blog posts

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  10th-ranked Illini face Michigan State Thursday at State Farm Center

  Jan 10, 2024 5:15 pm

  Illinois returns to State Farm Center to host Michigan State on Thursday (8 p.m. CT, FS1) in the first of two Big Ten home games this week. 

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  10 year anniversary: Remembering U of I's contribution to the Higgs Boson discovery

  Jul 5, 2022 11:30 am

  The discovery of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider exactly ten years ago, and the progress made since then to determine its properties, have allowed physicists to make tremendous steps forward in our understanding of the universe

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  150,000-year-old human tooth rare evidence of Denisovans

  May 20, 2022 11:45 am

  If confirmed, this discovery would be the first fossil evidence that Denisovans — an extinct hominin species that co-existed with Neanderthals and modern humans — lived in southeast Asia.

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  16 Illinois students, recent graduates offered Fulbright grants

  Jun 9, 2022 9:30 am

  Sixteen Illinois students and recent graduates were offered Fulbright grants to pursue international education, research and teaching experiences around the globe. Another six students were named Fulbright alternates.

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  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. 

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  2022 Supreme Court term notable for overturning Roe, invalidating NY gun regulation

  Sep 12, 2022 11:30 am

  Verdict (Sept. 12) 'But more fundamentally,' write two U of I law professors, 'this past term marks the clear commitment by a majority of justices to an originalist methodology of constitutional interpretation.'

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  2022 Undergraduate Research Week

  Apr 25, 2022 10:15 am

  A celebration of student innovation and excellence at Illinois, April 24 - 30

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  2022 University-wide Commencement Guide

  Apr 25, 2022 8:00 am

  This year, Illinois graduates will gather in Memorial Stadium for the greatest celebration of the year—the University-wide Commencement ceremony. Here is a guide for everything you need to know to prepare.

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  2023 Beckman Institute Research Image contest winners

  Aug 31, 2023 1:45 pm

  'This contest is just a small sample of the 40 academic units we represent, and it shows how many disciplines are impacted by the imaging facilities and capabilities here at Beckman. I love how the beauty and diversity of the science shines through.'

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  2023 Commencement Speaker : Jackie Joyner-Kersee

  Mar 7, 2023 9:30 am

  Six-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee will serve as U of I's commencement speaker Saturday, May 13. ESPN named her one of the 50 Great Athletes of All Time. Sports Illustrated named her Female Athlete of the 20th Century.

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  2024 Big Ten tournament bracket

  Mar 11, 2024 8:30 am

  Illinois is the No. 2 seed in the 2024 BIg Ten Tournament. The Illini will open play at the Target Center Minneapolis in the Quarterfinals on Friday at 5:30 p.m. CT on BTN, facing the winner of No. 7 Iowa vs. No. 10 Ohio State. 

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  2024 Homecoming, September 8-14

  Aug 26, 2024 10:30 am

  View the full list of events, more details and visitor guides on the Homecoming 2024 website. 

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  20 somethings who speak their minds at work are changing the office forever

  Dec 18, 2023 10:15 am

  'I think you still want work to matter in your life, but you’re thinking about how it fits into your identity, into your consciousness in a more critical way than I think the previous generations likely did,' says U of I labor expert Robert Bruno

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  20 years of research on relationship maintenance: More diversity needed

  Sep 30, 2022 12:00 pm

  'Instead of saying, "past research found this in this sample, so we should assume it is truth," we need to think about how things may be different and how they may or may not apply to diverse populations," says Professor Brian Ogolsky.

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  #23 Illini hosting Truman State for exhibition game tonight

  Oct 30, 2023 9:00 am

   The Orange and Blue will host 16 total games across the season, beginning with tonight's exhibition against Truman State. All kids 12 and under dressed in a Halloween costume will get in free.

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  #23 Illini Men's Basketball hosts #4 Marquette tonight

  Nov 14, 2023 12:15 pm

  In game 3 of a six-game, season-opening homestand, the Illini welcome No. 4 Marquette to sold out State Farm Center (7 p.m. CT, FS1) for the final year of the Gavitt Tipoff Games series between the Big Ten and Big East. 

