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. 

Explore where curiosity drives impact

LAS News

Man wearing a cap and gown holds his young son and smile as his wife
LAS launches fully online degree completion option
 The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is launching a flexible, fully online program designed to help adults complete their college degree, opening doors to career growth and new opportunities. This new degree program received approval from the Illinois Board of Higher Education on Nov....
Alma Mater
College of LAS announces staff and academic professional awards
 Eight staff members and academic professionals are being honored by the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences for outstanding professional contributions.Heather Lash, Kristi McDuffie, and Jamie Thomas-Ward have been selected to receive the LAS Academic Professional Award, which provides a...
Portrait of Ying Diao in her University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign lab.
Study finds that tweaked synthetic polymers boost conductivity
 A new study marks a significant step forward in positioning synthetic polymers as an alternative for expensive, unsustainable minerals used in the manufacture of devices such as conductors, transistors, and diodes.These newly tweaked polymers — developed by University of Illinois Urbana-...
In a recent study, communication professor Minkyung Kim found that digital divides on the individual and institutional levels diminished nonprofits’ resilience and that of other organizations that served refugees in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Michelle Hassel)
Digital divides harmed the nonprofit sector during the COVID-19 pandemic
 Many humanitarian organizations in the U.S. experienced multiple digital divides that disrupted routine operations and compromised their services to vulnerable refugee populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges not only elevated refugees’ health risks, they also jeopardized...
Painted robes created more than 300 years ago by Native American tribes in Illinois.
Historic Native American robes — the subject of an Illinois-led project — to be displayed at Versailles exhibition
 Stunning robes created more than 300 years ago by Inohka, or “Illinois people” — Native American tribes whose homelands include Illinois — will be on public display at a special exhibition at the Palace of Versailles in France that opens this month. The exhibition will include one of the most...
Boxuan Zhao
Six LAS scientists rank among the world’s most influential
Six scientists in the College of LAS have been named to the 2025 Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers list. The list recognizes researchers and social scientists who have demonstrated exceptional influence, as reflected through their publication of multiple papers frequently cited by their...
Verena Erlenbusch-Anderson speaking at the front of a classroom
Tracing the origins of terrorism
 When did acts of political violence become classified as terrorism? Who is considered a terrorist? And how do we understand terrorism in the United States? These are the questions that philosophy and ...
Shawna Morrison
Fallen LAS student moved to Arlington National Cemetery
 An Illinois Army National Guard soldier and student at the University of Illinois was recently interred at Arlington National Cemetery, the first U of I student killed in overseas combat operations to earn that honor in over a half century.Sgt. Shawna Morrison was an LAS student majoring in...

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