Two students in a lab with pipettes

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
black-and-white photo of Folger Adam Jr.
Creative writing contests keep memory of WWII-era poet alive
 Folger Adam Jr.’s eyes were drawn to the bronze plaque hanging over the fireplace in the dining room. “In honor of the brothers of the Illinois chapter Alpha Delta Phi who rendered service during the World War.” Below, there were many names.Adam was an LAS student from Joliet, Ill. Enough...
women running on track
Starting from scratch
 After two days and nine previous events of sprinting, jumping, throwing, and vaulting, the final race of the decathlon is less about speed than endurance — pushing forward even as the body begins to break down. By that point, Straus said, the hardest part isn’t just physical.“The worst part...
everyone in front of foellinger auditorium
Building the French connections
Laughter echoed through the halls of the University of Illinois as children waved tiny flags, danced to French music, and explored campus buildings during the inaugural FrancoFun Kids@U of I event. For many of the children, it was their first time stepping onto a university campus. For organizers,...
Bob Byars in front of bookshelf
The ballad of Bob Byars
Robert Pahre is a longtime professor of political science at U of I. Bob Byars had a vision. Once an assistant professor at Illinois, he had left the university on poor terms. However, he loved his students and remained in...
Kara Federmeier
The meaningful milliseconds
 Psychology and neuroscience professor Kara Federmeier directs the Cognition and Brain Lab and co-leads the Illinois Language and Literacy...
war landscape
A global war without end
 World War II became a global war in 1942, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, drawing the U.S. into the war. All the world’s most powerful nations were at war with one another, and the fighting spanned the globe.But the war was global in other ways too — in the unifying idea of a fight for...
person sitting on bench in front of large paintings
A hub for connection and learning
 Who is a museum for? At the university’s Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, the answer is: All of us. Illinois undergraduate and graduate students and faculty and staff: of course.  K-12 students and teachers: absolutely. Community members...
Lily Carter
Grief and giving: A pursuit of the humanities
 At 16 years old, Nina Cohn was navigating loss and a future she never expected to face. In 1970, Cohn lost both of her parents within months of each other, her mother after a prolonged battle with cancer and her father from a sudden heart attack. Still in high school, she was suddenly...

Read more news

 

```twig
99.6%
of Illinois students take a class in LAS
```twig
70+
majors offered within LAS
```twig
33%
of campus' tenure-track faculty members work in LAS
```twig
180,000
network of LAS alumni
```twig
Full profile
Learn more about LAS
Students walking on the Main Quad

New students: Start your LAS journey

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.
A graduate hugging a friend by the Alma Mater

Make your mark

When you support the College of LAS, you play a crucial role in shaping the success of thousands of students and faculty.

Join us in creating a powerful network of influential thinkers and proven achievers—and help us seek a better tomorrow, today.