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  • The researchers stand in a field at the U. of I. Energy Farm.

    Study identifies best bioenergy crops for sustainable aviation fuels by U.S. region, policy goals

    Researchers analyzed the financial and environmental costs and benefits of four biofuels crops used to produce sustainable aviation fuels in the U.S. They found that each feedstock — corn stover, energy sorghum, miscanthus or switchgrass — performed best in a specific region of the rainfed United States. Their study will help growers and policymakers select the feedstocks most suited to meeting goals like reducing production costs, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and building soil carbon stocks.

  • Photo of Susan Jones and Elizabeth Osborn holding gold medals and seated before a table of memorabilia, including track shoes, an Olympic jersey and newspaper clippings and photos.

    University Archives collection tells history of Illinois athlete, 1924 Olympic champion

    Former University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign track star Harold Osborn won two gold medals at the 1924 Paris Olympics. The U. of I.’s Student Life and Culture Archives has a collection of Osborn’s memorabilia from his athletic career, including his gold medals.

  • Communication professor Charee Thompson, Dr. Tiffani Dillard and communication professor Mardia Bishop in a patient exam room

    Virtual reality training for physicians aims to heal disparities in Black maternal health care

    A new virtual reality training series being co-developed by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign teaches medical students about implicit bias in health care and the ways it harms Black patients and contributes to race-based health disparities.

  • An overhead view of a large landslide showing a detachment and numerous land fractures

    Researchers clarify how soft materials fail under stress

    Understanding how soft materials fail under stress is critical for solving engineering challenges as disparate as pharmaceutical technology and landslide prevention. A new study linking a spectrum of soft material behaviors — previously thought to be unrelated — led researchers to identify a new parameter they call the brittility factor, which allows them to simplify soft material failure behavior. This will ultimately help engineers design better materials that meet future challenges.

  • Humanities students build bridges to strong communities

    Doctoral student in humanities participating in community-based project to bring awareness to food sourcing and sustainable agriculture.

     

  • Ying Bao, a professor of business administration at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

    Study: Consumption-tracking technology mixed bag for consumers

    Consumption tracking technologies meant to head off consumer penalty fees offer the promise providing an early-warning system to consumers about potentially incurring penalty fees, but also may instill a false sense of security among consumers who are only partially cognizant of their own forgetfulness, says Ying Bao, a professor of business administration at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Lauren R. Aronson, a clinical professor and the director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law.

    How significant is the Biden administration’s new immigration executive order?

    The new executive order from the Biden administration aimed at protecting the undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens from deportation will benefit upwards of half a million unauthorized immigrants, meaning it’s more focused on family unity than the “mass amnesty” some critics have portrayed it as, says Lauren R. Aronson, a clinical professor and the director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law.

  • Headshot of Kate McDowell

    Project helps librarians use data storytelling to advocate for public libraries

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign information sciences professor Kate McDowell leads a data storytelling project that helps librarians use data to advocate for public libraries.

  • Elliott named new dean of Gies College of Business

    W. Brooke Elliott has been selected as dean of Gies College of Business and the Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor in Business, pending approval by the U. of I. Board of Trustees. Until officially approved, her title will be dean of Gies College of Business and Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor in Business designate. The appointment will begin Aug. 16.

  • A man stands, arms crossed, in front of a banner with cellular imagery

    How do drugs like Ozempic work for weight loss?

    New weight-loss drugs like those sold under the names Ozempic and Wegovy can be life-changing for those with type 2 diabetes or severe obesity, but are not the best choice for those only looking to lose a few pounds, says Patrick Sweeney, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor of molecular and integrative physiology. 

  • Two men look at cell images on a screen

    Light targets cells for death and triggers immune response with laser precision

    A new method of precisely targeting troublesome cells for death using light could unlock new understanding of and treatments for cancer and inflammatory diseases, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers report.

  • Illinois program supporting academic couples ranks high nationally

    The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was recently ranked second in the nation as a partner-friendly institution on the Partner Hire Scorecard — an online, research-based ranking of universities that provide support for academic couples in the job search process.

  • Illinois student awarded Beinecke Scholarship

    Justin Wytmar, who recently completed his junior year at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is among 20 students nationally who were awarded the Beinecke Scholarship, which is valued at $35,000. The Beinecke award supports graduate study in the arts, humanities or social sciences. 

