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  • petrosglyph of a hand in Monroe County, Illinois

    Petroglyphs: Preserving the Past in 3D

    Mar 7, 2019 1:45 pm

    Archaeology team uses a portable 3D scanner to recreate the details of a hand petroglyph from a site overlooking the Mississippi River in Monroe County, Illinois.

  • steam clouds the view of the ancient works inside one of Illinois' steam tunnels

    Spooky Spaces at U of I: The steam tunnels

    Oct 28, 2022 10:30 am

    You can't go inside them - they're dangerous and you'd be arrested - but the steam tunnels under the campus serve important functions. Plus, the old brick tunnelways produce weird noises that complete their creepy image.

  • Evans teaching landowners about the safe use of chainsaws. Photo by Taryn Bieri, University of Illinois

    Preserving Illinois forests, one landowner at a time

    Apr 28, 2023 10:15 am

    Illinois Extension forestry and research specialist Christopher Evans describes leading the first field day of a Beginning Forest Landowner Program to give landowners the experience, skills and connections needed to better manage their forests.

  • A released big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus, clings to a tree. Photo by Sarah Gaulke

    Catching bats for conservation

    May 18, 2021 11:00 am

    'With all the intimidation and preparation leading up to this night, I had built the bats up to be something dramatic – even fearsome – in my mind, but sitting there in my hand, the bats are smaller and sweeter than I anticipated. They are fuzzy.'

  • Thousands of sea lions gather on the breeding beaches of San Miguel Island, one of the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. Photo: Alaska Fisheries Science Center/NOAA Fisheries.

    Connecting a virus to cancer – in sea lions

    Mar 31, 2021 9:45 am

    'To say the images made us pathologists excited is an understatement. It was a eureka moment that was a long time in the making.'

  • Sourbette and Sophie, Baudet du Poitou donkeys at the U of I College of Veterinary Medicine, are inseparable. Photos by Michelle Hassel

    Vet Med: Saving an endangered breed of donkey

    Jun 3, 2022 10:45 am

    Numbers of Baudet du Poitou donkeys have dwindled to only 300-400 worldwide. A breeding effort is underway at Illinois to expand their numbers and help save the breed from extinction. Photos by Michelle Hassel.

  • researcher holds small Kirtland's snake

    Unearthing an uncommon, burrowing snake

    Oct 12, 2020 9:30 am

    Kirtland’s snakes were once widespread in Illinois, but now are listed as a threatened species. With more than 99% of Illinois’ natural prairies lost to agriculture and urban development, these snakes struggle to maintain their current populations.

  • farmers learn how to grow their crops sustainably. Photo courtesy Esther Ngumbi.

    Professor Esther Ngumbi: My path from the Kenyan coast to Illinois

    Mar 23, 2020 9:45 am

    'I grew up on the Kenyan coast... My parents were teachers, but their income was not enough to sustain us and send us to school. So, we also farmed. I got up early every day to work on the farm before school.'

  • Greenhouse assistant student worker Alexandra (Lexi) Gomez cuts back dead foliage from a Ischnosiphon pruinosus plant. Photos by Fred Zwicky

    Nurturing a tropical paradise in the heart of the Midwest

    Mar 10, 2023 9:00 am

    The U of I Plant Biology Greenhouse and Conservatory houses more than 200 species and 60 families of tropical and subtropical plants selected for their botanical interest or economic importance.

  • Lori Fuller's hand creating colored pencil art. Photo courtesy of Lori Fuller

    Rocks, moss and muddy tree roots

    Apr 15, 2018 12:30 pm

    Campus staff member tells of finding inspiration for her art on a trip to the Great Smokey Mountains. 'I have one goal in mind,' she writews. 'I want to see something extraordinary.'

  • Workers from White’s Clock and Carillon Northeast pound to loosen the nuts on the bolts holding the massive bells in the Altgeld Hall chimes tower. Photos by Fred Zwicky

    A temporary farewell to the Altgeld bells

    Dec 20, 2024 1:30 pm

    he tower’s 15 bells have provided a soundtrack for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus for more than 100 years. Now they are being removed for the first time since they were installed in 1920.

  • Milky Way. Photo by U.S. Forest Service

    Rediscovering a path to the Milky Way

    May 6, 2020 11:00 am

    We’re here because it’s wet. Archaeologist Tim Pauketat, who has studied Cahokia 25 years, wants to see it flooded. Watching how the water flows here will help unlock some of the secrets of this place, he says.

