Photo by Taryn Bieri, University of Illinois

    Preserving Illinois forests, one landowner at a time

    Illinois Extension forestry and research specialist Christopher Evans describes leading the first field day of a Beginning Forest Landowner Program to give landowners the experience, skills and connections needed to better manage their forests.

  • Prairie voles (shown) are unusual among rodents in choosing a single partner with whom they share a nest and raise their young. Their monogamous bond may last a lifetime. Credit: Aubrey M. Kelly

    Monogamous prairie voles reveal the neurobiology of love

    Scientific American (Jan. 17)  Nearly 50 years ago, U of I ecologist Lowell Getz discovered that prairie voles were monogamous. His research teams went on to document their social behaviors and the hormones that underpin them. 

  • Kendall Bostic looks up from a players' on-court huddle

    No. 24 Women's Basketball headed to Minnesota, first test as ranked squad

    Illinois women's basketball is back in action at Minnesota on Sunday, Jan. 15, with a 2 p.m. CT tip. Illinois is off to a 14-3 start under first year head coach Shauna Green, one of the best starts in program history. 

  • A new mammoth sculpture is found in the same place its ancestors wandered 30,000 years prior. That’s even older than the neighboring Natural History Building (NHB), built in 1892, from where it draws inspiration. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    There's a new sculpture on the Quad - and it's MAMMOTH

    The next, and past, big thing: The great wooly mammoth is back… Visible to all, not an apparition… Near the University of Illinois Main Quad. 

  • Larry Gies, 56, and his wife, Beth Gies, 55, outside the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois

    Five years and $150 million later, what a mega-business school can do

    Poets & Quants (Oct. 27) Larry and Beth Gies returned to Illinois to celebrate all that their pledge has helped to make possible. The list of achievements for what became the Gies College of Business is extraordinary by any standard.

  • house with for sale sign from Adobe Stock

    A huge number of homeowners have mortgage rates too good to give up

    New York Times (April 15) The average American household has a fixed rate mortgage that’s a whopping three points lower than new mortgage rates. 'You could think of your locked-in rate as an asset that you own,' says U of I professor Julia Fonseca.

  • bat roosts in a pine tree. stock photo via pxfuel, Wikimedia Commons license

    Why you want bats in your yard — and how to attract them

    Washington Post (July 27) 'Plant long-lived trees like oaks, which will provide both foraging and roosting habitat,' says Professor Joy O’Keefe. Also, fast-growing trees like pines will provide roosting space under the bark, or in cavities inside dead branches.

  • Ted Underwood, Photo by L Brian Stauffer/University of Illinois; beside iStock photo by Rebecca Zisser/BI

    America's greatest AI visionary is... an English professor at Illinois

    Business Insider (Dec. 6) In a world filled with artificial intelligence skeptics and chatbot alarmists, Illinois English professor Ted Underwood is making one of the strongest, most compelling cases for the value of artificial intelligence.

  • (Washington Post staff illustration; iStock) menstrual pad surrounded by corona virus

    Why reports of period weirdness after covid shots were ignored

    The Washington Post (April 18) U of I anthropology professor Kate Clancy writes about her research into the menstrual side effects of coronavirus vaccines and how early claims of such side effects were ignored and ridiculed. 

  • stock image of toddler with American flag and the quote, "'All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States' - From the 14th Amendment." Shutterstock image

    Can birthright citizenship be repealed?

    Birthright citizenship was enacted as part of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and no president has the authority to eliminate or modify a constitutional amendment, says immigration law expert Michael LeRoy.

  • Coleman Hawkins walks on the Quad. He is pursuing a degree in Recreation, Sport & Tourism.

    Coleman Hawkins: Family Man

    For Coleman Hawkins, Fighting Illini power forward, family is at the heart of everything. To really know him, you have to know his family.

  • English professor Jim Hansen in his office, surrounded by horror movie posters. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    Why do we love horror films?

    Horror films dominate Netflix queues right now. English professor Jim Hansen spoke about why we love horror. He says it’s because horror films let us 'choose the shape of our fears and then to face up to those fears.'

