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  • Photo of Robert Brunner, the associate dean for innovation and chief disruption officer at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he helped spearhead efforts to create iBlock, the first blockchain created by a business school.

    What’s the transformative potential of artificial intelligence?

    Anxiety about artificial intelligence has been driven by its rapid development as well as knowledge worker concerns about potentially being replaced by the transformative technology, says Robert Brunner, the associate dean for innovation and chief disruption officer at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Dean Designate of the School of Social Work Benjamin Lough

    Lough named School of Social Work dean

    Benjamin J. Lough will be the next dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. 

  • A portrait of Nancy Makri

    Chemistry professor Nancy Makri elected to National Academy of Sciences

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chemistry professor Nancy Makri has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest professional honors a scientist can receive. She is among 120 members and 23 international members elected this year to recognize their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

  • Photo collage of four University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty members were honored by the Office of the Provost with the 2023 Campus Awards for Excellence in Faculty Leadership

    Faculty members honored with 2023 Campus Awards for Excellence in Faculty Leadership

    Four University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty members were honored by the Office of the Provost with the 2023 Campus Awards for Excellence in Faculty Leadership.

  • Cari West-Henkelman

    West-Henkelman named Office Professional of the Year

    Cari West-Henkelman received the 2023 Office Professional of the Year award from the Illinois Administrative Professionals organization at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Photo of Jeff Hoover in the woods.

    How does climate change affect global bird reproduction?

    A new study assessed changes in the reproductive output of 104 bird species around the world between 1970 and 2019. Illinois Natural History Survey avian ecologist Jeff Hoover, a co-author of the report, explains how climate change is altering bird ecology and health.

  • Photo of a crowd of graduates sitting with Chancellor Jones speaking at a podium, other people in graduation regalia seated on a stage and the Block I and "ILLINOIS" across an orange backdrop.

    Media advisory: Media passes and parking available for commencement

    Media passes and parking are available for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign commencement.

  • Photo of Lena Shapiro, a clinical assistant professor of law and the inaugural director of the College of Law’s First Amendment Clinic.

    How do you handle free speech issues in higher education, popular discourse?

    The current state of the First Amendment is an ongoing battle between those who say they want to advance freedom of speech for everyone versus those who want to drown out voices that they don’t agree with, says Lena Shapiro, a clinical assistant professor of law and the inaugural director of the College of Law’s First Amendment Clinic.

  • Four headshots of students.

    Four Illinois students awarded Boren funding for overseas language study

    Four University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students received Boren Awards for intensive language study abroad during the 2023-24 academic year.

  • A composite image of headshots

    Sixteen employees honored with Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award

    Sixteen academic professionals and civil service staff members have received the inaugural Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award recognizing exceptional performance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

  • photo of professor Jennifer Delaney standing in front of a mural of several U. of I. students that reads "We teach"

    Are direct college admissions the future of higher education?

    Direct college admissions systems benefit both students and postsecondary institutions, according to Jennifer Delaney, a professor of higher education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • photos of Tamer Basar, David Cahill and Vidya Madhavan

    Three Illinois scientists elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

    Three University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign scientists have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.


  • Photo of John Coleman, the next vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.

    Coleman named vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost

    John Coleman will be the next vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. 

  • A photo compilation of this year's Goldwater scholarship winners from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

    Three Illinois students honored with Goldwater scholarships

    University of Illinois students Daniel Cudzich, Max Fan and Aidan Lindsay were awarded Barry M. Goldwater scholarships for their potential to contribute to the advancement of research in the natural sciences, mathematics or engineering.

  • Photo of Jason Mazzone, the Albert E. Jenner, Jr. Professor of Law and the director of the Program in Constitutional Theory, History, and Law at the College of Law at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

    What can the Supreme Court do to restore public trust?

    The most likely outcome of the Clarence Thomas revelations is that the Supreme Court will announce new or clarified ethical standards for justices on the high court, says Jason Mazzone, the Albert E. Jenner Jr. Professor of Law and the director of the Program in Constitutional Theory, History, and Law at the College of Law at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Graphic image of a series of headshots.

    Excellence in Instruction: Faculty, advisers honored with 2023 campus awards

    The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign presents Campus Awards for Excellence in Instruction to exceptional faculty and staff members this week.

  • Photo of Germán Bollero, the next dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. The appointment takes effect April 16, 2023.

    Bollero named College of ACES dean

    Germán Bollero will be the next dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. Bollero has served as the interim dean of ACES since September 2021.  

  • Diptych photo of headshots of Yuridia Ramírez and José de la Garza Valenzuela

    Two Illinois researchers receive ACLS Fellowships

    Illinois history professor Yuridia Ramírez and Latina/Latino studies professor José de la Garza Valenzuela have been awarded 2023 American Council of Learned Societies Fellowships.

  • Photo of the researchers.

    Are Illinois farmers aware of the risk of tick-borne diseases?

    Illinois Ph.D. candidate Sulagna Chakraborty describes awareness of ticks and tick-borne disease among Illinois farmers.

  • Headshot of Ted Underwood

    Should educators worry about ChatGPT?

