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What makes the bird flu virus so unusual?
The H5N1 virus attacks specific body systems in each species and behaves very differently in each depending on which body systems are involved, causing widespread death in some animals while barely affecting others, says University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign veterinary clinical medicine professor Dr. Jim Lowe. He spoke with News Bureau life sciences editor Diana Yates […]

English professor’s novel tells of love triangle in post-WWII Paris, based on his family history
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new novel by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign English professor David Wright Faladé tells the story of three people in a love triangle in post-World War II Paris. The characters in “The New Internationals” — a young French woman who has survived the Holocaust, a university student from West Africa and a […]

Minecraft players can now explore whole cells and their contents
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists have translated nanoscale experimental and computational data into precise 3D representations of bacteria, yeast and human epithelial, breast and breast cancer cells in Minecraft, a video game that allows players to explore, build and manipulate structures in three dimensions. The innovation will allow researchers and students of all ages to navigate […]

February Dance includes works experimenting with live music, technology and a ‘sneaker ballet’
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The dance department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will present February Dance 2025: Fast Forward this week at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. February Dance will be one of the first performances in the newly renovated Colwell Playhouse Theatre since its reopening. The performances are Jan. 30-Feb. 1. Dance professor […]

Four Illinois researchers receive Presidential Early Career Award
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Four researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign were named recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on young professionals at the outset of their independent research careers. The winners this year are health and kinesiology professor Marni Boppart, physics professor Barry Bradlyn, chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Ying […]

Krannert Art Museum exhibition shows midcentury modern homes as places for artistic production
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Several Champaign-Urbana homes designed by local architects between the 1940s and 1990s were also made as settings for artistic performances and cultural conversations. An exhibition at Krannert Art Museum at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examines how four midcentury modern homes served as incubators for avant-garde culture in the community. “Making Place […]

U. of I. professor Rochelle Gutiérrez named to National Academy of Education
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Rochelle Gutiérrez, a professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has been elected to the National Academy of Education. Founded in 1965, NAE is an honorific society of U.S. members and international associates who are elected based on outstanding education-related scholarship. A professor of mathematics education, Gutiérrez has […]

How did President Trump’s inaugural address stack up to previous speeches?
John M. Murphy, a professor of communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, studies the history of American public address and political rhetoric. Murphy spoke with News Bureau research editor Sharita Forrest about President Donald Trump’s second inaugural address and how the rhetorical devices that presidents use in these speeches define the U.S. and their […]

Study: Civil organizing persisted during Syrian civil war
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Where, when and how did civilians organize during the Syrian civil war that started in the aftermath of the Arab Spring in 2011 and lasted until the toppling of President Bashar Assad in late 2024? According to new research co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign political scientist, civil organizing persisted during […]

How does alcohol consumption elevate risks of various cancers?
Zeynep Madak-Erdogan is associate director for education at the Cancer Center at Illinois and a professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Madak-Erdogan’s research explores the impact of hormones and metabolism on breast cancer and individuals’ responses to treatment. She spoke with News Bureau research editor Sharita Forrest about […]

Book: Maya wisdom should guide humanity’s future
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new book takes readers on a guided tour of Maya history as narrated by an anthropologist who has spent more than 35 years salvaging and exploring the remains of ancient Maya cities, farms and sacred spaces. “Maya Wisdom and the Survival of Our Planet,” by Lisa J. Lucero, is also a […]

Paris research trip reconnects Native American tribes with historic painted robes
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign history professor Robert Morrissey traveled to a Paris museum in November to see four ceremonial robes created more than 300 years ago by Native American tribes in Illinois. The research trip included members of the Miami and Peoria Nations and it was part of a collaborative project, “Reclaiming […]