Illinois Featured Content

The Pollution Shell Game

Oct 2, 2025 10:00 am

A new study from U. of I.'s Gies College of Business reveals that when companies divest polluting assets, the pollution doesn’t go away—it just gets transferred to less-scrutinized buyers, creating the illusion of environmental progress.

Misinformation, disinformation leads to US couples’ divorces, breakups

Sep 29, 2025 9:30 am

A new study has found that online misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theory groups and their former partners’ rabbit-holing behaviors caused insurmountable rifts in their relationships, ultimately causing divorces or breakups.

New book casts anthropologist’s eye on European Court of Human Rights

Sep 17, 2025 10:45 am

A new book by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert examines the world’s premier human rights court as rule of law comes under threat.

Wetlands, like those of Round Pond Swamp in Pope County, Ill., perform a variety of functions for communities, from recreation to stormwater management and wildlife habitat, the team reports. Photo by Paul B. Marcum

Study: 72% of Illinois wetlands no longer protected by federal Clean Water Act

Sep 23, 2025 9:00 am

Thanks to a 2023 Supreme Court decision, roughly 72% of Illinois wetlands are no longer protected by the Clean Water Act. That could mean the loss of flood control, groundwater recharge, water purification and natural habitat these wetlands provide.

Few military spouses use formal support services during, after deployment

Sep 15, 2025 11:15 am

Military spouses reported that they relied more often on people in their social networks for emotional support and assistance than formal sources, according to a new study led by communication professor Leanne Knobloch.

Robert M. Lawless, the Max L. Rowe Professor of Law and co-director of the Illinois Program on Law, Behavior and Social Science at Illinois.

New book details the precarious financial lives of US bankruptcy filers

Aug 19, 2025 3:30 pm

'Debt’s Grip: Risk and Consumer Bankruptcy' shows 'what it means to live in a state of financial precarity, where household finances are fragile, and where one small expense can blow up everything,' said author and law professor Robert Lawless.

Professor and head of advertising, Michelle Nelson, right, and graduate student Sakshi Bhalla. Photo by Michelle Hassel

Mandatory media literacy education in Illinois schools impaired by digital divides

Aug 20, 2025 10:30 am

Teachers and high school students live in vastly different media worlds, and that’s one of several digital divides that undermine the efficacy of state-mandated media literacy instruction in high schools, a recent study suggests.

Canisters of Galaxy Gas, a nitrous oxide product often carried by smoke shops and online sellers. (Credit: Galaxy Gas)

New study reveals nitrous oxide misuse deaths are steeply increasing

Jul 31, 2025 10:30 am

U. of I. research shows an alarming rise in fatalities associated with nitrous oxide (aka laughing gas or whippets) in the last decade, potentially driven by efforts to mass-market products to a new generation.

Two state-listed plants which persist in northeast Illinois: the bog buckbean, Menyanthes trifoliata, left, and the lesser purple-fringed orchid, Platanthera psycodes, which is critically imperiled in Illinois.

U. of I. team updates state threatened, endangered plant species rankings

Aug 13, 2025 8:45 am

A total of 257 species were listed both in 1987 and 2023, but their rankings improved, with a decrease in the number of the most imperiled species from 228 to 152. Only three species were found to be more imperiled than in 1987.

The Cline Center for Advanced Social Research team. From left: Scott Althaus, director and the Merriam Professor of Political Science at Illinois; Ajay Singh, postdoctoral research associate; Jay Jennings, research scientist; Michael Martin, research coordinator; and Joseph Bajjalieh, research manager. Not pictured: Jennifer K. Robbennolt, the Alice Curtis Campbell Professor of Law at Illinois. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Research: Police uses of lethal force dropped dramatically in US from 2021-23

Jul 24, 2025 8:30 am

The U. of I.'s SPOTLITE dataset is the most comprehensive nationwide accounting of police uses of lethal force available today. It includes any incident in which police used a firearm, as well as any other use of force that resulted in a death.

Social work professor Tara Powell and then-doctoral student Jenna Muller were among the co-authors of a study that examined the effectiveness of a virtual intervention, Psychosocial Support for Educators, that trained teachers in Ukraine on supporting distressed students and their families living in three combat zones in war-torn Ukraine. Photo by Michelle Hassel

Ukrainian teachers benefit from mental health training that helps their students

Jul 25, 2025 10:45 am

Teachers in combat regions in Ukraine who engaged in a virtual mental health intervention to help their students experienced improvements in their own symptoms of depression and anxiety, a new study found.

