Illinois Featured Content

U of I alumna Brittney Nadler. Image from her blog during a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Thailand

Illinois alum awarded Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship

Jan 26, 2023 4:15 pm

Brittney Nadler will complete a summer internship at the State Department in 2024 and an overseas internship at a U.S. embassy or consulate in summer 2025. Upon successful completion of the program, Nadler will become a U.S. diplomat.

Duck Choo Oh shared her memories of being the first Korean-born Homecoming Queen at the University of Illinois—and perhaps the first in the nation—during a virtual centennial celebration hosted by the UI Alumni Association, Korea Chapter. (Images courtesy of UI Archives)

Great friends, beautiful memories: UIAA's Korea Chapter celebrates 100 years

Jan 24, 2023 10:30 am

Duck Choo Oh’s Homecoming coronation in 1955 symbolized the blossoming of an international era for the University of Illinois. The seeds of that growth started nearly five decades earlier with President Edmund Janes James (1904–20).

A countdown made possible by computing

Jan 4, 2023 11:45 am

Alumnus Ken Jacobs talks about his role in NASA's Artemis I launch on November 16 – the first in a series of missions to build a long-term human presence on the moon, Mars and beyond.

Dr. George R. Carruthers (right) and his colleague William Conway examine the Lunar Surface Ultraviolet Camera designed by Carruthers for the Apollo 16 lunar mission. Photo Credit: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

NASA renames GLIDE mission after trailblazing U of I alumnus

Dec 5, 2022 12:45 pm

As one of the first African American men to earn a PhD in astrophysics, George Carruthers was a trailblazer. He invented the camera that took the first images of space, significantly improving our understanding of space and earth science.

MiMi Aung, alumna and lead project manager for Ingenuity, stands next to the trophy

Two alumnae, team share NASA award for 'major milestone in the history of flight'

Jul 13, 2022 11:30 am

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab Ingenuity Mars Helicopter team received the 2021 Robert J. Collier Trophy for 'the first powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet, thereby opening the skies of Mars and other worlds for discovery and exploration.'

Russell Wigginton stands for a picture at the Lorraine Motel

Q+A with alumnus Russell Wigginton, president of the National Civil Rights Museum

Jun 21, 2022 9:30 am

From academia to public service, Russell Wigginton has led a career driven by a passion to assist others and build relationships – traits he’s carried since he was a student at Illinois.

Taylor Rooks (Photo by Raven B. Varona.)

Rooks receives College of Media Emerging Leader Award

Jun 1, 2022 10:15 am

Taylor Rooks, sports broadcaster at Bleacher Report, is known for her interviewing skills and for her ability to connect with athletes. This award honors her exemplary early career achievements and engagement with the college.

image of Sheila Johnson beside graphic announcing her role in the Title IX Summit planned for this summer.

Alum Sheila Johnson, co-founder of BET, to keynote Title IX summit

May 17, 2022 9:45 am

'Sheila has been a pioneer in every sense of the word, breaking new ground throughout the course of her life in education, media, business, and sports,' said DIA Director Josh Whitman. 'Sheila has always been a proud Illini...'

side-by-side images of Pulitzer medal and alumnus Eli Murray. Composite image by Holly Rushakoff

Alumnus Eli Murray wins Pulitzer Prize with ‘Tampa Bay Times’ team

May 10, 2022 4:15 pm

Murray, and his colleagues won for their series 'Poisoned,' an exposé of highly toxic hazards inside Florida’s only battery recycling plant that forced the implementation of safety measures to protect workers and nearby residents.

former Illini leaps at the net while playing for the U.S. Olympic Volleyball team

Poulter named to U.S. Women’s Volleyball roster for 2022 VNL

May 12, 2022 9:00 am

Former U of I All-American, Olympic Gold Medalist Jordyn Poulter will join the U.S. Women's National Team's roster this year. The U.S. Women are three-time league champions, 2020 Olympic gold medalists, and the No. 1-ranked team in the world.

Terrell Jermaine Starr in flak jacket and helmet with the word 'press' in large print on the front of his jacket

War correspondent, alumnus Terrell Jermaine Starr on reporting from Ukraine

Apr 13, 2022 11:15 am

Terrell Jermaine Starr will visit U of I to talk about his experiences as a journalist reporting from Ukraine during the Russian invasion. The event is free and open to the public on April 19 in the auditorium of the new Campus Instructional Facility.

