2021-12-20
- Hyunjoon (Joon) Kong, a leader in research on multi-cellular engineered living cell systems, has been named the Robert W. Schaefer Professor in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. The awarded position is named after an Illinois alumnus who graduated with a degree in chemical engineering in 1956 and was a great supporter of University of Illinois throughout his life.
Kong has been at the...
2021-12-20 - While climate change is the primary driver of permafrost degradation in Arctic Alaska, a new analysis of 70 years of data reveals that tundra fires are accelerating that decline, contributing disproportionately to a phenomenon known as “thermokarst,” the abrupt collapse of ice-rich permafrost as a result of thawing. Reported in the journal One Earth, the study is the first to calculate the role...
2021-12-14 - Tornadoes in December are not rare, especially in the Southeast and Gulf Coast regions, known for winter storms. Studies show that the chances of tornadoes in colder months are rising due to climate change. The Dec. 10 tornado outbreak that devastated parts of the mid-Mississippi Valley has left many wondering if winter tornadoes are a new weather threat to consider in the United States....
2021-12-13 - Emotions are part of being human. How do they affect brain cognition? And how does cognition affect emotions? Those questions are at the root of understanding numerous affective disorders, and they’re in the realm of Florin Dolcos, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience. His integrative approach to understanding these issues is leading to new programs that help people live happier,...
2021-12-13 - Many members of the LAS community find inspiration and joy in reading a good book. As our faculty head into winter break, we asked a few of them to share the books that they’re excited to dig into over the next month. To see what our students are reading, go here. Venetria K...
2021-12-10 - A master’s degree in sociology and finance was a recipe for a successful career for Vivian Lin Thurston. Now she wants to give back and use her success to help U of I students achieve their own goals. Thurston (MA, ’98, sociology; MS, ’99, finance), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), works for...
2021-12-07 - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign senior Boming Yang, of Beijing, was named a Schwarzman Scholar, one of 151 recipients selected from an international pool of 3,000 applicants. The program annually fully funds a class consisting of 40 percent U.S. students, 20 percent from China and Taiwan, and 40 percent from the rest of the world....
2021-12-03 - From research labs on campus to virtual internships with unique companies from around the world, College of LAS students are taking advantage of career advancement opportunities thanks to the Life + Career Design Scholarship. During Summer 2021, the scholarship provided $81,000 in support for students representing 16 different...
2021-11-22 - In an unusual study, researchers brought vampire bats from distant Panamanian populations together for four months in a laboratory setting and tracked how the bats’ gut microbes changed over time. They found that bats that interacted closely with one another shared much more than body heat. Reported in the journal Biology Letters, the study revealed that the gut microbiomes of bats became more...
2021-11-22 - Four faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences have been named to the 2021 Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers list. The list recognizes researchers who demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field or fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade. Their names are drawn from the publications that rank in the top 1...
2021-11-17 - On a recent 11-day trip through the Grand Canyon, geologists gathered evidence in hope that it would allow them to peer billions of years into the past. Using a relatively new technique, they were able to estimate the age of a mysterious section of the national landmark. The Great Unconformity is a section of the Grand Canyon where two layers of rock with as much as a 1.3-billion-year age...
2021-11-16 - Several researchers in the College of LAS have received funding for projects as part of the U of I’s Call to Action Research Program to Address Racism and Social Injustice. They’re the inaugural recipients of the program, which represents a $2 million annual commitment by the university to...
2021-11-12 - Researchers from several universities, led by a team at the University of Illinois, have found corn, or maize, yields to be very sensitive to extreme heat. In addition, they found that models used by the agriculture industry are ineffective at predicting the impact of extended periods of harsh conditions, and that more comprehensive forecasting is necessary to allow farmers to properly plan for...
2021-11-10 - Recent weeks have witnessed a series of medium-to-large-sized asteroids cross paths with Earth’s orbit. The largest of the pack – asteroid 2004 UE – is on track to make its closest approach to the planet Nov. 13. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign astronomy professor and chair Leslie Looney spoke with News Bureau physical sciences editor Lois...
2021-11-05 - As director of community relations for the Chicago Bulls, Erica Bauer (PhD, ‘10, communication) works to connect the NBA basketball team with the Chicago community. This investment – Bauer, the team, and the league believe – will lead to a reduction in community violence across the city.
2021-11-04 - When Nicholas Wu was in middle school, a SARS pandemic swept China and his home city of Hong Kong. The impact was devastating enough that Wu decided to devote his career to combating infectious diseases—and his path has led him to the University of Illinois. Wu, a professor of biochemistry who is also affiliated with the...
2021-11-03 - Social media users encounter misinformation online every day, but how do they recognize it? How do they know what to believe? Kevin Leicht, a professor of sociology, and his colleagues are combating the vital issue with new research methods. The team has received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a Science Teams grant from the...
2021-11-02 - Partisanship is a particularly potent source of group identity in contemporary American politics, and a new paper co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert in political psychology says the growing chasm between opposing groups isn’t limited to interactions in the political realm. Mounting evidence suggests that “affective polarization” leaks into and colors social situations...
2021-10-28 - In her new nonfiction book, Catherine Prendergast, an English professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, wrote about a love triangle among members of a writers’ colony and their deaths by cyanide, set in the bohemian counterculture at the end of the Gilded Age. “...
2021-10-27 - Recently, architects who are mapping the many nooks and crannies of Altgeld Hall in advance of the building’s renovation were asked this: Does there exist, in a forgotten room off the elevator shaft, the remains of an office for someone named N. Bourbaki? If you hear laughing, that might be retired faculty, staff, or alumni who roamed...
2021-10-25 - Students of campus history might have noted that Homecoming 2021 was a significant one for Illini Hall. With building demolition scheduled to begin in the next few months, this latest homecoming celebration was the last for the campus landmark—which is where the beloved tradition began. Illini Hall, located on Wright Street across from Altgeld Hall, is slated for demolition to make way for a...
2021-10-22 - Nearly 20 new faculty have joined the College of LAS this fall, with their research and teaching interests ranging from African American religious diversity to the human brain and the role of law during periods of crisis. In all, more than 600 faculty work within the College of LAS. Read below for profiles of a few of the newcomers. Alexia Williams, Department of...
2021-10-20 - The University of Illinois and College of Liberal Arts & Sciences are planning a new building for ethnic and gender and women’s studies that’s expected to greatly increase and improve teaching, research, and office spaces for several key departments and programs. The university has approved a feasibility study for the structure, which will house the Departments of...
2021-10-20 - The Illinois Global Institute (IGI) has launched a new speaker series on transitional justice in the United States. Monthly through April, the institute will host speakers from around the world to speak on themes ranging from policing to reparations, gender justice, economic inequality/justice, educational reform, and the role of youth. The...
2021-10-13 - David Sepkoski, professor in the Department of History, was named the Thomas M. Siebel Chair in the History of Science during a recent investiture ceremony on campus. In 2006, Siebel — founder, chairman, and CEO of C3.ai, an artificial intelligence software platform and applications company — created the named positions to support faculty in the departments at Illinois from which he has earned...