blog posts Congratulations Class of 2025! May 12, 2025 3:45 pm Commencement is one of the proudest days of the year at Illinois. From the spectacle of the universitywide ceremony at Memorial Stadium to your unit convocation, the entire weekend is a celebration of our talented graduates. Discover everything you’ll need to make it memorable. Learning from cockatiels May 8, 2025 8:00 am They all have their personalities. Some of the birds we’re handling today live in the 'Princes' cage and have a reputation as troublemakers. They almost always try to escape! Astronomy grad student's research project garners $1M in NASA funding May 7, 2025 1:15 pm The project addresses one of the most critical challenges of the European Space Agency Euclid mission—the precise detection and classification of blended astronomical objects in deep, multi-band, high-resolution imaging. A celebration of student innovation and excellence at Illinois Apr 21, 2025 1:30 pm Undergraduate Research Week showcases the best of undergraduate research and creative inquiry at the University of Illinois. Events include workshops on getting started in research, special exhibits, and highlighting the best student research. First-Generation Scholars Research Program provides research experience and more Apr 11, 2025 9:15 am The First-Generation Scholars Research Program at Illinois provides students with research skills and help with the ins and outs of college life that those who haven’t been exposed to higher education may not know. Student-athlete, student-teacher: Kendall Bostic masters grad school and Big Ten basketball Apr 10, 2025 4:15 pm Kendall Bostic didn't compromise when it came to her goals. She dreamed of big basketball achievements. And she dreamed of helping kids learn, despite their challenges. She's accomplished both. Design students win award for innovative lunch box design, Pail Mar 12, 2025 11:00 am U. of I. industrial design students won the IHS Global Innovation Award for Excellence in Student Design, awarded by The International Housewares Association for their innovative lunch box design, Pail. A veteran's unusual journey that led to a haunting novel Mar 5, 2025 11:00 am John Milas served from 2008 to 2012, including a deployment to Afghanistan, but longed to return home and dreamed of attending the University of Illinois. The idea behind 'The Militia House' began taking shape during his time on campus. Celebrating Black leadership and mentorship at Labor and Employment Relations Feb 26, 2025 9:45 am Two sisters who both found their paths in human resources at U. of I., embody what makes LER unique: strong networks, transformative education, and commitment to uplifting one another. New Illinois ACES-Vet Med partnership supports future food animal vets Feb 11, 2025 8:45 am A new program allows animal sciences majors to gain early acceptance at Vet Med if they maintain a 3.5 GPA, complete livestock-related courses, and plan to become food animal veterinarians. Mentoring women in orthopedic surgery Jan 2, 2025 11:30 am Less than 8% of practicing orthopedic surgeons in the U.S. are women. Carle Illinois College of Medicine is working to foster diversity in orthopedic surgery by providing mentorship along the way to a surgical career. Win-win program in economics gives students a hand in resolving real-world issues Dec 9, 2024 11:30 am The Econometrics Data Lab gives students data from ongoing research and lets them crunch the numbers. It allows students to apply what they’re learning in the classroom to help resolve real-world problems. MCB student launches sports program for children of Chicago's migrant families Nov 26, 2024 10:45 am Hannah McGee's interest in health and medicine led her to Illinois' Molecular & Cellular Biology department, and inspired her to start a free soccer program designed to offer migrant children a safe place to play and make friends. ‘World building’ in a video games class Nov 12, 2024 11:15 am Students are searching the INHS insect collection for inspiration as they create creatures for a swampy alien planet. The students are designing characters and an environment for a Concept Art for Video Games class offered through Illinois Informatics Appealing to our ‘better angels’ with the Braver Angels Nov 1, 2024 11:00 am 'Seated nearby are more than 70 undergraduate students, mostly political science majors, and a handful of facilitators... whose goal is to teach tomorrow’s leaders how to effectively facilitate dialogue across party lines.' CI MED team's labor onset detection system wins top prize in pitch competition Oct 28, 2024 12:15 pm AmnioAlert is a non-invasive underwear liner designed to provide an objective and cost-effective indication of labor onset for pregnant women, preventing unnecessary trips to the hospital for ‘false alarms.’ Finding my calling as a neurosurgeon Oct 10, 2024 10:15 am '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...' Grant will fund Democracy is Indigenous Project at Illinois Oct 10, 2024 2:45 pm The NAH undergraduate ambassadors' project goals include providing a safe space for students to discuss their feelings about the upcoming election, and boosting on-campus voter registration. CI MED student named Illinois Young Innovator of the Year for surgical innovation Sep 17, 2024 9:00 am Sanskruthi Priya Guduri has earned the title of Illinois Young Innovator of the Year for her solution to leverage ultrasound waves to improve surgeons’ field of vision during laparoscopic procedures. Humanities students build bridges to strong communities Jul 15, 2024 11:30 am Doctoral students in humanities are participating in community-based project to bring awareness to food sourcing and sustainable agriculture. New BTN documentary showcases extraordinary student experiences Jul 5, 2024 11:15 am Students training mobility service dogs, a collaborative effort to study deadly tornadoes, and an emerging game studies program are featured in 'Unique Illinois,' premiering July 10th at 4:30pm CT on the Big Ten Network. From daycare to Daniels Hall: Cousins bring charisma, caring to RA roles Jun 12, 2024 1:45 pm Over the years, Elizabeth’s little cousin – her 'mini-me' – would follow a path that is so parallel and filled with so many coincidental happenings that Elizabeth describes it with a laugh as 'just mind-blowing' and 'crazy.' U of I named a top Peace Corps volunteer producer Apr 29, 2024 10:45 am Matt Coughlin, the campus Peace Corps recruiter, thinks that Illinois students are poised to be good volunteers. 'There is a commitment to serving others instilled in U. of. I. students.' Mobile teams bring COVID-19 vaccines to rural villages in Sierra Leone May 7, 2024 4:00 pm The study found that immunization rates increased by about 26% in the trial villages.On average, the cost was about $33 per person, making it a very cost-effective intervention. A celebration of student innovation and excellence at Illinois Apr 22, 2024 8:15 am Campus events include workshops on getting started in research, special exhibits, and colloquia sponsored by individual departments, programs, and units, highlighting the best of our students’ work. CI MED students establish new free eye care clinic Mar 20, 2024 10:15 am 'We have a lot of patients who are excited to see us because they often do not have vision insurance... Many patients have waited over three or four years to be seen because they simply cannot afford new glasses or an eye exam.' Image of Research semifinalists. Vote for your favorite! Mar 19, 2024 1:15 pm You'll be amazed at the diversity and beauty of graduate student research at Illinois. We invite you to explore the online exhibition and vote for your top three entries. Your votes will determine the People's Choice winner ($100 award). Illini Solar Car exhibits 'Calypso' at Chicago Auto Show Feb 16, 2024 4:45 pm Started in 2014, Illini Solar Car has been designing, building, and racing some of America's best solar cars. Calypso is the third generation solar-electric vehicle from Illini Solar Car - the lightest and most efficient car yet. CI MED student elected national delegate to prestigious medical education group Jan 23, 2024 12:00 pm Alexa Lauinger has been elected to represent medical students nationwide on policies affecting diversity and mentorship within medical education through the American Association of Medical Colleges. U of I students bring volunteer force to Special Olympics’ 'Medfest' Jan 17, 2024 12:45 pm 'Thinking back to when I was at the U. of I., I wish I would’ve done stuff like this. They drove up two hours to spend the day with us—the athletes loved them,' said Melissa Garritano, senior director of Special Olympics in the Chicagoland area. Design students’ use of AI to conceptualize 'solarpunk sustainable suburb' Dec 15, 2023 11:45 am Graphic design professor Jena Marble says AI is not a replacement for students' creativity or critical thinking. 'It’s a helpful tool to streamline the creative processes,” she said. 'You should know how to use it...' She's loyal to you, Illinois. Jada Peebles' fifth year as an Illini Dec 13, 2023 10:15 am Jada Peebles received her first college offer from North Carolina State as a seventh-grader. By her senior year in high school, she had decided to attend the U of I, where she started the first 11 games as a freshman. The short story behind a novel career Dec 11, 2023 1:15 pm 'I learned a lot with (my professors), particularly how to write weekly even when I didn’t have anything immediately that I wanted to say...' Phillip Williams said. 'But because they saw something in my work, I only grew from there.' Foellinger Auditorium: Lecture hall by day, concert hall by night Nov 3, 2023 5:00 pm For the legions of Illinois alumni who’ve attended concerts at Foellinger—shoulder-to-shoulder, hot, sweaty, their ears ringing from the terrible acoustics—there’s always one show that’s burned into their memory. 