How blockchain is disrupting business applications, personal identity

Mar 14, 2022 11:00 am

Those exploring the impact of blockchain on their business and personal lives should proceed with caution, according to a U of I alumnus who has pioneered enterprise blockchain technology and the adoption of digital assets.

New HOF inductees Nelson Algren, 'Buck' Brown and Susan Smith Cornwell

Meet the Illini Media Hall of Fame Class of 2022

Feb 16, 2022 11:15 am

Journalists who documented history from World War II to the 2020 election, exposed the 'abortion underground' and covered the LGBTQ experience. A Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, TV legends, an artist best known for drawing 'Naughty Granny.'

Built in 1897, The Forum in Bronzeville was one of the most important assembly/performance halls in the city. Photo by Emily Barney via Flickr

Alumna works to preserve, celebrate African American history in Bronzeville

Feb 10, 2022 10:15 am

'I started the Bronzeville Historical Society with the assistance of family and friends in 1999...because my daughters grew tired of hearing me tell them about the many notable people and places in the Bronzeville community,' says Sherry Williams.

Derek Hoot and Martinez Johnson point to the "Push Podcast" logos on their shirts. (submitted photo)

Alumni launch wheelchair basketball podcast

Feb 1, 2022 8:45 am

Former Illini players Derek Hoot and Martinez Johnson have started “Push Podcast: Wheelchair Basketball in the United States” to reach those who have never heard of adaptive sports.

Vilas Dhar, a 2004 graduate of the Grainger College of Engineering at Illinois

Vilas Dhar: Investing in tech to create lasting social change

Jan 24, 2022 10:30 am

'As we push to center technology on people, rather than products, we tap into a vast opportunity to amplify the very best of our humanity, creativity, and innovation.'

Aadeel Akhtar and the 'bionic hand' produced by his company, Psyonic. Photo credit SKOT WIEDMANN

Newsweek's 'Medical Marvels': U of I alum and his affordable bionic hand

Dec 16, 2021 11:00 am

Newsweek (Dec. 15) Aadeel Akhtar's company makes smart, durable, responsive and - this is key - affordable prosthetic limbs. 'We're... leveling the playing field for all those people who couldn't get access to this kind of technology before.'

file photo of College of Education students on their study abroad trip c. 2016

New program sends College of Education alumni abroad with students

Oct 27, 2021 9:45 am

'We want to make study abroad just like all the rest of our teacher training, which relies heavily on the mentor teacher,' says director of international programs Allison Witt. 'It makes a lot of sense because it benefits both alumni and students.'

Capt. Lynn Rippelmeyer, ’72 LAS, retired as a captain with Continental in 2014. (Image by Jenn Duncan)

First woman to fly a transoceanic jumbo jet on breaking through the 'glass cockpit'

Sep 30, 2021 10:15 am

'As I quizzed those pilots—and later studied a pilot’s training manual one of them gave to me to “answer questions without bothering people”—I realized they weren’t doing anything I couldn’t do,' says U of I alumnus Lynn Rippelmeyer.

Graphic for story title, 'Resiliency on the MOther Road'

Two alums shed light on the Black experience on Rt. 66

Sep 9, 2021 1:15 pm

Gina Lathan (AHS ’20) and Stacy Grundy (ACES ’10) opened Route History, a tourist destinations in Springfield gives visitors a different perspective on the Mother Road as well as a look into the history of Black struggle and success in the state capital.

Artist’s conception of an urban air mobility environment, where air vehicles, with or without onboard pilots, carrying out a variety of missions can interact safely and efficiently. Credit: NASA

Making air traffic safe for real-life George and Jane Jetsons

Jul 15, 2021 2:45 pm

'Because these flights will operate in major metro cities...there's going to be a lot of potential for interaction between the urban air mobility flights and the commercial air traffic,' says aerospace engineering alumna Heather Arneson.

Col. Archambault back on campus for his Aerospace Academic Advisory Board meeting.

Interview with alumnus, astronaut Lee Archambault

Jul 7, 2021 6:00 pm

'The research is phenomenal. The instruction is outstanding. The faculty we have here is second to none. This is an engineering program that was always great and it’s even better than it was when I was here. It continues to improve.'

