blog posts Five Illinois faculty elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences Apr 25, 2024 9:00 am Founded in 1780, the academy recognizes scientists, artists, scholars and leaders who have distinguished themselves in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. How 3D printers can give robots a soft touch Apr 24, 2024 10:00 am U of I researchers' 3D-printed pads function as both soft skin for a robotic arm and pressure-based mechanical sensors, and can be made inexpensively by reprogramming 3-D printers. Milton named Big Ten Player of the Week Apr 24, 2024 9:00 am Senior outfielder Connor Milton went 9-for-12 with five runs scored, two doubles, three home runs and eight RBI during the Illini's series sweep of Northwestern, posting a .750 on-base percentage while slugging an incredible 1.667. Announcing the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science Apr 24, 2024 8:45 am The School will pioneer advancements at the intersection of computing and data science, addressing complex challenges and driving innovation across various fields. Champaign County African American Heritage Trail sites unveiled on U of I campus Apr 23, 2024 12:45 pm WCIA-TV (April 22) Morgan White, director of facilities and services at the U. of I., said the campus is excited 'to be part of something that can enrich the experience of students, employees and community members for years to come.' USDA confirms cow-to-cow transmission a factor in bird flu spread Apr 22, 2024 11:15 am Reuters (April 19) 'Those of us who have worked with influenza for a long time were fairly quickly saying, "Yep it moves cow to cow,"'says Illinois Professor Jim Lowe. 'You can’t explain the epidemiology any other way.' Illini Football wraps up spring ball with Orange and Blue Spring Game at Memorial Stadium Apr 22, 2024 8:30 am Illinois will open its 2024 fall schedule at Memorial Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 29, when the Illini host Eastern Illinois. Paper: Firms learn more from ‘knowledge-gap’ failures than mere ‘slip-ups’ Apr 22, 2024 8:30 am More organizational learning was associated with design-related product recalls than with process-related recalls. Researchers also learned that a firm’s accumulated patents and investment in R&D enhanced learning from design-related recalls. 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. Illinois study: Backyards, urban parks support bird diversity in unique ways Apr 22, 2024 8:00 am Birds rely on public and private spaces in different seasons and for different reasons, U of I researchers report in a new study. A beginner’s guide to foreign exchange trading Apr 19, 2024 2:00 pm CNN (April 17) 'Regulations vary from one jurisdiction to another, but they generally aim to protect investors, maintain market integrity and prevent financial crimes such as money laundering and fraud,' says finance professor Richard Excell. U of I joins group to advance civic preparedness, uphold free expression on campuses Apr 18, 2024 4:45 pm Member institutions agree to three 'civic commitments': Educating for democracy is central to our mission; We will prepare our students for a vibrant, diverse, and contentious society; and We will protect and defend free inquiry. Emotional radio ads may ease listeners’ qualms, boosting support for organ donation Apr 18, 2024 11:15 am Radio ads that feature personal stories of organ transplant recipients or patients languishing on the waiting list may overcome some of the misgivings many nondonor listeners have and persuade them to sign up. Why is the reparations movement gaining momentum in the U.S.? Apr 18, 2024 9:15 am Support for reparations is growing because U.S. political and corporate leaders have retreated from a commitment to racial justice, says Sundiata Cha-Jua, an Illinois professor of history and of African American studies. Seven Illinois professors elected AAAS Fellows Apr 18, 2024 9:00 am Seven U of I professors have been elected 2023 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society, for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements. Previewing the 25th anniversary of Ebertfest with Chaz Ebert Apr 18, 2024 8:45 am WILL-AM (April 16) Chaz Ebert discusses the 25th anniversary of Ebertfest, the C-U film festival founded by her late husband, Roger Ebert, who was a U. of I. journalism graduate and Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic. (video) Underwood announces three additions for 2024-25 Apr 18, 2024 8:30 am Head coach Brad Underwood announced Wednesday that Carey Booth, Kylan Boswell, and Tre White have signed Tenders of Financial Aid with the University of Illinois and will join the Fighting Illini men's basketball program. Bridging the gap: Bringing cancer solutions from lab to bedside Apr 17, 2024 11:00 am A world-renowned surgical oncologist has joined the Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL) to develop patient-centered solutions through collaborative research. Sixteen employees honored with Chancellor's Staff Excellence Award Apr 17, 2024 10:00 am Sixteen academic professionals and civil service staff members have received the Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award recognizing exceptional performance. A huge number of homeowners have mortgage rates too good to give up Apr 15, 2024 3:30 pm New York Times (April 15) The average American household has a fixed rate mortgage that’s a whopping three points lower than new mortgage rates. 