Every year, as we prepare for the annual Image of Research exhibition, we are amazed at the diversity and beauty of graduate student research on our campus. This year's semifinalists span disciplines, passions, and artistic worlds and will be on display at the reception, during which we will also announce the winners. Stop by for some light refreshments and vote for the People’s Choice Award.

Are you graduating this May? Join us for the Graduate College Doctoral Hooding Ceremony on Friday, May 10. The focus of this ceremony will be the formal hooding of doctoral graduates by their faculty mentors. Make sure to review the requirements for graduation. More details and the link to register can be found on the doctoral hooding event website. Registration deadline is April 7.

The final version of the Fall 2023 List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students is now available at go.illinois.edu/lotrae. 

Discover a new perspective on chair yoga as Jodi guides you through a practice that goes beyond the ordinary. This isn't your typical seated session—get ready to experience the chair as a versatile prop for a deeper stretch, core work, and various poses.

Considering a Fulbright U.S. Student Award to conduct research or pursue an artistic project? Please join the Office of External Fellowships for a crash course in proposal writing tailored specifically for the Fulbright Statement of Grant Purpose. In this workshop we will show students how best to approach this statement; how to present their project in the most direct, concrete, and convincing way possible; and how to strategize their narrative in light of Fulbright’s mission and aims. We’ll also review sample statements. Please register in advance (link below) for this online workshop.

Potential academic or arts applicants to a Fulbright study/research grant are invited to join our workshop on writing the personal statement, the companion to the statement of grant purpose. In this workshop, we will walk through a series of exercises to help you enumerate the pivotal experiences that have guided your scholarly trajectory, and show you how to use those experiences to craft a compelling narrative. We will also review sample statements. Please register in advance (at the link below) to join this online workshop. 

Do you have questions about copyright and your thesis? Check out the online resources developed by Copyright Librarian Sara Benson. In addition to copyright reference guides, she's also developed the videos "Four Copyright Tips for Graduate Students" and "Fair Use." You might also check out our blog, Grad School 101: Copyright and Your Thesis, to read answers to frequently asked questions.

Make sure to carefully consider the thesis release options, which determine the visibility of your work in IDEALS—the University’s digital repository. When you submit your thesis to the Graduate College, you will be asked to select a release option. Check out our website to learn more. Remember, no matter which release option you choose, the abstract of your thesis will be visible in IDEALS. Talk with your adviser about these release options and contact the Thesis Office with any questions.

Join us for our upcoming workshops for advice on drafting and tailoring your cover letters (4/10) and networking professionally through email & LinkedIn (4/17). Please register in advance using your University of Illinois email, and we'll send the Zoom info the morning of the event. 

The Writers Workshop will review genre expectations for research statements and provide examples from a range of disciplines. We will share strategies for drafting and tailoring your own research statements. This event will be held through Zoom. It is open to current University of Illinois affiliates (students, faculty, and staff). Please register with your University of Illinois email account by 11:59pm CT on April 10, and we will send a reminder email with the Zoom meeting invitation on the morning of the event.

The Intensive Language Instruction Program (ILIP) offers classes in 13 different languages. ILIP classes combine language and culture via engaging activities led by skilled instructors. No grade, just for fun! Students receive 30 hours of enjoyable language instruction which maximizes exposure to the target language to help them meet their own personal learning goals. Register for ILIP today!

Tired of not being able to find a file when you need it? Have too many tabs open in your browser? This workshop will offer practical tips for organizing your digital spaces, cleaning up your file directories, and keeping your spreadsheets tidy. There will also be hands-on activities to help you tailor information management strategies to your projects. No judgement - we're just here to help you address the mess. You, too, can be a digital organization wizard!

This webinar introduces the basic tools and resources for government statistics and data. Attendees will learn about the major federal government and intergovernmental organizations' statistics and data as well as strategies to search for government statistics.