  • model of human brain sits inside an orange football helmet

    Carle Illinois College of Medicine behind research that may help detect concussions

    WGN-TV (Nov. 21) New research from the U. of I. may help doctors do a better job of detecting concussions. U. of I. medical student Annabelle Shaffer discusses the new study.

  • civil rights leader Thurgood Marshall speaking into a microphone in 1956. Associated Press photo

    Reflecting on Thurgood Marshall's speech at U of I in 1956

    On March 8, 1956, future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall visited the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to talk about his work, the many cases of segregation in Illinois, and the murder of Emmett Till.

  • Illinois professors Prashant Jain, Gloriana Gonzalez, D.K. Lee, Carol Symes, and Derek Holem. Photo compilation by Michelle Hassel

    Five Urbana-Champaign faculty members named University Scholars

    Five U of I professors have been named University Scholars in recognition of their excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. The award is presented by the University of Illinois System to faculty members from the Chicago, Springfield and Urbana universities. 

  • Students in Alba Mendiola’s bilingual broadcast journalism class learn news literacy skills in Spanish and English. Mendiola teaches at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago.Provided by the News Literacy Project

    #FakeTok: How to create your own truth filter for TikTok

    Chicago Sun-Times (July 27) U. of I. information sciences researcher Rachel Magee says that despite confusing messages circulating on social media, it can be a healthy place for young people to develop ideas and social circles.

  • Cover of a winning selection, Odder, by Katherine Applegate. illus. by Charles Santoso

    U of I's Center for Children's Books announces Blue Ribbon Winners

    'Readers will find a healthy variety of subjects and genres, and we even have a bonus of short story collections, a format we are always thrilled to see thrive,' says editor Kate Quealy-Gainer. 

  • While some cicadas emerge every summer, some are considered "periodical" cicadas, and only emerge every few years. This spring, two large broods will emerge in the southeastern and midwestern U.S. PHOTOGRAPH BY REBECCA HALE, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

    Billions of cicadas are about to emerge. Cicadas on the menu?

    National Geographic (March 14) Some Americans plan to sauté some of this year’s double cicada brood. Cicadas are edible, according to U. of I. Extension. People eat them alongside other bugs – such as silkworms, locusts and crickets – worldwide. 

  • Mexican baseball league president Jorge Pasquel, right, introduces catcher Mickey Owen, left, to Babe Ruth during Ruth’s visit to Mexico in May 1946.(Uncredited / Associated Press)

    Before Jackie Robinson, Jorge Pasquel broke baseball’s color barrier — in Mexico

    L.A. Times (Dec. 7) The Mexican League fully integrated pro baseball. It 'meant that you see each other as equals,' says U of I's Adrian Burgos. 'You share the locker room, the dugout space. It is a different dimension.'

  • Illini Edmond Ruth stands atop the winners' podium at the Big Ten Conference wrestling championships

    Ruth emerges as first Illini Big Ten champion since 2018

    '(Edmond) Ruth is really starting to cement himself as a national title threat. Him becoming the first Big Ten champion for us since (now-assistant coach for the Illini) Isaiah Martinez is truly incredible,' said head coach Mike Poeta.

  • Grange Grove, the grassy area outside Memorial Stadium that hosts Illini tailgaters

    Grange Grove entertainment lineup set for football season

    Illinois' premier pregame tailgating location will once again be open with a full slate of entertainment planned for the season. 

  • Illinois junior Jessica McDowell stands atop the podium at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships on Sunday (May 12)

    McDowell wins 400m Big Ten Gold on final day of Big Ten Outdoor Championships

    The Illinois men's and women's track and field teams finished the Big Ten Outdoor Championships on Sunday (May 12). Junior Jessica McDowell cruised to victory in the 400m dash (51.73) to earn gold and 10 team points. 

  • Sassafras leaves begin to grow. Courtesy of Kellen Calinger-Yoak

    What a 19th-century farmer’s forgotten notes reveal about growing seasons

    Smithsonian Magazine (May 31) Longer growing seasons can be problematic, says Christopher Evans, a U of I forest ecologist. 'The birds don’t have the food sources at the right time, or the pollinators that may pollinate these plants aren’t out yet.'

  • Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer (2023) Photo: Universal Pictures

    What does the film 'Oppenheimer' tell us about the development of the atomic bomb?