'You could think of your locked-in rate as an asset that you own,' says U of I professor Julia Fonseca. Campus awards honor excellence in instruction Apr 15, 2024 9:00 am Awardees are cited for sustained excellence and innovation in undergraduate and graduate teaching, undergraduate and graduate advising and mentoring, online teaching and research guidance. Illini tally 19 hits in 15-5 win over Northern Illinois Apr 15, 2024 8:45 am Illinois baseball (18-13) opened its weekend series vs. Northern Illinois (11-22) with a 15-5 victory at Illinois Field on Friday night. They went on to sweep the Huskies with wins on Saturday and Sunday. Wearable sensors for Parkinson’s can improve with machine learning, data from healthy adults Apr 12, 2024 10:00 am The study shows that 'the expansion of datasets with healthy older adult motion data and integration with deep learning approaches can help improve the accuracy of detecting differences in motor impairment in persons with Parkinson's...' Two Illinois professors awarded Guggenheim Fellowships Apr 12, 2024 9:15 am Evolution, ecology and behavior professor Alison Bell and architecture professor Paul Hardin Kapp are among 188 writers, scholars, artists and scientists chosen from nearly 3,000 applicants, according to the Guggenheim Foundation. Illini Baseball continues homestand with weekend series vs. Northern Illinois Apr 12, 2024 8:45 am Illinois baseball continues its season-long nine-game homestand with a three-game weekend set vs. Northern Illinois. The Orange and Blue (17-13) are coming off of a midweek win over Illinois State, 10-6, on Tuesday. Molecules scramble quantum information as well as black holes Apr 12, 2024 8:30 am Earth.com (April 9) 'Chemists are conflicted about scrambling in chemical reactions, because scrambling is necessary to get to the reaction goal, but it also messes up your control over the reaction,' says Professor Martin Gruebele. The downside of 'branded access offers': Perceived lack of consumer commitment Apr 11, 2024 12:30 pm 'Brands are constantly pursuing new customers, and the leading trend is a focus on branded access offers... moving away from ownership to more of a short-term rental mode,' said U of I business professor Tiffany Barnett White . Nothing is everything: How hidden emptiness can define the usefulness of filtration materials Apr 11, 2024 12:15 pm Researchers used microscopy, mathematical theory to unveil nanoscale voids in three dimensions. This advancement is poised to improve the performance of many materials in the chemical, energy and medical industries — particularly in filtration. Students' personalized menopause therapy solution takes top prize in startup competition Apr 10, 2024 2:45 pm A Carle Illinois College of Medicine innovation aimed at personalizing hormone replacement therapy for women experiencing menopausal symptoms has earned top honors at the Midwest’s largest student-run startup conference. TEAACH your children well: Revealing the history of Asian Americans Apr 10, 2024 11:45 am The College of Education is serving as a professional development hub to assist public school teachers in educating students about contributions of Asian Americans to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the U.S. Illini Success report spotlights postgraduation outcomes, rising starting salaries for recent grads Apr 10, 2024 8:45 am We know U of I provides a world-class educational experience. This data 'demonstrates that the decision to come here is also a great investment in your life and career after you graduate,' says Chancellor Robert Jones. You don’t have to type anymore: Welcome to the golden age of voice dictation Apr 9, 2024 1:30 pm The Atlantic (April 8) 'For a long time, we were making gradual, incremental progress, and then suddenly things started to get better much faster,' says U of I electrical and computer engineering professor Mark Hasegawa-Johnson. Curiosities from our collections: 1893 Chicago World's Fair Apr 9, 2024 1:00 pm According to Winton Solberg, a renowned historian of the university, it took our faculty two and a half years to prepare our exhibit, 'which consisted of nine freight carloads...and occupied eight thousand square feet in the Illinois State Building.' Research examines tweets during Hurricane María to analyze social media use during disasters Apr 9, 2024 9:45 am Understanding how social media is used during a disaster can help with disaster preparedness and recovery for future events, says urban and regional planning professor Omar Pérez Figueroa. Fighting Illini Athletics set to host Spring Sports Fest Apr 9, 2024 9:00 am Fighting Illini Athletics is set to host Spring Sports Fest from April 12-14, featuring 11 home events across four sports - Track & Field, Softball, Baseball, and Women's Tennis. Union wave is picking up at Chicago, suburban libraries, cultural institutions Apr 8, 2024 1:30 pm Chicago Sun-Times (April 5) Overall union membership has fallen dramatically since historic highs in the 1950s. 