The Rare Book & Manuscript Library (RBML) holds an extensive collection of primary source material, including 500,000 volumes and 5,000 linear sq. ft. of archival material. This workshop will explore the various ways in which patrons can engage with the RBML’s collection, including individual research, classroom instruction, and opportunities for collaboration. The session will cover the following topics: introduction to the RBML, accessing the collection in person and virtually, classroom instruction, and collaboration opportunities.

This hands-on workshop will teach you how to make common word processing documents accessible for screen readers, and how to make presentations accessible for a wide range of users. We’ll cover MS Word and PowerPoint, Google Docs, and PDFs, as well as general best practices for accessibility that you can incorporate across formats. You’ll leave this workshop with readily implementable strategies and checklists you can start using immediately to ensure your research, teaching, and presentations are more accessible to diverse audiences.

A manuscript submitted for publication in a scholarly journal is usually reviewed by 2-3 reviewers who are selected by the editor and/or indicated by the author in a traditional peer review model. A reviewer is generally an academic who writes reports to help authors improve their manuscripts and to assist the editor in making the decision of accepting/rejecting a manuscript. We will learn about the role and the non-role of the reviewer in the peer review process in contrast to the roles of authors and editors, and we will discuss concepts such as bias and reviewer agreement.

Calling all STEM students: Are you working on research presentations, theses, dissertations, proposals, or application essays? Book an in-person, online, or *NEW* written feedback appointment through our Science Writing MCB Learning Center schedule! This satellite location is specifically catered to YOU with our STEM-focused consultants and accessible location in Burrill Hall. 

Join us to finish 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! 

The Writers Workshop will review when you should be using a, an, and the. We'll include time to review the concept and apply it to your own work. Sign up for one or all in this series to hone your English grammar skills!

Join representatives of Zeiss to learn more about the Beckman Institute's new Xradia 630 Versa CT scanner. Those who register by April 11 will receive a complimentary lunch. A Zoom link will be available, as well.

Campus Recreation is offering a 45-minute story time adventure for your little ones! Kids ages 4-6 are welcome to join Adventure Rec staff in the cozy Reflection Room at the ARC. Feel free to bring a pillow or stuffie from home! Dates, times, and registration information can be found in Active Illini. Little Adventure is open to everyone - no Campus Rec membership required.

This is a session in which podcasters learn tips and tricks for more advanced audio editing, including incorporating sounds effects, adding music, and more.

This workshop will give you hands-on experience accelerating Python codes with NVIDIA GPUs. We will explore drop-in replacements for SciPy and NumPy code through the CuPy library and cover NVIDIA RAPIDS, which provides GPU acceleration for end-to-end data science workloads. You'll then have the skills to start accelerating your own Python codes! To register by April 9 and find more info, use the form linked to the title above.

Print your research poster at the Tech Services Computer Lab in the English Building, Room 8. It cost $36 for a 36 in x 48 in poster that can be printed on glossy or matte paper. There is a minimum 24-hour turnaround for poster printing. Step-by-step instructions can be found in this Answers KnowledgeBase article.

The Illinois Science Olympiad is actively seeking volunteers to assist at the State Tournament hosted at the University of Illinois on Saturday, Apr 20th. Be a part of this exciting tournament as schools compete for the bragging rights of Illinois State Champion. No experience necessary. Many shifts available. Sign up HERE. Questions? Contact donna.brayfield@illinoisolympiad.org. 

The Sky Happiness Retreat is an internationally acclaimed life-skills program that helps participants develop relaxed, stress-free mind and energetic, healthy body through evidence-based meditation, yoga, breathwork in a fun and an experiential format. Join us on campus for a detox-weekend! The retreat is fully funded for all UIUC students, partial scholarships available for staff and faculty. Sign up link: tiny.cc/skyuiucapril

Looking for more fun things to read? The University Library is going on tour with some must-reads from genres like Fantasy and Sci-Fi, Romance and Contemporary, Horror and Suspense, and Poetry and Memoir. Join us from 11 AM to 3 PM at our different pop-up locations! April 8th and 9th: South Quad; April 10th: Ikenberry SDRP; April 11th and 12th Anniversary Plaza; April 15th and 16th: South Quad; April 17th: Ikenberry SDRP; April 18th and 19th. Bring your iCard and check out your next read!

