Illinois Featured Content

Asif Wilson, a professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the director of the Social Studies Network.

Are Illinois social studies educators prepared to teach inclusive topics?

Oct 22, 2025 3:15 pm

'What better time to be talking about the successes that are actually taking place in classrooms than right now? This is a great case of what promise we hold as educators.'

psychology professor Benedek Kurdi. Photo by Craig Pessman

Is unintentional bias changeable?

Oct 22, 2025 9:00 am

Professor Benedek Kurdi speaks about the problems associated with efforts to 'train' the bias out of people and offers practical guidelines for those hoping to establish a more inclusive, welcoming atmosphere in their organizations.

Brenda Wilson, microbiology professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Photo courtesy of the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology

'Nightmare bacteria' are on the rise. How do bacteria become resistant to antibiotics?

Oct 13, 2025 9:45 am

Professor of microbiology Brenda Wilson discusses what causes antimicrobial resistance, NDM-CRE and what steps can be taken to try to slow the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

air traffic controller works in a tower. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

How will the government shutdown impact air travel?

Oct 3, 2025 11:45 am

Although TSA officers and air traffic controllers are considered essential workers, strain on staff could result in long security lines and flight delays or cancellations, says U. of I. aviation security expert Sheldon H. Jacobson.

Education Justice Project students Ahmed Mohammed, Carlos “Ben El” Bowman and Shenard Lesure. Photo courtesy Rebecca Ginsburg

What is the status of higher education access at Illinois prisons?

Sep 30, 2025 4:00 pm

'So many people in prison hear what’s going on in their neighborhoods back home and wish they could be a source for peaceful resolutions, reconciliation and neighborhood upliftment. This program seeks to provide them with those skills.'

Professor Richard Tempest. Photo by Brian Stauffer circa 2015

How do the charismatic leadership styles of Trump and Putin affect their interactions?

Sep 4, 2025 10:15 am

Charismatic leaders like Trump and Putin promise magical solutions to the difficulties of living in a complex society, says U. of I. professor Richard Tempest, who writes and teaches about charismatic leadership.

Professor Katy Huff. Photo by Brian Stauffer

Can nuclear energy be produced on the moon?

Aug 6, 2025 4:30 pm

Professor Katy Huff, formerly the assistant secretary for nuclear energy at the U.S. Department of Energy talks about the technical, logistical and policy challenges NASA’s effort entails.

Donald Wuebbles has been a leader of numerous national and international climate assessments, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He also served as an assistant director in the U.S Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Obama. Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

What happens if the EPA's landmark rule on emissions is repealed?

Aug 4, 2025 9:15 am

'The reality is, there is no real science basis for its repeal. The scientific evidence is very clear that our changing climate is almost entirely due to human activities, especially from the burning of fossil fuels,' says climate change expert Don Wuebbles.

Archaeologist Thomas Emerson, the former director of the Illinois State Archaeological Survey. Photo by Fred Zwicky

What’s missing from our understanding of Illinois history?

Jul 22, 2025 11:00 am

'The stories of Illinois’ people are artificially segregated between the long-term Native inhabitants and the European newcomers. This creates a vision of discontinuity and simplistic stereotypes,' says retired U. of I. archaeologist Thomas Emerson.

A ground-up approach to cancer research, staring with basic science and engineering, is the key to future clinical development — such as dye-free digital biopsies like this one, says Cancer Center at Illinois director Rohit Bhargava. Image courtesy of Rohit Bhargava

Why is basic science support important for cancer breakthroughs?

Jul 23, 2025 10:15 am

'Basic science (doesn't just) make better technology. It helps make a better society. If we focus on basic science - particularly in those areas that actually help the health of society, like cancer - I think we’ll be better off in the coming years.'

Becky Smith, an Illinois professor of epidemiology and a Carle Illinois College of Medicine professor of health innovation. Photo by Fred Zwicky

What did the COVID shutdowns teach us about public health policy?

