Illinois Featured Content

A student simulates a kick to the head during class in a rehearsal room at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Credit: Photo by Fred Zwicky

Staging a fight - with theatre professor Zev Steinrock

May 30, 2025 11:00 am

'The theater is supposed to hold a mirror up to real life. It’s an important part of humanity, and storytelling should not shy away from the chance to explore violence and mortality and intimacy through theater.'

In the recovery area, veterinary medicine student Evelyn Martinez Lauzo, center, and other volunteers tend to cats after their spay and neuter surgeries. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Giving and learning on the job

Jul 1, 2025 2:30 pm

'I’m proud to offer my veterinary skills to this community, and the event is a learning experience for me. Participating in this outreach helps me see that veterinarians play a huge role in the community.'

This moveable model offers a dynamic proof that the cross-section of a cone (at a suitable angle) is an ellipse. The spheres are called “Dandelin spheres.” Students 3D-printed a re-creation of the model, which the Illinois Mathematics Lab can use for its outreach activities to area schools. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Historical math models recreated by students using 3D printing

Jul 2, 2025 1:45 pm

U. of I. has one of the world’s largest collections of math models from the late 19th and early 20th centuries - a time when advanced math was becoming more abstract - so students would have something to enhance their understanding of abstract concepts.

As part of her training, veterinary student Melanie Narvaez assesses the health of a cockatiel by checking its vent. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Learning from cockatiels

May 8, 2025 8:00 am

They all have their personalities. Some of the birds we’re handling today live in the 'Princes' cage and have a reputation as troublemakers. They almost always try to escape!

Recreation, Sport and Tourism students gather Close to 350 students gather near the Red Grange statue at Memorial Stadium.

Sapora Symposium honors Grange, provides networking opportunity for RST students

Nov 15, 2019 10:00 am

The first day of the 16th annual Sapora Symposium was a tribute to Red Grange, the former Illini football star who put college football and the NFL on the map in the 1920s.

The Alma Mater statue dressed in cap and gown. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Congratulations Class of 2025!

May 12, 2025 3:45 pm

Commencement is one of the proudest days of the year at Illinois. From the spectacle of the universitywide ceremony at Memorial Stadium to your unit convocation, the entire weekend is a celebration of our talented graduates. Discover everything you’ll need to make it memorable.

CI MED students Jona Kerluku and Oluwabusayo Oni, with orthopedic trauma surgeon Dr. Tuesday Fisher.

Mentoring women in orthopedic surgery

Jan 2, 2025 11:30 am

Less than 8% of practicing orthopedic surgeons in the U.S. are women. Carle Illinois College of Medicine is working to foster diversity in orthopedic surgery by providing mentorship along the way to a surgical career.

international students. Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

Resources to support our international community

Mar 23, 2017 5:45 am

'Our success rests on the principle of inviting the best and brightest into our community and supporting their capacity to thrive...' - Chancellor Robert Jones

Crop sciences students crowd an ATV as it crosses water. Photo by Lauren Quinn

Okavango Odyssey: Studying wildlife in Botswana

Mar 30, 2017 10:45 am

U. of I. animal sciences students spent nine weeks studying wildlife in Botswana's Okavango Delta and Chobe Enclave Region.

Inaugural showcase to celebrate student media production projects

Apr 14, 2023 1:00 pm

The Department of Media & Cinema Studies presents the inaugural student showcase, featuring faculty-curated work created by students throughout the academic year.

collage of scenes from Sierra Leone with image of U of I student Madison Levine, who organized COVID-19 vaccine rollout for the research project

Mobile teams bring COVID-19 vaccines to rural villages in Sierra Leone

May 7, 2024 4:00 pm

The study found that immunization rates increased by about 26% in the trial villages.On average, the cost was about $33 per person, making it a very cost-effective intervention.

Grace Maloney is among nine University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students and recent graduates offered an opportunity to pursue international education, research and teaching experiences via Fulbright grants. Photo by Cameron Kagel

Nine Illinois students, recent graduates offered Fulbright grants

Jun 14, 2021 4:45 pm

Nine U of I students and recent graduates have been offered Fulbright grants to pursue international education, research and teaching experiences around the globe this coming year.