Grad Students, come cheer on the Illinois baseball team against Northern Illinois University! Join us if you're a baseball fan or if this is your first Big10 sporting event! Tickets are free for all. We'll have a grad student seating section. The game starts at 6 pm. Come early to say hello at the Grad College table and pick up a sticker. Sign up here to let us know you’re coming!

Help beautify campus and properly dispose of trash and recyclables! This is a great volunteer opportunity — bring your friends and help clean up. Sign up if you can, but showing up the day of is also encouraged! We will meet at 3:30 outside Everitt Lab, disperse for picking up refuse, then reconvene at Everitt.

Graduate students at the University of Illinois are invited to submit their film for consideration in the 15th annual UIUC Student Film Festival on Friday, April 26, at the Spurlock Museum. Your film genre may include drama, comedy, horror, thriller, music/dance/performance video, documentary/travelogue, animation, experimental, or other. The deadline to submit your film is Monday, April 15, by 5 p.m.

The Gangster Play: Circus/Circus, adapted from Bertolt Brecht’s 1941 satirical allegory of Hitler’s rise to power, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, follows the elevation of a 1930s Chicago mobster who works a corrupt system to his advantage. Set in a world of gangsters and unprincipled politicians, Brecht shows us—through wry humor—that demagogues rise only through the complicity of enablers.

MacArthur "Genius" award-winner Kyle Abraham brings his unique choreography and internationally renowned dance company, A.I.M, to perform a repertory of new works. Considered “one of the most consistently excellent troupes working today” (The New York Times), A.I.M by Kyle Abraham provides multifaceted performances and community-based workshops galvanized by Black culture and history.

Artist JJJJJerome Ellis presents portions of their latest transdisciplinary project, "Aster of Ceremonies". Using piano, saxophone, electronics, and voice, they’ll perform excerpts from “Benediction,” a devotional song cycle attending to 18th and 19th century Black runaway slaves who stuttered. This lecture-performance is an ongoing attempt to, in the words of critic Hortense Spillers, “hear [slavery’s] stutter more clearly.” ASL, CART, and verbal descriptions will be included. Masks encouraged, and accessible entrance to Smith is via the southeast. This event will also be streamed on Zoom.

Join us for an empowering evening of spoken word and expression at our Voices Unveiled Poetry Night, featuring story|teller FreeQuency. Indulge in a cozy coffeehouse atmosphere while enjoying performances and sharing your own voice open-mic style in a supportive environment. Sign up to read a poem of your own: https://tinyurl.com/IUBVoicesUnveiled. This event is co-sponsored by the Illini Union Board, Courtyard Cafe, and Gender and Sexuality Resource Center. Masks are encouraged.

Join host Chaz Ebert and accompanying filmmakers at the 25th anniversary of Roger Ebert's Film Festival, April 17-20 at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign. See festival lineup and filmmaker guests attending. Film fest passes, including an evening pass and Saturday pass, and individual movie tickets are available to purchase now.

Come hear Zyra's story and experiences growing up in Dubai and Bangkok, while exploring home as a Third Culture Kid (TCK) and how that impacted her transition to college in the States. Dinner is provided. 

Join us for an evening of poetry! Joy Harjo, 23rd United States Poet Laureate, will read from her body of work, and a book signing will follow. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Harjo is an internationally renowned performer and writer of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. This free public event is part of the Joy Harjo residency at Illinois. View all events in this series, taking place April 23-24, 2024.

(Im)Possibilities of Archival Research: Looking through Archives in India. The Doctoral Research Spotlight Series highlights research conducted by University of Illinois students, as well as their research experiences. Ragini Chakraborty is a PhD Candidate, Comparative and World Literature .