May 28, 2025 1:15 pm

An expert in public health policy talks about what the 2020 shutdowns and the public responses to them have taught us about what works — and doesn’t work — in public health policy.

political science professor and international relations expert Nicholas Grossman. Photo by Brian Stauffer (2018)

Does Ukraine drone attack inside Russia augur new era of asymmetric warfare?

Jun 6, 2025 8:00 am

Ukraine’s daring drone attack deep within Russia is significant but not war-redefining, and may hinder U.S. efforts to end the war, says Illinois international relations expert Nicholas Grossman.

image of Illinois drivers license with REAL ID gold star. Photo via U of I Willard Airport website

Does REAL ID really make flying safer?

May 9, 2025 11:30 am

Obtaining a REAL ID has become straightforward in every state, provided you can provide the necessary documentation. Once you have your first REAL ID, obtaining renewals is straightforward and seamless.

Education’s fundamental purpose includes promoting communicative virtues such as empathy, open-mindedness and truthfulness, and providing opportunities for students to learn from and work with people of differing cultures, backgrounds and perspectives, Nicholas Burbules wrote in two recent papers. Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

What is education’s role in fostering responsible belief?

May 6, 2025 1:45 pm

Higher education should teach students how to understand each other across our differences. It’s about being exposed to diversities and learning to deal with them productively by talking, listening and trying to understand and empathize.

Jonathan W. Coppess, the Leonard and Lila Gardner-Illinois Farm Bureau Family of Companies Endowed Associate Professor in Agricultural Policy at the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Seriously. Photo by Fred Zwicky

What effect will tariffs have on consumers, farmers?

Apr 16, 2025 10:00 am

For U.S. farmers, tariffs are a double whammy of paying more for imported goods such as fertilizer and losing out on export markets, says U. of I. agricultural expert Jonathan W. Coppess.

Professor Christopher Gaulke. Photo by Craig Pessman

How does what lives in your gut affect your health?

Apr 8, 2025 2:45 pm

Professor of pathobiology Chris Gaulke discusses what roles the gut microbiome plays in digestion, immune health and cancer, as well as how what we consume affects it.

Professor Charles Fogelman, an expert on the politics of Lesotho. Photo by Fred Zwicky

How will (now 10%) tariffs, cuts to USAID, affect Africa's smallest nation?

Apr 11, 2025 8:45 am

Illinois professor Charles Fogelman describes how the tiny African country of Lesotho will likely experience the dual blows of ever-changing tariff announcements and the cessation of USAID funding.

Illinois anthropology professor Ellen Moodie describes the agreement between current U.S. and Salvadoran administrations that has allowed hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants to be deported from the U.S. and detained in an El Salvador “terrorism confinement center.”

Why were Venezuelan immigrants sent to El Salvador?

Mar 31, 2025 8:00 am

Professor Ellen Moodie describes the agreement between U.S. and Salvadoran administrations allowing hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants to be deported from the U.S. and detained in an El Salvador 'terrorism confinement center.'

What effect will a weakened consumer watchdog agency have on borrowers, bankruptcies?

Mar 26, 2025 2:30 pm

A weakened Consumer Financial Protection Bureau likely won’t lead to another subprime mortgage meltdown but 'a steady ratcheting up of unfair practices' for the average consumer, says bankruptcy expert Robert Lawless.

Emily E. LB. Twarog, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois and author of the 2017 book “Politics of the Pantry: Housewives, Food, and Consumer Protest in Twentieth-Century America.” Photo by L. Brian Stauffer.

What are the historical precedents for consumer activism, economic blackouts?

Mar 26, 2025 2:00 pm

Social media has changed the boycott since the days when that meant picketing outside stores, says professor Emily Twarog. 'There was a physical space where they were handing out flyers about why you, too, should join the boycott. It was very personal.'

How can digital technology contribute to human flourishing?

Mar 28, 2025 3:00 pm

John Schwenkle is the director of the new Illinois Forum on Human Flourishing in a Digital Age, which aims to examine the challenges of living in a world shaped by technology and to explore how digital tools might contribute to human flourishing.

Nancy Averett, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign lecturer of journalism and expert in science and environmental journalism. Photo by Craig Pessman

How can science literacy help people better understand the news?