    'Oppenheimer' examines the process of building an organization of unprecedented scale and wrestles with how to view one individual’s decisions as relevant in the face of such a massive system, says Dean Kevin Hamilton.

  • Illini players are all smiles as they cheer from the bench

    Illinois Volleyball unveils spring schedule

    The Illini open the spring schedule with a match against DePaul on March 8. First serve from Huff Hall is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT. Admission is free. 

  • Researchers at Hebrew University reconstructed the face of a Denisovan based on DNA alone. Almost no fossils of Denisovans have been found.Credit...Maayan Harel/Hebrew University in Jerusalem, via Associated Press

    On the trail of the Denisovans

    The New York Times (March 2) U of I anthropology professor Laura Shackelford said her team's discoveries raised the possibility that Denisovans and modern humans coexisted and interacted for tens of thousands of years. 

  • The rise in book bans, explained

    The Washington Post (June 9): “Book banning” has become a catchall phrase, says Emily Knox, who teaches library science at the U. of I. and is the author of “Book Banning in 21st-Century America.”

  • Shozo Sato, Fury of the Pacific, 1994. Blue tone ink, standard in, and silver pigment on sized, pre-mounted paper. Courtesy of the artist.

    Exhibition explores black ink, watercolor paintings by Shozo Sato

    The black ink and watercolor paintings by Shozo Sato, including landscapes of the American West, are featured at Krannert Art Museum. Contemporary work by artists using traditional Japanese  aesthetics has not been well-studied by art historians, says curator Maureen Warren.

  • Illini guard Terrance Shannon Jr. close-up as he screams in celebration during a game

    Terrance Shannon Jr: 'I'm Back'

    Shannon is a major addition to the 2023-24 Illini lineup. He averaged 17.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals in his inaugural season in Champaign, earning first-team All-Big Ten accolades. 

  • raw milk being poured into a pitcher. Photo via U.S. Department of Agriculture

    Most cases of bird flu in humans caused by drinking raw milk

    WTVO-TV (Dec. 19) 'The risk to humans is incredibly small... from the dairy products that we’ve consumed from stores,' Professor Jim Drackley says. 'I'd always recommend that people don’t consume raw milk ... the virus could still be there.'

     

  • Chart shows U.S. average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage from 2019 to today. Graphic by the New York Times

    U.S. mortgage rates drop sharply, with 30-year at 6.47%

    New York Times (Aug. 8) The lower mortgage rate could encourage some homeowners to get into the market, says Professor Julia Fonseca. 'But we still have a ways to go if we consider how low these rates that people have locked in actually are.'

  • graduate student Maxine Katz and undergraduates Neel Khattri, Tina Wayne and Kellie Sucha received Boren Awards for intensive language study abroad during the 2023-24 academic year. Student photos submitted

    Four U of I students awarded Boren funding for overseas language study

    Graduate student Maxine Katz and undergraduates Neel Khattri, Kellie Sucha and Tina Wayne have received prestigious Boren Awards for study abroad during the 2023-24 academic year. 

  • Nick Holonyak, Jr. in 2002 with LED. (Tom Roberts/The News-Gazette/Associated Press)

    Washington Post obituary for legendary U of I professor Nick Holonyak Jr.

    Nick Holonyak Jr., whose development of the first practical visible-spectrum light-emitting diode(LED) was a breakthrough with countless applications, including lightbulbs, cellphones, TVs and microscopic surgical equipment, died Sept. 18.

  • Homecoming Week at Illinois

    Events throughout the week include a student dinner on the Quad, the Global Talent Show, Saturday Night Live: Homecoming Edition in downtown Champaign,  two concerts at State Farm Center and - of course - football on Saturday.

  • Alumna Ann Thayer Weldy helped readers find comfort—and themselves—in her books

    To the world, she became Ann Bannon, the name under which she published six lesbian pulp fiction novels. Over sixty years later, these books remain fundamental to the LGBTQ canon. 

  • Yu-Chieh Chiu launches a paper airplane. Photos by Joerg Mitter / Red Bull Content Pool

    Yu-Chieh Chiu: Clear for take off

    How the joy of paper planes led graduate student, Yu-Chieh Chiu, to compete on the world stage at the Red Bull Paper Wings World Championships in Austria, and find community at Grainger Engineering

  • A decorated Ford Mustang NASCAR-sponsored car drives in the 52nd annual Chicago Pride Parade on June 25, 2023. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

    NASCAR in Chicago: How will downtown racing affect air quality?

