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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...
Ying Diao
Electronics inspired by plants
 Ying Diao is a professor in chemical and biomolecular engineering, the co-chair of Molecular Science and Engineering at the Beckman Institute, and the recipient of numerous awards and honors,...
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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...
Three professor portraits
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...
Jina Lee
Novelty claims in research studies are key to establishing authority, boosting scholarly impact
 When researchers make bold rhetorical assertions in their studies about the novelty of their work — regardless of its actual uniqueness — their papers receive more citations from other scholars, a new study found. Serving as a key mechanism for establishing...
Group photo at Cline Center
New ‘anomaly detector’ flags outlier counties in police uses of lethal force
 A new data-driven dashboard produced by the Cline Center for Advanced Social Research uses predictive modeling to pinpoint U.S. counties that have unusually high or low numbers of police use of lethal force incidents relative to national...

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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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