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  #23 Illini Men's Basketball opens season Monday vs. EIU

  Nov 7, 2022 8:45 am

  Illinois is the winningest team in the Big Ten over the last three seasons. The Illini won the regular season championship in 2022, led the conference in wins and won the B1G Tournament in 2021, and finished one game back of the title in 2020. 

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  $25M gift to support new interdisciplinary learning center

  Nov 3, 2022 9:15 am

  The South Campus Center for Interdisciplinary Learning will be a four-story building on Gregory Drive between the Business Instructional Facility and Huff Hall. Construction will begin in spring 2023 and is expected to be completed by early 2025.

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  25th anniversary of Ebertfest announces ‘Star 80’ as opening night film

  Feb 29, 2024 11:30 am

  Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, running April 17-20, 2024, at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, will kick off with an opening night screening of Bob Fosse’s film Star 80 with stars Eric Roberts and Mariel Hemingway in attendance. 

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  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.

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  3 Marathons. 3 Weeks. 3 Top-3 Finishes.

  Oct 12, 2022 9:15 am

  New York Times (Oct. 10) Susannah Scaroni, an Illini and Paralympic gold medalist, broke three vertebrae when she was hit by a car in a training session a year ago. On Sunday, she won the Chicago Marathon, her third marathon in three weeks.

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  3M plant in Illinois was nation's worst emitter of climate-killing ‘immortal’ chemical in '21

  Jan 3, 2023 11:30 am

  Inside Climate News (Dec. 29) 'Any emissions of CF4 are going to drive further climate change and lead to things that are going to affect our planet for many, many thousands of years.' says Professor Donald Wuebbles.

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  401(k) savers will see a ‘wake-up call’ in their next statement, says U of I law professor

  Jun 15, 2022 8:45 am

  CNBC (June 13) Starting in a few weeks, certain retirement investment account notices will contain new data: the monthly income a saver would get in retirement. 'For the bulk of Americans, it’ll be a wake-up call,' says Professor Richard Kaplan.

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  41st Insect Fear Film Festival features movies about humans shrunk to size of ants

  Feb 16, 2024 11:45 am

  This year's Insect Fear Film Festival brings a bug’s-eye view of the world. The theme is 'Ant-Men,' and it will feature films in which humans are shrunk to the size of ants and join ant societies. Feb. 24 at Foellinger Auditorium.

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  $4.5 million gift will support brain health innovation

  Jun 9, 2023 9:45 am

  The gift from the late Edward (Rick) Heiken emphasized the development and deployment of state-of-the-art assessment of cognitive and brain health, with special interest in being able to conduct assessments remotely. 

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  5 ways the Writers Guild, SAG-AFTRA strikes might change Hollywood

  Nov 20, 2023 11:45 am

  Washington Post (Nov. 15) Professor Michael LeRoy: Given the rising costs, there could be fewer projects. 'It will mean fewer employment opportunities for actors,' but 'when those opportunities come along, they'll pay much better.'

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  $680M commitment to iFAB will help Illinois become 'the heart of biomanufacturing'

  Mar 4, 2024 12:45 pm

  'With the U.S. Economic Development Authority's support, we can lock in thousands of jobs and secure billions in market potential,' said iFAB principal investigator Beth Conerty.

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  80,000 mouse brain cells used to build a living computer

  Mar 17, 2023 11:00 am

  New Scientist (March 16) A computer built by U of I researchers uses tens of thousands of living brain cells and can recognize simple patterns of light, electricity. The work could eventually be incorporated into robots that also use living tissues.

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  $9.5M funding will help U of I researchers decode influenza-antibody interactions

  Jan 26, 2023 1:00 pm

  'We're optimistic this initiative will help scientists develop new, untested approaches that can reveal how pathogens work and how the human immune system responds to pathogen infection,” said Leslie Vosshall of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

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  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.

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  A brief history of Project Gutenberg

  Mar 15, 2023 12:00 pm

  500 years after Gutenberg began using his printing press to publish books for the masses, U of I student Michael S. Hart uploaded the text of the Declaration of Independence to the nascent internet, signaling the beginning of the e-book age.

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  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. 

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  A century after his championships, world-famous steer welcomes visitors to Stock Pavilion

  Aug 17, 2022 11:45 am

  A statue of Broadus White Socks, a world-famous, two-time prize-winning steer (1922), installed at the south entrance of the Stock Pavilion, caps decades of renovations there. Read Broadus's facinating life story, and his post-life story.