Rita Coburn Whack, shown with students, screened her film about Maya Angelou and discussed it with Urbana High School students. (Photo courtesy of the Alliance for Inclusion and Respect.)

Ebertfest provides behind-the-scenes access to students

Dec 11, 2019 10:30 am

'The involvement of the college’s inspired students is great for Ebertfest, but it also gives those students that do get involved an experience that few other schools can match,' says Ebertfest coordinator Andrew Hall.

Phillip B. Williams is set to publish his first novel, "Ours," based on a short story he wrote while a student at Illinois. (Photo provided.)

The short story behind a novel career

Dec 11, 2023 1:15 pm

'I learned a lot with (my professors), particularly how to write weekly even when I didn’t have anything immediately that I wanted to say...' Phillip Williams said. 'But because they saw something in my work, I only grew from there.'

Cancer Scholars director Rohit Bhargava (center) joins program advisor Marcia Pool (far left) and a few of the first cohort of undergraduate students

Now seniors, first cohort of Cancer Scholars set to graduate

Jan 10, 2018 11:00 am

Inaugurated in 2014, the Cancer Scholars program gave a small cohort of students the chance to mold their undergraduate experience around the idea of cancer research

graphic shows line drawing of human head/brain surrounded by circuits

Synapses and silicon: Student contest blends biology and computer science to advance AI

Jan 24, 2023 9:00 am

The 2023 Bio-informed AI Research Competition encourages students in the behavioral and computer sciences to pursue collaborative AI research. The inaugural winners advise applicants in 2023 to 'be brave' and stay open-minded.

Professor Skot Wiedmann. Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

Illinois technician combines engineering and creativity in a DIY synthesizer

Jan 27, 2017 10:30 am

Skot Wiedmann creates music on a palm-sized synthesizer he built in just a few hours. He can experiment with sound using his fingers on the surface to create chords and move up and down octaves.

Interested in Illinois? Come visit us!

Feb 13, 2017 7:45 am

There are many opportunities for you to see the campus, visit a class, meet some students, and check out housing

Women selling wares in the mahila bazaar say they must fend off drunken men, sexual harassment, thieves and other hazards, but having a market of their own is better than trying to sell in markets dominated by men, where they are also hassled by police and municipal authorities.

Building trust in a market for women vendors

Feb 13, 2020 4:00 pm

This is a mahila bazaar in New Dehli, a retail zone set aside for women vendors only. It provides safety from the harassment and abuse they faced in other markets from male vendors, police and public officials.

Robotic arm gives architecture students more fabrication options

Mar 15, 2017 3:30 pm

The School of Architecture has a new fabrication tool for students to use in building objects they’ve designed.

$a Snellen chart rendered with varying amounts of blur corresponding roughly to the visual experience of viewing it with different amounts of refractive error. Copyright ©2004 Daniel P. B. Smith and released under the terms of the Wikipedia copyright.$

CI MED students establish new free eye care clinic

Mar 20, 2024 10:15 am

'We have a lot of patients who are excited to see us because they often do not have vision insurance... Many patients have waited over three or four years to be seen because they simply cannot afford new glasses or an eye exam.'

Lutein-rich 'cupcakes' are part of a study to understand the role of nutrition in children’s brain health. Photo by Caitlyn Edwards

Image of Research: You are what you eat

Apr 3, 2018 10:30 am

Caitlyn Edwards' photo, a semifinalist in the Image of Research competition, features lutein-rich 'cupcakes' - part of a study to understand the role of nutrition in children’s brain health

Kendall Bostic claps her hands in celebration on the basketball court and smiles her signature, dimpled smile

Student-athlete, student-teacher: Kendall Bostic masters grad school and Big Ten basketball

Apr 10, 2025 4:15 pm

Kendall Bostic didn't compromise when it came to her goals. She dreamed of big basketball achievements. And she dreamed of helping kids learn, despite their challenges. She's accomplished both.

