blog posts The humble beginnings of Speech & Hearing Science at Illinois Mar 10, 2023 3:00 pm In 1938, Dr. Severina E. Nelson wanted to start an outreach program providing speech therapy. 'Finally, the janitor volunteered to donate his mop closet so that I could set up a speech therapy lab. He moved to the basement.' U of I Observatory, a National Historic Landmark, still comes alive at night Mar 13, 2023 4:15 pm People still love to visit the observatory, but it needs work. Last year, U of I was awarded a $500,000 Save America’s Treasures grant, to be matched by an additional $500,000 in campus funds, providing a total of $1 million for critical renovations. Insect Fear Film Festival celebrates 40 years of entertaining, educating about insects Feb 27, 2023 11:00 am The 2023 Insect Fear Film Festival celebrates 40 years of entertaining and educating people about insects and their close relatives. This year’s festival (March 4) features living fossil organisms. Watch the campus celebration of Nick Holonyak, Jr. Feb 13, 2023 9:45 am This is a recording of the live presentation of the U of I's celebration and memorial of Professor Nick Holonyak, Jr., recipient of both the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2002, and the National Medal of Science in 1990. Visionary Violet: A U of I feminist pioneer Jan 5, 2023 12:30 pm This short documentary from U of I's BTN producers tells the story of the first dean of women at Illinois, Violet DeLille Jayne, who championed women’s inclusion on campus, including the first women’s intermural basketball team. RIP Jim Kaler: Beloved professor, world-renowned expert on stars Dec 6, 2022 11:00 am Astronomy Magazine (Dec. 5) Jim Kaler, astronomy professor and one of the world’s leading experts on stars, died at his home at age 83. Kaler taught an estimated 10,000 students during his nearly 40-year career at the U. of I. A century after his championships, world-famous steer welcomes visitors to Stock Pavilion Aug 17, 2022 11:45 am A statue of Broadus White Socks, a world-famous, two-time prize-winning steer (1922), installed at the south entrance of the Stock Pavilion, caps decades of renovations there. Read Broadus's facinating life story, and his post-life story. Mathematics collaborates with Spurlock Museum to preserve iconic math models Jul 6, 2022 9:15 am The collection of math models in Altgeld Hall is considered one of the best in the world. They come from a pre-digital era: a way to help students understand geometry and algebra by literally grasping the concepts in their hands.