Illinois Featured Content

graphic illustration shows silhouette of Ebert in a threatre seat

2022-23 Ebert Fellows will work with Chicago Tribune film critic

Nov 18, 2022 12:15 pm

Through the Roger Ebert Fellows program, three undergraduate students are selected each fall to gain in-depth learning experiences that focus on critical thinking, arts and entertainment criticism, and interpretative journalism.

Bringing a game to life through dance

Nov 4, 2022 4:15 pm

Choreographer, composer and dancer Nawal Assougdam prepared a performance of an original work based on the popular game Bop It!

theatre students rehearse for the first public reading of “A Darkling at Nightfall.” Photo by Darrell Hoemann

Theatre's playwright residency program allows students to help develop new plays

Sep 21, 2022 1:15 pm

Mallory Raven-Ellen Backstrom wrote 'A Darkling at Nightfall' and worked on it for two weeks in the Daniel J. Sullivan playwrite-in-residence program. Students' reading of the play will inform Backstrom's edits as she prepares it for the stage.

Aerial photograph of what researchers believe is a community structure, like a church or recreation center. Credit: Photo copyright ©2022 VOPA and Belize Institute of Archaeology, NICH.

Exploring an ancestral Maya neighborhood

Sep 9, 2022 9:00 am

'Families lived and worked here (from A.D. 250 - 600)... We know the Maya left forests in place because the animal bones we find here are of species that can only breed in the forest.'

excited students on a previous move-in day

Details on move-in week at Illinois residence halls

Aug 8, 2022 11:30 am

Book your move-in slot, see information specific to your residence hall, and check out information on traffic and parking. Plan ahead for a smooth move!

Yu-Chieh Chiu launches a paper airplane. Photos by Joerg Mitter / Red Bull Content Pool

Yu-Chieh Chiu: Clear for take off

Jul 6, 2022 9:45 am

How the joy of paper planes led graduate student, Yu-Chieh Chiu, to compete on the world stage at the Red Bull Paper Wings World Championships in Austria, and find community at Grainger Engineering

young bird nests among leaves on the forest floor. Photo by author

Waiting for the sun to set to find a rare bird

Jun 30, 2022 10:00 am

Each night, we perform checks of Whip-Poor-Will nests to record development of eggs and chicks, as well as instances of predation or failure. Nests are at risk on the ground, but a few broods hatch and reach fledging age, when they begin to fly.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students Ella Dennis, Brendan Rattin and Jake Gulick are among 208 students nationwide awarded David L. Boren Scholarships. Photos provided

Three awarded Boren Scholarships for international language study

May 19, 2022 10:00 am

The National Security Education Program selects students to add international and language components to their education by studying overseas in world regions critical to U.S. interests.

Jenna Spangler prepares a pork roast in this spring’s Grilling and BBQ Science course. Photos by Michelle Hassel

Grilling and BBQ Science class: Making meat more than a meal

May 18, 2022 8:00 am

A driven undergraduate student, Jenna Spangler, tackles pork loin and fruit in ANSC 210 - Grilling and BBQ Science - at Illinois.

image of the first few rows of graduates and the stage at an earlier Commencement ceremony at Memorial Stadium

Congratulations!

May 11, 2022 10:15 am

This linked page includes the complete Commencement program, links to the livestream of the ceremony, and much more.

Critical Language scholarship awardees - Caleb Apperson, Aiman Ghani and Dahlia Davis. Photos provided.

Illinois students receive Critical Language Scholarships

Apr 28, 2022 8:45 am

The U.S. Department of State program provides full scholarships to U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to spend eight to 10 weeks abroad, with an expectation that they'll use their language skills in their future careers.

Sarah Graham in overalls on the U of I's South Farms

Illinois program turns cowgirl dreams into livestock research reality

Apr 15, 2022 12:15 pm

The moment 4-year-old Sarah Graham sat in a saddle for the first time, she announced she wanted to be a cowgirl. For the suburban Chicago preschooler, it was an unlikely dream. But it stuck.