Monica Lewinsky is a producer, social activist, global public speaker, and contributing editor to Vanity Fair. Her focus is on storytelling that moves the conversation forward—around shame, reclaiming identities, and justice for women. As an activist, Lewinsky advocates for a safer social media environment and addresses such topics as digital resilience, privacy, and cultivating compassion online.

We are not very good at disagreement. We view our adversaries not only as wrong but increasingly as evil, we resist notions of forgiveness, and we distrust institutions that try to mediate our disagreements. Yet even in a tense cultural climate, it is possible to disagree productively and respectfully without compromising our convictions. Over a range of challenging issues, John Inazu helps us engage honestly and empathetically with people whose viewpoints we find strange, wrong, or even dangerous.

Join Funk ACES Library for its 6th Solving the World’s Challenges panel on Tuesday, April 9 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. During this hybrid event, three campus experts will discuss their work related to emerging diseases and respond to questions from attendees. Please register to receive the Zoom link or join us in-person to enter a book drawing and to enjoy the reception from 3:30-4:00 p.m. 

Join us for CultureTalk, a conversation featuring Joy Harjo (23rd United States Poet Laureate; member of the Muscogee [Creek] Nation) in dialogue with Jenny L. Davis (American Indian Studies and Anthropology; member of the Chickasaw Nation). This free public event is part of the Joy Harjo residency at Illinois. View all events in this series, taking place April 23-24, 2024.

Lisa Parks will present "The Other Side of the Smart Phone: MEMS Sensors and the Tiny Matters of Mediation" on April 10 at 3:30 p.m. Parks is the Distinguished Professor of Media Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara, director of the Global Media Technologies and Cultures Lab, and author of Media Backends (University of Illinois Press). Sponsored by the Institute of Communications Research and Humanities Research Institute.

Please join us for the University Archives' monthly Women in Science Lecture Series, April 11 from 12 -1 pm. Dr. Marni Boppart, Professor and Director of Strategic Initiatives for Kinesiology and Community Health, will share her research on understanding muscle repair and using that knowledge to create interventions to help prevent muscle loss in a variety of contexts. This is a hybrid event and will take place in the University Archives, Main Library 146 or you can register for the zoom link.

Join us for an online lecture with Silvia Federici (Emerita Professor, Hofstra University) entitled "Feminist Insurgencies and the Reconstruction of the Commons." Federici is a feminist activist, teacher and writer. Advanced registration is required to attend this event. This event is part of the Interseminars series for "Improvise and Intervene," supported by the Mellon Foundation.

Join us for a unique collaboration between SKY Meditation at UIUC and The Career Center, as we present a holistic workshop on Meditation and Career Planning. It's an ideal opportunity to not only discover effective strategies for advancing your job search but also to explore the inner peace and clarity that meditation offers. RSVP using the link above. 

On Saturday, April 13 12-3pm, GEO is hosting our first ever GEOlympics Field Day on the Main Quad! There will be free food, music, crafts, and activities like water balloon toss and cornhole tournaments! Please fill out the RSVP form if you'd like to attend.

Well-designed presentations are about balance. The problem? Balance is a hard thing to find. How much text is too much? How do I decide on a color palette? How do I craft a coherent visual narrative? Join the Speaking Center for this virtual workshop to learn the answers to these questions and much more, including practical skills for creating a standout slide deck. This workshop is limited to undergraduate and graduate students, and pre-registration is required using the link above.

Join us May 2 to see the latest research, network with peers, and share work at our open poster session - a great way to practice presentation skills, and $500 travel vouchers will be awarded for the top three posters! Keynote Speakers will be Farhan Chowdhury, former IGB Fellow and Associate Professor at Southern Illinois University, and Jonathan Losos, Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. Registration is free, lunch provided.

Join fellow students and their families in Orchard Downs for their annual health fair. This year's theme is "Spring into a healthier you!"  Free health screenings, healthy snacks, and community and campus resources will be there to support you and your family.  

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

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

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