News Bureau

University of Illinois President Timothy L. Killeen announced nearly $24 million in spending cuts Oct. 19 for central administration programs not directly related to teaching and research as the university prepares for expected reductions in funding once a new state budget is approved.

Judy Whittington is one of the first people who new faculty and staff members and students meet in the department of astronomy. She makes them feel welcome and continues to provide support throughout their time at the university.

Sandy Dall’Erba, an associate professor of agricultural and consumer economics in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, is among the new faculty members to be included in our New Faces feature.

The annual summary of committee members on the Urbana-Champaign campus can be viewed online. In an effort to provide the most accurate information, Inside Illinois has compiled a list of URLs for units that appoint committees.

Aaron McCollough, an assistant professor for the university library and the head of scholarly communications and publishing, is among the new faculty members to be included in our New Faces feature.

Administrators are continuing to apply pressure to state leaders for a budget resolution, and are working to have the University of Illinois removed from the American Association of University Professors censure list.

Interim Chancellor Barbara J. Wilson said suggestions for changes in the university's expanded background check policy are being seriously considered.

Vibrant colors surround the north entrance to the Illini Union on a recent fall day. 

In July, the U. of I. Board of Trustees approved faculty promotions in academic rank and changes in tenure status.

Faculty members teaching six Grand Challenge Experience courses this fall say they've enjoyed opening students' eyes to the unnoticed connections of a research campus, and they hope it leads to a new way of engaging student participation and thinking.

Kelly Tu, an assistant professor of human development and family studies in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, is among the new faculty members to be featured in our New Faces feature. Inside Illinois continues its tradition of introducing some of the new faculty members on campus and will feature one new colleague each week during the fall semester. 

Undergraduate education at Illinois is in the process of a new experiment. This semester marked the start of a multiyear pilot designed to analyze what general education is and what role it serves on a research campus such as the University of Illinois.

Many of those who helped make the Chez Family Foundation Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education a reality were on hand to cut the ribbon Oct. 2 to  mark the official opening of the center. 

Ten interdisciplinary research teams at the Urbana campus have been awarded grants under the first phase of the Illinois Learning Sciences Design Initiative’s seed funding program.

The design concept behind the U. of I.'s new Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education building was simple: It should feel free from conflict. The concept becomes reality with the official dedication of the center from 3:30-5 p.m. Oct. 2.

Returning service men and women have always faced the challenge of reintegrating into civilian life. But those returning with disabilities because of a combat injury face the additional challenge of having to redefine their physical identity.

The Urbana campus will have an additional four weeks to fully implement a new employment background check policy for new hires that goes into effect Oct. 5, university officials have announced.

Sergei Maslov, professor of bioengineering and the Bliss Faculty Scholar in the College of Engineering, is among the new faculty members to be featured in our annual "New Faces" feature. Inside Illinois continues its tradition of introducing some of the new faculty members on campus and will feature one new colleague online each week during the fall semester. 

Michael Merriman, a building operations engineer for Campus Recreation, is comfortable in almost any environment. Stationed at the Activities and Recreation Center, Merriman monitors and services the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems at ARC and several other recreational facilities on campus.

As senators approved a measure Sept. 21 outlining the committee selection process for a permanent chancellor, U. of I. President Timothy L. Killeen told them this search could be less conventional than those in the past.

A resolution to establish a committee to consider whether "ethical norms" were breached by faculty members in an incident related to their conversations with former Chancellor Phyllis M. Wise failed to pass the senate Sept. 21.

The U. of I. Police Department last week started citing smokers who flout the campus's smoking ban.

Senators overwhelmingly approved a resolution Sept. 21 calling for the postponement of a universitywide background check policy set to go into effect Oct. 5.

A graphic illustration of the freshman class, which boasts the university’s largest class since 2005.

Liliane Windsor, assistant professor in the School of Social Work, is among the new faculty members to be featured in our annual "New Faces" feature. Inside Illinois continues its tradition of introducing some of the new faculty members on campus and will feature one new colleague online each week during the fall semester. 

There are very few things in the Illinois Street Residence Halls kitchen that Rhonda Winston doesn't have her hand in. To rephrase, Winston, a kitchen helper since 2001, is an integral part of every dish served to the students of ISRH.

A resolution to create a chancellor's search committee was modified at the Sept. 14 Senate Executive Committee meeting to ensure state standards for underrepresented membership are met. Senators will vote on the measure at their Sept. 21 meeting.

Senators will vote Sept. 21 on a resolution asking the U. of I. Board of Trustees to postpone the implementation of an expanded background check policy it approved at its Sept. 10 meeting in Urbana.

