Illinois Featured Content

Alma Mater statue in golden light of sunset. Photo by Fred Zwicky

University invests $50 million in faculty-hiring initiative

Sep 8, 2022 4:15 pm

'Our plans to (grow the faculty) were put on hold while we managed the effects of the pandemic. It is now time to reinvigorate our commitment to increasing the number of excellent tenure-stream faculty on campus,' said Chancellor Jones.

Graduates, Dean's List and Bronze Tablet honorees named

Sep 2, 2022 8:00 am

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has announced 9,193 Dean’s List students, 261 Bronze Tablet honorees and approaching 10,000 graduates for the 2022 spring semester.

Professor Govindjee in his office, surrounded by memorabilia from decades of studying photosynthesis

Govindjee receives Lifetime Achievement Award for photosynthesis research

Sep 6, 2022 1:45 pm

Pant biology professor emeritus Govindjee was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society of Photosynthesis Research for 'contributions to chlorophyll fluorescence induction and photosystem II function.'

Eight employees honored with Chancellor's Distinguished Staff Award

Aug 25, 2022 7:45 am

Eight civil service employees were recognized for exceptional performance by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Illinois designated a First-gen Forward institution

Aug 30, 2022 9:45 am

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has been designated a First-gen Forward institution by the Center for First-generation Student Success, an initiative of NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education) and The Suder Foundation.

Illinois Global Institute centers receive almost $13.2 million in Title VI funding

Aug 25, 2022 8:00 am

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is one of this year’s top Title VI funding recipients in the country.

Illinois alumna receives Presidential Medal of Freedom

Jul 8, 2022 4:00 pm

Gies College of Business alumna and Brigadier General Wilma Vaught served in the U.S. Air Force from 1957 to 1985, becoming one of the most highly decorated military women in U.S. history at the time of her retirement.

U of I's Formula SAE race car cruises down the track

Illini Motorsports: National Champions!

Jun 28, 2022 9:30 am

For the first time in its Formula SAE 40-year history, U of I's team won both competitions that comprised the 2022 Formula SAE National Collegiate series, finishing as the national champions with a nearly clean sweep of first-place trophies.

separate images of Kofi Cockburn and Olivia Howell

Cockburn, Howell Named Dike Eddleman Athletes of the Year

Jun 29, 2022 8:00 am

Ffirst-team basketball All-American Kofi Cockburn and track All-American Olivia Howell are winners of the 2021-22 Dike Eddleman Award, presented annually to the top Fighting Illini male and female athlete.

16 Illinois students, recent graduates offered Fulbright grants

Jun 9, 2022 9:30 am

Sixteen Illinois students and recent graduates were offered Fulbright grants to pursue international education, research and teaching experiences around the globe. Another six students were named Fulbright alternates.

Awards recognize excellence in public engagement

Jun 8, 2022 10:15 am

Outstanding individual and group outreach efforts were recognized for their knowledge and expertise to issues for the public good.

Ralph Nuzzo named Kavli Prize Laureate

Jun 6, 2022 10:45 am

Ralph Nuzzo, professor emeritus of chemistry, is one of four recipients of the Kavli Prize in Nanoscience. Kavli Prize honors scientists for breakthroughs that transform our understanding of the world.

Martin Ostoja-Starzewski, an affiliate faculty member at the Beckman Institute and a professor of mechanical science and engineering

Beckman professor elected to European Academy of Sciences & Arts

May 24, 2022 11:00 am

Martin Ostoja-Starzewski was nominated by colleagues in Europe on the basis of his scholarship, editorial activities, and collaboration with European institutions and European centers of scholarship.

Campus Award for Excellence in Faculty Leadership winners from 2022 (top) and 2021.

Campus honors four more with awards for excellence in faculty leadership

May 27, 2022 12:15 pm

The Office of the Provost sponsors the campus-level awards in recognition of faculty members who distinguish themselves in their vision of the future and their efforts to enable and promote others in shaping that future.

U of I is a top producer of Fulbright U.S. scholars

May 23, 2022 2:30 pm

Twelve scholars from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign were awarded Fulbright awards for 2021-2022 — making the university the top doctoral degree-granting institution in terms of numbers of scholars offered grants.

William Trent wins Spencer Foundation Mentorship Award

May 11, 2022 10:30 am

'We wanted to tell the story of his mentorship from his students’ perspective... We each had our own personal story of how Dr. Trent had affected us as humans and scholars, and when we shared our stories his cumulative impact was clear.'

Professor Nancy Sottos. Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

Professor Nancy Sottos elected to National Academy of Sciences

May 4, 2022 11:45 am

Election to the NAS is one of the highest professional honors a scientist can receive. Sottos is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Professor of Physics and Astronomy Charles Gammie poses in his office with physics graduate students Ben Prather and George Wong. Photo by Brian Stauffer

UI researchers share Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

Sep 5, 2019 1:00 pm

Illinois professor Charles Gammie's theoretical working group helped create the first-ever image of a black hole.

University invests $24 million into Investment for Growth Proposals

Sep 17, 2019 12:00 pm

The university is generating new sources of revenue while continuing to invest in education, research and public engagement.

