News Bureau

The Call to Action Research Program, initiated by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Robert Jones to address structures of racism and injustice, is seeking proposals from the Urbana campus and the local community.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fourteenth Biennial Black Sacred Music Symposium Concert begins Sunday, March 10, at 5 p.m. in the Foellinger Great Hall at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana.

The EU Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will host political scientist and author Ivan Krastev for a lecture on how the Russian invasion of Ukraine is reshaping the political imagination of Europe.

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and the School of Music at Illinois are exploring the diversity of today’s contemporary music scene during the months of February and March.

Abbott Power Plant’s 77-year-old south stack will be taken down in much the same way it went up, one piece at a time. Crews this month began preparations to disassemble the 197-foot concrete stack at the plant, located on the U. of I. campus at 1117 S. Oak St. The work is expected to end this summer.

Japan House will hold its annual Mottainai Holiday Bazaar this weekend. The bazaar will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, at Japan House, 2000 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana.

Mottainai is a Japanese word meaning “what a waste” or “don't waste” and is a treasured Japanese concept.

Have you wondered how to preserve an old film of family memories or take proper care of grandma’s quilt? Bring your small items or come with images of larger pieces to the Preservation Emporium at Spurlock Museum of World Cultures at Illinois on Saturday, April 7, from 1-4 p.m., and have your preservation questions answered by experts.

John A. Lynn II, a professor emeritus of history at Illinois, will give a talk and answer questions covering the events depicted in the film “Dunkirk” immediately following the 1 p.m. screening Aug. 20 at the Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park Ave., Champaign.

About 90 local schools will welcome award-winning authors and book illustrators as part of the University of Illinois’ 2016 Youth Literature Festival.

Five additional films and a list of special guests have been added to the lineup for this year’s Roger Ebert’s Film Festival hosted by Chaz Ebert, also known as ‘Ebertfest,’ April 13-17 at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign and the U. of I.

Many know Robert Zuppke (1879-1957) as Illinois’ longest-serving football coach, whose teams won or tied for four national championships and seven conference championships between 1913 and 1941. But he also was an in-demand motivational speaker, a syndicated sports writer, co-author of a popular sports comic strip and an accomplished and prolific artist.

Kofusion will hold the grand opening of its Illini Union Food Court location Thursday, Aug. 25, at 10 a.m., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. A limited number of free sushi samples will be available during remarks from Illini Union Board President Sophie Ruiz-Gehrt, KoFusion owner Janet Bubin and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and the Director of Auxiliary Services Lowa Mwilambwe. 

Passes for the 20th annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, coming in April, go on sale Nov. 1.

The University YMCA is seeking volunteers and donations for its 18th annual Dump & Run recycling program. Collections during the May period of Dump & Run will be held exclusively at the Stock Pavilion, 1402 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Urbana, because the MCORE construction project limits access to  the University YMCA building on Wright Street.

The EU’s ambassador to the U.S. will discuss the U.K. Brexit process and transatlantic relations as part of EU Day on Nov. 9.

An arctic outbreak in late January led to widespread bitterly cold temperatures across much of the Upper Midwest, including Illinois. On the morning of Jan. 31, the cooperative weather observer at Mount Carroll in Carroll County reported a temperature of -38 degrees.  

Illinois Theatre continues its 2018-19 season with “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by Simon Stephens. Adapted from Mark Haddon’s award-winning novel of the same name, the play follows Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old on the autism spectrum, as he explores the meanings of family and forgiveness while investigating the death of his neighbor’s dog. The play is told through Christopher’s eyes and the company has worked with The Autism Project to tell this story in a way that is truthful to families who experience life with autism spectrum disorder.

On Saturday, March 9, at 1 p.m.,  Illinois Theatre will offer a sensory-friendly performancefor adult and young adult audience members (and their families) who are on the autism spectrum or who otherwise need a less intense sensory experience. Through modifications of the lighting, sound and media designs, theperformance is intended as a safe and welcoming opportunity for adults and young adults with autism and their supporters.

The relaxed, sensory-friendly environment may also work well for those who have other chronic issues, may not be able to sit for long periods of time, or simply enjoy a more casual performance experience. “Social Story”booklets will be available in advance to help audience members know what to expect during their visit to Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and during the play itself. Audiences are invited to bring comfort items (fidget toys, blankets, etc.) with them and to use a “safe space” area outside of the theater as needed, where a live video feed of the performance will be available.

The production contains the graphic depiction of an animal’s death, which may not be suitable for all viewers. The play is based on Haddon’s young adult novel and is most appropriate for audiences age 14 and up.

Tickets are $10 and available through the Krannert Center Ticket Office, at KrannertCenter.com, or by calling 217-333-6280.

Performances without the sensory-friendly modifications run from Thursday, Feb. 28 to Sunday, March 10.

Correction: At the request of the family’s attorney, the public announcement of Yingying’s Fund scheduled for 10 a.m. Aug. 7 on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus has been postponed. A new date and time have not been yet been determined. 

The Big Ten Academic Alliance recently announced the 2023-24 fellows for its Academic Leadership Program and Department Executive Officers Seminar. Eleven U. of I. faculty members have been selected to participate.

A celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day will take place Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. to noon on the South Quad near the ACES Library, 1101 S. Goodwin, Ave., Urbana. A reception follows.

The statewide average temperature for November in Illinois was 35.3 degrees, which is 7.2 degrees below normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey at the U. of I. November 2018 was ranked the eighth-coldest November on record.

On Nov. 14, the International and Area Studies Library at Illinois hosted a ceremony to celebrate a new Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies. The center was established through a memorandum of understanding between Illinois and the National Central Library of Taiwan

Traffic patterns in the campus area will be affected by the annual Homecoming Parade, which takes place Friday, Oct. 27 from 6 to 7 p.m.

Southern blueswoman Marcia Ball will perform in a free outdoor concert in the University of Illinois Research Park on Friday, July 20 at 7:30 p.m.. The event is part of the Outside at the Research Park series. The opening act is Jive Bag, led by Jonny Beckett, playing New Orleans funk and jazz starting at 6:30 p.m. Ball is known for her keyboard skills that blend “rollicking, two-fisted New Orleans piano, Louisiana swamp rock and smoldering Texas blues,” according to The Boston Globe.

A candlelight vigil to honor missing scholar Yingying Zhang will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Illini Union. In the event of rain, the vigil will be held in the Union’s Courtyard Cafe.

"Stoking the Flames of Passionate Teaching" will be the theme for the Illinois New Teacher Collaborative's Winter Leadership Summit on Jan. 26.

Emergency responders will take part in a full-scale emergency exercise at Willard Airport in Savoy on Monday, May 20, beginning at 6 p.m. The exercise will not affect scheduled air travel.

The grand opening of the Siebel Center for Design on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus will take place Oct. 8 with a formal dedication at 1 p.m., followed by an open house. Attendees will include Thomas Siebel, Chancellor Robert Jones and System President Tim Killeen.

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts has announced a five-year, $30 million fundraising initiative.

Helping early career teachers improve their instructional practices while fostering skills and relationships that promote professional development are the foci of the Illinois New Teacher Collaborative’s upcoming Induction and Mentoring Conference.

In March, the New York-based Mark Morris Dance Group returns to its Midwest home at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Over the course of its one-week residency, the company will conduct public engagement work with the Champaign, Urbana and U. of I. community and present two ticketed performances of “Pepperland.”

2016 graduates of the U. of I. teacher preparation programs who will begin their first teaching jobs this fall are invited to take part in a boot camp offered June 30-July 1, including joint sessions with the Illinois New Teacher Collaborative's Beginning Teacher Conference.

Ten U. of I. history professors, staff and students will each make their case for a book that changed everything at the “History Soapbox” on March 30.

The university’s Solar Farm resumed full electricity production Jan. 25 after repairs to the site’s three inverters were completed. Inverters change direct current to alternating current to prepare energy for delivery to the campus electrical grid. The installation went offline Oct. 29 after a malfunction of the array’s electrical system.

Bring your bike to the 11th annual Light the Night event on Thursday, Sept. 20 and get a free set of front and rear lights. Illinois law requires bicyclists riding at night to use lights.

Political reporting in the Trump era will be the subject of a panel discussion April 12 featuring the Washington Post’s Dan Balz and columnist Roger Simon.

Organizers of a new independent high school, Academy High, will share details with prospective parents and students at two meetings May 18 at the I Hotel and Conference center.

Cooler, drier weather has led to declining soil temperatures and moisture levels, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, part of the Prairie Research Institute at Illinois.

Illinois has been experiencing some of its coldest weather in decades and, in some locations, ever.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration cooperative weather observer at Mount Carroll in northeastern Illinois reported a temperature of -38 degrees on the morning of Jan. 31.

The Audiology Clinic at Illinois is offering free adult hearing screenings Jan. 23 through April 27. Appointments may be scheduled by calling 217-333-2230. No scheduling is available by email.

Nancy C. Brady, an expert on pre-language communication and language development in young children, will give the annual Goldstick Family Lecture in the Study of Communication Disorders at the University of Illinois.

Illini Emergency Medical Services, a student program under the Illinois Fire Service Institute, received national recognition recently when the U. of I. was awarded the designation of a HEARTSafe Campus. IEMS accepted the award Feb. 24 at the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation Awards Reception in Philadelphia. 

Cari West-Henkelman received the 2023 Office Professional of the Year award from the Illinois Administrative Professionals organization at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Beginning Monday, May 22, two sections of Green Street between Wright Street and Goodwin Avenue will close to through traffic as construction resumes on Multimodal Corridor Enhancement (MCORE) Project 1 (see map). Significant detours for vehicular and pedestrian traffic will occur for primary campus locations.

The last films have been added and the schedule is out for this year’s Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, coming April 19-23 to downtown Champaign.

The Moms Association at Illinois announced the winners of its annual awards and scholarship programs during Moms Weekend on April 7-9.

The U. of I. will host “A Conversation with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor” from 7-8 p.m. March 7 at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

Milan Bagchi, the head of the department of molecular and integrative physiology, was named the next director of the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Illinois.

“Interstellar” in 70mm coming to 20th annual “Ebertfest,” as well as documentary on the role of American Indians in rock music.

Media passes and parking are available for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign commencement.