Thank you to every graduate student who entered this year's competition, the semifinalists, our panel of judges, and visitors to both the online gallery and the on-site exhibit. Thanks as well for your votes and voices in the People's Choice competition! Check out (and congratulate) the winners!

Research Live! is a fun, fast-paced competition that celebrates graduate student research. Twelve finalists shared their passions in three minutes or less at the Campus Instructional Facility Atrium on Tuesday, April 2. View the winners and check out a recording of the Finalist Showcase on our website.

The Graduate College invites graduate students enrolled in on-campus or online programs to apply to serve on SAGE (Students Advising on Graduate Education) in 2024-2025. SAGE members build leadership skills and provide varied perspectives that enhance the academic, professional, and social experiences of graduate students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Meetings are hybrid or virtual. 

Friday, April 26 at 5 p.m. is the last day to complete a dissertation deposit for May 2024 graduation. Because all corrections and all required deposit materials must be received by the Graduate College no later than 5 p.m. on the day of the deposit deadline, the Thesis Office strongly encourages students to submit the thesis for review several days before the deadline. For further information about the deposit process, visit the Thesis Office website.

Friday, May 3 at 5 p.m. is the last day to complete a master's thesis deposit for May 2024 graduation. Because all corrections and all required deposit materials must be received by the Graduate College no later than 5 p.m. on the day of the deposit deadline, the Thesis Office strongly encourages students to submit the thesis for review several days before the deadline. For further information about the deposit process, visit the Thesis Office website.

Inspired by community sourcing via bulletin boards and online “in search of” postings, the large windows of the Graduate College will transform into the collaborative installation Rest Lab: In Search of Rest, April 15–26. Acknowledging everyone’s need for rest, we seek offerings to the prompt “In search of rest: what do you need right now?” Join us for coffee and snacks as we create colorful paper requests that will fill up the space and build connections. 

The campus community is invited to the grand opening of the Fitness Court. This outdoor studio allows users to engage in full-body workouts, fitness classes, and other group wellness activities. Workouts are adaptable for all fitness levels, allowing participants to move at their own pace. Celebrate this new facility with remarks from campus leaders and demos from fitness ambassadors.

Enjoy some international snacks and drinks with cross-cultural learning activities. Sponsored by International Education and the University Library. 

English Teaching Assistantships (ETAs) awarded through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program allow students to teach English around the globe in kindergarten- to university-level classrooms. This workshop will focus on the two main components of the Fulbright application--the Statement of Grant Purpose and the Personal Statement--in the context of an ETA application. Participants will learn how best to approach each statement and how the two statements should work together. Please register in advance at the link below for this online workshop. 

The ability to craft an effective funding proposal can reap a lifetime of rewards. As a graduate student, now is the time to hone your grant writing proficiency. In this workshop from the Grad College's Office of External Fellowships, designed for students in science, technology, engineering, & math, you will learn how to identify funding opportunities, strategize the components of an effective proposal, and think like a grant writer. Come with questions about this mysterious genre; leave with a template you can adapt to become a competitive applicant for prestigious awards. Register here.

Are you planning to deposit your thesis this semester? We have videos that can guide you through the thesis submission and deposit process. Check out our Submitting Your Thesis for Graduate College Approval video for an overview of the thesis submission system. If the Graduate College requests corrections to your thesis, our Reviewing & Submitting Your Thesis Corrections video will help you navigate the resubmission process. 

Writing in the Disciplines series brings together doctoral students with faculty, journal editors, and publishers to discuss writing styles and skills in specific disciplines. These events are open to all current graduate students. We are also encouraging other student groups to participate in these discussions. This event is jointly hosted by the Program in Jewish Culture and Society, the Writers Workshop, Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library, and the Doctoral Research Support Program at the University of Illinois.

We are inviting doctoral students to join this discussion on dissertation research. Panelists will share their research, writing, and time management techniques. Each panelist has about ten minutes to talk about strategies that have worked for them (or strategies that have not worked). We want to provide a supportive and welcoming environment for informal conversations.

Are you overwhelmed by organizing your sources? Zotero is a free, open-source citation manager that helps you store and organize your files and insert formatted citations into papers. You will leave this hands-on workshop with a Zotero library set up and ready to use! This session will be 50 minutes long with question and exploration time afterward.

