News Bureau

“You never know what path you’re going on,” said Patty Jones, the associate director for research at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. And, yes, she has gone on many different paths.

Faculty members and academic professionals retire Between Sept. 1, 2001, and Aug. 31, 2002, 138 faculty members and academic professionals retired from the UI, according to the Office of Academic Human Resources. The retirees, their positions,units and years of service: Academic Policy Analysis Larry R. Askew, associate director, 29. Accountancy Andrew D. Bailey Jr., Ernst & Young Distinguished Professor, 8. Eugene Willis, Arthur Andersen Alumni Professor, 27. Administrative Information Technology Services Terry G. Moore, management systems coordinator, 33. Admissions and Records Christine M. Tarant, assistant director, 31. Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering Lee H. Sentman, professor, 37. Wayne C. Solomon, professor, 14. Agricultural and Consumer Economics Lyle P. Fettig, professor, 40. Nancy I. Moser, research programmer, 23. Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences administration George P. Hendricks, associate director for operations, 12. Donald A. Holt, professor and senior associate dean, 20. John W. Santas, assistant dean for academic programs, 24. Agricultural Engineering Paul W. Benson, lecturer and executive director of Illinois Electric Council, 24. Animal Biology Daryl C. Sweeney, associate professor of animal biology and of physiology, 37. Animal Sciences Daniel Grunloh, research specialist in life sciences, 30. Anthropology Steven J. Holland, graphic technician specialist, 28. Architecture R.A. Forrester, professor and assistant director, Versailles Program, 21. Art and Design Roger F. Blakley, professor of art, 31. Julius E. Rascheff, associate professor of art, 31. Assembly Hall Jimmie L. Abel, associate director for operations, 13. Astronomy John R. Dickel, professor and Campus Honors Faculty, 38. Biochemistry Robert L. Switzer, professor, 34. Chemistry Susan E. Bekiares, associate professor of library administration, assistant to the head, and coordinator of research programming, 35. William H. Pirkle, professor, 38. Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services Edward M. Krol, assistant director, 29. Joan Mills, research programmer, 38. Ronald D. Szoke, research programmer, 23. Civil and Environmental Engineering Edward J. Cording, professor, 35. G. Fernandez-Delgado, research engineer, 31. David Pecknold, professor, 32. Computer Science Saburo Muroga, professor, 38. Paul E. Saylor, professor, 35. Counseling Center James F. Sipich, clinical counselor supervisor, 37. Crop Sciences Harold E. Kauffman, professor and interim assistant dean, International Activities, 21. Glenn A. Raines, agronomist, 25. Curriculum and Instruction Kenneth J. Travers, professor, 39. Economics H.F. Williamson, associate professor and associate dean, 38. Educational Organization and Leadership Paul W. Thurston, professor and director of Office of Professional Development, 28. Engineering Administration Michael H. Pleck, professor and visiting assistant dean, 38. David L. Powell, director, Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering, 21. Laurie A. Talkington, director of development, 16. English Mark P. Costello, professor, 35. James R. Hurt, professor, 36. W.D. Kay, professor, 37. English as an International Language Mary S. Temperley, assistant professor, 20. Environmental Council Richard F. Sparks, visiting professor, 4. Family Medicine Deborah C. Rugg, teaching associate, 7. Finance James A. Gentry, professor, 36. Fire Service Institute Gifford T. Smith, assistant fire services education specialist and program director, 10. James B. Straseske, fire services education specialist and associate director for administration and research, 29. General Engineering Edward N. Kuznetsov, professor, 22. History John H. Pruett, associate professor, 29. Human and Community Development Dale S. Montanelli, associate professor, 27. Illini Union Yukiko Llewellyn, assistant dean of students, 30. Government and Public Affairs, Institute of Brenda K. Eheart, adjunct associate professor, research specialist in behavioral sciences and in social policy, 23. Deborah A. Kasak, senior specialist in education, 8. Institute of Aviation Tom W. Emanuel, assistant director for academic affairs, 33. William D. Geibel, professional aviation education specialist, 29. Roger W. Marsh, research engineer, 31. Internal Medicine Ralph A. Nelson, head and professor, 23. Danny L. Scott, clinical instructor, 11. Labor and Industrial Relations Ronald J. Peters, professor, 26. Alice R. Vernon, director of development and alumni relations, 30. Law John E. Nowak, professor, 30. Ronald D. Rotunda, Jenner professor, 28 Liberal Arts and Sciences administration Dianne Andrews, assistant professor, and coordinator of foreign language teaching education, 14. Robert M. Copeland, associate dean, 28. Emily M. Peck, associate dean and assistant professor, 29. Materials Research Lab Virginia C. Metze, senior research programmer, 37. Materials Science and Engineering Carl J. Altstetter, professor of physical metallurgy, assistant dean and director of international programs, 44. Li Chang, research engineer, 14. Pengdi Han, senior research engineer, 14. Mathematics I.D. Berg, professor, 38. Carol Castellon, teaching associate, 15. Harold G. Diamond, professor, 35. Robert P. Kaufman, professor, 37. Leon R. McCulloh, professor, 41. Philippe M. Tondeur, professor and director, Division of Mathematical Science, 34. Medical Information Science Allan H. Levy, professor, 27. Molecular and Integrative Physiology Abetta L. Helman, research specialist in life sciences, 27. Norma C. Ramirez, research specialist in life sciences, 24. Victor D. Ramirez, professor of physiology and Beckman Institute affiliate, 28. Music Sam Reese, associate professor, 6. Thomas Wirtel, assistant professor, 7. John C. Wustman, Center for Advanced Study Professor, 34. Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Michael F. Bolin, Extension specialist, 29. Anita A. Povich, associate publications editor, 19. Jun Wu, research specialist in agriculture, 8. Office of Business and Financial Services Katharine J. Kral, assistant vice president, 12. William D. Morgan, associate director, grants and contracts administration, 27. James M. Skinner, purchasing officer III, Purchasing, 26. Peter J. Czajkowski, associate vice president for financial planning, 34.