  • Pinholster named new dean of College of Fine and Applied Arts

    Following a national search, Jacob Pinholster has been selected as dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts, effective Sept. 16, pending University of Illinois Board of Trustees approval. Pinholster’s title will be dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts designate until board approval.

  • Team members, from left, first author Sehyun Ju, professor Kelly Bost and graduate student Samantha Iwinski

    Emotional overeating fed by temperament, caregivers’ reactions to children’s emotions

    The roots of emotional overeating may be found in temperament and self-regulation of one’s emotions, but caregivers’ responses to children’s negative emotions also influence whether those as young as age 3 eat to ease their distress, according to new study by researchers at the U. of I.

  • Stacy Bennett, a professor of education policy, organization and leadership

    How is this year’s chaotic Federal Student Aid application process affecting colleges, students?

    Release of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid has been fraught with glitches and delays, according to Stacy Bennett, a professor of education policy, organization and leadership, and a senior research associate for the Office of Community College Research and Leadership. 

  • The researchers in a laboratory. Between them is a fish tank with an octopus inside that has been placed in the temporary tank for the photograph.

    From 'CyberSlug' to 'CyberOctopus': New AI explores, remembers, seeks novelty, overcomes obstacles

    By giving artificial intelligence simple associative learning rules based on the brain circuits that allow a sea slug to forage — and augmenting it with better episodic memory, like that of an octopus — scientists have built an AI that can navigate new environments, seek rewards, map landmarks and overcome obstacles.

  • Two men in front of projected microscope images.

    A heart of stone: Study defines the process of and defenses against cardiac valve calcification

    The human body has sophisticated defenses against the deposition of calcium minerals that stiffen heart tissues, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and collaborators at UCLA Health and the University of Texas at Austin found in a new study that provides the first detailed, step-by-step documentation of how mineralization progresses.

  • Awards recognize excellence in public engagement

    The recipients of the 2024 Campus Awards for Excellence in Public Engagement include faculty members Sheldon Jacobson and Emily Knox; graduate students Dusty Bacon and Imani Canton; the Champaign-Urbana Community Fab Lab community engagement team; and the University of Illinois Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Clinic.

  • Zeynep Madak-Erdogan photo portrait.

    Study links neighborhood violence, lung cancer progression

    Scientists have identified a potential driver of aggressive lung cancer tumors in patients who live in areas with high levels of violent crime. Their study found that stress responses differ between those living in neighborhoods with higher and lower levels of violent crime, and between cancerous and healthy tissues in the same individuals.

  • Photo of Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations at the Urbana campus of the University of Illinois and the director of the Labor Education Program in Chicago.

    How have the dynamics between Chicago teachers, public schools changed since 2019 strike?

    An extended strike by Chicago public school teachers seems unlikely thanks to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s union credentials, says Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois and co-author of the 2016 book “A Fight for the Soul of Public Education: The Story of the Chicago Teachers Strike.”

  • Photo of John Paul Meyers dressed in a suit and leaning toward a Victrola record player.

    Illinois scholar’s book examines how popular music connects to the past

    Popular music has a deep relationship with invoking the past, writes University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor of African American studies John Paul Meyers in his new book “Same Old Song: The Enduring Past in Popular Music.”

  • OCCRL director Lorenzo Baber

    Why offer certain types of baccalaureate degrees through Illinois’ community colleges?

    Offering certain baccalaureate degrees through community colleges could be a game-changer for the state's workforce and underserved students, says Lorenzo Baber, director of the Office of Community College Research and Leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • sociology professor Jose Atiles

    Puerto Rico’s anti-corruption laws promoted fraud by outsourcing government services

    Fraud and corruption in Puerto Rico flourished under its anti-corruption policies, which promoted the outsourcing of government services to private sector corporations, according to new research by sociology professor Jose Atiles.

  • Debra Flessner

    Flessner named Office Professional of the Year 2024

    Debra Flessner was selected as the 2024 Office Professional of the Year by the Illinois Administrative Professionals at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The office administrator for System Offices Shared Services, Flessner is the 32nd recipient of the annual award. 

  • The researchers in a laboratory.

    Gut microbes from aged mice induce inflammation in young mice, study finds

    When scientists transplanted the gut microbes of aged mice into young “germ-free” mice — raised to have no gut microbes of their own — the recipient mice experienced an increase in inflammation that parallels inflammatory processes associated with aging in humans. Young germ-free mice transplanted with microbes from other young mice had no such increase.