This workshop will address the capabilities of ChatGPT and identify appropriate and effective ways participants can integrate this tool into their academic, research, and pedagogical pursuits in engineering disciplines. We’ll also discuss the limitations of ChatGPT, including ethical and legal contexts, and highlighting the ways in which you can use University Library resources and other language learning model (LLM) tools instead. Through a series of activities, we’ll explore how to write constructive prompts and critically analyze generated responses. Everyone welcome!

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 discuss single and compound subjects and how verbs in a sentence should be conjugated. We'll include time to review the concept and apply it to your own work. Join us for the final workshop in this series to hone your English grammar skills!

Learn about techniques for extending your video productions beyond the physical studio! In this workshop, we will utilize the HTC Vive tracking system at SCIM to bring live cameras into Unreal Engine for real time green screen compositing with a 3D environment instead of the more traditional 2D image/video. Additionally, we will demonstrate the control of our color adaptive lighting system.

The field of XR hardware continues to advance rapidly. In this workshop we will give an overview of the various headsets available in the SCIM Lab and allow for hands-on demo time. We will also investigate using Unity and Unreal Engine to author XR applications. Aspects from prior workshops on motion capture, virtual production and spatial audio will emerge as we discuss creating XR experiences.

Adobe InDesign is a layout and design software program that allows you to create print and digital media. It is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud, which is available to all UIUC students for free! This workshop is designed for those with little to no experience with InDesign to help you learn the basics of using this document design program. During the workshop, we will create a sample flyer. You will gain experience navigating the features and there will be time to explore.

Since publicly announcing Illinois Computes last spring, NCSA has ramped up the program, which offers computing and data storage resources, technical expertise and support services to researchers from all domains across campus – and seen tremendous growth. Check out how researchers from Anthropology, MechSE and Atmospheric Sciences accelerated their work with Illinois Computes and sign up today!

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Each year, SAAM provides the opportunity to come together as a community to raise awareness around the prevalence of sexual assault, to show support for survivors, and to contribute to creating cultures of respect where violence does not occur. Check out the full calendar of events for opportunities to get involved: https://calendars.illinois.edu/list/7364 

Join us in person or on Zoom for a hybrid symposium hosted by UCRJ (Urbana Champaign Reproductive Justice) livestreamed from Spurlock with panelists all day. Discover the panelist line-up and full schedule of events here: UCRJ Week 2024 | UC Repro Justice

Join us for a series of events on campus and in CU, organized by UCRJ (Urbana Champaign Reproductive Justice) and sponsored by the University Library. Find full schedule of events here. Any ideas? Submit them here. 

Join us for snacks and a short presentation about what reproductive justice is and how it connects to period poverty/making period products accessible. We’ll also be packing period products to donate during a wellness event with Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. Sign up here if you want to volunteer or pop in to sneak a cupcake!

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!

Have you participated in service or volunteered at a community organization? We CU Community Engaged Scholars is proud to recognize students for their commitment to service. Fill out our Student Recognition Form by April 21 and you will be considered for this year's award. Recognized Scholars also gain access to our mini-grants! After completing the form, don't forget to confirm your attendance at our April 25 Spring Reception. We will have refreshments, We CU swag, certificates, and enamel pins for recognized students. We look forward to celebrating your positive impact in the community!

Scholarship applications for the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) are now open for graduating high school seniors to those pursuing a doctorate. USGIF will host a virtual informational session about this opportunity April 22. Register here or apply now! Deadline for applications is May 31.

The Department of African American Studies invites applications for the Pinderhughes Graduate Research Award. The winner will receive a $500 stipend. Applicants from a broad range of disciplines will be considered, provided they work on a topic related to African American, African, or African Diaspora Studies. Applicants should send their current CV along with a 1-page, single-spaced proposal explaining their research project and how they will use these funds. Applications should be sent to meyersjp@illinois.edu by April 15, 2024.

Join fellow grad students at Krannert Uncorked with Lyric Theater @ Illinois.Come say hello at the Grad College table and pick up a sticker before enjoying Fugitive Songs: "Award-winning songwriters Chris Miller and Nathan Tyson’s Fugitive Songs is a 19-song journey across America."

