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WHERE CURIOSITY DRIVES IMPACT

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. 

LAS News
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National Park Service grant supports Observatory rehabilitation
 The University of Illinois Observatory is undergoing renovations this summer that will bring back some historical features of the national landmark.The project is supported by a grant from the National Park Service through the Save America’s Treasures program, which funds the preservation of...
altgeld hall
To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells
When Liam Flood (BS, ’20, chemical and biomolecular engineering) first toured the University of Illinois as a high school student, he heard plenty of campus legends about Altgeld Hall.There was the story about staircases that go nowhere. Not true, he later...
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New book studies ‘persistent citizens’ of the Global South
 A new book co-written by a U of I expert who studies development and governance explores the “state-centric persistence” of poor citizens of the Global South in their individual pursuit of benefits from government-run social welfare programs such as public healthcare and early childhood...
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Emotion-regulation training reduces distress, changes the brain, team reports
  A five-week training intervention taught college students to better regulate their emotions in response to negative events, a new study finds. After the training, the students reported less emotional distress when viewing negative images or thinking about difficult events from their own...
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Illinois professor’s book examines contradictions in history of U.S. naturalization processes
 Naturalization is a process that is typically celebrated as the end point on the path to U.S. citizenship. Immigrants choose to attach themselves to our nation, which extends to them its rights, freedoms and opportunities.A new book looks at naturalization from a different angle, considering...
Liao and Lu in front of a slideshow
Volatile weekly work hours have adverse effects on health, employment
 Workers who juggle volatile work hours that change from week to week may experience adverse health effects that impact their ability to work, although the limitations vary by gender, say researchers who conducted a recent study. Men who experienced greater fluctuations in their work hours...
Belmont and Cáceres
Illinois announces new endowed chairs
 Two University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty members have been named as university endowed chairs or professors, an honor awarded to highly distinguished scholars for their excellence and prominence in research, teaching and service.“An endowed chair represents one of the university’s...
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Three LAS professors recognized as University Scholars
 Three LAS professors have been named 2026-2027 University Scholars in recognition of their achievements in teaching, scholarship and service.The program honors faculty excellence and provides $15,000 to each scholar for three years to enhance their academic careers. That money may be used for...

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99.6%
of Illinois students take a class in LAS
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70+
majors offered within LAS
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33%
of campus' tenure-track faculty members work in LAS
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180,000
network of LAS alumni
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Fuel your curiosity, explore big ideas, and discover what drives you. Designed for new students, LAS First-Year Experience will help you connect, grow, and step confidently into college life.
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Join us in creating a powerful network of influential thinkers and proven achievers—and help us seek a better tomorrow, today.