Alma Mater statue. Photo by Michelle Hassel

I-Ready online camp for college-bound students with autism

Apr 11, 2022 3:30 pm

'This camp gives students a more concrete idea of what college is like and helps them and their parents prepare and decide if a competitive university is right for them,' says Autism Program director Jeanne Kramer.

six people in matching blue happi coats launch their traditional Japanese riverboat. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Building a traditional Japanese boat

Apr 6, 2022 3:30 pm

Japan House offered a Japanese boatbuilding apprenticeship, where students worked with boatbuilding expert Douglas Brooks to build a traditional riverboat in six days.

2022 Engineering Open House - rockets shoot down the Boneyard Creek

The fun way to explore your academic future: U of I Open House Weekends

Mar 18, 2022 2:45 pm

Illinois Open House Weekends give you a chance to explore college opportunities and get up-close, hands-on experiences related to your interests.

Close-up of Illinois graduate during Commencement exercises

Recent Illinois grads succeeding despite pandemic

Mar 9, 2022 11:30 am

The Illini Success report found that 94% of graduates secured a 'first destination' – defined as a job, enrollment in graduate or professional school, or a volunteer position – within six months of graduation.

This illustration shows asteroid 2020 QG's trajectory bending during its close approach to Earth. The asteroid is the closest known non-impacting asteroid ever detected. The asteroid passed by 1,830 miles above the southern Indian Ocean on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Grad student's research faces worst-case asteroid scenario

Feb 21, 2022 10:45 am

Andrew Koehler recently won an award from the International Academy of Astronautics to further his work on a research project to use swarm intelligence algorithms to look at steroid impact probability.

Graduate student Andrew Janiszeski with an antenna used to receive data from weather balloons. (Photo provided.)

The launching of the blizzard balloons

Feb 18, 2022 9:15 am

Two graduate students were tasked with launching weather balloons in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in the midst of a Nor’easter that was delivering 60 mph winds and 20 inches of snow to the region to help NASA research snowstorms.

A decoder wheel is one of the tools the players use in the escape room. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Creating an escape room experience at KCPA

Dec 10, 2021 8:00 am

Theatre students developed the story, characters and script. Students in an informatics course developed, manufactured and now are operating the escape room puzzles, including the hardware and programming of small board electronics.

Nancy and Sumanth Viswanathan stand in the kitchen of their new home, ADAPTHAUS, built by U of I students for the D.O.D.'s Solar Decathalon competition

ADAPTHAUS: A sustainable home for the holidays

Dec 3, 2021 9:00 am

Nancy and Sumanth Viswanathan fell in love with ADAPTHAUS, a solar-powered, adaptive home built by University of Illinois students that won fourth place in the recent Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition.

Students learn about audio tools in the Illinois Student Newsroom at IPM. (Photos by Isabella Pennebaker, photography intern.)

Journalism students train alongside professionals in new campus collaboration

Nov 17, 2021 11:15 am

'Illinois Public Media is an ideal space for students to gain experience working in the field, while receiving personal guidance from journalists, and producing content for a professional media organization,' said journalism head Stephanie Craft.

student researcher Elizabeth Spurlock in a still photo captured from a linked video

Student researcher, veterans work together to study brain health

Nov 11, 2021 1:00 pm

'Veterans Day is a great day to say not just 'thank you,' but to reflect upon how you yourself can be of service to the veterans in your community,' says student researcher Elizabeth Spurlock.

Driving partnership between Siebel Center for Design and Illini Solar Car

Sep 15, 2021 9:15 am

The Siebel Center for Design is sharing what the new, human-centered design space can offer its occupants and visitors.

Illinois journeys: The future is bright

Sep 15, 2021 9:30 am

As a senior in high school, Michael watched his older brother experience life at Illinois and knew it was the place for him, too

student's pillsafe prototype beside Health Make-a-Thon winner's medallion

Health Make-A-Thon winner targets opioid addiction prevention with new device

Sep 1, 2021 12:00 pm

Ariana Alam Mizan won the September 2020 Health Make-a-Thon. Her award-winning pill bottle cap design is now taking shape in the Health Maker Lab at Carle Illinois.

student works on laptop. Photo by Brian Stauffer

Students' technology resource guide for Fall

Aug 18, 2021 9:15 am

Welcome to the University of Illinois! Technology Services is here to connect you to the technology resources you need.

