blog posts New book explores complicated relationship between workers and their work Jan 8, 2024 9:15 am A new book by U. of I. labor expert Robert Bruno explores how workers characterize their relationship to their jobs using personal six-word mini-narratives, serving as a broader exploration of how middle-class workers view work in the U.S. Website compiles ocean data from landmark 19th-century scientific voyage Jan 10, 2023 12:45 pm English professor Gillen D’Arcy Wood’s Oceans 1876 project makes a treasure trove of 19th-century marine data accessible to help scientists better understand how our oceans have changed and how to protect them. Board gender diversity improves investment efficiency for companies Jan 13, 2025 9:30 am The study finds that mandatory and strongly enforced gender diversity interventions trigger larger enhancements in investment efficiency compared to voluntary or weakly enforced policies. Study: Schools should boost entry-level salaries to better compete for novice teachers Jan 16, 2025 12:30 pm Despite concerns about teacher shortages in certain school districts and subject areas, a recent study found that schools are not adjusting their salary scales strategically so they can better attract novice teachers. Study: More employees are languishing than flourishing at work Jan 21, 2025 8:45 am 'Someone who is languishing will feel like they have little say in what they do...or that they are stagnating in their jobs,' said Professor Oscar Ybarra. 'Employees who get their mental well-being needs met will be more productive and loyal to the organization.' Paper: New law, regulations may diminish appeal of some retirement accounts Jan 30, 2023 9:45 am A new law and regulations affecting inherited retirement accounts could create hefty taxation issues for some beneficiaries, says Richard Kaplan, an expert on U.S. tax policy and retirement issues. Illinois business experts examine economic fallout from historic wildfires Feb 5, 2025 12:15 pm Experts warn that the road to recovery from the Southern California wildfires will be long, with significant challenges to the local economy, housing market, and insurance industry. Navajo scholar’s Indigenous leadership research aids educators of Native students Feb 8, 2024 10:30 am Sometimes researchers discover something they weren’t looking for—something as valuable, perhaps even more so, than the original treasure they sought. Such is the case with Oliver Tapaha. Geography, language dictate social media and popular website usage, study finds Feb 9, 2023 9:15 am Many of the same social media platforms and websites are popular around the world, but how people use them remains vastly different based on their languages and geography. White people more likely to confront authors of racist online posts to set discussion rules Feb 12, 2024 9:45 am 'If the objective is reframed from trying to change a transgressor’s deep-seated attitudes to a potentially more achievable goal (defining social norms)...participants’ willingness to confront others about racist content increases.' Study compares third-trimester sound exposures in fetuses, premature infants Mar 1, 2023 11:15 am The analysis reveals profound differences in their exposures to noise, language and the biological sounds of the mother, with implications for the infants’ development, says study leader Brian Monson, a professor of Speech and Hearing Science. Historic racial covenants in property deeds linked to disparities in exposure to dangerous heat Mar 6, 2024 8:00 am A study by urban and regional planning professor Rebecca Walker is the first to examine the environmental impact of racial covenants, using the first database to map the presence of the covenants in a U.S. metropolitan area. Study: Default testing for COVID-19 in K-12 schools more effective than voluntary testing Mar 13, 2024 9:00 am A new paper co-written by U of I business professors found that default testing of K-12 students for COVID-19 during the pandemic could have saved up to one out of every five school days lost to the coronavirus during the fall 2021 semester. How emotional intimacy became politically valued in post-WWII Britain Mar 24, 2023 1:30 pm History professor Teri Chettiar's new book looks at how the intimate emotional life of families took on great political importance in post-WWII Britain, and emotional well-being was seen as a key factor for a stable democracy. 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 . 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. Gas, blasts, and a mystery of star formation Apr 28, 2022 9:45 am Post-starburst galaxies were previously thought to scatter all of their gas and dust in violent bursts of energy. A study co-authored by a U of I astronomer reveals that these galaxies don’t scatter all of their star-forming fuel after all. How love, health, and neighborhood intersect for Black Americans May 12, 2023 12:45 pm People living in better-quality neighborhoods showed lower negative, higher positive affects 10 years later. 