The Graduate College is now accepting applications for the Career Exploration Fellowship, which connects doctoral students with campus units for meaningful, mentored work experience. In Spring 2026, each Career Exploration Fellow will receive a graduate assistantship 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 October 22. Learn more.

Your input about walking, biking, and rolling is needed to help create the Champaign-Urbana Active Transportation Plan. The results from this survey will help to develop a new vision for the plan and a related web map tool that will enable and encourage active transportation usage and 10-minute walking trips to parks. Provide your feedback by Monday, October 20. The plan will serve as a supplement to the existing Champaign County Greenways & Trails Plan completed in 2014. Your survey participation will be anonymous, and no specific personal information will be collected or maintained.

Specific significant injuries are required to be reported immediately to the Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IL OSHA). Visit the F&S website to learn more about the injuries that must be reported, how to do so, and for a downloadable flyer. These requirements should be printed and placed in locations where other important employee information is displayed. For questions, contact oshs@illinois.edu, 217-265-9828.

It's Exercise is Medicine Month! Join Health and Kinesiology faculty member, Alana Harris, for a beginner friendly yoga class on the front lawn of Freer Hall. Bring your own mat and enjoy a session with fellow Illini. Class is subject to appropriate weather.

You are invited to enter a playful, restorative greenspace inside the museum. Soft artificial turf covers the gallery floor, inviting visitors to slow down and stretch out. By creating a visual and tactile interruption in typical museum spaces, Rest Lab 8: Greenspace provides a calm, grounding atmosphere for people to gather. Rest Lab is co-curated by Kamila Glowacki and Ishita Dharap. On view Oct 11–Jan 31.

McKinley Health Center has launched their flu campaign, Never Miss A Memory!. Students can come walk in and get their FREE flu shot at McKinley, M-F, 9-3 or check out our website for outreach locations. No appointment needed. Bring your i-Card and a friend. Don't let this flu season keep you from doing the things you want to do. Get your flu shot today!

Illini Wellness Week is a weeklong series of events focused on student health and well-being. From October 6-10, various Student Affairs units will be hosting activities including lunchtime bingo and trivia, ice skating, free flu shots, wellness workshops, and stress-management tabling sessions across campus. View the Illini Wellness Week calendar..

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released the FY2026 Program Solicitation for its Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). The NSF-GRFP is open to U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees in the sciences, social sciences, engineering, mathematics, and STEM education. It offers three years of support, with a $37,000 annual stipend. This year, undergraduate seniors and first-year graduate students are eligible (second-year grad students are no longer eligible). See our Fellowship Finder listing for details. 

Many funding agencies require a personal statement in addition to an applicant’s research proposal. Why?! What on earth are you supposed to talk about? If these questions have induced writer’s block, this workshop is for you. We will assess the range of personal statement prompts you may encounter and distill their shared essence. Participants will learn the qualities of a compelling statement as well as a writing process they can implement to arrive at a complete first draft. Please register at the link below for this online workshop. 

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.

Systematic reviews require a rigorous and systematic approach to reviewing existing literature and discovering new knowledge. As the number of scholarly publications rapidly increases across all disciplines, AI tools hold promise for keeping pace with the expanding literature. This presentation will explain how AI tools work and discuss their practical use in the systematic review process. Topics include: 1) AI tools for systematic reviews and their effectiveness. 2) Evaluating methods for AI tools. 3) Use cases for using AI tools in the systematic review process.

Looking for a new way to conduct your research? Tired of getting zero results in your database searches? This workshop will break down how the professionals identify resources, and search for articles, books, and other scholarly works. We’ll cover chasing citations, creating optimal keyword searches, using built-in database functions to improve your searches, and other strategies to make you a more efficient researcher.

In this workshop we’ll explore examples of how AI has been used in qualitative data analysis & factors to consider as you decide whether to use AI tools in your own work. By the end of the workshop, we hope you'll be able to: 1) Describe at least two different ways that researchers have used AI in published qualitative research. 2) Identify how AI has been integrated into QDA software. 3) Assess the ethical implications of AI use in research. 4) Identify AI use policies & practices. Offered twice: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 9 (in-person) and 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Oct. 10 (online).

Are you having trouble organizing all your sources but don’t know where to start? This hands-on workshop will introduce you to three popular citation managers—Mendeley, Zotero, and Endnote. We will go over pros and cons of each one and give you a preview of how they work to help you choose the best fit for your citation needs.

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! 

One critical component that makes research impactful is the effective presentation of data. In this workshop, you will learn some effective strategies for clear and effective data presentation in the context of journal articles, research posters, and PowerPoint presentations. By the end of this workshop, you will learn conventions for writing with figures, methods for analyzing your figure and table design, and how to apply these lessons to a variety of contexts. Register by October 21 using your Illinois email.

This interactive session shares best practices for beginning and sustaining a mentoring relationship in a research context. It will address topics like assessing mentee goals, setting expectations, choosing and assigning work, providing constructive feedback, combating implicit bias, and what to do when things go wrong. This session fulfills part of the training requirement for the Graduate College Mentoring Certificate. You can join on Zoom at https://go.grad.illinois.edu/eventspace.

Watch our new title page video for tips and tricks in formatting your title page. Doctoral students should watch this video to format the dissertation title page. If you are writing a Master's thesis, this video is for you! In years of reviewing theses, we've noticed that the title page is where mistakes often slip in. Download a title page template to help you get started. 

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.