'Employers spend a lot of money trying to stay union-free. They have a lot of tools to do that,' says U of I's Robert Bruno. Five Illinois students honored with Goldwater scholarships Apr 8, 2024 12:00 pm U of I students Sylvia E, Daniel Feng, Alice Gao, Amelia Korveziroska and Riley Trendler were awarded Goldwater scholarships for their potential to contribute to the advancement of research in the natural sciences, mathematics or engineering. Moms Weekend 2024, April 12-14 Apr 8, 2024 8:00 am Celebrate over 100 years of inviting Moms to the Illinois campus! AI chatbots will never stop hallucinating Apr 5, 2024 3:00 pm Scientific American (April 5) When generative AI models produce responses that don’t match reality, it's called 'hallucination.' U of I professor Dilek Hakkani-Tür, says AI hallucinations spring from their fundamental construction. Perinatal women of Mexican descent propose solutions to pandemic stressors affecting Latinos Apr 4, 2024 3:15 pm The women in the study had difficulties accessing mental health treatment, child care and food. Their insights were used to identify programs that could help meet the needs of Latino communities during future emergencies. Illinois art history scholar awarded 2024 ACLS Fellowship Apr 4, 2024 2:00 pm The fellowships support scholars with the potential to make original and significant contributions in the humanities and interpretive social sciences. They provide up to $60,000 for 6-12 months of sustained research and writing. Illini trio named to WBIT All-Tournament team, Cook named Most Outstanding Player Apr 4, 2024 8:30 am Fighting Illini women's basketball's Kendall Bostic, Genesis Bryant, and Makira Cook were all named to the WBIT's all-tournament team. The trio helped guide the Illini to their first postseason title in program history. WBIT Inaugural Champions! Apr 4, 2024 8:15 am Behind a big second-half surge, Illinois clinched the inaugural WBIT title in a 71-57 victory over Villanova at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Wednesday night. The victory marked the program's first-ever postseason title. 'We have a great opportunity to finish strong': Illini seek first postseason title Apr 3, 2024 10:30 am After taking down Washington State in the final four, Illini Women's Basketball booked their ticket in the WBIT championship game, their first appearance in a non-conference postseason title game ever. They face Villanova tonight at 6 p.m. Gymnast Brandon Dang earns Big Ten Freshman of the Year award Apr 3, 2024 10:30 am 'Brandon is the first single event specialist in my memory to win the Big Ten Freshman of the year - an award that is typically reserved for the highest-ranking all-around freshman. This just makes his accomplishments even more impressive.' Environmental scientist escapes Cameroon conflict as part of U of I Scholars at Risk program Apr 3, 2024 10:00 am 'It’s not a good feeling when guys with guns say you will die if you don’t comply. Mostly they will keep you until they get the ransom money. There are so many groups fighting that the next week another group can catch you, and then another. It’s crazy.' What can researchers learn about ecosystems, the environment during the solar eclipse? Apr 3, 2024 8:00 am Professor Carl Bernacchi describes the coordination of scientific instruments across the U.S. and Mexico that will be used to measure the physical, atmospheric and ecological changes that occur during the solar eclipse. How to regrow your age-shrunken brain in just six months Apr 2, 2024 2:15 pm Newsweek (March 29) 'We can see older people on these exercise interventions gain brain tissue in as little as six months,' says U of I professor Brad Sutton. 'And usually by the time we can see it in an image, it’s a pretty big effect.' Book: How scholars can thrive in the competitive world of research, creative enterprise Apr 2, 2024 9:15 am A new book by Illinois meteorology professor Kelvin Droegemeier seeks to empower researchers and creative professionals and give them a broader view of the world early in their careers. Fighting Illini play for WBIT Championship against Villanova on Wednesday Apr 2, 2024 8:15 am In the WBIT semifinals, Illinois took on a Washington State team that had earned a No. 1 seed. The Illini led for the final 38 minutes in its 81-58 win on Monday evening, sending them to the championship game later this week.