'This really speaks to the powerful effect of the community you're in and the amount of stress or support that you get from your neighborhood.' Book details how feds used bribery to end relationships with Native American tribes May 28, 2024 12:15 pm A new book by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign history professor David Beck examines how the federal government used bribery schemes to end its relationships with Native American tribal nations in the early 20th century. Study tracks social, genetic evolution in Asian colobine primates Jun 1, 2023 12:45 pm A new study reveals that colobines living in colder regions experienced genetic changes and alterations to their ancient social structure that likely enhanced their ability to survive. Specialist and migratory birds at greater risk under climate change Jun 11, 2024 4:30 pm Following decades of decline, even fewer birds will darken North American skies by the end of the century, according to a new analysis by scientists at the U. of I. College of ACES. More veterans using marijuana - but not from medical sources Jun 14, 2023 11:00 am Marijuana remains federally illegal, classified as Schedule I by the DEA, so the Veterans Health Administration providers cannot prescribe or recommend marijuana to patients, though they may discuss the drug in a general sense. Cannabis use lower among Illinois teens living near medical dispensaries Jun 20, 2023 10:00 am 'We need to combat the hysteria that legalizing cannabis is going to have a wild and resounding impact on teens in terms of substance use rates and prevalence,' says social work professor Doug Smith. 'That’s simply not the case.' Are honey bees, wild bees still in trouble? Jun 29, 2023 11:00 am U of I entomology professor Adam Dolezal, who studies how environmental stressors affect honey bees and wild bees, spoke to News Bureau life sciences editor Diana Yates about the current status of bees in the U.S. First of its kind study shines light on LGBTQ+ farmer mental health Jul 1, 2024 1:45 pm LGBTQ+ people involved in farm work are more than three times more likely to experience depression and suicidal intent and about two and a half times more likely to experience anxiety than the general population. Study links insulin resistance, advanced cell aging with childhood poverty Jul 25, 2022 10:45 am Black adolescents who lived in poverty as children and were pessimistic about their future had accelerated immune cell aging and greater levels of insulin resistance in their mid- to late twenties, according to a new U of I study. Study: How mother and infant sleep patterns interact during the first two years of life Jul 25, 2023 10:15 am New mothers can expect sleep deprivation in the first few years of baby’s life. A new U of I study looks at maternal and infant sleep patterns, identifying predictors and providing recommendations for instilling healthy habits. CAR-T immune therapy attacks ovarian cancer in mice with a single dose Aug 1, 2023 1:15 pm A CAR-T immune therapy effective at attacking late-stage ovarian cancer in mice with a single dose provides evidence that CAR-T therapies could effectively treat solid-tumor cancers. U. of I. historian’s book provides introduction to gender history Aug 7, 2024 12:00 pm 'Gender makes a huge difference in how political movements unfold and how capitalism works, in the workplace but also in the household. There’s no aspect of public, private, civic or political life that is untouched by gender.' Valuable antibody patents vulnerable to overly broad doctrinal shift in patent law Aug 17, 2022 10:30 am A U of I legal scholar who studies intellectual property protection for advanced biotechnologies advocates for a middle ground in patent claims involving antibodies, the backbone of modern bioscience. Study tracks decades of extreme heat, cold in Upper Midwest Aug 20, 2024 11:30 am U. of I. researchers found significant increases in the frequency of daytime extreme heat stress across the Upper Midwest. Urban areas often saw the biggest increases over time, likely as a result of the 'heat island' effect. Older workers seeking federal disability benefits during recessions are healthier Sep 8, 2022 10:30 am The findings suggest disability insurance may be helping individuals smooth over temporary shocks to their employment – a role that diverges from the program’s aim of protecting individuals from career-ending shocks to their ability to work. Study links epigenetic changes to historic trauma in Alaska Native communities Sep 8, 2023 11:15 am The study found a pattern among Alaska Native participants, in which specific epigenetic differences were observed in those who reported experiencing the most intense symptoms of distress when reflecting on historic losses. Air pollution via wildfire smoke increases suicide risk in rural counties Sep 12, 