  • Professor Yannick Kluch standing in Memorial Stadium on the U. of I.'s Urbana-Champaign campus.

    Will the 2024 Olympic Games become the playing field for social justice protests?

    Yannick Kluch, an expert on sport as a platform for social justice protests, explores the contentious history of political protests by Olympic athletes and if the controversial Rule 50 could be invoked to saction those who make them during the 2024 Summer Games.

  • Team members Xavier Ramirez, Karen Tabb and Sandra Kopels.

    State of Illinois a leader in legislation on perinatal mental health, study says

    Despite the state of Illinois' exemplary record in advancing policies on the detection and treatment of perinatal mental health problems, more work remains to be done, according to a review of the state's policies by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Stefan Vogler standing in front of a Pride flag

    How are LGBTQ people treated by law enforcement?

    Sociology professor Stefan Vogler at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a co-author of a new American Civil Liberties Union research report, “Policing Progress: Findings from a National Survey of LGBTQ+ People’s Experiences with Law Enforcement.”

  • Aarya Mehta gets hoisted up as he throws his arms out to the eclipse as members of the Illini Astronomical Society celebrate witnessing the historic total solar eclipse

    The Great American Eclipse and all of its magic

    Crowds of people bustle about at the Martinsville Agricultural Fairgrounds on a Monday afternoon with their eyes on the sky. The air ripples with excitement as we eagerly await our chance to witness the moon consuming the sun — a total solar eclipse!

  • Diptych image with a headshot of Corey Van Landingham and the book cover of "Reader, I."

    Illinois poet’s new book of poetry reflects on marriage, its constraints and its hopefulness

    Poet Corey Van Landingham, an English professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, writes about new marriage, its conventions and how it can both shrink and expand one’s world in her new collection of poems, “Reader, I.”

  • The research team standing on stairs.

    New antibiotic kills pathogenic bacteria, spares healthy gut microbes

    Researchers have developed a new antibiotic that reduced or eliminated drug-resistant bacterial infections in mouse models of acute pneumonia and sepsis while sparing healthy microbes in the mouse gut. The drug, called lolamicin, also warded off secondary infections with Clostridioides difficile, a common and dangerous hospital-associated bacterial infection, and was effective against more than 130 multidrug-resistant bacterial strains in cell culture.

  • Diptych image with book cover of "Bribed With Our Own Money" and a headshot of David Beck.

    Book details how federal government used bribery to end relationships with Native American tribes

    In a new book, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign history professor David Beck describes how the federal government used bribery to end its legal and political relationships with Native American tribes.

  • Illinois partnership with the JJK Foundation in St. Clair County set to provide more than $32 million in labor income creation throughout the state by 2026

    A study conducted by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign economist found that the activities of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation in St. Clair County, Illinois, will provide $32 million in labor income creation, 474 new jobs and $10.7 million in new tax revenue throughout the state of Illinois by 2026.

  • Illinois student awarded Boren funding for overseas language study

    Di Lan Johnson, a junior in global studies, was awarded the Boren scholarship and plans to study in Taiwan for the 2024-2025 academic year.

  • Short but severe episodes of flooding from hurricanes in Texas and Florida triggered a nationwide increase in flood insurance sign-ups depending on how socially connected a county was to the flooded counties, says new research co-written by U. of I. professor of agricultural and consumer economics Yilan Xu, left, and U. of I. graduate student Sébastien Box-Couillard.

    Study: Social networks can influence perception of climate-change risk

    Short but severe episodes of flooding from hurricanes in Texas and Florida triggered a nationwide increase in flood insurance sign-ups depending on how socially connected a county was to the flooded counties, says new research co-written by U. of I. professor of agricultural and consumer economics Yilan Xu and U. of I. graduate student Sébastien Box-Couillard.

  • Headshot of Rebecca Walker

    Green infrastructure plans need to consider historical racial inequalities, say researchers

    Urban greening projects should consider historical development patterns and past discriminatory practices to avoid exacerbating the unequal distribution of environmental benefits, says Rebecca Walker, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign urban and regional planning professor.