    Educators need to help students understand and use artificial intelligence language tools in appropriate ways to prepare them for a future in which their use is commonplace, says English and information sciences professor Ted Underwood.

  • Compilation of portraits of the five Urbana campus University Scholars awardees

    University Scholars include five Urbana-Champaign faculty members

    Five University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professors have been named University Scholars in recognition of their excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. The award is presented by the University of Illinois System to faculty members from the Chicago, Springfield and Urbana universities.

  • Photo of Patrick Keenan, an expert in human rights law and international criminal law.

    What will result from the war crimes arrest warrants for two top Russian officials?

    The International Criminal Court’s recent issuance of arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin effectively means any country cooperating with Russia is now cooperating with an accused war criminal, says Illinois law professor Patrick Keenan, an expert in human rights law and international criminal law.

  • Photo of then-doctoral student Tyler Kearney and education faculty member Jennifer Delaney

    Are TV sports networks game-changers for financing collegiate athletics?

    Revenue from collegiate sports TV networks may decrease cross-subsidization of athletic programs by other units at these colleges, but athletic programs' spending also seemed to increase, scholars Jennifer Delaney and Tyler Kearney found.

  • Two smiling students sitting under a tree on the U. of I. quad in the autumn surrounded by fallen leaves

    Illinois Neurodiversity Initiative accepting freshmen applicants for fall semester

    The Illinois Neurodiversity Initiative at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is accepting applications from neurodiverse students who will be incoming freshmen in the 2023 fall semester.

  • This graphic shows an instrumented tissue mimic, that will use embedded sensors and probes to better understand and measure human biology.

    Illinois to co-lead new CZ Biohub in Chicago

    The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has been chosen to lead the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago – a new biomedical hub – along with the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. The three-university team was selected to lead the new biomedical hub as part of a competitive application process for a research initiative explicitly focused on measuring human biology.

  • Photo of Edward A. Kolodziej, Emeritus Research Professor of Political Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an expert in international relations and global politics.

    Is Russia-Ukraine war heading toward stalemate?

    One year into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the most likely outcome is a stalemate, despite the mounting cost in blood and treasure, said Edward A. Kolodziej, Emeritus Research Professor of Political Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an expert in international relations and global politics.

  • Photo of Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations at the Urbana campus of the University of Illinois and the director of the Labor Education Program in Chicago.

    Should the workweek be shortened to four days?

    There’s nothing sacrosanct about the five-day workweek, which is long overdue for an overhaul, says Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois.

  • Mei Shen

    Chemistry professor named 2023 Sloan Research Fellow

    Chemistry professor Mei Shen is among 126 early-career researchers receiving the 2023 Sloan Research Fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. According to the foundation, the awards “honor extraordinary U.S. and Canadian researchers whose creativity, innovation and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of leaders.” Awardees receive a two-year $75,000 fellowship to advance their research.

  • Graphic of Fulbright Top Producers badge within Alma Mater's reach

    Illinois among top producers of Fulbright US Student, US Scholar awards

    The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is among the U.S. colleges and universities that produced the highest number of applicants selected for the 2022-23 Fulbright U.S. Student and Fulbright U.S. Scholar programs, as announced today by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

  • Nick Holonyak Jr. memorial service portrait graphic

    Media advisory: Holonyak memorial service open to news media

    A memorial service for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor emeritus Nick Holonyak Jr. will be open to the news media. The event takes place Thursday, Feb. 9, at 4:30 p.m. at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Building, 306 N. Wright St., Urbana.

  • Headshot of Abbas Aminmansour

    Why are so many tall and supertall buildings being built?

    Very tall buildings are attractive options in cities where land is at a premium, but they come with construction challenges, said University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign architecture professor Abbas Aminmansour.

  • A composite image of seven faculty portraits

    Seven Illinois faculty members elected to AAAS

    Seven professors at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have been elected 2022 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Fellows are chosen by their peers for outstanding contribution to the field.

  • Portrait of Brittney Nadler

    Illinois alum awarded Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumna Brittney Nadler recently was awarded a Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship. Funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by Howard University, the Pickering Fellowship supports individuals who seek careers in the State Department’s Foreign Service.

  • Photo of Jerry Davila

    What led to the attempted coup in Brazil, what comes next?

    The Jan. 8 insurrection in Brazil’s seat of government was styled after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, says Jerry Dávila, the Lemann Chair in Brazilian History at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and executive director of the Illinois Global Institute.

  • Photo of Robin Fretwell Wilson

    What's the significance of the Respect for Marriage Act?

    The bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act requires states to recognize same-sex marriages while balancing the interests of religious groups, says Robin Fretwell Wilson, the director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs and the Mildred Van Voorhis Jones Chair in Law at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Photo of communication professor Emily Van Duyn standing in front of a campus building

    Does a 'fake news' label help audiences identify false information?

    Using the term “fake news” does not help audiences distinguish false information or sources and may be doing more harm than good, according to resarch by U. of I. communication professor Emily Van Duyn.

  • Photo of Scott Althaus, director of The Cline Center for Advanced Social Research and a professor of both political science and communication at Illinois.

    Why was the Jan. 6 assault on the US Capitol considered an 'auto-coup d’état'?