Undergraduate Research Week, April 23 - 29

Apr 16, 2017 10:30 am

Undergraduate Research Week showcases the best of undergraduate research and creative inquiry at the University of Illinois.

banner reads Undergraduate Research Week, April 20 - 26

A celebration of student innovation and excellence at Illinois

Apr 21, 2025 1:30 pm

Undergraduate Research Week showcases the best of undergraduate research and creative inquiry at the University of Illinois. Events include workshops on getting started in research, special exhibits, and highlighting the best student research.

graphic provided by the Office of Admissions

Choose Illinois: Accept your offer by May 1

Apr 29, 2018 10:00 am

Why choose Illinois? Here are more than 200 reasons

Krystal Collins with the other dancers in March. Photo by Natalie Fiol

Work by Illinois dance student performed at national festival

Jul 12, 2018 8:45 am

Krystal Collins’ senior dance thesis was inspired by games of double dutch, summer parties and family get-togethers – the things she and her friends remember from their childhoods

3. Wildflowers bloom in the recently burned understory of the pine flatwoods of Floridas Apalachicola National Forest.

In search of ‘white birds in a nest’

Jul 24, 2018 8:00 am

Our willingness to tromp through swamps and brambles is fueled by the hope of catching a glimpse of “white birds in a nest” (Macbridea alba) in bloom

Welcome New Students!

Jul 30, 2017 9:30 am

Welcome days for new Illinois students are August 24 - 27. Dive in!

Cheri Fang, left, a first-year Ph.D. student in bioengineering, served as a graduate student mentor for Amanda Craine, a junior in biomedical engineering at Pennsylvania State University

Research Experience for Undergraduates

Aug 7, 2017 3:15 pm

This summer, 10 undergrads performed research on imaging and microscopy technologies in the “Discoveries in Bioimaging” Research Experience for Undergraduates funded by NSF

the Alma Mater statue, viewed from the rear

Interested in Illinois? Come visit us!

Sep 11, 2017 2:00 pm

There are several opportunities for you to visit the Illinois campus, sit in on a class, and tour Housing facilities

Entries from the concussion database are projected over the MRI control room - and author Annabelle Shaffer - at the Beckman Institute for Advanced science and Technology at the U. of I. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Finding my calling as a neurosurgeon

Oct 10, 2024 10:15 am

'As I scroll through another sheet of data, I know each entry represents the story of a high school athlete whose season — and, potentially, life — was altered due to a possible concussion. I am looking for trends and risk factors...'

Enroll now in online winter courses

Oct 25, 2019 4:45 pm

The winter online term offers you an opportunity to continue your education, persist toward graduation and learn valuable skills such as time management and goal setting.

A student's handwritten notes on how to broach difficult topics of conversation. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Appealing to our ‘better angels’ with the Braver Angels

Nov 1, 2024 11:00 am

'Seated nearby are more than 70 undergraduate students, mostly political science majors, and a handful of facilitators... whose goal is to teach tomorrow’s leaders how to effectively facilitate dialogue across party lines.'

student researcher Elizabeth Spurlock in a still photo captured from a linked video

Student researcher, veterans work together to study brain health

Nov 11, 2021 1:00 pm

'Veterans Day is a great day to say not just 'thank you,' but to reflect upon how you yourself can be of service to the veterans in your community,' says student researcher Elizabeth Spurlock.

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.

Yitian (Ethan) Chen, Daniela Alonso Fontes, and Mariana Martins work together on a research project in the Econometrics Data Lab, a new experiential learning opportunity in the Department of Economics. (Photo by Carly Conway.)

Win-win program in economics gives students a hand in resolving real-world issues

Dec 9, 2024 11:30 am

The Econometrics Data Lab gives students data from ongoing research and lets them crunch the numbers. It allows students to apply what they’re learning in the classroom to help resolve real-world problems.

