blog posts How blockchain is disrupting business applications, personal identity Mar 14, 2022 11:00 am Those exploring the impact of blockchain on their business and personal lives should proceed with caution, according to a U of I alumnus who has pioneered enterprise blockchain technology and the adoption of digital assets. Couldn't get to Illini Fest? Check out the video Aug 8, 2019 9:00 am We painted Chicago orange and blue, with drinks, live music, notable Illini, and more! Enjoy watching a celebration of Illini pride in downtown Chicago at Illini Fest! Illini Baseball star Casey Fletcher: Going to bat for a dream Sep 6, 2016 1:00 pm Casey Fletcher’s father, Darrin, played for the Illini prior to leaving for a 14-year career in the major leagues, and his grandfather, Tom, an alumnus, played for the Illini in the 60s before signing with the Detroit Tigers The back story from the alum, NY Times attorney whose Trump letter went viral Oct 19, 2016 2:45 pm 'This wasn’t political to me. This was stating very basic propositions about how the law of freedom of the press works in this country.' David E. McCraw University Archives receives Ebert's movie press kits from Chicago Sun-Times Nov 1, 2017 10:30 am 'Chaz (Ebert’s) efforts to connect us with the Sun-Times have been an invaluable step forward to bring the Roger Ebert archival legacy home.' Vilas Dhar: Investing in tech to create lasting social change Jan 24, 2022 10:30 am 'As we push to center technology on people, rather than products, we tap into a vast opportunity to amplify the very best of our humanity, creativity, and innovation.' Alumna works to preserve, celebrate African American history in Bronzeville Feb 10, 2022 10:15 am 'I started the Bronzeville Historical Society with the assistance of family and friends in 1999...because my daughters grew tired of hearing me tell them about the many notable people and places in the Bronzeville community,' says Sherry Williams. Entrepreneur, UI grad Max Levchin to deliver commencement address Mar 15, 2018 10:00 am Levchin is co-founder of PayPal, former chairman of the board of Yelp, and currently the CEO, founder of the consumer-financing platform Affirm. He graduated from the U. of I. in 1997 Tatyana McFadden claims fifth Boston Marathon title Apr 14, 2018 1:00 pm Boston Globe (April 16) McFadden made her decisive move at the 11-mile mark, overtaking defending champion Manuela Schar, and went on to win the women’s wheelchair division Alumna Temple Grandin elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Apr 21, 2016 10:00 am Grandin is well known for her contributions to animal welfare in agriculture, and for her work as a spokesperson for people with autism. Q&A with Tesla co-founder, U of I alumnus Martin Eberhard Jun 5, 2023 9:00 am When Martin Eberhard visited campus, we spoke with him about his memories of campus, advice for students and aspiring entrepreneurs, and the future of electric vehicles. The Fairy Godmother of Love Jul 20, 2018 3:15 am LAS alumna Bela Gandhi helps people make the right connection 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. Practicing diplomacy Jan 8, 2019 4:30 am Larry Harris is bringing a little bit of Chicago to Cameroon, his first post in the Foreign Service. Levenicks donate $5m toward Illinois Football Performance Center Feb 8, 2018 8:15 pm Former team captain, offensive MVP Stu Levenick and his wife, Nancy, have committed $5 million toward the new Illinois Football Performance Center Alumni create MoonArk, a tiny museum bound for the moon Apr 20, 2023 1:15 pm At only eight inches high and two inches in diameter, the metal MoonArk sculpture has four stacked chambers packed with hundreds of images, poems, music, mechanisms, earthly samples, and nano-objects. Time lists Illinois as one the best public colleges for bigger paychecks Apr 28, 2017 9:45 am TIME listed Illinois as one of the Top 10 best public colleges that deliver the biggest financial return for graduates' tuition dollars. The Nigerien Connection: Top diplomats between the U.S., Niger are Illini May 31, 2019 12:00 pm Eric Whitaker and Hassana Alidou took very different paths to reach their similar posts - but both paths led through Illinois and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Alumna Joanne Lee Molinaro, ‘The Korean Vegan,’ to give talk, cooking demo Sep 7, 2023 12:30 pm 'The Korean Vegan' – a lawyer, TikTok star and best-selling cookbook author – will speak and give a cooking demonstration on Sept. 21 at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts as part of the PYGMALION festival. Illinois grads' invention may just be the cast of the future Oct 27, 2016 10:45 am “We decided to design a cast that was waterproof, but also had a more open structure so it wouldn’t trap any debris against the skin.” Alumni Jason Troutner U of I receives $1 million for scholarships from Give Something Back Foundation Nov 29, 2016 12:00 pm Founded by an LAS alumnus, national organization makes college a reality for students of modest means 2017 Chicago Illini of the Year Awards Mar 16, 2017 9:30 am Co-sponsored by the University of Illinois Alumni Association and the Chicago Illini Club, this award recognizes the accomplishments of Chicago-area graduates of the University. Film industry heavyweights descend on Champaign to pay tribute to Ebert’s lasting legacy Apr 20, 2017 11:30 am Norman Lear: 'It’s one thing to criticize, another to criticize out of love. To know his work is to know how much he cared for film and for filmmakers.' Alumna with a passion for national forests challenges students to seek adventure Jun 9, 2021 11:00 am With a bachelor’s degree in forestry and a love for adventure, Nora Rasure’s life and career have been nothing short of exciting. Illinois alum wins Columbia's John Chancellor Award for journalism Sep 19, 2017 10:45 am '(Dan) Balz is the chief correspondent of The Washington Post and one of the country’s most trusted political reporters.' Tatyana McFadden wins eighth Chicago Marathon, breaking her own course record Oct 9, 2017 2:15 pm The victory this year was special for the Illinois alumna after missing the London Marathon and finishing fourth at Boston. She had been undefeated since 2013. The history of a sportswriter Oct 10, 2018 12:00 pm How majoring in history at Illinois and teaching high school helped Brad Evans become one of the most recognized and award-winning personalities in the field of sportswriting Rededication game’s pregame and halftime festivities announced Oct 16, 2024 4:30 pm Fans are encouraged to get to their seats by 2 p.m. to catch a special pregame game ball presentation with Illini legends. New program sends College of Education alumni abroad with students Oct 27, 2021 9:45 am 'We want to make study abroad just like all the rest of our teacher training, which relies heavily on the mentor teacher,' says director of international programs Allison Witt. 