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  • Diptych image with book cover of "The Promise of Beauty" and headshot of Mimi Thi Nguyen.

    Illinois professor’s book explores the relationship between beauty and crisis

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor of gender and women’s studies Mimi Thi Nguyen explores the relationship between beauty and crisis, and how examining beauty can point to the social and political conditions necessary for a good life. Her new book is “The Promise of Beauty.”

  • This image shows the researcher featured in this article.

    Have newspaper political endorsements outlived their purpose?

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor Melita Garza is a journalism historian who studies news as an agent of democracy. News Bureau editor Lois Yoksoulian discussed the history and future of presidential endorsements with Garza in light of recent nonendorsement decisions within some news organizations. 

  • U. of I. student Nathan Knoll

    Appealing to our ‘better angels’ with the Braver Angels

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign political science students navigate ways to defuse and open dialogue in a polarized political environment as part of the Richard G. and Carole J. Cline Symposium “Bridging Political Differences in a Polarized World” held Oct. 24 at the Illini Union Ballroom.

  • Communication professor Charee Thompson and graduate student Junhyung Han

    Communication with doctor during first visit affects pain patients’ outcomes

    Millions of Americans suffer from chronic pain and its emotional burdens. Feeling heard and emotionally supported by doctors during consultations dispels patients’ uncertainty, instilling hope and self-efficacy, U. of I. professor Charee Thompson found in a new study.

  • Illinois Commitment expands eligibility for tuition-free college to more Illinois families

    The threshold to be eligible for Illinois Commitment — a financial aid program that provides free tuition and fees for in-state students — has been increased from $67,100 to $75,000, putting Illinois near the top of the Big Ten in terms of the income limit.

  • Taisa Markus

    How should the next US president handle sanctions on Russia?

    No matter which candidate wins the presidential election, there’s a strong case to keep existing sanctions on Russia in place, says University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign adjunct law professor Taisa Markus.

  • The researcher stands holding a shovel. In the background, students work on several trenches that are part of the excavation.

    Excavating my own archaeology

    I stand at the edge of an archaeological excavation, watching in disbelief as students dig up the remnants of a structure I helped build 22 years ago as an undergraduate student in an experimental archaeology course. This structure was modeled on one recovered from a true archaeological site I helped excavate in 1999 — a log-and-thatch dwelling dating back 900 years from a Mississippian mound site near present-day St. Louis. This site is associated with the nearby UNESCO World Heritage site known as Cahokia.

  • Professor Paul Bruno standing in front of an upward staircase

    How are funding reforms such as vouchers — and potentially Project 2025 — affecting public education?

    Eliminating the U.S. Department of Education might not be cataclysmic, but other changes on the Project 2025 agenda could have profound implications for public schools and their students, said Paul Bruno, a professor of education policy, organization and leadership at the U. of I.

  • Photo of researcher in his laboratory.

    Thin skin significantly blunts injury from puncture, study finds

    Thin, stretchy skin — like that of a pig or human — significantly lessens the underlying damage that occurs when it’s punctured. Pig skin even outperforms synthetic materials that are designed to mimic skin, a new study finds. Its special qualities, in particular its ability to dissipate the energy of a puncturing object, greatly reduce the damage to deeper tissues, researchers report.

  • Bo Zhang, a professor of labor and employment relations and of psychology at Illinois

    New research creates better tool to assess personality traits of job seekers

    New research led by Bo Zhang, a professor of labor and employment relations and of psychology at Illinois, points to a better way of helping researchers and employers identify the differences in how people respond to personality tests.

  • The image depicts an afflicted liver with mutated DNA and toxic RNA, and its predisposition for fatty liver disease and drug metabolism defects.

    Mouse model reveals liver involvement in muscular dystrophy

    A new mouse model mimicking the liver symptoms of myotonic dystrophy type 1 — the most prevalent form of adult-onset muscular dystrophy — provides insight into why patients develop fatty liver disease and display hypersensitivity to medications, making treatment difficult. The new model opens avenues for screening new medications for liver toxicity prior to patient trials, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers said.

  • Professors Amy Leman and Jacinda Dariotis standing in front of a tree outside a building on the U. of I. campus.

    Study: Youth action research projects need thoughtful design, youths’ input

    A team at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a framework for youth participatory action research projects that integrates young participants into all facets of these projects, enriching their learning experience and the potential impact of their work.

  • A little girl in a pink tutu stands at an educational station and a U. of I. student shows her a seed ball.

    Cosplaying for science

    It’s a blazingly sunny September Saturday afternoon at Riggs Beer Company, a family-friendly brewery located on the edge of Urbana. It’s not surprising to see crowds of families basking in the dog days of summer with their food truck lunches and locally brewed pints of beer. Unexpected, however, are the patrons donning medieval and fantasy garb, accompanied by young children, some in princess dresses and others carrying around foam swords. 