  • This bur oak tree in Brownfield Woods dates to the 1600s. Photo by Brian Stauffer

    Exploring the remnants of an ancient forest

    Sep 2, 2021 4:15 pm

    Hundreds of researchers have made use of these two woodlands over the decades, and these and other natural areas owned by the U. of I. are vital to training students in ecological research.

  • In a shared moment of jubilation, Aarya Mehta throws his arms out to the eclipse as he is hoisted up by Jacen Wong as members of the University of Illinois Astronomical Society celebrate witnessing the historic total solar eclipse. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    The Great American Eclipse and all of its magic

    May 30, 2024 3:30 pm

    I am one of many students representing the University of Illinois Astronomical Society and the Outdoor Adventure Club. Our Great American Eclipse event has us positioned well within the path of totality...

  • A Blanding’s turtle held in field researcher's hand. Photo by Andrea Colton and Emily Sunnucks

    Gathering data to save a rare turtle

    Aug 13, 2020 9:45 am

    'Our goal is to learn as much as we can about (Blanding's turtles). Knowing...how many Blanding’s turtles remain – in the context of the turtle community as a whole – will help in the development of viable conservation and recovery plans for them.'

  • Professor Will Schneider

    Will Schneider: My path to Illinois

    Apr 6, 2020 2:00 pm

    'Illinois has historically played a large role in shaping our understanding of child maltreatment, and I believe that we can alter the trajectory of generations of children to come.'

  • Two Brood X adults of the genus Magicicada rest on a fern leaf. Photo by Marianne Alleyne

    Taking a cicada road trip

    May 27, 2021 9:30 am

    'Every night, we quietly lurk in the dark at the edge of the lawn to listen for the rustling of dried leaves as the cicadas come out of their burrows. It’s a bit creepy, but also stunning...'

  • Entomology professor Alexandra Harmon-Threatt and undergraduate student Sabine Miller prepare for an evening of work in a prairie the professor created to study ground-nesting bees. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    Building a prairie and watching for bees

    Aug 6, 2020 8:45 am

    Two years ago, Professor Alexandra Harmon-Threatt built this outdoor labby planting more than 80 prairie species here. Her mission is to attract ground-nesting bees. She is here to see which bees are showing up. But that’s not all she’s after.

  • An airborne male red-winged blackbird swoops at the author while the female guards her nest. Photo by Shelby Lawson

    Staging a threatening encounter at a blackbird nest

    Oct 7, 2021 8:00 am

    'The male stares me down while flicking his tail and wings – a sign that I’m not welcome here. Red-winged blackbirds are among the most brash and vocal birds you’ll ever meet.'

  • Tamar Dallal, a senior in engineering physics, creates a flower arrangement for an exhibition at Japan House. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    Vivifying ikebana: Japanese flower arranging

    Oct 21, 2022 9:15 am

    Tamar learned jiyuka, or freestyle arrangement, which encourages contemporary artistic expression using simple design principles to create miniature arrangements highlighting the theme of kokoro, or heart, mind and spirit.

  • 1. U. of I. graduate student Jeannie Larmon surveys the landscape before the trek. Photo by Thomas Franklin

    Finding an ancient Maya city in the jungles of Belize

    Aug 7, 2018 8:45 am

    'The site is impressive, with monumental buildings and a temple that rises 30 meters above our heads. ...the west side of the temple platform is a sheer 10-meter drop'

  • In 2009, a fast-moving windstorm known as a derecho swept through this site, near Fountain Bluff in Illinois. Photo by Melissa Daniels

    Tracking a forest’s recovery one year after storm

    Aug 1, 2018 10:00 am

    In February, 2017, a tornado swept through this part of the Shawnee National Forest. There are few canopy trees left standing and invasive understory plants have taken over

  • The author sets a trap for ticks with dry ice. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    Hunting a creature that hunts me

    Aug 20, 2021 1:15 pm

    When I reach the trap...I see that it’s covered in ticks. Hooray! Quickly though, I realize that I’ve introduced my own CO2 to the scene, along with the added attractant of my body heat. Suddenly, I become the local target of choice for the ticks.

  • A couple gets a closer look at one of the home models. Credit: Photo by Della Perrone

    Experiencing the intersection of art, architecture at Krannert Art Museum

    Feb 24, 2025 11:00 am

    The very essence of the Erlanger House resonates with my belief in art’s intersections. It isn’t just a home; it is a living, breathing canvas where multiple art forms coexist and influence one another. 

