The Graduate College is delighted to announce the winners of the 2025 Graduate Student Leadership Award: Breana Griffin and Priscilla Ahearn. The award recognizes graduate students who have exhibited outstanding service that positively impacts the campus and wider communities. In addition to the winners, Elizabeth Coder and Megan Best, received Special Recognition. Read the full story.

The Graduate College is accepting applications for the Career Exploration Fellowship, which connects doctoral students with campus units for meaningful, mentored work experience. In Fall 2025, each Career Exploration Fellow will receive a paid hourly position at a host unit and a $5,000 Career Exploration Fellowship. This program aims to enable doctoral students to gain experience and build skills that align with a wide range of career aspirations. Applications are due March 16. Learn more at https://grad.illinois.edu/professional-development/career-exploration-fellowship

Your input on the Campus Transportation Survey will help prioritize future improvements on the Urbana campus. The quick 10-minute survey is open until Sunday, April 6. It covers vital transportation network focus areas, such as preferred travel methods, commute times/locations, active transportation engagement, parking options, safety perceptions, and accessibility performance. Your survey participation will be anonymous, and no personal information will be collected. The results will be shared with the campus community later this year.

Come check out all the Illini Union restaurants at the Taste of the Union. Enjoy special deals and samples from all five restaurants - Just Bee Acai, Tropical Smoothie, Thai Fusion, Mia Za's, and Maize.

Effective immediately, Illinois Computes is increasing the default amount of long-term storage we make available to University of Illinois researchers from 10 terabytes (TB) to 50 TB. This storage is provided on NCSA's Granite storage service. These allocations are for one year and can be renewed. We are actively exploring ways to offer multi-year allocations in order to provide researchers with better assurance of long-term retention of their data. Learn more by signing up for the Illinois Computes Connections newsletter!

Mental Health First Aid Certification training courses are being offered on campus throughout the spring semester.  To see a complete list of courses and to register, please go to: https://wellness.illinois.edu/mhfa  Courses are offered at no cost to attendees, but you must register and complete all portions of the training to receive certification.  Mental Health First Aid training is available on campus through funding provided by the Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act and sponsored by Student Affairs. 

March 14 is the last day to drop a semester course online via Self-Service; and the last day to submit a Late Registration Change via the Graduate College Student Portal to add or drop a Part of Term A course with approval (a "W" is recorded). Students enrolled in non-standard part of term courses should refer to their graduate program for deadline information. Have questions about registration deadlines or submitting a Late Registration form? Click here for an advising appointment!

These peer-facilitated workshops focus on "Students Helping Students" by enhancing mental health, well-being, and success. Presented by Counseling Center Paraprofessionals. They are held on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. online or across campus. See full schedules and details..

You are almost half way through, come to join us for some hot tea & coffee, international snacks, some relaxing activities and a place to charge your devices. Bring a friend or meet someone new.

Have you ever struggled with navigating relationship issues with others? Join the interactive workshop to discuss important aspects of a relationship and ways to address interpersonal challenges and build healthy relationships, facilitated by the Counseling Center staff. Snacks and drinks are provided. 

It's no secret that biopsychosocial factors can lead to uncomfortable body sensations, but what does this mean for how we approach pain and health in general? Join Malee Powell, MS, LMT, to learn more about the biopsychosocial model of pain and how to apply this framework to your daily life.

The American Federation for Aging Research awards $5,000 scholarships to graduate students conducting research on topics related to the biology of aging (clinical, epidemiology, health services, and outcome projects are not eligible). Applicants must be at least second-year students enrolled in an MD, DO, PhD, or combined-degree program. Applications are due April 15. 

The ability to craft an effective funding proposal is a skill that can reap a lifetime of rewards. As a graduate student, now is the time to hone your grantwriting proficiency. In this workshop, tailored for graduate students in the humanities and social sciences, you will learn how to identify funding opportunities, strategize the components of an effective proposal, and think like a grantwriter. Please register at the link below for this online workshop. 

Correctly formatting the title page of your thesis can be a challenge. Let us help! If you plan to graduate in May, submit your title page to the Thesis Office for review. We will check the formatting and your degree information to make sure you are on track! Just upload a copy of your title page on our website.