  • Graduate student Yingqi Jia, left, and professor Shelly Zhang in their lab

    Researchers introduce programmable materials to help heal broken bones

    Natural materials like bone, bird feathers and wood have an intelligent approach to physical stress distribution, despite their irregular architectures. However, the relationship between stress modulation and their structures has remained elusive. A new study that integrates machine learning, optimization, 3D printing and stress experiments allowed engineers to gain insight into these natural wonders by developing a material that replicates the functionalities of human bone for orthopedic femur restoration.

  • Portrait of researchers in a laboratory. They are sitting in front of two computer monitors displaying data and visualizations of their experiments.

    By listening, scientists learn how a protein folds

    By converting their data into sounds, scientists discovered how hydrogen bonds contribute to the lightning-fast gyrations that transform a string of amino acids into a functional, folded protein. Their report, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offers an unprecedented view of the sequence of hydrogen-bonding events that occur when a protein morphs from an unfolded to a folded state.

  • Illinois Commencement Speaker Jeanne Gang: Keep the Spark

    Jeanne Gang, an internationally renowned architect, graduated from the university in 1986 with a degree in architecture. Here's the transcript of her 2024 Commencement speech.

  • Photo of Charles Lloyd on stage playing a saxophone, wearing a blue jacket and beret and sunglasses.

    Krannert Center for the Performing Arts announces 2024-25 season performances

    Krannert Center for the Performing Arts will feature a wide variety of performers for its 2024-25 season.

  • Diptych image with headshots of Michelle Bak and Jessie Chin

    Study: Large language models can’t effectively recognize users’ motivation, but can support behavior change for those ready to act

    Large language model-based chatbots can’t effectively recognize users’ motivation when they are hesitant about making healthy behavior changes, but they can support those who are committed to take action, say University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers.

  • Photo montage of Jeanne Gang on the left, with two buildings -- the WMS Boathouse and the Writers Theatre -- on the right.

    Illinois Commencement speaker, architect Jeanne Gang, designs buildings that connect people, nature and communities

    Internationally renowned architect Jeanne Gang believes architecture can connect people to each other, their environment and their communities. She is the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Commencement speaker and an Illinois alumna.

  • A colored microscope image depicting a green nerve surrounded by red and blue muscle cells.

    Nerves prompt muscle to release factors that boost brain health

    Exercise prompts muscles to release molecular cargo that boosts brain cell function and connection, but the process is not well understood. New research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found that the nerves that tell muscles to move also prompt them to release more of the brain-boosting factors.

  • Researchers

    Three Illinois faculty members elected to National Academy of Sciences

    Three University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professors have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of a scientist's highest professional honors. Physics professor Chen-Yu Liubiochemistry professor emeritus Steve Sligar and chemistry professor emeritus Ken Suslick are among 120 newly elected U.S. members and 24 international members in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

  • Carol Symes stands in Spurlock Museum with sculptures in the background

    How are states altering higher education by redefining academic freedom?

    Numerous states have enacted laws that redefine tenure and academic freedom protections at their universities. Carol Symes, a professor of history at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, discusses how these laws may fundamentally change teaching and research.

  • Photo of Dr. Lowe standing near a cattle feed lot.

    How does bird flu infect so many species?

    Dr. James Lowe, a professor of veterinary clinical medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, describes the factors that influence infection with the H5N1 virus in humans and other animals.

  • Suja Thomas, the Peer and Sarah Pedersen Professor of Law at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and author of the 2016 book “The Missing American Jury: Restoring the Fundamental Constitutional Role of the Criminal, Civil, and Grand Juries.”

    What effect will Trump trials have on the perception of jury trial, civic participation?

    The Trump criminal and civil trials are likely to highlight the importance of juries and civic participation by ordinary citizens, says Suja Thomas, the Peer and Sarah Pedersen Professor of Law at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and author of the 2016 book “The Missing American Jury: Restoring the Fundamental Constitutional Role of the Criminal, Civil, and Grand Juries.”

  • Illinois Named a Top Peace Corps Volunteer Producer

    Since the Peace Corps was established in 1961, more than 1,600 U. of I. alumni have served as volunteers, placing Illinois at No. 7 among the agency’s all-time top volunteer producing large colleges and universities.

  • Image of BFA exhibition catalog cover with hand-drawn caricatures of faces.

    Art and design seniors show their work in Krannert Art Museum exhibition

    The School of Art and Design Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition at Krannert Art Museum gives University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign seniors in art and design an opportunity to show work that is a culmination of their education.