    These aspiring adventurers are here on a quest, recruited to take part in a training regimen to combat the incursion of invasive species from the Feywild, a magical plane that exists adjacent to our own that is full of weird and wonderful wildlife. 

  • Video

    Why get new COVID-19 and flu shots?

    New vaccinations against influenza and the virus that causes COVID-19 are available and arriving at physician offices and pharmacies. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign microbiology professor Chris Brooke, a virologist who studies respiratory viruses, discusses what’s in the new vaccines, the best time to get them and why we need them at all. 

  • This image shows a spectrograph of the visable light range.

    Visible light energy yields two-for-one deal when added to CO2 recycling process

    By combining visible light and electrochemistry, researchers have enhanced the conversion of carbon dioxide into valuable products and stumbled upon a surprising discovery. The team found that visible light significantly improved an important chemical attribute called selectivity, opening new avenues not only for CO2 conversion but also for many other chemical reactions used in catalysis research and chemical manufacturing. 

  • Black and white panoramic photo of Memorial Stadium on the Oct. 18, 1924, dedication game.

    Illinois architecture professors’ book provides historic analysis of Memorial Stadium

    Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is an economic engine and an important civic building for the community as well as a site for football games, say Illinois architecture professors Kevin J. Hinders and Benjamin A. Bross.

  • Closeup photo of a Tsavo lion's face that includes eyes and nose. A streak of blood crosses the face.

    Genomic study identifies human, animal hair in ‘man-eater’ lions’ teeth

    In 1898, two male lions terrorized an encampment of bridge builders on the Tsavo River in Kenya. The infamous Tsavo “man-eaters” killed at least 28 people in the camp before the civil engineer on the project shot them dead. The lions’ remains were sold to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago in 1925.

    In a new study, Field Museum researchers collaborated with scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on an in-depth analysis of hairs carefully extracted from the lions’ broken teeth. The study used microscopy and genomics to identify some of the species the lions consumed.

  • A woman sits in an MRI control booth with data overlaid across the image

    Finding my calling as a neurosurgeon

    As I scroll through another sheet of data, I know each entry represents the story of a high school athlete whose season — and, potentially, life — was altered due to a possible concussion. I am looking for trends and risk factors, with the goal of helping physicians and coaches better evaluate whether an athlete has sustained a concussion and when it is safe to resume activity.

  • Photo of two dancers on stage, dressed in gray unitards with painted feathers on them. A male dancer is kneeling with his arms in the air, and a female dancer is leaning against him with one foot lifted off the ground behind her.

    October Dance puts a modern spin on dance history

    The Illinois dance department’s October Dance concert “Rewind/Remix” will look back at historical modern dance figures and put a contemporary spin on dance history.

  • New BTN documentary ‘A House of Brick’ celebrates 100 years of Memorial Stadium

    To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Illinois’ historic Memorial Stadium, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has produced a new documentary. “A House of Brick: 100 Years of Memorial Stadium.” The program premieres at 9:30 p.m. CT Monday, Oct. 14, on the Big Ten Network.

  • Big Ten Academic Alliance announces 2024-25 Academic Leadership and Executive Officers Program fellows

    The Big Ten Academic Alliance recently announced the 2024-25 fellows for its Academic Leadership Program and Department Executive Officers Seminar. Eleven University of Illinois faculty members have been selected to participate.

  • Professor Jim Best standing in front of a satallite image of a river basin.

    How do hurricanes impact inland regions hundreds of miles from coastal landfall locations?

    After making landfall, Hurricane Helene moved north and dumped an enormous amount of rainfall onto the mountainous regions of Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee, leading to catastrophic flooding hundreds of miles away from the storm's initial landfall location. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor Jim Best, an earth science and environmental change expert, discussed the event and future ones like it with Illinois News Bureau editor Lois Yoksoulian.

  • Photo of a painting of Samson and Delilah by Dutch painter Willem Bartsius.

    Krannert Art Museum’s new acquisitions expand collection, research and teaching opportunities

    New artworks acquired by Krannert Art Museum will transform the museum’s collection and be used for research and teaching.

  • A medical student wearing a white coat and a virtual reality headset

    How is AI changing health care?

    Artificial intelligence tools can help physicians deliver care and medical researchers make discoveries, but cannot replace the human connection in medicine, says Dr. Mark Cohen, dean of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He discusses the risks and rewards of using AI tools in health care and medical discovery. 

  • Photo of author Matthew C. Ehrlich

    New book explores the history of the phony cancer drug Krebiozen

    Journalism professor emeritus Matthew C. Ehrlich examines the dramatic story of a controversial medicine once touted as a miracle cure for cancer in his new book, “The Krebiozen Hoax: How a Mysterious Cancer Drug Shook Organized Medicine.”

