News Bureau

A graphic illustration of academic and civil service retirement by the numbers, from 2009 to 2015.

John Erdman, a professor emeritus of food science and human nutrition and a part-time faculty member in the Bioacoustics Research Laboratory at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, will present the next Beckman Institute Director’s Seminar at noon Dec. 3. 

The Indian Graduate Students Association sponsored Diwali on the Quad on Nov. 13 as the kickoff for the celebration of the traditional Hindu “festival of lights.”

Mats Selen, professor of physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been named Outstanding Doctoral and Research Universities Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

A report on honors, awards, appointments and other outstanding achievements of faculty and staff members. 

Rachel Magee is a new assistant professor in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science.

A Minute With...™ Michael LeRoy, immigration law expert 

A Minute With...™ Peter Nardulli, political scientist

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is the second top destination for international students attending public universities in the United States, according to the annual Open Doors report, released Nov. 16 by the Institute of International Education. The report ranks Illinois as second in the nation for international students in 2014-15 (fifth when accounting for private schools) and ninth for students participating in study abroad programs in 2013-14. According to the report, there are more international students studying in the U.S. today than at any time in history.

All groundbreaking, earth-changing, multidisciplinary research has something in common: a starting point.

According to U. of I. President Tim Killeen, the U. of I. is at "risk of deterioration" unless the state finds a budget solution soon.

A Minute With...™ Michael T. Braun, expert on family communications

Tim Nugent, who died Wednesday at the age of 92 in Urbana, Illinois, was a visionary who changed the world for people with disabilities. Starting with a small program at the University of Illinois a few years after World War II – but for years with little support, and often outright opposition – Nugent sought to change both the opportunities for people with disabilities and public attitudes about them.

The settlement agreement between the University of Illinois and Steven Salaita was approved by the U. of I. Board of Trustees at its Nov. 12 meeting in Chicago.

Cadet Lt. Col. Erin O’Neil, the cadet battalion commander, stands at attention in front of a formation of cadets gathered during the U. of I.'s Tri-Service ROTC Veterans Day Ceremony on Nov. 11 at the indoor track of the Armory building.

Faculty and staff members, students and other stakeholders are invited to the Strategic Plan town hall meeting from 3-5 p.m. Nov. 18 in the auditorium of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.

Judith Adanma Johnson premiered her exhibition “Energy” last week in the Illini Union Art Gallery. The exhibition will be on display in the gallery through Nov. 29. Located in the northwest wing of the Illini Union, the exhibition is free and open to the public.

Between Sept. 1, 2014, and Aug. 31, 2015, 40 faculty members and 59 academic professionals retired from the U. of I., according to the Office of Academic Human Resources.

Campus leaders say administrative changes in the Center for Advanced Study would not affect academic programs or its mission.

A report on honors, awards, appointments and other outstanding achievements of faculty and staff members. 

The campus is starting to feel the pinch of the state budget impasse.

Brian A. Boyd, an expert on autism spectrum and related developmental disorders, will give the annual Goldstick Family Lecture in the Study of Communication Disorders at the University of Illinois.

Bianca Da Costa Martins is a new assistant professor of ophthalmology in the department of veterinary clinical medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson announced today the campus will make a change in leadership of its Division of Intercollegiate Athletics by exercising a “without cause” separation clause in Director of Athletics Mike Thomas’ contract. 

The Jupiter String Quartet performs a series of three concerts this week that will feature the six string quartets by Hungarian composer Béla Bartók. The string quartets are among Bartók’s greatest works and among the greatest in the genre.

A two-day Arts Exchange for the College of Fine and Applied Arts allowed FAA students to enroll in workshops to learn about other disciplines within the college, from hip-hop dance to stage lighting design to sustainable papermaking.

The effort to create awareness and learn more about sexual misconduct on campus is being expanded to include a campuswide student survey.

Mobility has long been associated with success, power and adaptability. However, relocation of families, neighborhoods or whole ethnic groups has often been a matter of necessity or hardship. The College of Fine and Applied Arts will address how the worlds of art, culture and commerce have been marked by recent or historical migrations at Uncorked and On Topic at 5:15 p.m. Nov. 12 in the Tryon Festival Theatre foyer at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

The Educational Technology Leadership Summit will be from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 9 at the I Hotel and Conference Center. The summit will bring state educational leaders to the U. of I. to participate in a unique professional learning opportunity on educational technology.

Illinois International Programs invites faculty members to “Globalization at Illinois: A Faculty Dialogue,” a town-hall style conversation about globalization at Illinois at noon Nov. 10 in Room 104 of the Illini Union. 

The U. of I. ROTC units will host a Veterans Day ceremony at 5 p.m. Nov. 11 at the indoor track of the Armory Building. The event is designed to commemorate veterans of all branches of the United States military. The event is organized by the Naval, Army and Air Force ROTC units of the U. of I.

Zaida “Zan” Luthey-Schulten, a part-time faculty member in the Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, will present “Stochastic Simulations of Cellular Processes: From Single Cells to Colonies.” The lecture will begin at noon Nov. 5 in Room 1005 of the Beckman Institute as part of the Beckman Institute Director’s Seminar. Lunch will be provided.

Dr. Neil Vasdev will discuss “Cutting-edge Radiochemical Methods and Technologies for Human PET Imaging” at noon Nov. 13, in Room 1005 of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.

Richard Levin, CEO of Coursera and president emeritus of Yale University, will present two upcoming lectures on the U. of I. campus.

The University Library invites the campus community to a Library Research Showcase from 1 to 4 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Main Library. Library faculty members and academic professionals will present their research, which impacts a wide variety of library services as well as the global library and information science profession and other scholarly fields.

The Illini Union Office of Volunteer Programs is sponsoring its annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive to provide families with a basket of nonperishable food items and a $25 gift card, which can furnish a Thanksgiving meal. The entire Illinois campus is invited to participate. The drive will run through Nov. 16.

Some say a good elevator mechanic is not seen.

Ramón Soto-Crespo, an associate professor of English in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is among the new faculty members to be included in our New Faces feature.

Leaders of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Carle Health System announced the completion of a set of agreements and policies related to joint research practices and governance of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine.

The University of Illinois contributes $13.9 billion in annual income to the state’s economy – and a 19.3 percent return on the public’s investment – through spending by its campuses, employees and students and the increased earning power of its graduates, according to a new economic impact study released Oct. 21.

Recently retired and long-serving staff employees will be honored at the 2015 Staff Service Recognition Banquet Nov. 5 at the I Hotel and Conference Center. The program will honor 110 employees who retired between Sept. 1, 2014, and Aug. 31, 2015. In addition employess will be honored for service completed during that time.

The chancellor's search committee is nearly formed, with senators last week choosing seven members and selecting two faculty members for chairman consideration.

The university's top administrators covered a wide variety of topics at the Urbana-Champaign Senate-sponsored annual meeting of the faculty, held Oct. 26 in the Illini Union Ballroom.

Interim Chancellor Barbara J. Wilson said removing the U. of I. from the American Association of University Professors censure list continues to be a top concern on campus and a top priority of her administration.

A report on honors, awards, appointments and other outstanding achievements of faculty and staff members. 

On Oct. 19, the Urbana-Champaign Senate approved a university policy on open access to research articles. This policy grants the university a nonexclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license to exercise all rights under copyright to the scholarly articles produced by faculty members.