  • professor of labor and employee relations Teresa Cardador. Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

    Teresa Cardador: My path to Illinois

    Mar 30, 2020 2:15 pm

    'Meaningful work is not simply something you go out and find like an egg at an Easter egg hunt. It’s something co-created, over time, by individuals and the organizations they work in.'

  • sampling of the collection of documents, photos, reports and artifacts related to photosynthesis research in Govindjee's office. Photos by Fred Zwicky

    Govindjee's photosynthesis museum

    Jul 9, 2019 8:00 am

    Plant biology professor emeritus Govindjee, who has made key contributions to the scientific understanding of photosynthesis, is also an archivist and historian of photosynthesis research.

  • Taiwanese dish of wonton noodles with chili and crushed peanuts. Photo by Hueih Kan Dung

    Celebrating our diversity through food

    Sep 28, 2020 9:30 am

    'My background is not a gauge of my worthiness or an obstacle to communication but an amalgamation of experiences and culture that I can share with my colleagues,' writes undgrad student Yi-Ying Tung.

  • Young woman sits on a fallen tree in the woods. PHOTO BY MELISSA DANIELS

    Pondering U of I's ecological impact

    Apr 22, 2021 9:00 am

    I am biased, but I think the university’s leadership in so many areas of environmental research is exceptional. Here’s why.

  • Walking as a group with their eyes closed, Illinois staff and students wind down the stairs of the Architecture Building as they experience campus spaces without sight. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    'Blind Field Shuttle' brings a new perspective to campus walk

    May 3, 2023 10:00 am

    Vancouver-based social practice artist Carmen Papalia's 'Blind Field Shuttle' focuses is on unlearning visual primacy and reconsidering our preconceptions and biases. 

  • The weavers gather in a community center in Tambo Perccaro. Photo by Francisco Seuffenheld

    Illinois outreach: The weavers of Tambo Perccaro

    Jul 16, 2018 3:45 pm

    'About 70 people are waiting for us in the courtyard of the community center when we arrive. They are llama herders, farmers and weavers. Many have walked for miles to be here...'

  • 1. Postdoctoral researcher Mikus Abolins-Abols peers into the nest of an American robin. Photo by L. B. Stauffer

    Playing a parasite for science

    Aug 22, 2018 10:15 am

    I act the part of the cowbird: I spy on robins to find their nests and slip a foreign egg into each one. 

  • KAM curator Maureen Warren takes a close look at the vase. image by Natalie Fiol

    Deciphering the history of a Chinese vase

    Sep 29, 2018 8:45 am

    Scientists are helping determine the age of an antique Chinese porcelain vase in Krannert Art Museum’s collection through an X-ray fluorescence analysis of its paint

  • Ornate Turtle. Photo by Devin Edmonds

    Searching for turtles in a sea of grass

    Jun 5, 2018 10:30 am

    To survey local Ornate Turtles, one has to find them. Turtle tracking dogs help a lot.

  • Professor Lisa Lucero does field work in Belize. Anthropology professor Lisa Lucero and her colleagues are working to capture the history from Maya ruins before they are plowed under. Photo by C. Taylor. Photo copyright © 2022 VOPA and Belize Institute of Archaeology, NICH.

    Rescuing ancient Maya history from the plow

    Jun 22, 2022 3:45 pm

    Anthropology professor Lisa Lucero and her colleagues are working to capture the history from Maya ruins before they are plowed under.

  • A lush pool lies below a difficult-to-reach sinkhole. PHOTO BY J. LARMON

    Exploring the unknown: The Motmot sinkhole

    Jul 9, 2018 9:00 am

    'The ancient Maya viewed openings in the earth, such as this sinkhole and a nearby pool, as portals to the underworld – a realm within which deities and ancestors reside'

  • Measuring the unseen life of a river

    Sep 25, 2019 8:00 am

    Illinois researchers can learn about the life of a river without seeing the animals that live there.

  • a boardwalk at Volo Bog State Natural Area. Photo by Anastasia Rahlin

    Finding one elusive bird

    Oct 16, 2020 9:00 am

    Illinois Natural History Survey assistant ornithologist Anastasia Rahlin conducted field surveys in Volo Bog State Natural Area, and her efforts paid off with the discovery of a king rail, a water bird that blends in well with its surroundings.