A person reads on the Main Quad at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Photo: Pat Nabong / Chicago Sun-Times

College still pays off, but wage gaps persist in Illinois, study finds

Jul 23, 2025 11:30 am

College yields higher earnings postgraduation for all Illinois students, but disparities persist among graduates from low-income families, even if they have the same college degree as peers from more affluent families.

Gies Professor Emeritus George Pennacchi

Beyond Bedford Falls: Social media and the new bank run

Jul 14, 2025 11:30 am

Bank runs still occur, and banks still fail because of them. But they look very different from the days of George Bailey and Mr. Potter.

An ARS employee displays “John Deere corn,” named for the green coloration in the kernel’s aleurone layer.

Crucial mutant corn stocks threatened under 2026 USDA budget

Jul 14, 2025 11:00 am

Why preserve the weirdos? Because mutant genes confer some of the most important traits in modern corn hybrids. They allow us to perpetuate the wide array of genetic variation in the Midwest’s most economically important crop.

Sara Gerke argues that the Food and Drug Administration should prioritize the development of labeling standards for AI-powered medical devices in much the same way that there are nutrition facts labels on packaged food. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Paper: FDA should develop labeling standards for AI-powered medical devices

Jul 9, 2025 8:45 am

The regulatory framework for AI-based medical devices needs to be improved to ensure transparency and protect patients’ health, says Sara Gerke, an expert in the ethical and legal challenges of artificial intelligence for health care.

Black women’s beauty, fashion choices intertwined with Black history, politics

Jun 26, 2025 1:00 pm

Sociology professor Brittney Miles explored the ways in which Black women’s beauty is connected to their social and political experiences.

Image of landscape architecture professor Pollyanna Rhee beside image of her new book, “Natural Attachments: The Domestication of American Environmentalism, 1920–1970.”

Book explores how ‘domestication’ of environmentalism limits who it protects

Jun 11, 2025 10:45 am

Landscape architecture professor Pollyanna Rhee examines how the modern environmental movement has been used to protect the property and interests of affluent homeowners in her new book.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor Stephen Long describes potential methods for “future-proofing” crops against climate change. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Report: ‘Future-proofing’ crops will require urgent, consistent effort

May 29, 2025 8:00 am

Droughts, floods, other climate-related events are already disrupting ag systems. Projected temperature extremes and climate instability will further reduce crop yields, increasing starvation and mass migration, writes Professor Steven Long.

An illustration of the MIND Diet. (Provided by Tori Holthaus)

Can a special diet help children focus?

Jun 4, 2025 2:15 pm

Illinois reserachers found that school children who more closely adhered to the so-called MIND diet (high in fiber and antioxidants, low in fat and full of colorful berries and vegetables) showed better control over their attention.

some young looking hands hold short glasses of brown liquor in stock photo by Ira Lee Nesbitt, Pixabay

Illinois Youth Survey finds troubling substance use trends

May 8, 2025 10:15 am

U. of I.'s new Illinois Youth Survey finds disturbing trends among teens, such as obtaining alcohol through home delivery services, binge drinking and reports of cyclical vomiting syndrome, which is often associated with prolonged use of cannabis.

dust flies as a tractor plows a field. Stock photo uncredited.

Dust storms in Illinois: Examining roles of weather and farming practices

May 21, 2025 10:15 am

Has spring weather become windier, leading to storms that coincide with the period when crop fields are most vulnerable in April and May, before and just after planting?

Lissette Piedra, a professor of social work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Credit: L. Brian Stauffer

Study reveals how social networks shape health in later life

May 12, 2025 11:15 am

Older adults with broader, more diverse social networks may feel less lonely and enjoy better health than those whose social circles are smaller, according to recent research led by social work professor Lissette Piedra.