Mittal poses beside a portrait of Arnold and Mabel Beckman, two of the many mentors who provided inspiration throughout her Ph.D. program.

Shachi Mittal's moment of inspiration

Aug 3, 2021 9:00 am

Heading to the University of Washington for her first professorship, the former Beckman Institute Postdoctoral Fellow reflects on her eight-year research career and pinpoints her own 'moment of inspiration.'

Fisk undergraduate students (L-R) Skye Faucher, Jaia Holleman, and Leiana-Lavette Woodard participated in summer training workshops at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. No photo credits available.

Program eases path to PhDs for those underrepresented in quantitative biology

Jul 9, 2021 9:00 am

A bridge program streamlining a path from a master’s degree at Fisk University, a historically Black university in Nashville, to a doctoral degree at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has received an NIH training grant.

Grace Maloney is among nine University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students and recent graduates offered an opportunity to pursue international education, research and teaching experiences via Fulbright grants. Photo by Cameron Kagel

Nine Illinois students, recent graduates offered Fulbright grants

Jun 14, 2021 4:45 pm

Nine U of I students and recent graduates have been offered Fulbright grants to pursue international education, research and teaching experiences around the globe this coming year.

Lessons learned from starting a teaching career in a pandemic

Jun 2, 2021 9:30 am

2020 Elementary Education graduates began their teaching careers during this most unusual, pandemic-affected school year. Six spoke with Lynn Burdick, ElEd program coordinator about the ups and downs of their first-year experience.

Special COVID-19 research category winner by grad student Charles Chen

Beckman Institute Research Image Contest winners

May 28, 2021 10:45 am

'Every year, I’m amazed at the quality of both the research being conducted, and the beautiful images that result,' said Beckman Institute Director Jeff Moore. This year’s contest included a special category on COVID-19-related research.

Illinois students, recent graduates receive foreign language scholarships

May 28, 2021 9:00 am

'It is telling that U of I recipients of these language scholarships hail from three different colleges on campus, a real testament to the international opportunities available to students from myriad disciplines.'

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Main Quad

U of I featured on The College Tour. Watch it now

May 20, 2021 9:00 am

Featuring 11 Illinois students who will inspire you as they share what they love about the U of I, from a freshman blown away by undergraduate research opportunities to graduating seniors sharing how they carved a path to their dream jobs.

Alma Mater statue dressed in cap and gown

Celebrating our graduates!

May 10, 2021 9:30 am

We are eager to celebrate you and your accomplishmentswith an in-person Stage Crossing experience and Online Commencement Celebration.

A released big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus, clings to a tree. Photo by Sarah Gaulke

Catching bats for conservation

May 18, 2021 11:00 am

'With all the intimidation and preparation leading up to this night, I had built the bats up to be something dramatic – even fearsome – in my mind, but sitting there in my hand, the bats are smaller and sweeter than I anticipated. They are fuzzy.'

girl sits at white desk in a white room looking at a laptop. Photo by L. B. Stauffer

U of I to host virtual summer camp for high schoolers diagnosed with autism

May 5, 2021 12:45 pm

Illinois high school students who were diagnosed with autism and are considering attending the U of I can explore college life and hear the experiences of current students in a new virtual summer camp called I Ready.

Undergraduate Research Week, April 26-May 1

Apr 19, 2021 8:45 am

Undergraduate Research Week showcases the best of undergraduate research and creative inquiry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

The Bluetooth Gramophone 2.0 speaker shown in publicity photo. Photo courtesy Gramovox LLC

Grammy Awards finds MBA student’s retro gramophone pitch perfect

Mar 17, 2021 9:30 am

Entrepreneur Anthony Vitale used lessons learned at Illinois to capture the interest of the producers of this year’s Grammy Awards. The Gramophone 2.0 was the star of each presenter’s dressing room, customized to play their music.

grinning graduate in regalia holds up her degree. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Stage-crossing experience offered to 2020, 2021 graduates

Mar 9, 2021 10:15 am

The stage crossing will be an individual procession specific to each graduate. Graduates can register for a time slot (May 10 - 17). Two guests will be allowed to accompany each graduate as they cross a stage.

