2022-10-05
- Scientists from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of California, Santa Barbara, and Dow have developed a breakthrough process to transform the most widely produced plastic — polyethylene (PE) — into the second-most widely produced plastic, polypropylene (PP), which could reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).
“The world needs more and...
2022-10-04 - Even in high school, Steph Lepak knew that she wanted to study abroad in college. As a first-generation American born to Polish parents, she could see herself enjoying an amazing educational experience while living with relatives in her ancestorial homeland. And once she was accepted at the University of Illinois, she wasted no time making that vision a reality, deciding to spend...
2022-10-04 - You can find anything on YouTube: how to fix your sink faucet, funny cat videos, 10-hour loops of your favorite song—you name it. This is where Bill Hammack has made his stand to make engineering a more understandable and accessible topic for everyone. Hammack, William H. and Janet L. Lycan Professor in the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular...
2022-10-04 - The story of Leo Koch is best understood in a 1960 frame of mind. That year, John F. Kennedy was running for president and Westerns such as Gunsmoke and Wagon Trail were the top shows on television. The eventual hit song “I’m sorry” was stalled in studios over concerns that the singer, Brenda Lee, was singing about love in a way unbecoming of a 15-year-old. On March 18, 1960, the presses rolled...
2022-10-04 - At some point in the not-too-distant future, campus will break ground for a new building for academic units in ethnic, gender, and women’s studies. The units that will be brought together under one roof include the Departments of African American Studies, Asian American Studies,...
2022-10-04 - Making the flip from Olympian to college student was a new journey for Nancy Thies Marshall. After competing as an Olympic gymnast in 1972 at age 15, Nancy returned home to Urbana, Illinois, and continued as a member of the U.S. national team until her graduation from Urbana High School in 1975. Instead of postponing college to train for the 1976 Olympics, however, she enrolled at the University...
2022-10-04 - Sometimes a good thing doesn’t start with a kickoff gala or groundbreaking ceremony; it starts with a lot of question marks, like the ones surrounding the study of religion at the U of I in the 1970s. Gary Porton, now a professor emeritus, was hired in 1973 as the first professor with a full appointment in religion at the U of I. Little did he know that someday his hire would be...
2022-09-30 - Editor's note: The following is a Behind the Scenes account by Rachel Gill and Yifan Wang, graduate students in the Department of Anthropology. CENTRAL BELIZE – We stand in the open fields of Spanish Lookout, a modernized Mennonite farming community in Central Belize, looking at what remains of ancestral Maya homes after years of plowing. White...
2022-09-23 - New COVID-19 vaccine boosters that target omicron variants are being distributed following emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration and recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Microbiology professor Christopher Brooke, a virologist and vaccine expert, discussed with News Bureau...
2022-09-20 - Political science professor Nicholas Grossman is the author of “Drones and Terrorism: Asymmetric Warfare and the Threat to Global Security” and specializes in international relations. Grossman spoke with News Bureau business and law editor Phil Ciciora about the implications of the U.S. killing former al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri by drone in Afghanistan on July 31, 2022. The killing...
2022-09-19 - Tamara Chaplin’s journey to uncover untold stories about French women’s lives began with a challenging tale of her own. She was a professional ballet dancer in New York and Canada until age 30 when she was injured and could no longer perform. Having focused her entire life on dancing, suddenly her options were few. “Dance was the only thing that I ever wanted to do with my life, but then I got...
2022-09-15 - As society continues to transform through the rise of digital technology, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign continues to provide the innovative and inclusive education necessary to meet this moment. A new series of interdisciplinary undergraduate degrees in data science (DS) are now available through the X + DS program, which...
2022-09-14 - Several professors have recently received named scholar positions for their contributions to research, education, and the academic mission of the College of LAS. The named positions include an Aaron and Laurel Clark Scholar (for faculty members in humanities), an LAS Distinguished Professorial Scholar, Lincoln Excellence for Assistant Professors (LEAP) Scholars, a Lynn Martin Professorial...
2022-09-09 - The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's incoming class of 7,957 first-year students brings greater representation by gender, nationality and students who are the first in their family to go to college, while a change in the application process resulted in greater academic competition. Second in size only to last year's record freshman class of 8,303, the new class brings the university's...
2022-09-08 - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory and a team of academic and community leaders—including the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign—$25 million over five years to advance urban climate science by studying climate change effects at local and regional scales. The results of this new research will inform communities to build resilience to future...
2022-09-02 - Since March, some of the most pressing issues of forensic science and crime in the state of Illinois have been discussed and debated at the Carl R. Woese Institute of Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. That’s where the Illinois Forensic Science...
2022-08-30 - Fifteen faculty members have accepted new leadership positions in departments and other academic units within the College of LAS for the 2022-23 academic year. The College of LAS has almost 70 departments, programs, schools, centers, and other academic units. Each unit is led by an executive officer. “Our new executive officers are accomplished leaders in their fields,” said Venetria K....
2022-08-29 - When the Biden administration announced COVID-19 vaccine mandates on Nov. 4 for businesses with 100 or more employees, protests erupted in cities across the U.S. A recent study of the slogans displayed by protestors found three distinct themes. Tim F. Liao, a professor of sociology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, analyzed the content...
2022-08-26 - Having 250 kids in one place is a challenge. Having them all play football is an even greater challenge. Yet, if you drove past Zahnd Park in Champaign this past July, you would have seen Tailon Leitzsey leading a small army through a series of drills, lessons, and dashes. The communication and...
2022-08-26 - Located on the bank of the Sangamon River near Monticello, Illinois, sits the University of Illinois RiverLab, built to study the chemical makeup of the river—and provide insights into inland surface waters like never before. Situated near an array of scenic woodlands, grassy fields, and farms, the RiverLab is no bigger than a shipping...
2022-08-24 - Six area and global studies centers within the Illinois Global Institute will receive almost $13.2 million in competitive Title VI federal grants during the next four years to advance educational opportunities, programming, and public engagement. The University of Illinois is one of this year’s top Title VI funding recipients in the country. Part of...
2022-08-24 - Lana Holben believes working with students is the best part of her role as an administrative aide for the School of Earth, Society & Environment and Department of Geology. Briefly describe your responsibilities. I work as the assistant to the director of SESE and head of geology. I also...
2022-08-17 - Mineral-rich waters originating from the Apennine Mountains of Italy flowed through ancient Rome’s Anio Novus aqueduct and left behind a detailed rock record of past hydraulic conditions, researchers said. Two studies characterizing layered limestone – called travertine – deposits within the Anio Novus are the first to document the occurrence of anti-gravity growth ripples and establish that...
2022-08-03 - Being the first to read her poem, Sarah Demissie approached the stage at the library hesitantly, scanning the crowd nervously. Her confidence grew as she began to read aloud, however, and she ended by boldly cheering her poem’s last line—"Home sweet home!”—and pumping her fist in the air. The room filled with applause. Demissie was a student in the final day of “Writing for Discovery: Self...
2022-08-03 - Brian Gaines is a professor of political science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a senior scholar at the U of I System’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs. Gaines, who studies elections and public opinion, spoke with News Bureau business and law editor Phil Ciciora about...