Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau
Health and Medicine

RNA barcodes enable high-speed mapping of connections in the brain

Researchers mapped connections among thousands of neurons in the mouse brain with unprecedented speed and resolution thanks to RNA “barcodes.”

Announcements

Illinois named a top producer of Gilman Scholars

Champaign, Ill. ― The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is among the top producers of recipients for the Gilman International Scholarship Program, which provides merit-based scholarships to outstanding American undergraduate students with high financial need to pursue credit-bearing academic studies and career-oriented internships abroad. The scholarship opportunities equip Gilman Scholars with international experience, global networks and foreign language […]

Announcements

‘Hot Ones’ host and Illinois alumnus Sean Evans named 2026 Commencement speaker

Daytime Emmy® Award-nominated talk show host and Illinois alumnus Sean Evans will serve as the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Commencement speaker on Saturday, May 16, in Gies Memorial Stadium. Evans graduated from Illinois with a degree in broadcast journalism in 2008.

Expert Viewpoints
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign anthropology professor Jessica R. Greenberg, the co-editor of the new policy report “Populism and the Future of Transatlantic Relations: Challenges and Policy Options.”

How has political populism affected transatlantic relations?

The European Union is in an excellent position to emerge as a leader in international cooperation, trade, security and democratic values, says University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign anthropology professor Jessica R. Greenberg, the co-editor of the new policy report “Populism and the Future of Transatlantic Relations: Challenges and Policy Options.”

Earth and Environmental Sciences Photo of hollowed-out coral on a reef in Moorea. The coral is coated in brown and red algae.

Still standing but mostly dead: Recovery of dying coral reef in Moorea stalls

The hollowed-out skeletons of a bleached reef in the Pacific Ocean are changing scientists’ understanding of the factors that promote — or hinder— coral reef recovery.

Expert Viewpoints A man in a dark suit and glasses, with orange foliage in the background

Is there a mathematical method to March Madness?

Filling out a March Madness bracket from the inside out, starting with the Final Four or Elite Eight, can be a helpful strategy, says bracketology expert Sheldon H. Jacobson.

Earth and Environmental Sciences Gravel mining pits on abandoned river channels and floodplain.

Study documents conflict between commerce and conservation at mining operation in Bangladesh

A new study using multidecade satellite imagery and face-to-face human interviews tracked the environmental and societal impacts of gravel mining in the Lubha River, Northeast Bangladesh. The researchers found that the river had recovered its natural shape within just four years after gravel mining stopped. However, the local economy did not bounce back nearly as quickly.

Social Sciences Professor Stewart Coles studies the way media depictions of social issues and marginalized groups evoke prejudice and stereotypes, shape and activate identity, and influence public opinion and political behavior.

Racial, political cues on social media shape TV audiences’ choices

CONTACT: Sharita Forrest, Research Editor 217-244-1072; slforres@illinois.edu CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Social media users are more likely to watch TV programs that are endorsed by members of their political party, a recent study suggests. However, individuals’ racial identity and their perceptions of racial and political ingroup norms and the demographics of a program’s intended audience also […]

Humanities From left, co-authors Greg Howard, a professor of economics, and Russell Weinstein, a professor of labor and employment relations and of economics.

Paper: HBCUs promote social, economic mobility for Black children who live nearby

New research from a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign economists estimates the social mobility effects of four-year public historically Black colleges and universities on Black children who live in the same county as an HBCU.

Announcements Portrait of Tony Leggett

Tony Leggett, Nobel laureate and theoretical physicist, dies

Theoretical physicist Sir Anthony James Leggett, widely recognized as a world leader in condensed matter physics and for his pioneering work on superfluidity and the quantum mechanics of macroscopic systems, died March 8. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor was 87 years old.

Behind the Scenes

Photo of the author working in the laboratory.

Splitting hairs to keep the public safe

Graduate student Lance Jones works to identify potentially infectious ticks found in Illinois.

Photo of a woman standing in front of a microphone and music stand, facing a seated group of people.

A place for artistic expression at SPEAK Café

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Sharing things with strangers can sometimes be easier than sharing with a friend. That thought comes alive for me the evening I attend the SPEAK Café, a space full of song, poetry, art and expression. Hosted by local artist Shaya Robinson, the open-mic event takes place in the Rest Lab 8: Greenspace […]

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Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau

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