    Chicago Tribune (June 26) 'They are now using E15 fuel, which has lower emissions.... But, at the end of the day, (race cars) are still having a very low efficiency. So there’s no way around that,' says atmospheric sciences professor Nicole Riemer.

  • Spring Sports Fest graphic shows the schedule of games for April 12 through 14

    Fighting Illini Athletics set to host Spring Sports Fest

    Fighting Illini Athletics is set to host Spring Sports Fest from April 12-14, featuring 11 home events across four sports - Track & Field, Softball, Baseball, and Women's Tennis.

  • SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America members marching in unison, June 2023. Photo via Flickr by ufcw770

    What’s at stake in Hollywood labor strikes?

    'I think this strike will last much longer than three months. In 1988, the writers were on strike for nearly 22 weeks. This time, they're striking over job-killing issues, such as the use of artificial intelligence in generating creative works.' 

  • Welcome, Class of 2028!

    We have a whole week of activities planned to welcome new students to the campus and to the Illinois family. Check the schule of events here.

  • composite of six winning photographs in the Beckman Institute Research Image contest

    2023 Beckman Institute Research Image contest winners

    'This contest is just a small sample of the 40 academic units we represent, and it shows how many disciplines are impacted by the imaging facilities and capabilities here at Beckman. I love how the beauty and diversity of the science shines through.'

  • the Memorial Stadium 10th anniversary uniforms are based on the uniforms of Red Grange's day

    Illini unveil throwback uniforms for Memorial Stadium rededication game, Oct. 19

    Check out the uniforms Illini football will wear against Michigan on Oct. 19, 100 years and one day after Red Grange’s historic six-touchdown performance against the Wolverines during the Memorial Stadium Dedication Game in 1924.  

  • An aerial view of Brooklyn, Illinois, with St. Louis in the background

    America’s oldest Black town is in Illinois — and it’s dying

    Chicago Tribune (Jan. 5) African American studies professor Sundiata Keita Cha-Jua and archaeologist Alleen Betzenhauser, both at U. of I., are spearheading efforts to uncover Brooklyn's history and revitalize the community.

  • Brochure image for Freedom Conference. The corridor is a connected network of sites in west-central Illinois and eastern Missouri linked to the Underground Railroad, such as New Philadelphia National Historic Site in Pike County.

    Freedom Corridor aims to create narrative of region's Black history

    Journal Courier (Feb. 5) "So our story — small 'o' — is now Our story — capital 'O'," says U of I professor Gerald McWorter, the great-great-grandson of he first African Americans to found a town in the U.S.

  • The fossilized molar, seen here from several angles, is thought to have belonged to a young Denisovan girl that died between 164,000 and 131,000 years ago. Photo by F. Demeter

    150,000-year-old human tooth rare evidence of Denisovans

    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 Volleyball Welcomes No. 2 Nebraska for Stuff Huff

    Illinois volleyball welcomes No. 2 Nebraska for the annual Stuff Huff match Thursday night. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. on FS1. 

  • file photo from an earlier Illinois-Wisconsin football game

    Illinois' Homecoming game time announced

    Illinois' Homecoming game against Wisconsin on Saturday, Oct. 21 will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT, the conference office announced on Monday. Television coverage for the game will be announced following games played on Oct. 14.  

  • artist's rendition of the proposed South Campus Center for Interdisciplinary Learning looking south

    $25M gift to support new interdisciplinary learning center

    The South Campus Center for Interdisciplinary Learning will be a four-story building on Gregory Drive between the Business Instructional Facility and Huff Hall. Construction will begin in spring 2023 and is expected to be completed by early 2025.

  • graphic shows Dain Dainja holding a basketball rim. Text has game details for Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023

    Illini Men's Basketball opens Big Ten play Saturday at Rutgers

    No. 24 Illinois begins its 119th season of league play Saturday afternoon at Rutgers (3 p.m. CT, BTN). Illinois is opening B1G play on the road for the sixth time in the last eight seasons.