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Database expands to document police uses of lethal force across US
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Cline Center for Advanced Social Research and an interdisciplinary team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign experts have expanded upon their statewide registry on the use of lethal force by police officers in the state of Illinois to include national data. The Systematic Policing Oversight Through Lethal-Force Incident Tracking Environment project, called “SPOTLITE,” identified […]
What will be the impact of the decision to no longer name birds after people?
The American Ornithological Society recently announced that it will change all English language common names of birds that honor people, to avoid recognizing historical figures with ties to slavery, racism and colonialism. In 2020, the society renamed the McCown’s Longspur – named for John Porter McCown, a bird collector and Confederate general who also fought […]
How can Illinois better preserve its cultural identities?
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker recently announced new funding to support communities working to preserve and celebrate their unique cultural heritage. The “State Designated Cultural District” initiative will provide $3 million to selected cultural districts to aid such efforts. U. of I. anthropology professor Helaine Silverman, whose work focuses on the ways that nations and communities […]
Illinois English professor writes children’s biography of pioneering Black botanist
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Charles S. Parker was a pioneering Black botanist who traveled all over the country collecting plants. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign English professor Janice Harrington wrote a children’s biography of Parker, “Rooting for Plants: The Unstoppable Charles S. Parker, Black Botanist and Collector.” It is Harrington’s second children’s biography. The first, “Buzzing With […]
Library’s 15-millionth volume is influential manuscript on agricultural management from Middle Ages
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A medieval manuscript by an English agronomist describing the agricultural management of a manor is the 15-millionth volume of the collection of the University Library at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The manuscript is a 14th-century copy of the text of Walter of Henley’s 13th-century work “Hosbondrye,” one of the most influential […]
Science historian Naomi Oreskes to talk about how free market ideology blocks climate action
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Climate change is a crisis that has resulted from the massive failure of the energy market, and free market ideology and the rejection of government’s role in correcting such market failures has stymied efforts to address it, says scientist and historian Naomi Oreskes. A leader in examining the efforts to undermine the […]
History professor Rosalyn LaPier featured in Ken Burns’ ‘The American Buffalo’ documentary
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When huge herds of bison roamed the Great Plains, the animals were not only a source of livelihood for Native Americans. They also were a vital part of the ecology and a religious icon. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign history professor Rosalyn LaPier is featured in the forthcoming Ken Burns documentary “The American […]
U. of I. alum Joanne Lee Molinaro – ‘The Korean Vegan’ – to give talk, cooking demo on campus
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumna Joanne Lee Molinaro, known as “The Korean Vegan,” will return to her alma mater for an appearance in September. Molinaro – 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 […]
New paper points to better way to assess noncognitive abilities
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — New research led by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert who studies personnel psychology shows a better way to assess noncognitive abilities such as a job candidate’s personality and vocational interests using the “graded forced-choice format.” The scientific study of a person’s soft skills heavily relies on self-reported measures – for example, […]
Illinois professor examines the overlooked role of food in civil rights struggle
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Food was used as both a weapon and a tool of resistance in the Mississippi Delta during the Civil Rights Movement. Bobby J. Smith II, an African American studies professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, looked at how the Civil Rights Movement expanded to include struggles around food in his book […]
Illinois professor describes how whaling shaped U.S. culture even after petroleum replaced it
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The whaling industry helped drive industrialization in the 19th century, with whale oil used to light lamps and lubricate machinery. Even after petroleum replaced whale oil as an energy source in the U.S., whaling continued to be part of our cultural imagination and helped develop the idea of an energy industry, said […]
How will a new Illinois law help with teaching the history of Native Americans in the state?
Illinois public schools will be required to teach students about Native American history in the state beginning with the 2024-25 school year. The legislation, which was signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Aug. 4, requires that schools teach about the contributions of Native Americans in government, arts, humanities, sciences, and economic, cultural, social and political […]