Passes for 22nd annual Ebertfest now on sale

Jun 9, 2021 10:45 am

Festival passes cover all of the screenings during the festival, which runs September 8-11 at the Virginia Theatre, a restored downtown Champaign movie palace, with related talks and panel discussions at other Champaign or University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign venues.

Alumna with a passion for national forests challenges students to seek adventure

Jun 9, 2021 11:00 am

With a bachelor’s degree in forestry and a love for adventure, Nora Rasure’s life and career have been nothing short of exciting.

Forber-Pratt appointed by White House as institute director

May 24, 2021 4:15 pm

Dr. Anjali Forber-Pratt, a wheelchair racing star who holds three degrees from the U of I, has been appointed Director of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research.

When NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter attempts its first test flight on the Red Planet, the agency's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover will be close by, as seen in NASA's concept.

Illinois alumna oversees NASA's Ingenuity helicopter mission

Apr 7, 2021 9:30 am

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter recently landed on Mars along with the Perseverance Rover. Once the helicopter detaches, it will conduct several test flights on the surface, marking the first powered flights on another planet.

alumnus Patrick Burke portrait beside stills from the two winning ads. Images and composition uncredited.

Advertising alum creates two highest-rated Super Bowl ads

Mar 5, 2021 9:45 am

The winning ads this year were two commercials for Rocket Mortgage starring Tracy Morgan, demonstrating the difference between being 'pretty sure' and 'certain' about buying a home. Patrick Burke was the writer of both ads.

marquees of the former Thunderbird and Co-Ed theaters

Showtime! Remembering the old campus-area movie theaters

Oct 7, 2020 10:45 am

The Co-Ed on Green Street was 'full all the time.' Students flocked to the Thunderbird Theatre on Goodwin, too, as well as the Rialto, with its massive steel-and-glass marquee; the art-deco Princess; and the Orpheum, with its 24 Greek columns.

Remembering Pro and Illini Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell

Apr 13, 2020 9:45 am

'Bobby...reminisced about everything from his recruitment out of Hot Springs, Arkansas, his Illini football and track careers, his pro playing career... He spoke about how he met his wife, Gwen, on the UI campus.'

iStock photo - graphic of people wearing protective face masks

Public Health alums on the front line of COVID-19 battle

Apr 10, 2020 11:45 am

'The (epidemiology) knowledge and biostatistics prepared us for how a pandemic is going to come in waves, how we can track cases. ...Knowing the science and the (epidemiology) behind it really helps.'

Jack Welch. Photo courtesy of Harper Business

Alumnus Jack Welch, former General Electric CEO, dies at 84

Mar 2, 2020 1:45 pm

Welch became a chemical engineer at GE immediately after completing his doctorate at Illinois. He was named chairman and CEO in 1981 at the age of 45. He remained at the helm for the next 20 years.

Alumnus Pablo Serrano: The city is his canvas

Jan 27, 2020 2:45 pm

With close to 20 murals adorning buildings in Chicago - as well as walls U of I's La Casa Cultural Latina - Serrano embraces his Mexican-American heritage in his art with an eye toward how we share our stories.

Shaping the narrative

Jan 15, 2020 9:45 am

Illinois alumnus Carey Cranston oversees the only national museum dedicated to celebrating the written word.

Doris Derby in Krannert Art Museum. Behind her are two of her photographs.

Doris Derby: Alumna, photographer documented Civil Rights Movement

Dec 23, 2019 1:30 pm

'When I came here, the University of Illinois embraced me in terms of my interests and my values. I see this as the home for the kind of things I value.'

John Houbolt stands in front of chalk board explanation of Lunar-Orbit Rendezvous

'Do we want to get to the moon or not?'

Nov 22, 2019 10:00 am

He called himself 'a voice in the wilderness.' He sat in conference rooms filled with scientists who ridiculed his ideas. But Houbolt was going to be heard. And we were going to land on the moon.

Making big waves

Nov 19, 2019 9:15 am

From Illinois graduate to CEO of CurlMix, Kim Lewis is on a mission to empower curly-haired women.