'It makes a lot of sense because it benefits both alumni and students.' Join us in Chicago the week of November 13 Nov 2, 2016 7:30 am Paint Chicago orange this November at a variety of events including alumni gatherings, networking receptions, and the annual Illinois Luncheon at the historic Chicago Cultural Center. Shaping the narrative Jan 15, 2020 9:45 am Illinois alumnus Carey Cranston oversees the only national museum dedicated to celebrating the written word. Illinois alum awarded Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Jan 26, 2023 4:15 pm Brittney Nadler will complete a summer internship at the State Department in 2024 and an overseas internship at a U.S. embassy or consulate in summer 2025. Upon successful completion of the program, Nadler will become a U.S. diplomat. Alumni launch wheelchair basketball podcast Feb 1, 2022 8:45 am Former Illini players Derek Hoot and Martinez Johnson have started “Push Podcast: Wheelchair Basketball in the United States” to reach those who have never heard of adaptive sports. The courage to be first Feb 26, 2019 8:30 am When she graduated from Illinois in 1906, Maudelle Brown Bousfield was the only African American woman on campus. Later, she continued to break barriers in education in the Chicago Public Schools. Tatyana McFadden wins fourth straight Boston Marathon Apr 18, 2016 12:45 pm American Tatyana McFadden cruised to her fourth straight victory in the women’s wheelchair race at the 2016 Boston Marathon, finishing in a time of 1 hour, 42 minutes, and 16 seconds. A rich trove: Roger Ebert at the University of Illinois Apr 21, 2017 10:30 am Roger Ebert was not a typical University of Illinois student. His time here laid a foundation for his future, as they do for most students. But, unlike most students, they also shaped the university. Forber-Pratt appointed by White House as institute director May 24, 2021 4:15 pm Dr. Anjali Forber-Pratt, a wheelchair racing star who holds three degrees from the U of I, has been appointed Director of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. Two alumni named to Crain's '20 In Their 20s' May 29, 2018 2:15 am Read about alumni Dan Klein and Lucas Frye. Both have been named to the 2018 Crain’s Chicago Business 20 In Their 20s Passes for 22nd annual Ebertfest now on sale Jun 9, 2021 10:45 am Festival passes cover all of the screenings during the festival, which runs September 8-11 at the Virginia Theatre, a restored downtown Champaign movie palace, with related talks and panel discussions at other Champaign or University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign venues. Writing the first drafts of war Jun 14, 2017 11:00 am Degrees in Russian and rhetoric help shape the career of a combat reporter Journalism alumnus lands Edward R. Murrow Award Jul 4, 2016 1:45 pm Charlie Meyerson has won a 2016 national Edward R. Murrow Award for audio investigative reporting from the Radio Television Digital News Association. Chemistry alumna recognized for groundbreaking career in biotech Jul 5, 2016 11:00 am “It was an opportunity to ask questions to which we didn’t know the answers yet,” said Chilton, recipient of the 2016 U of I Alumni Association Achievement Award. First woman to fly a transoceanic jumbo jet on breaking through the 'glass cockpit' Sep 30, 2021 10:15 am 'As I quizzed those pilots—and later studied a pilot’s training manual one of them gave to me to “answer questions without bothering people”—I realized they weren’t doing anything I couldn’t do,' says U of I alumnus Lynn Rippelmeyer. Illinois' Tatyana McFadden won her fourth straight New York City Marathon Sunday Nov 7, 2016 11:30 am the 27-year-old U.S. Paralympian won her fifth overall New York title, earning her a fourth straight sweep of all four major marathons – not done by anyone else in the history of wheelchair racing or elite running. Making big waves Nov 19, 2019 9:15 am From Illinois graduate to CEO of CurlMix, Kim Lewis is on a mission to empower curly-haired women. For Illini in Chicago, it's like Cheers Jan 8, 2025 10:30 am Eric and Carrie Schmidt’s Illini-themed bar, Orange & Brew, earns local—and international—recognition. Alumnus Nate Azark: Drawn to the City Jan 14, 2019 11:15 am Nate Azark owns of 12 Line Studio, which does design work for national brands and local startups. His distinctive style has also been featured on concert posters and album covers Illinois names inaugural class to its Athletics Hall Of Fame Feb 23, 2017 10:45 am The 28-person Class of 2017, dates back to the first Illini football team in 1890, through the addition of women's varsity teams in the early 1970s, and up to coaches and athletes from the current century. Max Levchin: The Making of a Tech Mogul Mar 18, 2018 11:00 am Max Levchin is the poster child for transformation. From Soviet refugee, through the University of Illinois, to becoming one of the world's most influential tech pioneers Public Health alums on the front line of COVID-19 battle Apr 10, 2020 11:45 am 'The (epidemiology) knowledge and biostatistics prepared us for how a pandemic is going to come in waves, how we can track cases. ...Knowing the science and the (epidemiology) behind it really helps.'