The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences is a special place on the University of Illinois campus. It's large and diverse, offering an incredible depth across the physical and mathematical sciences, humanities, and social and behavioral sciences.
All together, LAS students, faculty members, and alumni made the 2010s a decade worth celebrating. From renovations of historic landmarks to world-renowned research to the launch of several innovative student development programs, the last 10 years will be remembered for generations to come!
Alumni of LAS: 2010-2019
Note: The handful of stories selected below aren’t meant to be an exhaustive list of LAS events from the past decade. With more than 174,000 alumni, 600 faculty members, and 14,000 students in the College of LAS, we wouldn’t have space to capture all of the great things that happened in the 2010s! Rather, what you’ll find are some of the most read and discussed stories from the past 10 years.
Do you have an achievement from the last decade you'd like to share with the College of LAS? Let us know!
Alumnus James Holzhauer becomes "Jeopardy!" phenomenon
In 2019, LAS alumnus James Holzhauer (BS, ’05, mathematics) made “Jeopardy!” must-watch TV. Holzhauer appeared in 33 episodes and won a combined total of $2,714,416, making him the third-highest overall winner in the gameshow’s history.
Former English professor and alumnus wins Pulitzer Prize in Fiction
Author Richard Powers, a professor emeritus of English at the University of Illinois, won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for his novel “The Overstory.” Powers, the author of 12 novels, received a master’s degree from Illinois in 1979.
David Blackwell awarded National Medal of Science
In 2014, LAS alumnus David Blackwell (BA, ‘38; MA ‘39; PhD ‘41; mathematics) was recognized posthumously with the National Medal of Science by President Obama. He received the award for "fundamental contributions to probability theory, mathematical statistics, information theory, mathematical logic."
Glenn Howatt part of a team that wins a Pulitzer Prize for local reporting
In 2013, Glenn Howatt (MS, ’82, geography; MS, ’86, journalism) won a Pulitzer Prize alongside two other colleagues at the State Tribune for his reporting on the spike of infant deaths at day-care homes in Minnesota.
Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science receives its largest ever endowment
Alumni Candace Penn Frame (BS, ’72, geography) and James Frame (BA, ’73, general curriculum) established a fund in 2018 that significantly advances the Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science’s academic mission. Shaowen Wang, head of the department, remarked at the time, “The gift is expected to help cement our national leadership of various academic programs.”
Illinois alumnus appointed to direct China’s central bank
University of Illinois alumnus Yi Gang (MS, ’84; PhD, ’86; economics) was named the next governor of China’s central bank in 2018. Gang had been a deputy governor at the People’s Bank of China since 2008.
Alumnus selected to lead White House Office of Science and Tech Policy
In 2018, Kelvin Droegemeier (MS, ’82; PhD, ’85; atmospheric science), was selected to direct the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Before being appointed as President Trump’s top science adviser, Droegemeier had served as the vice president for research at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.
Alumnae named finance minister in Indonesia
Sri Mulyani Indrawati (MS, '90; PhD, '92, economics) was named Indonesia's finance minister in 2016. Prior to this role, she worked as managing director and chief operating officer of the World Bank, head of the Indonesian National Development Planning Agency, executive director at the International Monetary Fund, and as a faculty member at the University of Indonesia.
Alumnae Erin Joe named the Director of National Intelligence Cyber Threat Intelligence Center
In 2019, Erin Joe (BA, 90; English), after serving for more than two decades in the FBI, was named the director of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center. In this role, she leads efforts to analyze and understand cyber threats to the United States.
Students, alumni, and faculty made the 2010s a decade worth celebrating in the College of LAS! Check out the major research and campus stories from the last decade.