Mar 24, 2025 10:15 am

People get news from a wide range of sources that may not be trustworthy. 'Joe Rogan told viewers that he wasn’t going to get the COVID-19 vaccine because he worried about its safety...even though Rogan had zero evidence that it was unsafe.'

a farmer spreads liquid manure on a field in Italy. Public domain photo

How do we address the problem of PFAS in sewage sludge?

Mar 20, 2025 12:00 pm

Communities and federal agencies are waking up to the dangers of 'forever chemicals' in wastewater treatment sludge, which is often sprayed on farm fields as fertilizer. Researcher John Scott studies the problem.

southwest airlines photo montage by Alamy, via Adobe Stock

Southwest moves are a reaction to changing landscape in airline industry

Mar 11, 2025 2:00 pm

Southwest Airlines is reversing several policies - first come, first serve seating and 'Bags Fly Free' - in an effort to better compete with other airlines with razor thin profit margins. Professor Ed Rogowski explains why it was necessary now.

veterinary clinical medicine professor Jim Lowe. Photo by Fred Zwicky

What makes the bird flu virus so unusual?

Feb 10, 2025 9:00 am

The H5N1 virus attacks specific body systems in each species and behaves very differently in each - it can cause widespread death in some animals while barely affecting others, says Illinois professor Dr. Jim Lowe.

Zeynep Madak-Erdogan, the associate director for education at the Cancer Center at Illinois and a professor of food science and human nutrition. Photo by the Cancer Center at Illinois

How does alcohol consumption elevate risks of various cancers?

Jan 22, 2025 9:00 am

The recent Surgeon General's advisory indicates women are much more likely to develop these alcohol-related cancers. 'Since breast cancer risk is closely related to elevated estrogen levels, this creates greater susceptibility to alcohol’s carcinogenic effects in women.'

Professor John Murphy. Image by Della Perrone

How did Trump’s speech stack up to previous inaugural addresses?

Jan 23, 2025 9:30 am

'Inaugural addresses usually emphasize the humility of the new president as they face the profound responsibilities of the office. Trump does not do so. In fact, he says he was “saved by God” to make America great again.'

Rana B. Khoury, a professor of political science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who studies comparative and international politics, with a focus on the Middle East. Photo by Fred Zwicky

What does the future hold for Syria after Assad?

Jan 22, 2025 10:45 am

The outlook for Syria’s future is mixed, but there are reasons to be optimistic, says Rana B. Khoury, a professor of political science who studies comparative and international politics, with a focus on the Middle East.

social security card made out to John Q. Public. Via Wikimedia Commons

New law could mean bump in Social Security benefits for some public pensioners, expert says

Jan 9, 2025 11:30 am

The bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act means some retirees will receive a modest increase in their monthly checks, says Richard Kaplan, an internationally recognized expert on U.S. tax policy, elder law and retirement issues.

Dr. Stephany Lewis, a professor of zoological medicine at the U. of I. and the director of the University of Illinois Wildlife Medical Clinic. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Is the highly pathogenic avian influenza a threat to pets?

Jan 8, 2025 10:00 am

The American Veterinary Medical Association has issued recommendations for keeping pets and backyard flocks safe from highly pathogenic avian influenza, and the recommendations are also a useful guide for humans.

Labor and Employment Relations professor Michael LeRoy. Photo by Brian Stauffer

Will presidential transition affect potential East Coast dockworkers strike?

Jan 7, 2025 8:45 am

An East Coast dockworkers strike during the presidential transition could snarl supply chains and lead to another spike in inflation, says Michael LeRoy, a labor expert at Illinois.

Southeast view of Notre-Dame Cathedral before it was severely damaged by fire in 2019. The cathedral reopened Dec. 8 after a five-year restoration. Photo by Uoaei1, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

What can the Notre-Dame restoration tell us about how we value historic structures?

Dec 17, 2024 9:30 am

'Is the cathedral still Notre-Dame if we give it a glass roof and steel columns? The restoration team, with tremendous public input, decided not... In the end, we still want to be able to recognize that landmark building as continuing to tell its story.'

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