  • A stream of extracellular vesicles travels through blood vessels near a tumor. Photo by Stephen Boppart

    Professors Marni and Stephen Boppart: Tracking the traffic between our cells

    Nov 21, 2023 10:30 am

    The 2023 Allen Distinguished Investigators are visualizing and tracking extracellular vesicles: tiny packages of molecular cargo in nanosized lipid carriers, released by all cells in the body. 

  • graduate student Mary Lyons. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    Finding time for play

    Dec 5, 2019 8:00 am

    Graduate student Mary Lyons studies teachers’ strategies for supporting young children’s play-based learning.

  • Illinois graduate student Martha Larkin pulls a lever to operate a hand press as students get hands-on experience with historical printing technologies.

    Using a 19th-century hand press to teach history of printing

    Dec 8, 2022 9:45 am

    'I want students to literally get their hands on historical technology. Rather than talking about how print worked, students do these things – set print, bind books and use computer technology,' says Professor Ryan Cordell.

  • some members of the U of I Saxaphone Ensemble

    Building an orchestra of brass

    Feb 21, 2019 10:15 am

    The University of Illinois Saxophone Ensemble tackles music never meant for the saxophone.

  • Rohit Bhargava. Photo by Brian Stauffer

    Rohit Bhargava: My path to Illinois

    Apr 9, 2020 9:15 am

    'Illinois technology has transformed lives, from the transistor to the LED, the MRI and the web browser. I knew we had the science and people to transform cancer too, if only we could bring them together.'

  • Gary Stitt, 61, stretches his arms to the sky as people gather for a Dance for People with Parkinson’s class at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. All photos by Fred Zwicky

    Grace and healing: Parkinson's dance class exercises body, mind

    Jun 12, 2020 10:30 am

    Dance for People with Parkinson’s uses dance to inspire patients to expand the limits of their condition. 'You just have to keep moving, one way or another. If I ever stop moving, that’s the end of it.' says participant Gary Stitt.

  • In a July ceremony, Elizabeth Woodburn receives her white coat, signifying that she is a physician-in-training, from dean King Li and executive associate dean Rashid Bashir. Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

    Journey to becoming a physician-innovator

    Jul 17, 2018 8:45 am

    A a member of the inaugural class of the world’s first engineering-based medical school talks about how she got to Illinois

  • Tommy McElrath collects bees in a net. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    Chasing bumble bees on a patch of prairie

    Jul 21, 2020 9:15 am

    Scientists know so little about bumble bees that it’s hard to make recommendations about the kinds of habitat they need, says Tommy McElrath, insect collection manager of the Illinois Natural History Survey. 

  • Members of the Geoscientists Without Borders team pose with Jimu villagers after the successful completion of a new village borehole.

    Finding water closer to home in Jimu Village

    Oct 10, 2018 4:00 am

    Many of these happy faces wore skeptical frowns last April when we first approached the villagers with our crazy idea to find a new water source for them using high-tech instruments

  • The team hoists Illini kicker James McCourt aloft after he kicks a 39-yard field goal to give the Illini a 24-23 victory. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    Surviving a football frenzy

    Nov 15, 2019 9:45 am

    Photographer Fred Zwicky puts you on the field as bedlam unfolds and Illinois fans celebrate a major upset victory over heavily favored Wisconsin.

  • workers remove the terra cotta roof tiles from the roof below the bell tower, stacking them to be reinstalled after reinforcements to the roof and the addition of an ice and water shield. All photos by Fred Zwicky

    Renovating historic Altgeld Hall

    Nov 20, 2023 2:00 pm

    'The renovation of Altgeld Hall will mark the rebirth of one of the campus’s most storied and iconic buildings. The facility, which opened in 1897, was instrumental in the university’s early growth, and this project ensures that its legacy will continue,' says project manager Kevin Price. 

  • The author helps his colleagues install mist nets around a pond. ALT TEXT: Photo of the author standing near a vertical pole used to secure the nets. He grasps a cord used to tighten the nets in place. Photo by Elizabeth Beilke

    In pursuit of Indiana bats

    Jun 22, 2021 8:45 am

    'My role at this site is to attach temperature-sensitive radio tags to reproductive female Indiana bats. We’ll use these tags to track the bats to roost trees during the day and to monitor their body temperatures.'

  • young bird nests among leaves on the forest floor. Photo by author

    Waiting for the sun to set to find a rare bird

    Jun 30, 2022 10:00 am

    Each night, we perform checks of Whip-Poor-Will nests to record development of eggs and chicks, as well as instances of predation or failure. Nests are at risk on the ground, but a few broods hatch and reach fledging age, when they begin to fly.