Snow, wind, and bitter cold temperatures are predicted for the next several days, and we want you to be aware of this inclement weather as many of you travel back to campus for the semester to begin next week. Please see this Illinois Massmail for more information, and check your university email for any updates.

What do you find most useful in GradLINKS? We're seeking your feedback to help us make GradLINKS as helpful as possible. Fill out this brief survey to make your voice heard!

The Graduate College’s annual competition invites grad students from all disciplines to celebrate their work and hone their presentation skills by giving a compelling research talk to a general audience in just 3 minutes. Those interested in participating can review the rules, watch videos of previous winners, and learn more on our website.

The new Office of Online Learning brings together faculty, staff and students from across the university to develop the institution’s capacity for mission-driven digital education. Learn more about OOL’s mission and current initiatives at the recently launched Office of Online Learning webpage.

By the 10th Day of Classes, January 29, graduate students should be correctly registered for Spring 2024. It's important to check Self Service before then to ensure your registration is correct. Jan 29 is the last day to submit a form to audit a semester course, submit a form to register "in Absentia," add a semester course via Self-Service, or drop a semester course & receive a refund if reducing assessment range. Students enrolled in non-standard POT courses should refer to their grad program for deadline info. Questions about deadlines or submitting a form? Click here for an advising appt!

January 22 is the last day to add a Part of Term A course via Self-Service or drop a Part of Term A course and receive a refund if reducing assessment range; and to submit a form to elect to audit a Part of Term A course. Have questions about registration deadlines or submitting an Audit form? Click here for an advising appointment!

Sign up for Intramural Leagues through Campus Rec. Volleyball, Basketball, Indoor Soccer, and Billiards: Sign up January 17 - 31; Games run February 3 - March 7. Badminton Two-Week League Sign up: January 10-25; Games run January 29 - February 12. Sign up with a team or register as a free agent. 

Are you looking for new tools to help manage stress before the semester gets too busy? RIO is a two-part program that teaches students techniques for recognizing and moving past situations that cause stress, frustration, and anxiety. RIO can provide skills to help you manage and reduce anxiety, adapt to new challenges, understand your thoughts and feelings WITHOUT judgment or shame, move beyond feeling “stuck”, take the initiative to step out of your comfort zone. Please register in advance. If these times do not work, check additional dates at the Counseling Center website. 

Build confidence and improve financial well-being with Money Basics, a new online series that provides simple tools and strategies that anyone can use! Explore the psychology of spending, borrowing money, understanding credit reports and scores, debt repayment and savings strategies, and short-and long-term financial planning. Register for this free series at go.illinois.edu/MoneyBasics2024. 

For students & postdocs (& their advisors) in the health-related sciences, the Grad College will host an info session on NIH NRSAs, a.k.a. the Ruth L. Kirschstein Fellowships. Awards provide up to 5 years of support for PhD students (F31), 6 years for dual degree students (F30), and 3 years for postdocs (F32). Applicants must be US citizens, nationals, or permanent residents. The session will feature Dr. Jim Slauch, Head of Microbiology and Director of the MSP, Dr. Jodi Flaws, Professor of Comparative Biosciences, & Vicki Mourikes, NRSA Fellow and DVM/PhD student in Comparative Biosciences. 

Attend an upcoming information session on 1/31/24 about the Humanities Without Walls Summer Bridge program. 2023 Summer Bridge participants Priyanka Zylstra (History) and Omar Agustin Hernandez (Anthropology) will be sharing their experiences working with community partners like the Education Justice Project and Strides Shelter: City of Champaign Township. Learn more about the Bridge program and view the 2024 application form.

Are you a student who demonstrates financial need yet does not otherwise qualify for financial aid? Consider applying for the HOPE Scholarship! To learn more, please visit hopescholarship.illinois.edu/ Deadline: Monday, January 29, at 11:59 p.m.

The beginning of the semester is a great time to evaluate your thesis goals! Take a look at our blog “New Year – New Thesis Goals” for advice on planning long-term and short-term projects, setting priorities, and holding yourself accountable. Keep an eye out for different events and resources to help you sharpen your skills and get off to a good start this semester! Some offices to learn more about include: the Writers Workshop; the Research Data Service; and the Scholarly Commons.

This 4-week group will provide an overview and deep dive into a wide variety of research-related careers at universities, from research development or grant administration to safety and compliance or research communications. Participants will learn about the research ecosystem in higher education, meet and hear from people working in a range of positions at the university, and get advice for how to land those positions after grad school. This program is a collaboration between the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation and the Graduate College.

On the academic job market? This session will provide a comprehensive overview of both the faculty interview and negotiation process. Come to learn what to expect in faculty interviews, how to develop a strategy to effectively answer questions, and tips to help you know when and how to negotiate an offer effectively. No registration required. Attend at the Graduate College (507 E. Green St.) or online.

L'Oréal USA For Women in Science Fellowship is seeking five exceptional female scientists looking to advance their research and serve as role models for the next generation of girls in STEM. Candidates must have completed their PhD and have started in their postdoctoral research position by the application deadline. Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to apply. Applications are due by 5:00pm ET on Friday, February 16, 2024.