Come learn more about Filipino birthday traditions through the symbolism of food, party games, and traditional ceremonies. You’ll feel like you’re at a real Filipino birthday party, with interactive games, activities and food! Halika, samahan mo kami (come on, join us)! Dinner is provided. 

Come join us for a fun event featuring delicious food! Esra Çeltek Coşkun will teach us how to make two Turkish dishes: Kısır (Spicy Bulgur/Wheat Salad) and Cacık (Chilled Yogurt and Cucumber Soup). Both dishes are vegetarian and easy to make. This event is organized by the International and Area Studies Library at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

Please join the European Union Center for this free screening of "Good Bye, Lenin!", an award-winning 2003 German tragicomedy film set in East Berlin during the time of German reunification. Anna Hunt, Assistant Professor of Germanic Languages & Literatures, will give brief opening remarks contextualizing the film. Refreshments will be served.

Want to indulge in the flavors of spring and have fun with other Asian international and Asian American graduate students? Join us for a delightful experience of sago and boba-making at the Asian American Cultural Center! Whether you're a tapioca enthusiast or simply curious to explore new flavors, this event promises to be a fun and delicious journey. Mark your calendars and join us for an unforgettable afternoon of cultural exploration and culinary delight!

Japan House's Spring Open House features Urasenke professor Bruce Hamana and the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Urbana-Champaign Association. Japanese tea ceremonies will be offered at 11am, 12pm, and 1pm. A special tea ceremony demonstration and presentation will be given at 2pm. Tea ceremonies require tickets but the presentation is free! From 11am-2pm is a free student ikebana exhibition inside.

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.

Hany Zayed, "Digital Paradoxes: How Technology Unintentionally Transforms Education." Using the case of Egypt and building on two years of digital ethnographic fieldwork, Dr. Zayed shows how digital technologies produce paradoxes in education, contradictions between digital promises and educational realities, on the levels of educational institutions, learning and assessment processes, social inequalities, and resistance practices. With those contradictions, I argue that while technology indeed transforms education, it transforms it in unintended and conflicting ways. 

An online panel discussion featuring Tea Sensei Bruce Hamana, Kimiko Gunji, Omar Francis, Janet Ikeda, and Margie Yap. This presentation focuses on reflections of teachers of chado (Japanese tea ceremony, also referred to as the Way of Tea) and their views on the status of the transmission of the Way of Tea in the United States as well as the usage of tearooms, collections, and associations.

In this lecture, Kunal Basu, an author of over a dozen books in English and Bengali, will discuss the conceptualization and research behind his novels. This is a hybrid event. Please register through this link: https://go.library.illinois.edu/KunalBasuLecture

The Health Technology Education Program announces our Spring Speaker Series! Dr. Chris Wickens will be presenting An Influence Model of Human-Automation Team Interaction. Dr. Wickens was a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Visiting Professor, U. S. Air Force Academy. His research on human factors has been internationally recognized.

Join the College of Law and iSEE for "Getting Smarter About A Smart Transmission Grid for the Future," a talk by Howard A. Learner, President and Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center, Chicago. Learner proposes modernizing, upgrading and better using the existing electricity transmission grid, and developing more distributed clean energy resources.

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.

Cyrus Wadia, chief executive officer of Activate, will present "Filling the Science Leadership Gap" at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 18, in the Beckman Auditorium. Wadia was previously director of worldwide product sustainability at Amazon and vice president of sustainable business and innovation at Nike. A reception will follow.

Step into a realm where fantasy weaves through melody and time stands still. The JFO Annual Concert invites you to a night where the mythic harmonies of the JFO Symphony Orchestra, the enchanting rhythms of Chinese Folk Music, and the celestial chorales of the JFO Choir collide to create a fantastical musical tapestry. Join us for a free evening at Lincoln Hall Theater and let the power of music transport you to otherworldly dimensions. When: April 19, 2024, at 7:45 PM; Where: Lincoln Hall Theater; Admission: Free!