3D printing for medicine being developed by CI MED students Oct 11, 2023 11:45 am '3D printing can be utilized to facilitate medical education by providing alternative ways of learning, and it helps with disease visualization, modeling, and understanding,' says CIM3D co-founder Rand Kittani. U of I student named Young Innovator of the Year for gynecological cancer innovation Oct 4, 2023 10:45 am A Carle Illinois College of Medicine student was named Young Innovator of the Year for her presentation on a new way to detect human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer with a simple test that provides results within 15 minutes. U of I students win second place in food science competition with 'Churroats' Aug 28, 2023 1:30 pm 'Churroats' are a rethinking of churros, made with oat pulp and baked instead of deep fried for a lower-fat snack. Oat pulp is a residue from the production of oat milk; it degrades quickly and usually goes to waste. A new ‘SPIN’ on research Jun 21, 2023 10:45 am SPIN gives undergraduates at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign the chance to work with NCSA staff on research and development projects in supercomputing, data analytics, visualization, and more. Carle Illinois College of Medicine student speaks to international meeting of Nobel laureates Jun 15, 2023 10:00 am CI MED student Christian Guerrero-Juarez was chosen to present his work at the 72nd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau, Germany. The meeting helps young scientists interact with the world’s foremost scientists. Illinois students receive Critical Language Scholarships May 30, 2023 3:45 pm The scholarship program is part of an initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign language and cultural skills to enable them to contribute to U.S. economic competitiveness and national security. Four U of I students awarded Boren funding for overseas language study Apr 26, 2023 3:30 pm Graduate student Maxine Katz and undergraduates Neel Khattri, Kellie Sucha and Tina Wayne have received prestigious Boren Awards for study abroad during the 2023-24 academic year. Two decades of student investment in campus sustainability Apr 19, 2023 11:30 am In 2003, U of I students approved a 'Cleaner Energy Technologies Fee' of $2 per semester. Its overwhelming approval marked one of the first times a university’s student body financially committed to funding renewable energy sources. Inaugural showcase to celebrate student media production projects Apr 14, 2023 1:00 pm The Department of Media & Cinema Studies presents the inaugural student showcase, featuring faculty-curated work created by students throughout the academic year. Report shows U of I grads' success in job placement, starting salaries Mar 28, 2023 10:45 am “No matter where they are from or where they land, a degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is one of the best decisions and best investments a student can make for their education, career and life,” Chancellor Robert J. Jones said. “We are thrilled to see our graduates succeeding at such high rates.” ‘Illini Sports Night’ airs first show on B1G+ network Mar 23, 2023 4:30 pm 'It was awesome to see that hard work and preparation create a live show,' said Emmie Larson, senior in journalism and executive producer of Illini Sports Night. 'This is something we’ve all never done before. It was cool to know we were capable of doing that.' Illinois Neurodiversity Initiative to help students with autism, dyslexia, ADHD Mar 6, 2023 11:00 am Awareness is growing of the array of talents and skills that neurodivergent individuals can bring to the workplace. INI aims to see that students are successfully employed within six months of graduation, said program creator Jeanne Kramer. U of I online social work degree programs address diversity needs Feb 8, 2023 4:00 pm U of I has online bachelor and masters of social work degree programs for community college transfer students. 'This is another way to reach some of the communities and prospective students ... and in turn, increase access to social work services.' Synapses and silicon: Student contest blends biology and computer science to advance AI Jan 24, 2023 9:00 am The 2023 Bio-informed AI Research Competition encourages students in the behavioral and computer sciences to pursue collaborative AI research. The inaugural winners advise applicants in 2023 to 'be brave' and stay open-minded. New journalism master’s degree track focuses on science and technology Dec 21, 2022 10:45 am Students can earn the Master of Science in Journalism degree with a focus on science and technology journalism entirely online in as few as two semesters full-time, or can tailor a part-time schedule over additional semesters. Advanced filmmaking class produces live action short film Dec 9, 2022 4:15 pm This spring, students in MACS 480: Advanced Filmmaking are producing a live action short film.