Christopher Dunbar Jr., a professor of education policy, organization and leadership in the College of Education, is among the new faculty members to be featured in our annual "New Faces" feature. Inside Illinois continues its tradition of introducing some of the new faculty members on campus and will feature one new colleague online each week during the fall semester. 

Last week, a flier announcing the May Benefit Choice period was mailed from the state of Illinois Central Management Services, which administers health coverage for state employees. It included information at the bottom of page 5 about the possibility that U. of I. employees would be required to pay retroactive increases to their insurance premiums, depending on the outcome of an ongoing legal dispute pending before the Illinois Labor Relations Board. The potential retroactive costs are unknown at this time and will remain unknown during the Benefit Choice period, during which time employees must select a health plan.

In July, the U. of I. Board of Trustees approved faculty promotions in academic rank and changes in tenure status.

The Slavic collection at the U. of I. is the largest in Illinois, the Midwest and any state-supported U.S. university. Jan Adamczyk, a senior library specialist, takes care of the collection and responds to questions about it.  

In addition to the main gardens at Allerton Park and Retreat Center, there are 1,500 acres of grounds that have to be maintained, and Nate Beccue manages to do it all by himself.

This fall, Kelsey Rozema and 150 other students moved into Timothy J. Nugent Hall, UI's first new residence hall in 44 years. Rozema and her 16 first-floor hall mates have severe physical disabilities but their new home is the most accessible residence hall in the nation.

University of Illinois Vice President for Research Lawrence B. Schook announced March 16 that he will step down from the universitywide post in August to return to his research and faculty work on the Urbana and Chicago campuses. U. of I. President Tim Killeen said a national search will be conducted to select Schook’s successor.

Issues related to Chief Illiniwek, the former university symbol, were discussed at the Urbana-Champaign Senate-sponsored annual meeting of the faculty Oct. 26.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Nearly a half century after it started, a holiday/finals week tradition at a University of Illinois residence hall is still hitting the high notes with the public.

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.

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

Sara Pearson, a second-year veterinary student, was among the veterinary students volunteering for the “lamb watch" program in the U. of I.'s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dedra “DeeDee” Williams, a high-level administrator at the University of Illinois for more than two decades, has been appointed secretary of the U. of I. Board of Trustees and of the university, President Tim Killeen announced Jan. 11.

Between Aug. 16, 2010, and Aug. 15, 2011, 198 faculty members and academic professionals retired from the UI, according to the Office of Academic Human Resources. Those who retired during that time were honored last spring at the campus's Academic Service Recognition Luncheon. Also honored were employees celebrating an employment milestone (10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 years) during that time.

Pianos are playing. Horns can be heard. And students are practicing opera. It’s just a typical morning for Lori Melchi, an administrative aide at the School of Music.