    The Cline Center for Advanced Social Research’s Coup d’État Project initially categorized the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as an “attempted dissident coup.” But that classification has evolved to include the additional classification “attempted auto-coup d’état,” said Scott Althaus, the center’s director and a professor of both political science and communication at Illinois.

  • Thomas O'Rourke portrait.

    How can we tame the gun violence epidemic?

    Thomas O’Rourke, a professor emeritus of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, spoke with News Bureau life sciences editor Diana Yates about how previous efforts to institute public health measures succeeded and how the same approaches can be employed to reduce the scourge of gun violence in the U.S.

  • Photo of the researchers.

    Bill & Melinda Gates Agricultural Innovations extends RIPE funding with $34M grant

    Bill & Melinda Gates Agricultural Innovations has awarded a grant of $34 million to the Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency project, an international research effort led by scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In its 10-year history, RIPE has demonstrated large increases in crop productivity in replicated field trials on the university farm.

  • Josie Rudolphi standing outdoors with a tractor in the background on the U. of I. farms

    What is driving the high suicide rate among farmers?

    Mental health outreach programs for farmers also need to provide services for their teens, who have similar rates of anxiety and depression, said agricultural and biological engineering professor Josie Rudolphi. 

  • Photo of communication professor Stewart Coles

    Are outspoken social media users more polarized in their views on racial equality?

    In a study of U.S. adults’ social media activity and polarization of their views on the Black Lives Matter movement, communication professor Stewart Coles found that people low in racial resentment who expressed themselves more frequently on these media were less supportive of BLM.

  • Photo of Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, who will visit the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as part of the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government, presented by the University of Illinois System’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs to recognize public officials who promote or demonstrate the highest standards of public service.

    Former ambassador Yovanovitch honored with Douglas Award

    Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, will visit the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as part of the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government, presented by the University of Illinois System’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs to recognize public officials who promote or demonstrate the highest standards of public service.

  • Portrait of Grace Mitchell

    Illinois senior named Schwarzman Scholar

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign senior Grace Mitchell, of Dixon, Illinois, was named a Schwarzman Scholar, one of 151 recipients selected from an international pool of 3,000 applicants. Schwarzman Scholars are awarded to students who seek a better understanding of China’s role in the world and have potential as future leaders. Mitchell is the fourth U. of I. student to win the award since the program’s inception in 2016.

  • Ashish Sharma

    How can academia help implement lessons from the 2022 climate summit?

    The 27th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference concluded Nov. 18 at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, after two weeks of deliberations. Ashish Sharma, an atmospheric sciences professor and climate and urban sustainability lead at the University of Illinois System’s Discovery Partners Institute, spoke with News Bureau physical sciences editor Lois Yoksoulian about the key takeaways from this year’s meeting and how academia can help implement those lessons.

  • Photo of Brian Gaines, a professor of political science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a senior scholar at the U. of I. System’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs.

    What message did voters send this midterm election?

    The message sent by voters this midterm election? Candidates matter, since most voters assess candidates in multiple ways, not only according to party label, says University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign political science professor Brian Gaines.

  • Photo of Robert Brunner, the associate dean for innovation and chief disruption officer at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he helped spearhead efforts to create iBlock, the first blockchain created by a business school.

    What's the business potential of the metaverse?

    The metaverse’s potential for transformation means it should be on everyone’s radar, says Robert Brunner, the associate dean for innovation and chief disruption officer at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Photo of the researchers on this year's list.

    Nine Illinois scientists rank among world's most influential

    Nine U. of I. researchers have been named to the 2022 Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers list. The list recognizes research scientists and social scientists who have demonstrated exceptional influence – reflected through their publication of multiple papers frequently cited by their peers during the last decade. This year’s list includes 6,938 individuals from around the world whose papers rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year in the Web of Science.

  • Atul Jain

    How can the 2022 Global Carbon Budget report help inform UN Climate Summit?

    The Global Carbon Project published the Global Carbon Budget 2022 today, giving world leaders access to data on atmospheric carbon concentrations, emissions and trends for the 2022 United Nations Climate Summit – or COP27 – in Egypt. Illinois atmospheric scientist Atul Jain was among the many scientists worldwide who contributed data to the report. Jain talked about this year’s findings with News Bureau physical sciences editor Lois Yoksoulian.

  • Photo of Vikram Amar, the dean of the University of Illinois College of Law and the Iwan Foundation Professor of Law.

    Is the independent state legislature theory constitutionally valid?

    The debate surrounding the independent state legislature theory, which is at the heart of the U.S. Supreme Court Moore v. Harper case, is ultimately a lopsided one that, under a principled originalist approach, should result in the court rejecting the theory, says Vikram Amar, the dean of the University of Illinois College of Law and a constitutional law scholar and expert on this theory.

  • Photo of U. of I. law professor Patrick Keenan

    How has national security policy changed in the Biden administration?

    The Biden administration’s new national security policy represents a shift to compete with China’s growing power, particularly to make strategic public investments in key industrial areas such as semiconductors, says Illinois law professor Patrick Keenan, an expert in counterterrorism law and international criminal law.