Looking for an easy way to help your students understand prohibited (and permitted) uses of AI in your class? Check out the library's new Canvas module "AI in This Course" in the Canvas Commons. It describes how tools like ChatGPT generate text, describes AI's limitations, and offers possible ways to use AI to promote accessibility and critical thinking without undermining the learning outcomes of your course. The module also includes a short video introduction and a comprehension quiz. 

The University Library and its campus partners teach over 50 different workshops each semester to help with your advanced research and information management skills. Examples include Designing Qualitative Data Analysis, Where To Find Millions of Books, and How To Read Them, Dissertation to Book: Basics of the Revision & Publishing Process, and much more! Most sessions are available twice per semester, online and in-person. Also available by request for courses, study groups, meetings, etc. 

Start the semester the "write" way! Our hybrid writing group provides grad students with dedicated time to make progress on any writing project in a supportive atmosphere. Each meeting consists of a short goal-setting conversation, quiet writing time, and a concluding reflection and wrap-up. You only need to register once with your U of I email to receive weekly email reminders all semester! 

Beginning 1/17, students can schedule in-person, online, or written feedback consultations at the Writers Workshop to receive feedback on their writing. The Workshop provides tailored presentations for courses and student organizations by request, and we host workshops and writing groups throughout the semester about common academic writing concerns.

HPCBio, with the support of the OVCR, is pleased to announce that we'll be offering a Bulk RNA-Seq Analysis workshop series that includes an introduction to Linux and R, RNA sequencing, experimental design, and detailed steps on how to perform bioinformatics and statistical analyses on an example RNA-Seq data set. We are also offering advanced sessions where you can apply what you’ve learned in the workshop to your own RNA-Seq dataset under the guidance of HPCBio instructors to help ensure a successful analysis.

The Illinois Leadership Center is offering workshops for your student group! We will come to your classroom or student team to lead training and dialogue related to topics such as empathy and servant leadership. See this year's leadership topics here. To request a program, fill out our workshop request form and someone will respond to you within three business days to give you more information. 

Creative Dance for Children is a fun and engaging community program offered by the University of Illinois Department of Dance. Director Betty Allen and students of Dance at Illinois develop and teach creative sessions for children ages 4-10.

Students can benefit from using UIUC AnyWare, a service providing access to over 100 applications for students working anywhere. It is a remote desktop environment where users may access software securely and save files to and from their own device (Windows, MacOS, Linux). 

Obtain a career's worth of knowledge about the history, structure, and function of the academic research enterprise in a single course. Offered to all disciplines as ATMS 491, this opportunity requires no experience with academic research and creative activity and offers hands-on learning to help you gain practical experience you can begin using right now.

McKinley Peer Education Program is accepting applications for students interested in becoming a member of the Sexual Health and/or Stress Management peer groups. Please join us at any of our events during recruitment week to learn more about the program, peer groups and students experiences as peer educators on campus. Follow us on social media or visit the McKinley website to learn more about upcoming events and activities. For questions, contact Peer Education at mhcpeered@illinois.edu. 

The University Library is inviting members of our campus and local community to join together in a common goal of completing the world’s largest puzzle. Called “What a Wonderful World,” this 60,000 piece puzzle is 29 feet across and 8 feet from top to bottom, and is composed of sixty 1,000 piece sections measuring 20 by 30 inches. We’re hoping to complete the different sections of the puzzle at different host sites across Champaign-Urbana. At the end, we’ll have a celebration featuring the completed puzzle.

Serving on a Senate committee is your voice in shared governance. To serve on a Senate committee, submit your interest by clicking on the student interest form. 

Illinois Student Council (ISC) is the university’s official form of student government, advocating for the betterment of our campus community with integrity and transparency. There are five open positions for graduate students to represent the interests of students and advocate for the betterment of the campus community. This is a commitment of 2-3 hours/week, including a weekly Student Congress meeting (Thursdays, 7 pm) and an assigned committee meeting. Learn more about ISC. Complete this form if you are interested in filling one of the open positions for the spring semester. 

The Illini Union Board serves as advisor to the Director of the Union on matters of policy relating to the operation of the Illini Union, providing the student voice. We are looking to fill the graduate student spot on our Board! The Board meets for 1.5 hrs on third Wednesdays during the academic year, with the student Board, Union staff, and university representatives for business including programming updates and recommendations from directors, financial & sustainability updates, task force reports, review & approval of policy revisions. Complete this form to indicate your interest.

The Student Art History Association (SAHA) invites submissions for the symposium Perpetual Upkeep: Intersections of Art and Maintenance (April 4-5, 2024). Students from across the humanities are welcome. For details on the symposium theme and how to submit a proposal, see the full CFP at http://go.illinois.edu/perpetualupkeep.

Join the spring Illinois Part-Time Job Fair on January 30, 2024, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the Illini Union. It's a great opportunity to gain work experience and earn some extra income. Whether you aim to work in spring, summer, or even fall this event is for you! Meet over 38 UIUC department and local employer representatives such as Campus Recreation, Campus Housing, Grainger College of Engineering, ACES, AHS, Illini Union, Stephens Family YMCA, First Federal Bank, Champaign Unit #4 Schools, and more.! Registration is encouraged by not required. Visit Handshake to learn more and to register.