Sophia Byrd, a University of Illinois senior studying lyric theatre, performed in the oratorio “Place,” nominated for two Grammy Awards. photo by Christian Flaherty

Illinois music student part of Grammy-nominated ensemble

Mar 5, 2021 9:30 am

The opportunity for Sophia Byrd to sing in a professional oratorio as a college freshman changed the course of her music education at U of I. It also led to two Grammy nominations for Byrd before she has finished college.

Undergrad's TikTok stardom: From classroom practice to influencer status

Feb 17, 2021 10:00 am

Sierra Reed says studying advertising at Illinois actually helps her understand how to use TikTok. She’s learned how to measure engagement and target videos to her audience - which isn't exactly the audience she imagined.

Business Instructional Facility (BIF) at night

Gies Business's Disruption Lab drives innovation for students, corporate partners

Jan 27, 2021 10:30 am

'Emerging technology, social activism, political instability and health outbreaks are all changing the way business is being done. The Disruption Lab will...teach (students and corporate partners) how to leverage these factors for future success.'

stock image of chaplain and hospital staff attending to a patient

Public health training gives hospital chaplain a different perspective

Jan 21, 2021 11:00 am

Chaplains additionally serve as a kind of go-between for hospital staff, patients, and families. The idea is that if chaplains were more research literate, they would be better able to guide and evaluate and advocate for their profession.

Art professor Chiara Vincenzi uses Komodo, a virtual reality program being developed by the IDEA Lab at Illinois, to offer critiques of dress designs created by her students. Image courtesy CITL Virtual Design Lab

Virtual reality provides new tool for fashion design class

Dec 21, 2020 12:15 pm

'(Virtual reality) is very suitable for the first stage of ideation of a fashion garment. Students can go around the mannequin and explore shape, colors, texture and different silhouettes,' says Art & Design Professor Chiara Vincenzi.

1. Working in an epidemiology laboratory and the COVID-19 pandemic have taught undergraduate student Rachel Lupas about managing infectious disease.

Adjusting to these 'ever-changing times'

Nov 25, 2020 10:15 am

'My training in this lab makes me more conscious of the proper ways to deal with infectious biological material, an invaluable benefit during COVID-19.'

Charlie Bauer plays Daddy Ubu and Nathan Ramsey plays Banquo. Photo by Darrell Hoemann

Theatre department films political satire with COVID-19 safety changes

Nov 23, 2020 12:00 pm

They were entering final rehearsals when COVID restrictions started. 'The set was still up, the lights were hung and the costumes were made,' says director Lisa Dixon. But now they needed to stage it safely, and present it to an audience.

Collin Carlier, CEO Royse & Brinkmeyer, Megan Dailey, director of MFST, and Maggie Furr, junior, crop sciences outside an apartment complex included in the project.

Metropolitan farming offers surprise opportunities for U of I junior

Oct 28, 2020 10:30 am

'Since joining this project, I’ve seen a lot more articles about different types of urban farms and a lot more opportunities in this area than I ever imagined,' ACES junior Maggie Furr says.

Alexis Perezchica, Student Body President

Meet student government president Alexis Perezchica

Sep 30, 2020 10:45 am

Alexis discusses her election experience, what makes ISG so important, and her journey through college as a first-generation student.

Graduate students adapt to internships

Aug 25, 2020 2:30 pm

Eleven students in the College of Applied Health Sciences spoke of perseverance, patience and making the most of their revamped opportunities.

Outreach and public engagement coordinator Lara Hebert, left, postdoctoral research associate Gabriel Burks, and bioengineering professor Jennifer Amos (shown on laptop screen, right), developed a virtual summer camp that gave about 500 high school students across the U.S. the opportunity to sample 12 engineering disciplines. Photo illustration by Fred Zwicky

Students use TikTok to learn about biomechanics in virtual summer camps

Aug 13, 2020 1:15 pm

Researchers developed a virtual summer camp that gave about 500 high school students across the U.S. the opportunity to sample 12 engineering disciplines.

blog navigation

blog posts