  • Photo of Gerald McWorter seated in his home library with his wife, Kate Williams, standing behind him with her arms around his neck.

    Professor, pioneer in Black studies, Black liberation movements donates papers to Archives

    Gerald McWorter, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor emeritus of African American studies and information sciences, donated his faculty and personal papers to the University Archives.

  • Photo of a group of people standing together, with two people seated in front.

    Theatre department’s season features theme of reconciliation

    The theatre department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will offer views of healing and reconciliation in this season’s plays.

  • Researchers stand in a field of goldenrod and are holding a section of honeycomb that is covered with honey bees.

    Study: Good nutrition boosts honey bee resilience against pesticides, viruses

    In a new study, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign tackled a thorny problem: How do nutritional stress, viral infections and exposure to pesticides together influence honey bee survival? By looking at all three stressors together, the scientists found that good nutrition enhances honey bee resilience against the other threats.

  • Portrait of Satish Nair in his laboratory

    Team discovers naturally occurring DNA-protein hybrids

    Thanks to a serendipitous discovery and a lot of painstaking work, scientists can now build biohybrid molecules that combine the homing powers of DNA with the broad functional repertoire of proteins — without having to synthesize them one by one, researchers report in a new study. Using a naturally occurring process, laboratories can harness the existing molecule-building capacities of bacteria to generate vast libraries of potentially therapeutic DNA-protein hybrid molecules.

  • Business administration professor Rosanna Smith

    Paper: Ads featuring interracial couples produce mixed results for brands

    A new paper co-written by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign business administration professor Rosanna K. Smith provides a more nuanced understanding of how consumers respond to interracial couples in advertisements.

  • This image shows air conditioner units in windows of an urban highrise building.

    Urban heating and cooling to play substantial role in future energy demand under climate change

    Existing global energy projections underestimate the impact of climate change on urban heating and cooling systems by roughly 50% by 2099 if greenhouse gas emissions remain high, researchers report. This disparity could profoundly affect critical sustainable energy planning for the future.

  • An graphic rendering of how the small-molecule SOX catalyst pulls together an alcohol and and alkene.

    Enzyme-inspired catalyst puts chemicals in right position to make ethers

    Taking inspiration from enzymes, chemists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a catalyst to simplify the synthesis of ethers, key functional components of many drugs, foods, personal care items and other consumer goods. The catalyst puts the two chemical ingredients in just the right proximity and position to come together, bypassing the need for the steps and quantities required under standard synthesis protocols. 

  • Three Illinois students awarded Voyager Scholarships

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Gabrielle Capone, Leland Pan and Frankie Ward are recipients of the Voyager Scholarship, the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service.

  • Illinois welcomes largest number of students in university history

    The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has welcomed a record-breaking class for the fall 2024 semester. With a freshman enrollment of 9,008, the new class brings record total student enrollment at 59,238, including on-campus and online students.


  • Professor Gabriel Rodriguez in a classroom standing next to stacks of books wrapped in a chain and giant padlock.

    Study: Educators say Iowa’s divisive concepts law complicates teaching

    Iowa’s 2021 law banning instruction on divisive topics negatively affected educators’ relationships with colleagues and thwarted progress on equity and inclusivity, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign education professor Gabriel Rodriguez and his team found in a recent study.

  • Psychology professor Brent Roberts stands in front of a large window with trees outside.

    Report: Conscientiousness, not willpower, is a reliable predictor of success

    According to two psychologists, the field of psychological science has a problem with the concept of self-control. It has named self-control both a “trait” — a key facet of personality involving attributes like conscientiousness, grit and the ability to tolerate delayed gratification — and a “state,” a fleeting condition that can best be described as willpower. These two concepts are at odds with one another and are often confused, the authors report.

  • International Education celebrates 10 years with a packed week of Homecoming events

    International Education is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its founding with a full slate of events this Homecoming Week.

  • Researcher Jim Best standing in front of a project of one of the satellite image from his new atlas.

    More than maps: New atlas captures the state of global river systems through human context

    The word “atlas,” may conjure images of giant books chock full of maps and a dizzying array of facts and figures. However, the new book “The World Atlas of Rivers, Estuaries, and Deltas” tells the story of these waterways long before human intervention and how they continue to evolve in the presence of — and often at odds with — human civilization. The new atlas is a highly visual guide to the most up-to-date research on the world's river systems, with an emphasis on the mutual relationship between people and these vital landscapes. 

  • Scott Althaus, the Merriam Professor of Political Science at Illinois.