Psychology professor Catherine Fairbairn’s work focuses on the basic social and emotional processes driving alcohol use. Photo by Michelle Hassel

Review: Social drinking also a well-worn path to alcohol use disorder

Apr 30, 2025 11:15 am

When picturing a 'typical' alcoholic, people tend to imagine a person drinking at home alone. But that focus overlooks the social origins of many serious alcohol problems.

stock photo of a bicycle delivery rider with package

Study shows gig economy as viable pathway to entrepreneurship

Apr 28, 2025 11:00 am

Researchers speculated that 'the gig economy might mirror the experiences of an entrepreneur, allowing individuals to learn about entrepreneurship and accumulate industry-specific experience.'

portrait of Paul Bruno by Brian Stauffer

Computer science teachers may be better qualified than their peers

Apr 25, 2025 12:00 pm

A study by Professor Paul Bruno found that instructors’ teaching experience both in general and in computer science specifically had the greatest impact on student learning - not whether faculty members were licensed to teach the subject.

Ujjal Kumar Mukherjee, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign business scholar who studies technology adoption in health care.

New analytics-driven framework aims to improve care of chronic disease

Apr 21, 2025 9:30 am

New U. of I. research finds that a data-informed approach to scheduling patient appointments can reduce risks associated with diabetes management by up to 19.4%, especially for underserved populations.

ten year old picture of landscape architecture professor William Sullivan and (then) PhD candidate Bin Jiang, who now is a professor at the University of Hong Kong

New study finds link between green spaces and police violence

Apr 24, 2025 3:00 pm

Higher levels of greenness may reduce violence in four ways: reduced crime, improved short-term and long-term mental health, sending a signal that a place is well-cared for and increasing the use of outdoor spaces by nearby neighbors.

educational psychology professor Kaylin Ratner. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Young adults juggle conflicting pressures to hurry up ― and wait

Apr 16, 2025 12:00 pm

Researchers have found that young adults today may feel caught between opposing forces, some pressuring them to accelerate their maturation and assume adult responsibilities earlier, others striving to hold them back.

stock photo of hands doing school work with pen and calculator. Photo by Pexels from Pixabay

Staff shortages exceed those for teachers in many Illinois public schools

Mar 31, 2025 10:45 am

The pandemic exacerbated teacher shortages, but a new study of Illinois public schools indicates that need for other certificated staff such as teacher’s aides and social workers may have been a far greater problem for some schools.

recreation, sport and tourism professor Nick Pitas in partnership with the Champaign Park District to gather feedback from community members who have housing and those who are homeless about the district’s facilities operations and its relationship with all its visitors, regardless of their housing status. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Research explores Champaign Park District’s relationship with users who are homeless

Mar 20, 2025 12:15 pm

'That was something that the Champaign Park District really wanted to understand ― how do the various constituent groups in the community see this issue and what do they want them to do about it?' said Professor Nick Pitas.

Biography examines spiritual wellness work of political activist Ericka Huggins

Mar 4, 2025 11:15 am

Professor of African American studies Mary Frances Phillips wrote about the spiritual wellness practices of political activist Ericka Huggins in her new book “Black Panther Woman.”

Professor Unnati Narang led the study. No photo credit provided.

Retail app outages have surprising impact on in-store shopping, customer behavior

Feb 20, 2025 10:45 am

When the app became unavailable, customers would simply switch to the website, especially if they had used the website before. But what the researchers didn’t expect was that the app outage would lead to a decline in in-store shopping.

New study evaluates public policy preferences for limiting children’s access to energy drinks

Feb 17, 2025 9:45 am

The U.S. is the leading energy drink market and relies heavily on voluntary industry standards, says professor Maria Kalaitzandonakes. A new study gauged the public’s preferences for energy drink policies and marketing.

Illinois business experts examine economic fallout from historic wildfires

Feb 5, 2025 12:15 pm

Experts warn that the road to recovery from the Southern California wildfires will be long, with significant challenges to the local economy, housing market, and insurance industry.

American Redstart in flight. Photo courtesy of Andrew Dreelin.

Songbirds socialize on the wing during migration, new study says

Jan 15, 2025 12:00 pm

Birds' flight paths may not be entirely innate, according to U. of I. research. Evidence from recorded flight calls suggests songbirds may 'talk' to other species as they migrate, forming social connections and, perhaps, sharing information about the journey.

clip art of bored desk worker surrounded by disheveled papers

Study: More employees are languishing than flourishing at work

Jan 21, 2025 8:45 am

'Someone who is languishing will feel like they have little say in what they do...or that they are stagnating in their jobs,' said Professor Oscar Ybarra. 'Employees who get their mental well-being needs met will be more productive and loyal to the organization.'

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