Christopher Dunbar Jr., a professor of education policy, organization and leadership in the College of Education, is among the new faculty members to be featured in our annual "New Faces" feature. Inside Illinois continues its tradition of introducing some of the new faculty members on campus and will feature one new colleague online each week during the fall semester. 

Navy Capt. Charles C. Moore, who also is the Urbana campus’s Navy ROTC commanding officer, leads the pack Sept. 10 during the annual campus run to remember the victims of 9/11. He is followed by Navy Midshipman 1st Class Sheryl Acuna, who is the Navy ROTC battalion commander, and Midshipman 1st Class David Mielnik. The other flags are being carried by members of the NROTC Color Guard. The run is a 2.8-mile course that ends at the Illini Union. The nearly 100 runners included ROTC candidates for all four military branches, as well as members of the police and fire training institutes.

A report to the U. of I. Board of Trustees at its Sept. 10 meeting outlining the University Senates Conference's 2015 agenda led to pledges from both groups to work together to better meet the U. of I.'s civic land-grant responsibilities. The conversation comes as new President Timothy L. Killeen works to develop a systemwide strategic plan by next year.

Leaders say demonstrable improvement in the number of underrepresented students enrolling at the university is a sign university programs targeting them are succeeding.

The university will celebrate its 150th birthday the same way it spreads knowledge -- all around the world. Pradeep Khanna, the associate chancellor for corporate and international relations, told the Board of Trustees at its Sept. 10 meeting that in addition to campus events, preparations are being made for a worldwide celebration in 2017 to mark the U. of I.'s start as a land-grand institution in 1867.

The board of trustees gave its final approval on a background check policy for new faculty, academic profession and Civil Service employees and will consider whether to expand the policy to include graduate students and internal transfers in the future.

The state's budget stalemate won't affect the university's ability to meet its payroll obligations, Chief Financial Officer Walter Knorr told trustees at their Sept. 10 meeting.

Research by University of Illinois scientists with the Center for Geologic Storage of CO2 could have planetary implications while also producing benefits close to home.

Richard Benton, an assistant professor of labor and employment relations, is among the new faculty members to be featured in our annual "New Faces" feature. Inside Illinois continues its tradition of introducing some of the new faculty members on campus and will feature one new colleague online each week during the fall semester. 

Walter Wilson's work is behind every great piece of art in Krannert Art Museum. And, if you take into consideration each individual's tastes, it's also behind some of the not-so-great pieces.

The Senate Executive Committee got right to work in its first meeting of the semester Aug. 24, tackling a hefty agenda that portends the busy year ahead.

Francina Dominguez,  an assistant professor of atomospheric sciences, is the first new faculty member to featured in our annual "New Faces" feature. Among the newcomers to the Urbana campus we will feature are faculty members whose appointments began this summer or fall. Inside Illinois continues its tradition of introducing some of the new faculty members on campus and will feature one new colleague online each week during the fall semester. 

The Senate Executive Committee won't be involved in the selection of search committee members for a permanent chancellor. The SEC met in a special meeting Aug. 31, called after leaders received a directive from President Timothy L. Killeen to begin the chancellor search process. 

University of Illinois President Timothy L. Killeen has enlisted a transition team to guide the process of reconfiguring UIC’s medical school structure in light of the creation of an Urbana-based medical school.

Acting Chancellor Barbara Wilson said she will accept nominations from every corner of campus in her search to fill the crucial position of vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost.

Gordon Oyer for years has had a casual interest in Thomas Merton, the 20th-century Trappist monk known for his popular philosophical writings and penchant for living in hermitage. Wanting to know more, he wrote a book about Merton.

Although the next time faculty and staff members receive Inside Illinois, it will be in their email inbox, the online version will include the same kinds of quality news and research articles, and photographs as the print version.

The appointment of Barbara J. Wilson as acting chancellor capped off a week of rapid-fire news concerning U. of I. leadership.

Mark R. Ryan, a leading wildlife biologist and an expert in conservation and natural resources, has been named the executive director of the Prairie Research Institute at the U. of I. The director of the School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri, Ryan will join Illinois Oct. 1, pending the approval of the U. of I. Board of Trustees.

Heat is the enemy for people designing cars, construction machinery, aircraft and mobile electronics. When electrical systems do more work, they get hotter. When they get too hot, they operate inefficiently, fail or even melt.

Work has begun on the U. of I.’s first solar farm, which by the end of the year is expected to be online and on its way to generating 2 percent of the campus’s annual electricity usage.

James H. Moore, U. of I. Foundation president since July 1, said there is much work to be done if the university is to meet its goal of doubling fundraising totals in the next decade.