News Bureau

The Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities has been awarded a $4.2 million grant renewal from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for its Humanities Without Walls initiative.

Wencui Han is a new assistant professor in the department of business administration in the College of Business.

Campustown lights take on a holiday glow in this time-exposure photo at the intersection of Green and Wright streets. After a short break, business at the U. of I. will resume Jan. 4.  Students return for classes Jan. 19.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been named No. 11 of “The 25 Fittest U.S. Colleges in 2015” by The Active Times, a website that aims to be “the world's best source of authoritative, inspiring, enlightening content for living the active, adventurous life.”

Seven University of Illinois researchers have been named to the Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researchers list for 2015. The list includes “some of the world’s most influential scientific minds,” according to a statement from Thomson Reuters.

A social and emotional skills intervention developed to help children recover from the trauma of natural disasters is being pilot-tested with at-risk youth living in poverty in the U.S. and could be adapted to help young refugees heal their psychological wounds.

IN TRANSIT – One of the reasons I felt comfortable joining this expedition was the attitude of the expedition leader, Francisco Seufferheld. He made it abundantly clear that this was to be a positive experience and that we were not to become so driven to reach the goal that we forgot to stay safe and have fun.

It’s a good thing, too, because we will have to overcome a lot of obstacles to make it to the lake at the top of the volcano. The altitude is the most formidable challenge, but there are others.

The University of Illinois has received a $5.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to support economic revitalization in Illinois communities affected by reductions in federal military spending.

A new study finds that pre-adolescent children who have sustained sports-related concussions have impaired brain function two years following injury.

More than 3,000 U. of I. employees helped the Urbana-Champaign campus exceed the goals of the 2015 Campus Charitable Fund Drive, raising $1.32 million.

Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities, supported by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, seeks to select two predoctoral fellows in biohumanities for the 2016–17 academic year.

The Moms Association values the opportunity to honor pivotal leaders and to celebrate the achievements of all women affiliated with the U. of I. The association will honor the 2016 Medallion of Honor recipient at the Moms Association Annual Meeting during Moms Weekend, April 8-10.

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

The campus Dial-A-Carol program broke its previous record by a long shot this holiday season, racking up an amazing 12,000 calls in seven days.

Marie Channell is a new assistant professor in the department of speech and hearing science in the College of Applied Health Sciences.

A new book looks at aspects of how the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program affects health and well-being. “SNAP Matters” includes a chapter on obesity by University of Illinois economist Craig Gundersen, one of the book’s editors.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has hired Korn Ferry, the world’s largest executive search firm, to assist with the search for a new director of athletics.

Last-minute shoppers will find many gift options on the U. of I. campus, including books on the wildlife of Illinois, a charming set of Nutcracker characters, Fighting Illini bobbleheads and a Star Wars-themed coffee mug -- items that say “Illini” in their own unique ways.

A Minute With...™ Atul Jain, expert on atmospheric carbon and climate change

Five University of Illinois faculty members have been awarded National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships for 2016 – the second year in a row that the Urbana campus has garnered more of these awards than any single institution.

CATAMARCA, ARGENTINA - Early in 2016, a small team will climb Ojos del Salado, the tallest active volcano in the world. Unlike most climbers who tackle this volcano, however, this group has little interest in reaching the summit. Near the end of their trek, they will veer off the summit path to visit a lake that holds something seen nowhere else on Earth at this altitude: liquid water. The team will try to collect soil and water samples from this lake to see what microbes might be living there.

A new study reveals that people with tinnitus who are less bothered by their symptoms use different brain regions when processing emotional information.

A Minute With...™ Kate Wegmann, professor social work

of I. Herb Day will be 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 23 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel and Conference Center, just off Lincoln Avenue at I-74 in Urbana.

The deadline is nearing for the annual Chancellor’s Distinguished Staff Award. This program is designed to recognize outstanding contributions to the U. of I. by members of the staff.

The U. of I.'s Alcohol and Other Drugs biennial report is now available.

The Baroque Artists of Champaign-Urbana will offer the holiday music program "A German Baroque Christmas" at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 405 W. Clark St., Champaign.

The Social Dimensions of Environmental Policy will hold the event titled “Land Reforms in West and Central Africa: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Empowerment of Local Communities."

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

A Minute With...™ Lizanne DeStefano, professor emerita of educational psychology

A Minute With...™ Christopher Z. Mooney, Director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs

Light coats and fog have been mainstays on campus in December, and the unseasonably warm weather is not expected to go away anytime soon. According to preliminary data collected by the U. of I.'s Midwestern Regional Climate Center, this fall was the second warmest since 1895, when record keeping began. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said the Midwest would continue to see above-normal temperatures in December, January and February.

Photo by Joyce Seay-Knobloch

There are dangers lurking in every kitchen. But in Brian Jacobson's kitchen, they are bigger than most.

Dr. Robert Good and professor Rashid Bashir have been named co-chairs of the 18-member group that will lead the effort to build the engineering-based Carle Illinois College of Medicine’s core curriculum. 

Simon Rogers is a new assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

A Minute With...™ Jamie Jones, who is writing a book on the literature, art and culture surrounding the whaling industry

The Urbana Champaign Senate has nominated four men to receive honorary degrees at the May 2016 Commencement exercises.

The Urbana-Champaign Senate voiced its disapproval Dec. 7 for the university's new criminal background check policy, even as campus administrators continue their work to implement it.

For bacteria that swim, determining whether to stay the course or head in a new direction is vital to survival. A new study offers atomic-level details of the molecular machinery that allows swimming bacteria to sense their environment and change direction when needed

Light and electricity dance a complicated tango in devices like LEDs, solar cells and sensors. A new anti-reflection coating developed by engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, lets light through without hampering the flow of electricity, a step that could increase efficiency in such devices.

An engineer and an ophthalmologist are working together to develop a portable sensor that can quickly and inexpensively determine whether an eye injury is mild or severe. The device, called OcuCheck, works by measuring levels of vitamin C in the fluids that coat or leak from the eye. The sensor could speed efforts to determine the extent of eye injuries at accident sites, in rural areas lacking ophthalmology specialists or on the battlefield, the researchers said.

A committee to identify and recruit the next director of athletics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will proceed expeditiously but thoroughly in that process, Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson said today in announcing the committee roster.

The Division of Management Information has announced the latest version of the Campus Profile is now available online.

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

The U. of I.’s campuswide outcomes survey is now available for December 2015 graduates earning a bachelor’s degree. Faculty members are asked to encourage graduates to respond to the survey, which asks about employment, continued education and other next steps after graduation. Graduates can access their unique survey links online.

The Illini Union’s Office of Volunteer Programs will host its annual Holiday Toy Drive through Dec. 9, with a goal of collecting 1,000 presents.

Author, educator and entrepreneur Wes Moore will present the One Book One Campus keynote lecture at the Illini Union at 7 p.m. Dec. 8. An informal reception and book signing will immediately follow the presentation.