Photo of a worker standing on top of a giant bell that is attached to a wooden frame and using a huge wrench and a mallet to detach the bell from the frame.

A temporary farewell to the Altgeld bells

A large crane is parked on the north side of Altgeld Hall on this sunny and mild mid-December morning. The arm of the crane that extends far above the scaffolding surrounding Altgeld’s bell tower lowers a cable into the top of the tower. Minutes later, the crane lifts one of the iconic bells out of the top of the tower.

Photo of Anton Ivanov, a professor of business administration at Illinois.

New model helps e-commerce platforms decide whether to dump underperforming products

A new system architecture for e-commerce platforms excels in predicting future product ratings, flagging potentially dubious products, said Anton Ivanov, a professor of business administration at Illinois.

Photo of a southeast view of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, with the water of the Seine River in the foreground.

What can the Notre-Dame restoration tell us about how we value historic structures?

Notre-Dame’s restoration represents what is significant about its architecture that makes it meaningful to people, says University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign architecture professor Kathryn Holliday.

Portrait of Andrew White. He is standing in front of a screen displaying two images: on the left, a LiDAR image of Monks Mound in the ancient city of Cahokia; on the right, an artist's painted interpretation of what the city of Cahokia looked like in its heyday. The painting depicts Cahokia from an aerial perspective.

Are climate-related calamities erasing Illinois’ cultural history?

In an interview, Illinois archaeologist Andrew White details how flooding, erosion and development threaten the state's cultural treasures.

Diptych image with headshot of Erik McDuffie and book cover image of “The Second Battle for Africa: Garveyism, the U.S. Heartland and Global Black Freedom.”

Illinois historian says Midwest played a crucial role in Black freedom movements worldwide

The Midwest played a crucial role in the growth of Black freedom movements in the 20th century, says University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign African American studies and history professor Erik S. McDuffie in his new book.

Communication professor Emily Van Duyn

How can we peacefully talk politics with people who have differing views?

Deciding in advance what one’s boundaries will be — and whether to discuss political issues at all — can be helpful prior to attending holiday gatherings that may bring together people who have vastly different views, said communication professor Emily Van Duyn. 

Photo of researchers in the laboratory.

Study offers insight into chloroplast evolution

Illinois researchers have found evidence indicating that chloroplasts may have originated as energy-generating organelles and only later evolved to support carbon assimilation in plant cells.

Portrait of the researcher

How should we view the national decline in drug-overdose deaths?

Rachel Hoopsick, an epidemiologist who studies mental health challenges and substance use in populations at risk, weighs in on the many factors at play in national drug-overdose deaths.