Dan O'Neill ('99, Communications) poses with the World Series trophy in 2017, after the Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Photo courtesy of the Houston Astros.)

2019 World Series contenders share Illinois connections

Nov 14, 2019 8:00 am

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences was well-represented in the 2019 World Series.

Professor Temple Grandin sitting amoungst several black cows

Alumni Interview: Temple Grandin

Nov 6, 2019 8:00 am

The animal-facilities designer and autism-community icon on why we should nurture people who think differently and abandon hope of a Disneyland for pigs.

Taylor Rooks, wearing an Illini Football jacket, outside Memorial Stadium

Taylor Rooks: Coming Home

Oct 28, 2019 2:30 pm

Rooks is only five years out from graduation, but she has already landed her own Bleacher Report web series, 'Take It There with Taylor Rooks.'

Alison Kirby has received the 2019 LAS Alumni Humanitarian Award. Photo provided.

LAS alumna Alison Kirby rethinks school-based health clinics

Oct 21, 2019 9:00 am

She co-founded a school-based health clinic that has drawn nationwide attention, even being featured in 'Paper Tigers,' a documentary about Lincoln High School directed by Robert Redford’s son, Jamie.

Illinois Alumni Association to present awards during Homecoming Week

Oct 7, 2019 9:15 am

During Homecoming Week, the Illinois Alumni Association will recognize Illinois alumni and friends with awards.

Alumnus launches bionic hand

Sep 25, 2019 11:45 am

Millions of hand amputees around the world are now closer to receiving a life changing prosthetic device.

Rashard Mendenhall at a keyboard. Photo by Pascal Shirley

Rashard Mendenhall: Gridiron writer

Sep 9, 2019 9:45 am

For Mendenhall, 'capturing a vision—a line or a scene' in the HBO show, Ballers, 'pulling inspiration out of the air and putting it on the TV screen, that’s as good as any touchdown.'

Couldn't get to Illini Fest? Check out the video

Aug 8, 2019 9:00 am

We painted Chicago orange and blue, with drinks, live music, notable Illini, and more! Enjoy watching a celebration of Illini pride in downtown Chicago at Illini Fest!

graphic showing skylines of downtown Chicago mixed with campus icons. Graphic by Jamie Hendrick

July 18 at Millennium Park, RSVP now

Jun 18, 2019 2:00 pm

Celebrate your Illini pride in downtown Chicago at Illini Fest! Drinks, live music, notable Illini, and more! First 1,000 registrants receive a free Illinois flag at the event.

A series of 3D-printed motifs. Photo by Alejandra Carrillo-Estrada

Alejandra Carrillo-Estrada: Interweaving technology and tradition

Jun 19, 2019 9:45 am

'I am especially captivated by the fretwork designs of the archaeological site of Mitla, Oaxaca,' the author writes. She uses 3D modeling to recreate the designs, then uses the models to cast them in silver.

well travelled alumnus Fred Stahl at Stonehenge

The many Illinois memories of alumnus Fred Stahl

Jun 17, 2019 10:15 am

Fred met his wife in the Illini Union. One day they walked up to the door at the President's House and asked President David Henry’s wife if they could marry in the garden. They were one of the first couples to do so.

Carolina Kuhl in front of the murals from La Casa Cultural Latina

Meet a spring grad who's already helping people at the U.S.-Mexico border

Jun 12, 2019 9:30 am

I was a psychology major when I first enrolled but my I-Promise mentor suggested that I look into Human Development and Family Studies because it seemed like a better fit, and it was!

Langan (center) listens to the heart and examines the ear of Zenda, a male African lion, in the zoo’s animal hospital. (Image courtesy of the Chicago Zoological Society)

Illinois grads who care for Brookfield Zoo's menagerie

Jun 5, 2019 10:15 am

The work of Drs. Michael Adkesson and Jennifer Langan helps keep the more than 3,000 animals at Brookfield Zoo healthy and helps ensure the survival of their cousins in the wild.

Rich Sieracki and Jill Wine-Banks, photos provided by subjects

Chicago Illini of the Year Awards to Rich Sieracki, Jill Wine-Banks

Jun 3, 2019 10:15 am

Chicago Illini of the Year Awards recognize outstanding alumni who live and work in the Chicago metropolitan area.

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