WHERE CURIOSITY DRIVES IMPACT

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Change begins with curiosity.

From exploring new ideas to solving the world’s biggest issues, LAS empowers thinkers and doers to transform curiosity into measurable impact.

We believe that education is more than lectures and textbooks. It’s about cultivating minds that question, explore, and act with purpose. And we know that when curiosity meets opportunity, innovation follows—and the impossible becomes possible.

Explore where curiosity drives impact

LAS News

Illinois professor’s New Yorker story, set in his hometown, examines racial, class struggles

David Wright Faladé examines race, class and gender through the eyes of a young college woman spending time in her small Texas hometown in his new short story, “Amarillo Boulevard,” which ...

Student speaks to attendees at Dragon Expo

Using fantasy to promote science

Disease swept across the planes, threatening the dragons of Faerûn. Blue lab coat blowing in the wind, Adrien Seabloom poured over a diagram of dragon species, locations, and possible sources of the disease. He and his trusty lab assistants, a pair of rats peeking out of a pouch, were looking...

What does the current fight over dispersal of food stamps tell us about food as a political weapon?

Millions of Americans may not receive federal food assistance this month. The Trump administration initially said it would not fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during the government shutdown, which began in October. After two federal judges said the refusal to provide the...

Huimin Zhao, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, stands in front of computer towers.

New AI tool helps match enzymes to substrates

A new artificial intelligence-powered tool can help researchers determine how well an enzyme fits with a desired target, helping them find the best enzyme and substrate combination for applications from catalysis to medicine to manufacturing.Led by Huimin Zhao, a professor of...

How do bacteria become resistant to antibiotics?

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the deadly drug-resistant bacteria NDM-CRE found a 70% rise in infections in the U.S. between 2019 and 2023. Also known as “nightmare bacteria,” NDM-CRE has few effective treatment options and high mortality rates. Brenda...

2026 Dean’s Distinguished Lecture speaker announced

Psychology and neuroscience professor Kara Federmeier will deliver the 2026 Dean’s Distinguished Lecture at Alice Campbell Alumni Center 4 p.m. March 4, 2026.The...

College names recipients in Study in a Second Discipline Program

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences has awarded funding to several faculty members through the Study in a Second Discipline Program, which gives professors time and support to push beyond their primary...

From left: Derek Fultz, James Robert Frame, Candace Penn Frame, and Shaowen Wang

Alumni support the upgrade of an important laboratory

In a discipline devoted to spaces, one of the most significant transformations came recently in Davenport Hall where a little-used room was converted to a new, state-of-the art geospatial laboratory thanks in large part to a generous donation from Candace Penn (BS, ’72, ...

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