Illinois in the News

Marketplace (Los Angeles, Jan. 2) — Microgrids are increasingly used by universities and hospitals to maintain power during outages, says electrical and computer engineering professor emeritus George Gross.

Chicago Tribune (Dec. 30) — Illinois is at the forefront of research and treatment for turtles infected with Emydomyces testavorans, a rare fungus. “This (fungus) is a significant threat to the conservation of certain species, and especially our at-risk endangered species,” says Matt Allender, a professor of veterinary clinical medicine.

The Guardian (London, Dec. 30) — Many U.S. midwestern grain farmers will lose money this year after reaping a bumper crop, and the outlook for their future income is bleak. Agricultural economists from the U. of I. estimate that the average Illinois farm could lose $30,000 for 2024.

Chicago Tribune (Dec. 26) — “The potential for our work in the park to change the world is drawing comparisons to historic tech initiatives like the Manhattan Project or the development of Silicon Valley,” says Harley Johnson, a professor of materials science and engineering and the acting director of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park.

ABC News (New York City, Dec. 24) — In 2022 and 2023, Starbucks workers at the company carried out about 100 strikes per year, says labor and employment relations professor Johnnie Kallas.

The Chicago Sun-Times (Dec. 23) — In 2019, the U. of I. started Illinois Commitment, its free tuition program for low-income households, and a growing number of private and public universities have followed suit.

NPR (Washington, D.C., Dec. 23) — Postdoctoral researcher Joseph Trujillo-Falcón studies how undocumented communities respond to extreme weather and climate threats. His research showed many undocumented people didn’t evacuate their homes during Hurricane Harvey in 2017 because of a federal law that states Customs and Border Protection agents can search vehicles without a search warrant “within a reasonable distance from any external boundary of the U.S.”

Inside Higher Ed (Washington, D.C., Dec. 18) — Since 1960, the U. of I. has offered a phone-based caroling system that allows campus community members and others around the country to call and be serenaded by a student, staff or faculty member staffing the line.

Healthcare Brew (New York City, Dec. 13) — Black and Latino communities have less access to pharmacies in cities than white populations, which can make it harder for patients to access medication and care. COVID-19 vaccination rates in Chicago were lower in places with mostly Black and low-income residents compared to wealthier and whiter areas of the city, according to a study by the U. of I. and another institution.

The Cut (New York City, Dec. 13) — A study found that digital media vastly overrepresents the share of Black families that have absentee parents, are on welfare or are involved with criminal activity, while underrepresenting white ones. The message is similar across the ideological spectrum: Black families are hotbeds of social instability, despite the “vast majority” of Black fathers doing “what we expect and hope Black dads would do,” says Travis Dixon, a professor of communication.

The Independent (with video; London, Dec. 11) — Residents along the West Coast were left shaken when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake known as a strike-slip rattled the region last week, resulting in a tsunami warning and a scary couple of hours for more than 5 million people. “Strike slip faults are capable of generating powerful tsunamis, as we have seen only six years ago,” says Ahmed Elbanna, a professor of civil and environmental engineering.

The Washington Post (Dec. 11) — If your family earns less than $75,000, the U. of I. will cover your child’s full cost of tuition starting fall 2025.