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U. of I., USC students collaborating on unique archaeology project
CHAMPAIGN, Ill.- Six students at the University of Illinois are wearing white gloves in class this semester. They’re learning to handle issues of age and fragility with aplomb and to make excellent first impressions. No, this isn’t a course in business etiquette, but rather, archaeology – and it’s a first. The undergraduates are doing original […]
What does ‘fair’ mean when it comes to redistricting?
Brian J. Gaines is an associate professor of political science at Illinois and is a faculty member at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs. His research interests are elections, political behavior, and political institutions and he is widely quoted in news media on elections and politics. How unhappy with the GOP-controlled Congress are voters? […]
Oct. 27-28 conference celebrates Cary Nelson, U. of I. literary scholar
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Scholars from across the country, including former students of the guest of honor, will gather at the end of the month to fete one of the University of Illinois’ most distinguished literary scholars who also is one of the nation’s most public critics of higher education. Cary Nelson, a professor of English […]
U. of I.’s top-ranked library school wins distance-learning award
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Illinois’ top-rated library school has won another award for its excellence in online teaching and learning. Illinois’ Graduate School of Library and Information Science and its partner, Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies, have won the Sloan Consortium’s (Sloan-C) 2006 Effective Practice Award. Illinois and Syracuse won for their […]
Educational challenges for Illinois’ growing Latino population
Latinos are the fastest-growing segment of the population in Illinois, as well as in the U.S. as a whole. They make up 14 percent of the state’s population, and about a quarter of the population in the Chicago metropolitan area. Yet despite notable progress, Latino students continue to lag behind the general population in educational […]
Famed Stradivari instruments coming to U. of I. for display and performances
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – When a University of Illinois alumna returns to her alma mater later this month, her executive jet will reach what musicians might call stradospheric heights. That’s because Sheila Crump Johnson will be bringing with her four “Strads” – extremely rare, decorated and matched Stradivarius stringed instruments, which their owner, the Smithsonian Institution […]
Ramifications of North Korea’s nuke test
On Oct. 9, North Korea announced it had conducted an underground test of a nuclear device. The claim triggered renewed speculation about how a successful test might affect the balance of power in Asia and throughout the world. Julian Palmore, director of the UI’s Program in Arms Control, Disarmament and International Security, discussed the situation […]
Facebook, ‘soft surveillance,’ and the Millennial Generation
Social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Friendster and countless other online communication forums have become the new town hall (amusement arcade) for tech-savvy young people. On Sept. 26, Facebook – previously open only to individuals associated with academic communities, major companies and high school students – opened membership to anyone with an e-mail address. […]
Remains of St. Louis founder’s home believed to have been located
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Archaeologists believe they have found the Illinois home of the founder of St. Louis. What had been thought to be a priest’s residence near the French colonial village of New Chartres, in present-day southern Illinois, “appears instead to have been owned by a series of merchants during the mid-1700s, before it was […]
Course offers chance to learn and earn college credits for free
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – In a small public library not far from the University of Illinois campus, talking is encouraged, and animated discussions not only are tolerated, they are provoked. In fact, the voices in the classroom, just a few steps from the circulation desk, resound with the energy and excitement that comes from exploring new […]
You mean people still try to ban books they don’t like?!
Sept. 23 to 30 has been designated as this year’s Banned Books Week. According to the American Library Association, more than one book a day faces expulsion from open public access in U.S. schools and libraries every year. Christine Jenkins teaches in the areas of youth services librarianship, children’s and young adult literature and literacy […]
U. of I. cinema expert offers commentary on new release of ‘Seven Samurai’
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A professor of cinema studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of five film scholars weighing in on a new DVD release of “Seven Samurai.” David Desser, the director of Illinois’ Unit for Cinema Studies, did a 40-minute audio-track commentary for Criterion’s new three-disc set of the Japanese classic, […]