Where curiosity drives impact
The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign empowers thinkers and doers to transform curiosity into measurable impact. From classrooms to communities, labs to living rooms, LAS alumni, faculty, and students are asking bold questions that lead to meaningful solutions to the world's biggest challenges.
Through interdisciplinary collaboration, global engagement, and hands-on research, curiosity meets opportunity, and innovation follows. Together, the LAS community is building solutions that reach far beyond campus.
Mapping disasters and building student careers
A new geospatial lab—made possible by generous LAS alumni support—turns data into real-world disaster response. Here, students don’t just study maps; they build career-ready skills while helping researchers understand and respond to extreme events.
Why Jane Austen still captures our curiosity
Two and a half centuries later, Jane Austen’s smart, funny heroines still resonate with readers around the world. LAS English professor Justine S. Murison unpacks why these stories endure—and how Austen continues to shape how we read, teach, and tell stories today.
Reading trees for climate history
In a hands-on geology course, students head into the field to read climate history written in tree rings. By turning curiosity into discovery, they gain real research experience while uncovering how environments have changed over time.
How curiosity meets study abroad
Two LAS alumni are opening doors for students to experience language and culture through immersive study in Granada, Spain. By learning alongside host families and engaging with the community, students build fluency, confidence, and a global perspective that lasts well beyond the classroom.
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940 Feet series
A stroll from Foellinger Auditorium to the Illini Union is made up of exactly 940 feet, and it's where students and faculty alike form life-long friendships, learn from each other, and soak in the idyllic beauty of campus.
Join LAS professors and students for a stroll on the Main Quad, and learn more about the influential people changing our world.
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