The rich literary heritage of contemporary Nubian literature allows for a multiplicity of critiques that makes possible a reading of Nubian literature that crosses the borderlines between literature and history, geography, politics, gender, and ethnicity 

Join iSEE for this event during Sustainapalooza! Everyone is welcome to shop sustainably at the swap for free — and you can drop off gently used apparel as well! (Early dropoffs Thursday, April 18, through the morning of Monday, April 22, outside the Illini Rooms in the Illini Union).

Miriam Keep, sustainability programs coordinator for iSEE, will be the speaker at the upcoming Noontime Knowledge in honor of Earth Month hosted by the F&S Diversity and Inclusion Committee, on Wed., April 17, at noon. Keep will discuss "Equity and Diversity in Climate Action Planning." To join the Zoom meeting, register at https://go.fs.illinois.edu/diversityandinclusion.

Please join the European Union Center for its 14th Illinois EU Studies Conference ("Paradigms of Racialization: Alternative Sources”) on April 18-19, 2024, organized in collaboration with Paris 8 University and UIUC Department of History. This conference is part of a multi-year project studying how racial tropes contribute to social marginalization in the premodern and postmodern Mediterranean in a comparative perspective with North American societies from the precolonial era to the present. 

Community-engaged researchers are invited to join Ross Wantland, OVCDEI, and Karen Simms, Trauma & Resilience Initiative, to explore how inequalities and inequity can emerge in community-engaged research and our responsibility as researchers to address it. Participants in this interactive workshop will learn strategies to incorporate principles of equity-minded practices in their work. 

In a time of increased accountability and limited resources, higher education professionals are expected to demonstrate value of services, teaching, and activities designed to improve student performance inside and outside of the classroom. The purpose of this conference is to provide participants with strategies that are easy to understand and implement in the assessment, evaluation, and reporting of their work. Registration is now open and will remain open through May 6.

The IASL will host the next International Cooking Show on April 26 at 1 pm Central Time through Zoom! We are excited to feature Esra Coşkun (Collection Analyst and Planning Specialist), who will be making Kısır and Cacık. Every segment of the cooking show is recorded. All are welcome! Please register here. If you would like to volunteer to be a cook, you can sign up here: here.

Join us for a reproductive justice zine event! Included will be a short presentation about zines and how they provide a space for reproductive justice, and plenty of time to create your own zine! Materials and music will be provided, as well as the opportunity to look through a selection of the Social Justice Zine Collection housed in the Ricker Library of Art and Architecture 

Join the Crip* Collective for an artistic presentation and workshop on Disability Joy! Crip* interns will present on artists and resources related to disability joy. Then there will be an interactive workshop for participants to engage with disability joy through personal art projects. Feel free to have supplies ready: pencils, pens, paper, a digital device, yarn, tape, glue, paint, or your body! Register here for the Zoom link. ASL interpretation and CART captioning will be provided. Please email for additional access requirements.

In this feature documentary, follow the half-century story of America's civic unraveling through the journey of legendary social scientist Robert Putnam, whose groundbreaking "Bowling Alone" research into America's decades-long decline in community connections could hold the answers to our democracy's present crisis. Join Putnam as he explores three urgent civic questions: What makes democracy work? Why is American democracy in crisis? And, most importantly: What can we do about it?

The Chaz and Roger Ebert Symposium will address "Representations and Their Critics." Join us for this two-day event with a screening and free tacos on Tuesday, April 16, 7-9 p.m., Knight Auditorium at Spurlock Museum, and via Zoom; and meet the critics over coffee and pastries on Wednesday, April 17, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Starlight Room at Siebel Center for Design, and via Zoom.

Near the end of each semester, the Native American House invites individuals to recall, reflect on, and narrate their student experiences in higher education. Speakers address topics such as adjusting to campus life, factors contributing to a sense of belonging, and accessing the right pathways toward degree completion. Speakers conclude their storytelling by emphasizing the value of higher education and offering encouragement for the Native student higher education community. Speaker: Mary Smith (Cherokee). Food is first come, first served. All are welcome! 

Join us for a Beckman Interdisciplinary Safety Seminar featuring Chris Lewis, an embedded counselor in The Grainger College of Engineering and the Counseling Center. Those who register by 5 p.m. Friday, April 19, will receive a free pizza lunch. 

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

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.