The School of Social Work is looking for families or couples willing to receive 8 weeks of therapy free of charge provided by MSW students. Students will be supervised by a licensed clinical social worker. Sessions are offered Thursdays at 4pm, 5:30pm and 7pm, starting 2/22/24 for 8 weeks. Please click on this link for more info.

The ASPB Early Career Plant Scientists Section is proud to announce the 2024 ECPS 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition for current graduate students and post docs to present during a plenary session at Plant Biology 2024. Submission is now open, record your research spiel in under three minutes and enter to win a $1000 USD grant to cover travel costs. Submissions close March 1, 2024. 

You're invited! Step into the back room of Mrs. Krishnan’s corner shop where garlands decorate the ceiling, music flows, and Mrs. Krishnan is throwing a party like no other. Food simmers on the stove, laughter abounds, and strangers become friends in this joyous celebration of life. Watch the actors juggle cooking, music, and guests in an unfolding drama where no two nights are the same.

Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and musician Mary Chapin Carpenter has embarked on an extensive tour this fall with her longtime friend and fellow Grammy-winning icon Shawn Colvin. These special shows feature the acclaimed songwriters performing material from their vast catalogues as well as some of their favorite songs, appearing on stage together as an intimate acoustic duo, swapping songs and sharing stories.

Featuring new work by Assistant Media Coordinator Elliot Reza Emadian in collaboration with dramaturg and Associate Teaching Professor Betsy Brandt, the mainstage choreographic debut by undergraduate choreographer Jaymes Crowder-Acres, a solo by Iranian dancer Banafsheh Amiri, and thesis projects by MFA candidates Sojung Lim and Anna Peretz Rogovoy.

Join Dance at Illinois for our 10th annual Flatlands Dance Film Festival (Film Shorts) Friday, January 19, 7pm, Spurlock Museum, curated by Laura Chiaramonte.The festival opens with Under Your Name, a short dance film by Omri Drumlevich. The film competition portion of the Flatlands Dance Film Festival highlights a variety of dance films from around the world.

Join the Cancer Center at Illinois on Jan. 22 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. at the Beckman Institute (Room 5602) for a lunch seminar with Shreya Raghavan (Asst. Prof. of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University), who will give a talk on “Materials and Mechanics in Bioengineering the Metastatic Tumor Microenvironment.” Lunch will be provided. Register here.

Joanne Barker (American Indian Studies, San Francisco State University; Lenape [enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians]) will be giving a lecture entitled: ""In Radical Relationality: Writing Against Climate and Gender Violence." This event is part of the Interseminars series for "Improvise and Intervene," supported by the Mellon Foundation.

Military-connected students, join us next week on Thursday for our semester kick-off! Connect with other military-connected students over dinner and learn more about different programs and services around campus to help your success at UIUC. Registration requested.

Encourage your students to apply for this year's Image of Research -- UR Edition competition! Undergraduate students from all disciplines are encouraged to participate. Students should submit a photo related to their research, scholarship, or creative work and a short (100-200 word) narrative to communicate the connection between the image and their research. Awards include 1st ($300), 2nd ($200), and People’s Choice ($100). All submissions will be celebrated at the Undergraduate Research Symposium. See last year’s winners!

Join the Office of Civic Life & our community partner, CU at Home for the Illinois One Winter Night Challenge on Friday, February 2nd from 6pm-12am. OWN provides a powerful opportunity for the Illini community to learn about homelessness, build empathy for unhoused people, and raise funds to support the work of CU at Home. Participants should register at https://go.illinois.edu/OWN. 

Join the Native American House for a spring semester Welcome Back Event on Friday, January 19th from 3-5pm at NAH! End the first week of classes by enjoying hot chocolate and snacks while learning more about NAH. 

U of I community, join the Native American House for a spring semester Welcome Back Event on Friday, January 19th from 3-5pm at NAH! End the first week of classes by enjoying hot chocolate and snacks while learning more about NAH. Save the date, see you then! 

The AIFARMS Institute is hosting its first seminar of the year on Tuesday, January 16 @ 1 p.m. CST! We invite you to join us in person or virtually for "Seeds of Change: Empowering Underserved Youth Through Urban Agriculture at the JJK FAN Innovation Center." Come learn about the center's urban agriculture and food systems research efforts to ignite economic empowerment and community development.

Explore privacy regulation in the courts with Irish civil liberties expert Dr. Johnny Ryan, attend an AI and privacy panel with Christoper Lee from MITRE, find out how Uber protects privacy, hear a panel discussion of privacy engineering as a profession, and learn from privacy professionals at Microsoft and Amazon. Lunch provided for in-person attendees. Attend the free event in person or online.

McKinley Health Center serves on-campus students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

If you or a student you know may need support with their basic needs or financial stressors, please reach out.

The University of Illinois Counseling Center provides mental health counseling and well-being education for students.