Graduate College Career Development advisors specialize in the needs of grad students and postdocs. Meet one-on-one to revise application documents, prepare for interviews, get ready to negotiate, explore new career paths, develop a job search strategy, and more. We work with students/postdocs on any kind of job search, including industry, nonprofit, faculty, and government. Appointments are available in person or on Zoom. (We will be open over Spring Break, though there will be more Zoom appointments available at that time.)

Join us next week for the Writers Workshop's Spring Break Writing Retreat! March 17-19, we'll host productivity groups, in-person and online, from 9am-12pm. All writing groups consist of a short goal-setting conversation, quiet writing time, and a concluding reflection and wrap-up. Ideal for graduate students seeking to create a writing routine, make progress and meet deadlines on long-term writing projects, or jump-start a new writing project. Please note that you only need to register once to attend any or all of these dates. 

Getting ready to deposit a dissertation, wrap-up a thesis or capstone project, or just want to gain some tips for dynamic academic writing? Then this workshop is for you! The Writers Workshop will provide strategies for polishing your writing at the paragraph and sentence-level to achieve more reader-friendly and powerful prose. We recommend that you have a current in-progress piece of writing to practice applying strategies during the workshop.

Learn more about the literature review's purpose and gain tips for writing an effective one, either as a stand-alone piece or part of a larger project. 

Throughout your life you will, almost certainly, give presentations. We have all sat through presentations that were boring, confusing, and drab. How do you communicate your message most succinctly? What visuals will captivate and inform your audience the best? Is it only about your slide design or are there other techniques that leave a lasting impression? In this session we distill the magic that just might take your next presentation from bland to grand. 

JSTOR is a digital library with access to more than 12 million journal articles, books, images, and primary sources in 75 disciplines (primarily focused on humanities and social sciences). Recently, JSTOR merged with Artstor, a digital image database. This workshop will focus on how to search text, images, and primary resources in JSTOR, and how to organize your research using the workspace feature.

Google Scholar is an incredibly popular and useful tool for research with several features that scholars may not be familiar with. This workshop will elaborate on the difference between searching in Google Scholar and academic databases, demonstrate how to use Google Scholar’s Advanced Search, explain how to connect your library access to Google Scholar, and cover some of the other more sophisticated features Google Scholar offers to support your research.

Thinking about using AI for your qualitative project? In this workshop we’ll discuss how researchers use AI in the data analysis process for coding and analysis and look at AI integration into QDA software like MAXQDA and Atlas.ti. We’ll also review a framework for assessing whether AI use is appropriate for your methodology and the ethical concerns that come with the use of AI products. 

The Funk ACES Library now has Activity Kits for children that can be checked out with a valid i-card from the Circulation Desk on Floor 2.  Each Activity Kit comes in a tote bag and contains two books, a single-player activity, a whiteboard, and dry erase markers.  The Activity Kits can be checked out for two hours to be used in the library.

Students can benefit from using Illinois 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). 

Do you work with or teach undergraduate students? The 13th annual Image of Research – UR Edition competition is a great opportunity to celebrate their research. Undergraduates across all areas of study are invited to submit entries consisting of an image and brief text that articulates how the image relates to the research. Entries will be celebrated at the Undergraduate Research Symposium on Thursday, April 24 in the Illini Union Ballroom. $300 for First Place, $200 for Second Place, and a People’s Choice winner will receive $100. Submission deadline: midnight CST on March 25

On view: Making Place for the Arts at Home: Performance and Midcentury Modern Architecture, featuring homes in Champaign-Urbana designed by Jack Baker, John Replinger, and A. Richard Williams. The museum is open Tuesday through Friday, 10–5; Saturday 10–4; and Thursday until 8 pm, when class is in session. Admission is always free. Parking access is easy during school breaks. kam.illinois.edu

This informal group aims to bring together a diverse group of graduate students from across campus to share their enthusiasm for the niche, the groundbreaking, and the thought-provoking scholarship that animates them as people, scholars, and educators. Please join us for lunch on March 31st from 12-1:30 in Levis 424. If you are interested in sharing with the group, please reach out to the event organizers. 