The Illinois-Sweden Program for Educational Research and Exchange this week was awarded the Institute of International Education's Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education for the best international partnership in the country.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign chapter of Phi Eta Sigma, a national scholastic honorary society for freshmen, initiated 612 members at a campus ceremony this spring.

The number of first-year students expected to report to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus for the upcoming fall semester is similar to the fall 2015 total.

Those who have seen sculptor Nnenna Okore’s work at Krannert Art Museum will be able to hear from the artist how she transforms materials and gallery spaces into works of art.

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.

With the state budget impasse still looming large, high-profile administrator positions needing to be filled and plans for a new medical school to be finalized, there's no indication 2016 will be any less challenging.

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

Research by University of Illinois scientists with the Center for Geologic Storage of CO2 could have planetary implications while also producing benefits close to home.

Researchers have uncovered the existence of a dwarf “dark galaxy” lurking nearly 4 billion light-years away from Earth. The discovery was made when a team of researchers, including astronomers at the University of Illinois, using the Blue Waters supercomputer at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, noticed subtle distortions in the image of gravitational lens SDP.81. The discovery paves the way to spot many more such objects, which could help astronomers address important questions on the true nature of dark matter.

The experiences of eight children from around the world as they learned written language, and the ways in which these students used composition to confront social, societal and pedagogical barriers, are explored in a new book by a University of Illinois scholar.

Technology has a way of recalibrating careers.

When Illinois athletes Adam Davis, Mikel LeShoure, Whitney Mercilus and Troy Pollard signed up to take Kate Kuper's Dance 100 class, they knew they would probably learn to bust a few new moves.

The dedication of Wassaja Hall began Thursday with the sound of drums and a song sung in Comanche by the OtterTrail drum group, from the Peoria Tribe in Oklahoma. The dedication of the new student residence hall, held in the Student Dining and Residential Program Building due to inclement weather, is a celebration of the legacy of Wassaja, later known as Carlos Montezuma, who in 1884 became the first Native American to graduate from the University of Illinois, said Alma Sealine, the director of University Housing, the first of six speakers at the event.

Between Sept. 1, 2006, and Aug. 31, 2007, 109 faculty members and academic professionals retired from the UI, according to the Office of Academic Human Resources.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Alma Mater sculpture will make her long-awaited return to the Urbana campus April 9, where she will be put back on her pedestal to silently watch the next century of university progress.

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

Francina Dominguez,  an assistant professor of atomospheric sciences, is the first new faculty member to featured in our annual "New Faces" feature. Among the newcomers to the Urbana campus we will feature are faculty members whose appointments began this summer or fall. Inside Illinois continues its tradition of introducing some of the new faculty members on campus and will feature one new colleague online each week during the fall semester. 

This year's new faculty members included in our annual "New Faces" feature. Inside Illinois continues its tradition of introducing some of the new faculty members on campus and will feature two new colleague in each edition of Inside Illinois during the fall semester. 

The new Illinois law allowing citizens to carry a concealed handgun won't have much effect on campus.

The two revolts occurred almost back-to-back in the mid-19th century, in India and the U.S., but no one had studied the two together, says Rajmohan Gandhi, a research professor in the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Illinois.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Board of Fraternity Affairs and Board of Sorority Affairs have imposed sanctions on two organizations involved in an incident Oct. 5 at a Campustown bar.

Graphic designer Janet Snyder will be more excited than most when renovations at State Farm Center are finished next fall.

Richard Benton, an assistant professor of labor and employment relations, is among the new faculty members to be featured in our annual "New Faces" feature. Inside Illinois continues its tradition of introducing some of the new faculty members on campus and will feature one new colleague online each week during the fall semester. 

The National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the U. of I. is helping produce movie magic with cinematic scientific visualization.

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

There is a fine line between panhandling and nuisance, according to area police, and a number of homeless people who have set up shop in Campustown have been crossing it.

Political corruption, minimal policing and firefighting resources, limited transportation, public works deficiencies and condemned buildings. It's not the backdrop for a prime-time cop show - this is a city three hours from Champaign.

Xin Liu, an assistant professor of astronomy in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is among the new faculty members to be included in our New Faces feature.

Ginger Passalacqua works hard to make sure area veterinarians are getting the information they need to help make animals healthier and happier.

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

Building service worker Diane Covington starts her day at the Mechanical Engineering Lab while most of the campus is still sleeping, making sure the building is clean and ready for use.

Walter Wilson's work is behind every great piece of art in Krannert Art Museum. And, if you take into consideration each individual's tastes, it's also behind some of the not-so-great pieces.