Materials science and engineering professor Nancy Sottos, left, and history professor Maria Todorova are among 261 elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences this year.

Two elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Apr 29, 2022 8:45 am

Materials science and engineering professor Nancy Sottos and history professor Maria Todorova have been elected to the AAAS in recognition of their accomplishments and leadership in academia, the arts, industry, public policy and research.

Dean James Anderson poses with State Senator and UI alumna Cristina Pacione-Zayas in the Capitol Building

Illinois State Legislature honors Dean James D. Anderson

Apr 20, 2022 11:45 am

Legislators recognized a giant within the field of education last week ahead of his approaching retirement. College of Education Dean James D. Anderson was presented with a proclamation honoring his invaluable contributions to the state.

Hunter Heck celebrates a point in an Illini Men's Tennis match

Heck earns second B1G Athlete of the Week honor

Apr 20, 2022 8:45 am

Hunter Heck extended his singles win streak to eight and moved to 14-4 on the season including 5-0 in Big Ten Play on Saturday.

Sickels named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week

Apr 19, 2022 8:00 am

After a dominant week that included two complete-game shutouts, senior right handed pitcher Sydney Sickels was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week. Another Illini, Tori McQueen, won the honor last week.

Mariama Mwilambwe, a junior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was awarded a $30,000 Truman Scholarship. Mwilambwe was one of 58 Truman Scholars selected from a pool of 705 nominees from colleges and universities across the country. Photo by Maya Emptage

Truman Scholarship awarded to political science major

Apr 15, 2022 8:45 am

Beyond the $30,000 scholarship toward graduate study, junior Mariama Mwilambwe will also participate in professional development programming to help prepare her for a career in public service leadership.

sophomore left-handed pitcher Tori McQueen delivers a pitch

McQueen named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week

Apr 12, 2022 3:15 pm

After a stellar week in the circle, including two complete-game victories over Wisconsin last Saturday, sophomore left hander Tori McQueen was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week as announced by the conference office.

Illinois chemistry professors So Hirata and Prashant Jain and dance professor Cynthia Oliver received 2022 Guggenheim Fellowships. So Hirata photo Courtesy Illinois Department of Chemistry, Prashant Jain photo by L. Brian Stauffer, Cynthia Oliver photo by Lyosha Svinarski.

Three Illinois professors awarded Guggenheim Fellowships

Apr 8, 2022 3:45 pm

Dance professor Cynthia Oliver, chemistry professors So Hirata and Prashant Jain are among 180 artists, writers, scholars and scientists chosen through a rigorous peer-review process from almost 2,500 applicants, according to the Guggenheim Foundation.

portrait images of the 28 winners of campus instructional excellence awards. Portraits by Michelle Hassel, graphic by Fred Zwicky

Announcing the Campus Awards for Excellence in Instruction

Apr 7, 2022 9:45 am

Faculty and staff members and graduate teaching assistants at Illinois are being honored for excellence in teaching, mentoring and advising, collectively known as the Campus Awards for Excellence in Instruction.

Men's Basketball head coach Brad Underwood poses with Big Ten trophy and Governor J. B. Pritzker

Illini Men's Basketball recognized at State Capital

Apr 6, 2022 10:15 am

The Illini Men's Basketball program was honored in Springfield on Tuesday in recognition of winning the 2022 Big Ten Championship.

Stephanie Fortado. Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

Illinois labor scholar awarded ACLS fellowship

Apr 4, 2022 8:00 am

Labor scholar Stephanie Fortado was awarded a 2022 fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies to support her first book, 'Race, Recreation and Rebellion: Public Parks, Policing and Black Youth in Cleveland, Ohio, 1932-2020.'

exterior view of Carl Woese Institute of Genomic Biology at Illinois

Institute for Genomic Biology: 15 years of scientific contribution

Mar 29, 2022 8:00 am

The Illinois General Assembly officially recognized IGB for fifteen years of genomic research addressing major societal issues in the areas of agriculture, environmental conservation, health, wellness, technology, and society.

Gymnast Mia Takekawa celebrates with teammates

Mia Takekawa makes history on Senior Day

Mar 11, 2022 1:15 pm

Illini Gymnast Mia Takekawa set a new program record in the all-around with a 39.750, beating Giana O'Connor's (Bowling Green) previous record of 39.625. Takekawa also became the first Illini to score two 10's in program history.

Overlooking Solar Farm 2.0 south of Champaign near the Village of Savoy

U of I ranks 25th nationally on EPA’s list of on-site green power users

Feb 17, 2022 10:45 am

This is the first time the U of I has made the EPA's Top 30 list. Because of the output from two utility-scale solar farms and multiple rooftop arrays, Illinois is also third among U.S. universities in on-site clean power production.

computer science and electrical and computer engineering professor Bo Li received the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship this year. Photo courtesy computer science

Computer science professor named 2022 Sloan Research Fellow

Feb 15, 2022 9:45 am

'The Sloan Fellowship is one of most prestigious awards available to early-career scientists, and we are thrilled that Professor Li’s distinguished reputation is being recognized,' said U of I Provost Andreas Cangellaris.