New journalism master’s degree track focuses on science and technology

Dec 21, 2022 10:45 am

Students can earn the Master of Science in Journalism degree with a focus on science and technology journalism entirely online in as few as two semesters full-time, or can tailor a part-time schedule over additional semesters.

Fulbright 'top student producer' graphic

Illinois a top producer of Fulbright student grantees

Feb 14, 2019 1:15 pm

Eleven students from the Urbana campus received Fulbright awards for the 2018-19 academic year, placing Illinois among the top 15 public institutions in terms of numbers of student grantees.

Graduate student Andrew Janiszeski with an antenna used to receive data from weather balloons. (Photo provided.)

The launching of the blizzard balloons

Feb 18, 2022 9:15 am

Two graduate students were tasked with launching weather balloons in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in the midst of a Nor’easter that was delivering 60 mph winds and 20 inches of snow to the region to help NASA research snowstorms.

NBA All-Star Weekend was a slam dunk for Illinois students

Feb 20, 2020 3:45 pm

Three Illinois students in the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism recap their five-day experience at the NBA All-Star Game in Chicago.

Illinois again a top producer of Fulbright U.S. scholars

Feb 27, 2018 12:45 pm

For the seventh time in the past eight years, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is among the top producers of Fulbright U.S. Student Awards

image of alumni and author John Milas outside the English Building

A veteran's unusual journey that led to a haunting novel

Mar 5, 2025 11:00 am

John Milas served from 2008 to 2012, including a deployment to Afghanistan, but longed to return home and dreamed of attending the University of Illinois. The idea behind 'The Militia House' began taking shape during his time on campus.

Close-up of Illinois graduate during Commencement exercises

Recent Illinois grads succeeding despite pandemic

Mar 9, 2022 11:30 am

The Illini Success report found that 94% of graduates secured a 'first destination' – defined as a job, enrollment in graduate or professional school, or a volunteer position – within six months of graduation.

Bioengineering professor Holly Golecki, left, works with Andy Granados, a participant in the First-Generation Scholars Research Program, designing an actuator with a balloon inside polyester mesh in order to create a silicone heart model that pumps fluids. Photo by Fred Zwicky.

First-Generation Scholars Research Program provides research experience and more

Apr 11, 2025 9:15 am

The First-Generation Scholars Research Program at Illinois provides students with research skills and help with the ins and outs of college life that those who haven’t been exposed to higher education may not know.

“Penumbra,” a metal sculpture by Ale Carrillo-Estrada, a graduate student in the School of Art and Design, is part of the Master of Fine Arts Exhibition at Krannert Art Museum, opening April 21. Courtesy of the artist

MFA Exhibition to feature work by art and design grad students

Apr 20, 2018 8:00 am

The multidisciplinary artwork represents the culmination of their graduate education in an exhibition at Krannert Art Museum

Critical Language scholarship awardees - Caleb Apperson, Aiman Ghani and Dahlia Davis. Photos provided.

Illinois students receive Critical Language Scholarships

Apr 28, 2022 8:45 am

The U.S. Department of State program provides full scholarships to U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to spend eight to 10 weeks abroad, with an expectation that they'll use their language skills in their future careers.

Virtual exhibitions highlight art and design graduates

May 14, 2020 9:30 am

Students graduating from the School of Art and Design are exhibiting their work online this spring rather than in galleries at Krannert Art Museum.

University of Illinois design students created immersive reality scenarios to help people who are soon to be released from prison meet certain challenges, such as learning to pay at the pump for gas. photo courtesy of LIsa Mercer

Design students create virtual reality scenarios for those soon to be released from prison

May 22, 2018 4:00 am

The immersive reality scenarios will help new parolees learn how to navigate public transportation, pay at the pump at a gas station or order from a digital kiosk at a fast-food restaurant

University of Illinois students, from left, Jacqueline Becerra, Aynur Namik and Robert Herbolich received U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarships to study foreign languages this summer.

Illinois students receive Critical Language Scholarships

May 30, 2023 3:45 pm

The scholarship program is part of an initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign language and cultural skills to enable them to contribute to U.S. economic competitiveness and national security.

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