2023 11:00 am A new paper co-written by Gies College of Business professor David Molitor found that air pollution via drifting wildfire smoke disproportionately elevates the risk of suicide among rural populations in the U.S. New book explores the history of the phony cancer drug Krebiozen Oct 1, 2024 11:15 am Journalism professor emeritus Matthew C. Ehrlich examines the dramatic story of a controversial medicine once touted as a miracle cure for cancer in his new book. Communication with doctor during first visit affects pain patients’ outcomes Oct 30, 2024 9:15 am U. of I. researchers found that shared decision-making and the quality of the health care provider’s history-taking and physical exam were the main drivers of spinal pain patients’ satisfaction with, trust in and agreement with their doctors. Researchers identify unexpected twist while developing new polymer-based semiconductors Nov 14, 2023 8:15 am Fresh insight into the development of semiconductor materials that can do things their traditional silicon counterparts cannot – harness the power of chirality, a non-superimposable mirror image Study reveals advantages of informative brand names Nov 15, 2024 11:45 am By clearly communicating a product's purpose, informative names can significantly boost a product's visibility and success, suggesting that businesses can benefit from adopting descriptive names to gain a competitive edge. Database expands to document police uses of lethal force across US Dec 5, 2023 12:00 pm 'SPOTLITE,' identified more than 23,000 incidents of police uses of lethal force in the U.S. during 2014-2021. It includes incidents in which police used a firearm - including those with nonfatal outcomes - and other uses of force that result in a death. Professor identifies key drivers in decisions to receive COVID-19 vaccine Dec 8, 2022 10:15 am Republicans 'were far more likely to say that they were getting vaccinated than if they thought other Republicans were not going to be vaccinated,' Bowers said. For Democrats, the intentions of other Democrats were less likely to influence their decision. Study shows challenges to protecting privacy of library users Dec 8, 2023 12:30 pm The biggest challenges libraries face in protecting the privacy of patrons are a lack of training and technical knowledge, particularly with increased use of digital services, according to a study by information sciences professor Masooda Bashir. Book examines tallgrass prairies' ecological history, effects on Indigenous cultures Dec 14, 2022 11:45 am History professor Robert Morrissey writes about how the ecology of the tallgrass prairie shaped the culture and created unique opportunities for the Indigenous people who lived there. Whether a racial minority or majority at work, white teachers struggle with race relations Jan 31, 2024 8:30 am White teachers were often ill-equipped for discussions about racial issues because they had little prior experience thinking about or confronting race in their family, educational and previous work environments. Study links exercise intensity, attentional control in late-adolescent girls Feb 6, 2023 10:30 am Researchers found that girls ages 15-18 who engage in less moderate and vigorous physical activity are slower and less accurate than their peers on a measure of attentional control - they can be more impulsive and more easily distracted. Videos, book highlight history of skin in the early modern world Feb 23, 2023 8:45 am History professor Craig Koslofsky said skin color has not always been seen in the same way or played the same role in society. His work soesn't focus solely on skin color, but also on tattooing, scarification, cosmetics and the microanatomy of skin. Statistics, history researchers' new model re-evaluates MLB's 'greatest ever' Mar 13, 2023 10:30 am 'Under this model, great all-time statistics requires that an MLB player is both better than their peers and played during a time in which the MLB eligible population is large. ...The model constructs an even playing field that extends across eras.' Illinois schools sought to participate in 2024 Illinois Youth Survey Mar 18, 2024 9:30 am The Illinois Youth Survey is a biennial survey of eighth, 10th and 12th grade students that provides important assessments of school climate issues and substance use across Illinois’ middle and high schools. Are TV sports networks game-changers for financing collegiate athletics? Mar 20, 2023 1:45 pm A new study finds that revenue from college sports TV networks increased spending by universities’ athletic programs while decreasing subsidization by other campus units. 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...' Tibetan plateau had broader social dimensions than previously thought Apr 29, 2024 11:30 am Using excavated artifacts, Profewssor Stanley Ambrose and his team discovered that there was a long-distance cultural exchange between the Tibetan plateau and northern China.