    New book reveals Electoral College strategies in modern political era

    “Battleground: Electoral College Strategies, Execution, and Impact in the Modern Era” draws on seven decades of data from public and private sources to explore the Electoral College strategies of every major presidential campaign from 1952-2020, said Scott Althaus, the Merriam Professor of Political Science at Illinois and co-author of the book.

  • Photo of a gallery with the title "Fauve Semblant: Peter (A Young English Girl)" on the wall and a photograph of a woman dressed in man's clothing.

    Krannert Art Museum presents first retrospective of artist Millie Wilson

    Krannert Art Museum is presenting the first retrospective of contemporary artist Millie Wilson, whose work examines stereotypes and media representations regarding sexuality and gender identity.

  • Researchers standing in laboratory with a projection of the modeled neutron star system

    Gravitational waves unveil previously unseen properties of neutron stars

    A better understanding of the inner workings of neutron stars will lead to a greater knowledge of the dynamics that underpin the workings of the universe and also could help drive future technology, said the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign physics professor Nicolas Yunes. A new study led by Yunes details how new insights into how dissipative tidal forces within double — or binary — neutron star systems will inform our understanding of the universe. 

  • Professor Allen Barton leaning on a metal railing

    New relationship project strengthens couples’, individual partners’ well-being

    Couples who participated in the Illinois Strong Couples relationship improvement program, delivered through Illinois Extension, found that it enhanced their connections with their partners and benefited their individual mental health, a new study led by Allen W. Barton reports.

  • Engaging in a creative-idea generation task subsequently led to more indulgent eating, drinking and exercise behaviors such as assembling burgers with more calories, crafting cocktails with higher alcohol content and planning workouts that burned fewer calories, says new research co-written by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign business administration professor Jack Goncalo.

    Study: Creative idea generation at work leads to indulgent behaviors afterwards

    Engaging in a creative-idea generation task subsequently led to more indulgent eating, drinking and exercise behaviors such as assembling burgers with more calories, crafting cocktails with higher alcohol content and planning workouts that burned fewer calories, says new research co-written by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign business administration professor Jack Goncalo.

  • Headshot of Wayne Pitard with sculptures at the Spurlock Museum blurred in the background.

    New book highlights accomplishments of influential Black leader in post-Civil War Illinois

    A new book by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign emeritus professor of religion Wayne Pitard talks about the accomplishments of influential leader John J. Bird, the first Black trustee for the U. of I.

  • Ngumbi in the greenhouse examining one of the experimental plants

    Drowning tomatoes for science

    I can barely hear Esther Ngumbi over the roar of greenhouse fans as she shows me around her rooftop laboratory. The benches are full of tomato plants, and the tomatoes don’t look good. Half of the plants are submerged in bins of water. Their leaves are yellow and withering. Some of the dying tomatoes have flowered. I see one or two baby tomatoes on a couple of spindly plants. 

    This isn’t the only torture inflicted on the tomatoes. Someone has tied little baggies to their stems. Inside the bags, fat green caterpillars are chowing down on the tomato leaves.

  • A group of researchers stands in an atrium.

    Breaking open the AI black box, team finds key chemistry for solar energy and beyond

    Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool for researchers, but with a significant limitation: The inability to explain how it came to its decisions, a problem known as the “AI black box.” By combining AI with automated chemical synthesis and experimental validation, an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has opened up the black box to find the chemical principles that AI relied on to improve molecules for harvesting solar energy. 

  • Portrait of Huimin Zhao in one of the biofoundry facilities on the U. of I. campus.

    NSF funds new iBioFoundry at Illinois

    A newly funded U.S. National Science Foundation iBioFoundry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will build on more than a decade of research at the U. of I. to integrate synthetic biology, laboratory automation and artificial intelligence to advance protein and cellular engineering. This is one of five new biofoundries to be established in the U.S.

  • 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 should labor movement handle the challenges of AI, automation at work?

    Transitioning to a future of work that accounts for the job-destroying perils of artificial intelligence will require unions to be proactive in their bargaining and policy advocacy around automation, says Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois.

  • 2024 spring semester graduates, Dean's List and Bronze Tablet honorees named

    The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign announces graduates, Dean’s List and Bronze Tablet honorees for the 2024 spring semester.

  • Researchers in the lab

    Scientists use evolution to bioengineer new pathways to sustainable energy, pharmaceuticals

    Using evolution as a guiding principle, researchers have successfully engineered bacteria-yeast hybrids to perform photosynthetic carbon assimilation, generate cellular energy and support yeast growth without traditional carbon feedstocks like glucose or glycerol. By engineering photosynthetic cyanobacteria to live symbiotically inside yeast cells, the bacteria-yeast hybrids can produce important hydrocarbons, paving new biotechnical pathways to non-petroleum-based energy, other synthetic biology applications and the experimental study of evolution.