Over 8 million people experiencing cancer face Health Related Social Needs (HRSN) challenges such as food, housing, and financial insecurity that directly impact their health outcomes. While individuals have unmet social needs, it is not well understood if they are willing to self-screen and connect to services independently. Join us for brunch, learning, and conversation with David Haynes, PhD, at the next installment of the HEROP Speaker Series on Friday at 10AM, where Dr. Haynes will showcase ConnectedNest, his patient-centered oncology-focused digital social care referral platform.

Celebrate Women’s History Month with us on Thursday, March 13, from 2-6 pm (CT)! Join us in person at Grainger Commons (Room 233/235) at the Grainger Engineering Library and Information Center or online on Zoom as we work together to enhance Wikipedia’s representation of women in STEM. There will be snacks, light refreshments, and pizza! Visit the University Library STEM Wikipedia Edit-a-thons LibGuide for details and the Grainger Library calendar for Zoom information. Please inform Celenia Graves at celeniag@illinois.edu by Monday, March 11 if you have any accessibility requests.

Join the University of Illinois Research Park for an open house and reception on Wednesday, March 12, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. to discuss the future of housing on campus at UIRP. Share your ideas and perspectives as we gather community input on residential development designed to complement the innovative ecosystem of Research Park. Light food and beverages will be served. Free parking available. 

The Graduate Organization for, by, and of Latine Students invites all Latine-identifying graduate students to our next general board meeting! During this meeting, attendees will learn about the organization's recent developments, upcoming events, and volunteer opportunities. Food will be provided, and no registration is required. 

We are excited to invite Asian graduate students to “Waters of Asia: Painting Cultural Stories,” a unique watercolor workshop exploring the cultural, historical, and emotional significance of water in Asian regions. In collaboration with Ascend Art360 and the Asian American Cultural Center, this interactive event will allow you to use watercolor painting to reflect on personal and cultural connections to water. This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow Asian and Asian American graduate students, celebrate cultural heritage, and explore self-expression through art and storytelling!

Join us to learn about the collaboration between Urbana’s organic farm, Sola Gratia, and Bhakti Verma, the College of Education-HRI Fellow. Her work linking wellness and education in Urbana public schools is part of a larger “farm to school” movement whose local roots you’ll have a chance to hear about as Bhakti joins Traci Barkley and Emily Stone in conversation.

Learn about the essential components and applications of Cyberinfrastructure (CI), including computing, data, software, networking, and people within the NSF ACCESS program. The session will explore various computational resources available to researchers, such as high-performance computing (HPC), and help participants identify the best options for their needs. Examples of successful research projects will be given to illustrate real-world applications of cyberinfrastructure. Registration Required.

The Molecule Maker Lab Institute (MMLI) invites you to our upcoming research symposium, "AI Scientists? What Would It Take?" on April 15-16, 2025. This event will bring together researchers, industry partners, and students to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and chemistry, especially in the area of small molecule innovation; what it takes to advance AI-driven scientific discovery. Whether you're a scientist, student, or industry professional, this is a great opportunity to connect, learn, and engage with the MMLI community. Register now and be part of the conversation!

In collaboration with National Taiwan University, CDA brings you the "Global Perspectives on Digital/Smart Agriculture" joint seminar series! Join us virtually on March 12 from 7-9 p.m. CT. for a session on "Circular Bioeconomy Agriculture." Learn about net-zero transition, converting food waste into sustainable aviation fuels, exploring biomass as sustainable materials for electronic devices, and advancing sustainable wastewater treatment and utilization. Free to attend – more info here.

Abstract: Nuclear security domestically and globally requires a systems engineering approach to design physical protection systems capable of defending against defined threat spaces. This discussion will focus on international and domestic security system design principles for civilian nuclear facilities and identify challenges for physical protection systems for advanced nuclear facilities such as small modular reactors and microreactors. 

Please join us for the University Archives' monthly Women in Science Lecture Series, March 13 from 12 -1 pm. Dr. Suneeti Jog, Associate Research Scientist in the Wetland Science Program at the Prairie Research Institute will present “Using plants to understand wetland health.” This is a hybrid event and will take place in the University Archives, Main Library 146 or you can register for the zoom link.

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.