The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences publishes The Quadrangle magazine to tell stories about and impacting the college's alumni, students, faculty, and staff.
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Title
A hub for connection and learning
Spurlock Museum deepens its community collaborations and extends unique learning experiences to learners of all ages
Who is a museum for? At the university’s Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, the answer is: All of us. Illinois undergraduate and graduate students and faculty and staff: of course. K-12 students and teachers: absolutely. Community members and organizations: very much so. Descendent communities whose ancestors created the objects now held in the museum’s collection: definitely.
A global war without end
History professor’s book details how World War II was more than just a military conflict
W. D. and Sara E. Trowbridge Professor of History Peter Fritzsche wrote about the significance of the events of that year in his new book, “1942: When World War II Engulfed the Globe.”
The book portrays what a world at war was like and how it impacted
people on both the battlefields and the home front. Half the world’s population was involved as soldiers, laborers or refugees, Fritzsche
said. The fight against fascism became a symbol for racial, religious and ethnic struggles at home — what Fritzsche calls “second fronts” or “parallel wars.”
Title
Where curiosity drives impact
In the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, we believe that asking bold questions leads to meaningful results. Here, curiosity is the engine behind everything we do. From exploring new ideas to solving the world’s biggest issues, we empower thinkers and doers to transform curiosity into measurable impact.
The meaningful milliseconds
Kara Federmeier examines how the brain derives meaning from words.
The ballad of Bob Byars
The Bob Byars Scholarship for First-Generation College Students is a need-based scholarship for individuals who are pursuing a degree in political science at the University of Illinois.
Starting from scratch
Graduate student Katie Straus and the fight for the women’s decathlon
At the 2025 Women’s Decathlon World Championships — currently the highest level of competition for the event — Straus earned the silver medal, delivering one of the strongest performances of her career.
A PhD student in the Department of Climate, Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, she balances that level of competition with graduate research, academic responsibilities, and a training schedule largely built on her own.
Making science something to love
Entomology professor Esther Ngumbi became interested in the chemical communication between plants and insects when she was growing up on her family’s farm in Kenya.
Grief and giving: A pursuit of the humanities
Nina Cohn established the Clarence and Pauline Cohn Memorial Scholarship in honor of her parents. The scholarship has supported dozens of students, including Lily Carter, an LAS graduate who teaches English in South Korea with the EPIK program.
Lifelong learning and leadership
Marchoe Northern’s journey to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign began with two goals. She wanted to play Division I women’s basketball and pursue a world-class education. At Illinois, she found both.
A leaf for the pages
Do you enjoy scavenger hunts? This one starts in Pennsylvania, where an antique collector picks up a sage-green philosophy textbook and finds a perfect brown oak leaf within its pages, inscribed with the words Univ. of Illinois; 24 Oct., 1946; Lincoln Hall. Read how our writer tracked down the origins of that leaf—and what it unveiled about the student who put it there and a campus at war.
The Quadrangle crossword
We have the answers!
See below for answers to the College of LAS crossword in The Quadrangle. We hope you had fun and learned something new!
Across
1
Question: Extinct species on the Main Quad
Answer: Mammoth. A 12-foot statue of the species that roamed Illinois some 30,000 years ago was installed south of the Natural History Building in March 2023.
2
Question: Classroom building named for our 16th president
Answer: Lincoln Hall. Opened in 1911, and expanded in 1929, the classroom and theater building also houses administrative offices for the College of LAS. It underwent a major renovation from 2009-2012.
3
Question: Campus music maker
Answer: Altgeld Hall. The famous chimes were installed in Altgeld Hall on Oct. 30, 1920. A concert celebrating their 100th anniversary was held on Oct. 30, 2020.
4
Question: Natural ______ Building
Answer: History. The Natural History Building was built in 1892 on the southeast corner of the Main Quad. It underwent a major renovation that was completed in 2017.
5
Question: Subject taught in the former Women’s Building
Answer: English. The English Building, built in 1905, was originally called the Women’s Building and featured a gym, pool, and other places for female students to relax. It was renamed Bevier Hall in 1947, and in 1956 it was occupied by the Department of English.
6
Question: Risky science
Answer: Actuarial science, a discipline that assesses, manages, and model risk, particularly in the insurance, finance, and pension industries. The first actuarial science courses at U of I were taught in 1906.
7
Question: Widely read LAS publication
Answer: The Quadrangle. Formerly called LAS News, the College of LAS print magazine was renamed The Quadrangle in 2022.
8
Question: First name of the LAS Dean
Answer: Venetria. Venetria K. Patton was named the Harry E. Preble Dean of the College of LAS in 2021, having previously served at Purdue University.
Down
10
Question: Five tons of learning and labor
Answer: Alma Mater. The 13-foot bronze statue, created by U of I alum Lorado Taft, was unveiled in 1929. It was originally placed near Foellinger Auditorium before being moved to its present location near Altgeld Hall in 1962.
11
Question: Supply and demand, capitalism, etc.
Answer: Economics. The Department of Economics at the U of I was founded in 1895 by David Kinley, then a new professor.
12
Question: U of I’s largest college
Answer: LAS. More than 12,500 undergraduates were enrolled in LAS as of spring 2026.
13
Question: Star gazer
Answer: Observatory. The building was completed in 1896 on the south side of campus.
14
Question: Person who educates
Answer: Professor. The College of LAS has more than 600 tenure system faculty members.
15
Question: Famous LAS student, also scored four TDs vs Michigan
Answer: Red Grange. The “Galloping Ghost” studied history at Illinois before leaving after the 1925 football season to play for the Chicago Bears. His early departure from college sparked a nationwide debate. Read about it here.
16
Question: _____ Driscoll, won the Boston Marathon eight times and a gold medal at the 2000 Paralympic Games
Answer: Jean. Driscoll (AB ’91, speech communication; MS ’93, rehabilitation administration) was a world-class wheelchair athlete before returning to the U of I to work in development.