Photos of Nahrstedt and Hammack by Brian Stauffer. Photo of Hashash by Thompson-McClellan

Three elected to National Academy of Engineering

Feb 10, 2022 4:45 pm

Chemical and biomolecular engineering professor William Hammack, civil and environmental engineering professor Youssef Hashash and computer science professor Klara Nahrstedt are newly elected members of the NAE.

NCSA reflects on 35 years as a supercomputing powerhouse

Feb 9, 2022 11:15 am

In 1983, U of I astrophysicist Larry Smarr and seven colleagues submitted an unsolicited proposal to the National Science Foundation, asking for funding for a supercomputer center at Illinois. NSF funded five of them the following year.

stock image of hands working on a laptop

U of I's online master's programs atop U.S.News rankings

Feb 2, 2022 9:30 am

Seven U of I online master's programs are in the top ten rankings of U.S.News & World Report's latest survey.

Francina Dominguez is a professor of atmospheric sciences with a background in civil engineering hydrology. Photo by Leslie Stauffer

Five Urbana faculty members honored as University Scholars

Jan 31, 2022 9:00 am

University Scholars designation recognizes excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. The award is presented by the University of Illinois System to faculty members from the Chicago, Springfield and Urbana universities.

portraits of the 14 inductees. Photo compilation by Michael Vincent

14 Illinois faculty members elected AAAS Fellows

Jan 26, 2022 8:45 am

Fourteen University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty members have been elected 2021 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Business Instructional Facility (BIF) at Illinois

U of I among 13 universities producing most young executives in Midwest

Jan 19, 2022 11:30 am

Between 2011 and 2021, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign saw an increase from 2.4 percent to 5.9 percent of recent graduates working in an executive role.

Student's machine learning system for EEG analysis wins IEEE honors

Jan 18, 2022 12:15 pm

A new machine learning system developed by a Carle Illinois College of Medicine student could unlock the vast amounts of untapped data found in a common neurological test.

Professor Jennifer Novak-Leonard. Photo by Brian Stauffer

Illinois urban planning professor awarded NEA research grant

Jan 12, 2022 4:00 pm

Professor Jennifer Novak-Leonard will use the grant to examine the experiences of artists and arts alumni regarding racial inclusion in higher education and the impacts of the pandemic.

graphic celebrating Moe Gardner's selection for the College Football Hall of Fame

Illini legend Moe Gardner selected for College Football Hall of Fame

Jan 12, 2022 9:30 am

Gardner will join 17 previously selected Fighting Illini in the Hall of Fame, including college football legends Red Grange, Robert Zuppke, Dick Butkus, and most recently Dana Howard, inducted 2018.

U of I stock image of blackboard in Materials Research Lab

MatSE professors Mahmood, Statt, Wang receive NSF CAREER awards

Jan 6, 2022 10:15 am

Funded by the Faculty Early Career Development Program, the three U of I professors are being recognized as promising academics. Each will receive a five-year research award in excess of $500,000.

Alexa Smith, center, flanked by administrators from the College of ACES. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Senior Alexa Smith named 2021 Lincoln Academy Student Laureate

Dec 23, 2021 10:45 am

Smith is the author of 'An Economic Eclipse: Shifting Toward a Sustainable Future by Eliminating Waste,' a book about the circular economy and zero waste movement.

Gies College of Business Dean Jeffrey R. Brown. photo by Fred Zwicky

Poets&Quants Business School Dean of the Year: U of I's Jeff Brown

Dec 7, 2021 10:00 am

Gies College of Business Dean Jeffrey R. Brown has been named the 2021 Dean of the Year by Poets&Quants, the preeminent source for information on undergraduate and graduate business education.

Carle Illinois College of Medicine Dean King Li. Photo by L. B. Stauffer

Carle Illinois’ Dean King Li named National Academy Of Inventors Fellow

Dec 8, 2021 10:00 am

Carle Illinois College of Medicine’s Dean King Li has been elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the highest professional distinction awarded exclusively to academic inventors.

Illinois ranks No. 2 destination for international students

Nov 18, 2021 9:30 am

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is once again a top destination for international students, according to data from this year’s Open Doors report.

composite image of the recognized researchers

Six Illinois scientists rank among world's most influential

Nov 16, 2021 9:30 am

The 2021 Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers list recognizes researchers who demonstrated significant influence in their chosen fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade.

Faculty selected for Big Ten Academic Alliance leadership development programs

Nov 15, 2021 9:15 am

Illinois faculty and staff members have been chosen to participate in the Big Ten Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program and the Big Ten Academic Alliance Department Executive Officer Seminar.

Illinois team, "Must Pass," at the 2021 International Collegiate Programming Contest World Finals in Moscow with co-coach Peiyao Sheng (second from right).

U of I earns first-ever medal in collegiate programming contest world finals

Nov 3, 2021 12:00 pm

For the first time in school history, a U of I team medaled at the International Collegiate Programming Contest World Finals. 50,000 students from more than 3,000 universities compete each year. The finals alone included more than 100 teams.

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