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  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.

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  A deaf football team and the birth of the huddle

  Sep 21, 2022 1:00 pm

  The Guardian (Sept. 21) Legendary U. of I. coach Robert Zuppke, who is widely credited as the inventor of the huddle, admitted that he got the idea from a deaf football team.

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  A double emergence of periodical cicadas isn’t cicada-geddon—it’s a marvel

  Mar 12, 2024 11:00 am

  Scientific American (March 11)  'I’ve been looking forward to this for years,' says U of I entomologist Catherine Dana. 'We have two different broods emerging in the same state, and that’s a very rare thing.'

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  Advanced electrode to help remediation of stubborn new 'forever chemicals'

  Mar 27, 2023 3:00 pm

  Study uses electrosorption rather than filters and solvents and combines synthesis, separations testing and computer simulations to help design an electrode that can attract, capture a range of short-chain PFAS from environmental waters. 

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  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.

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  Advanced VR glove brings high-res touch to the digital world

  Jan 12, 2024 9:00 am

  'There are existing systems that have shown off high-resolution virtual touch before, but they cost tens of thousands of dollars... We’ve prototyped a new system with 160 actuators per hand for around $200, and it fits entirely on the wrist.' 

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  Aerospace Engineering professor honored with asteroid namesake

  Aug 23, 2023 11:30 am

  An asteroid named '28751 Eggl' - as in Professor Siegfried Eggl - can now be spotted on all international databases including NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Horizons. 'It was a total surprise to me! I had no idea I was being nominated,' Eggl said.

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  A fern’s ‘zombie’ fronds sprout unusual roots

  Feb 26, 2024 5:15 pm

  New York Times (Feb. 25) 'This is completely unknown in any other plant in the world'” says Jim Dalling, a professor and forest ecologist at the U. of I.,  who discovered the fern while searching for a completely unrelated plant.

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  A fruitful partnership in agricultural robotics

  Jul 25, 2022 9:00 am

  Being at the nexus of ag technology is great for startups and students. The ability to teach agricultural and robotics students a mere mile from campus at the Illinois Autonomous Farm testbed provides meaningful research experiences for all.

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  After Covid, survey shows nursing profession remains in crisis in Illinois

  Apr 1, 2024 9:00 am

  Illinois Business Journal (3/27)  'The underlying conditions that nurses faced during the pandemic have not abated, and additional interventions are likely needed to retain this critical segment of the labor force,' says U of I's Robert Bruno.

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  Aftermath of a distressing event is more memorable than the lead-up, study suggests

  Jan 19, 2024 12:15 pm

  Clarifying the relationship between trauma and memory can improve how we evaluate eyewitness testimonies, inform therapies to treat PTSD, and help clinicians combat memory decline in brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. 

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  After the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: Are other bridges in danger?

  Mar 27, 2024 6:00 pm

  Architectural Digest (March 26) The Francis Scott Key Bridge catastrophe in Baltimore has been a shock to the nation – but not a surprise to experts. 'This incident could happen again,' says U of I structural engineering professor Bassem Andrawes.

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  Agave is an increasingly popular substitute for honey and sugar. But is it healthy?

  Dec 19, 2023 8:45 am

  USA Today (Dec. 15)  A report from the U of I College of ACES notes that agave is 1.5 times sweeter than even table sugar, so it takes less of it to achieve the same level of sweetness as other sweeteners. 

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  Ageism, mistaken beliefs complicate acceptance of older adults’ sexuality

  Jan 23, 2024 12:30 pm

  More than 25% of the young adults surveyed in a recent study mistakenly believed that sexual activity increases older adults’ risk of heart attack and that disinterest in sex is a normal and inevitable part of aging.  

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  A heart of stone: Study defines the process of and defenses against cardiac valve calcification

  Jun 25, 2024 2:00 pm

  Bruce Fouke and researcher Miyandi Sivaguru led a study that detailed the process of calcification in the heart’s aortic valve and the body’s defense tactics that can slow the process.

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  A huge leap forward: Photosynthesis hack boosts soybean yield 20%

  Aug 18, 2022 2:15 pm

  U of I-led team of RIPE researchers prove bioengineering better photosynthesis increases yields in food crops for the first time ever.

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  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.