Join retired Ambassador Eric P. Whitaker (’78, ’81) for two events on Oct. 10. At 9:30 a.m., hear about his Peace Corps service, training, village life, and lessons learned. At 11 a.m., gain insights on his Foreign Service career, from applying and training to assignments, career paths, and current developments. Registration encouraged but not required.

Join this session to learn about what Open Educational Resources (OER) are and how to find and create them. Also learn about an exciting opportunity to earn a small grant (up to $10,000) to create OER for campus.

Share your group's story in the "Students With Drive" competition and let Zipcar know how you're driving societal change in the campus community through your mission. From the entries received nationwide, five finalists will be selected by the university-affiliated organization Zipcar; each will win $300 in driving credit and a $500 gift card to help make a feature video. In the last stage of the campaign, the finalist videos will go live for a public vote. The winning group will earn the $11,000 grand prize ($5K scholarship, $5K group donation, and $1K driving credit).

Access to water remains a major challenge for many Native communities in the U.S., but solutions require more than technical expertise. In this presentation, Xiomi Ortiz shares her work in Bodaway Gap, Navajo Nation, where initial assumptions about drinking water need to shift through direct community engagement.  Water for livestock—vital for subsistence and cultural identity—proved to be the most urgent concern. 

Join CDA, NCSA, and CROPPS on Oct. 13 from 1-2 p.m. CDT for a hybrid seminar on “The Curious Case of the Silicon Strawberry” with Davide Sosso, CSO & Co-Founder of Heritable Agriculture. Come learn how AI, germplasm collections, and innovative breeders are transforming strawberry breeding to accelerate selection, enhance yield, flavor, and resilience, and shape the future of data-driven berry excellence. Free to attend – register today!

Family caregivers are vital in supporting older adults with diet-related chronic conditions but struggle with nutrition guidance, cultural preferences, and daily care. This session shares study findings on caregivers’ nutrition challenges and their support preferences. Attendees will learn practical strategies and resources to help caregivers manage nutrition-related care effectively.  Presenter: Jemimah Bakare 

Make plans to attend the upcoming Cancer Center at Illinois Distinguished Lecture on October 8 from 1:00 to 2:00 at NCSA 1040. This lecture features University of Illinois alumna Elaine Fuchs, a renowned expert in skin biology research. Her talk will focus on the role of skin stem cells in stress, inflammation, and cancer. Register here.

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Cecilia Suarez. She is a trailblazing DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) educator and strategist with over 18 years of experience driving impactful organizational change through innovative solutions that empower intercultural communities. As a proud first-generation college graduate, Dr. Suarez currently serves as the Senior Manager of DEIB at Pixar Studios, where her expertise fosters environments of true belonging through inclusive storytelling.

The Center for Writing Studies is happy to host Dr. Toby Beauchamp! He will be giving a lecture titled "Embracing Trans Regret under Authoritarianism." Please join us on Thursday, October 16th! 

Please join us for the University Archives' monthly Women in Science Lecture Series, Oct 9, from 12 -1 pm. Dr. Karen Terio, Professor and Interim Assistant Director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, Chief of the Zoological Pathology Program, and Professor of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, will present “Wildlife Pathology: Dead animals tell tales” This is a hybrid event and will take place in the University Archives, Main Library 146 or you can register for the zoom link.

Dr. Steven Hyman, Director of the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, will give the 2025 Kellner Lecture on "The hard road from genetics to mechanisms to therapeutics for psychiatric disorders: The challenge of research designs in the absence of biological ground truth." This lecture is sponsored by the Kellner Center for Neurogenomics, Behavior, & Society in connection with the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, the Center for Social & Behavioral Science, and the School of Social Work.

Bangladesh, a global hub for the textile industry, is also known for its rivers and iconic landmarks like Cox’s Bazar, the world’s longest sea beach, and the Sundarbans, home to the royal Bengal tiger. Come and explore the rich culture of Bangladesh through fun activities and displays and learn how the language, cuisine, clothing, and customs shape the everyday lives of the Bangladeshi people. Enjoy cultural displays, traditional snacks, and student-led storytelling that highlight the country’s deep-rooted hospitality, resilience, and revolutionary spirit. Dinner is provided. Open to all. 

Join us for a special Names Training focused on Turkish names! This interactive session will explore the diverse linguistic and cultural influences that shape Turkish names. You’ll gain insight into name structures, pronunciation tips, and cultural context - guided by our presenter with lived experience and knowledge of Turkish naming customs. Registration is required for this virtual training, so secure your spot now! This training is open to faculty, staff, and graduate students.

Coffee Across Cultures Hour is a monthly gathering to connect over coffee, tea, and pastries while exploring global traditions. Each session features a unique theme, offering opportunities to discover customs, share stories, and celebrate the richness of flavors and cultures from around the world. Our October session will spotlight fall harvest traditions from around the world, highlighting the ways communities mark the season through food, gratitude, and celebration. Join us to share stories, enjoy refreshments, and connect with others in this interactive event. Free and open to all. 

In honor of LGBTQ+ History month, come by Spurlock for guided explorations of some of our exhibits and collections that document LGBTQ+ histories and cultures. Drop in any time between 4:00 and 6:00. Free admission. Everyone is welcome.

Enjoy a free concert featuring the Music & Performing Arts Library’s Steinway Duo-Art Reproducing Piano! See the piano in action and learn more about the instrument and roll collection. This is an informal event and all are welcome!

OCTOBER 7: Illinois Modern Ensemble: Annual Martirano Award Contest @7:30pm   OCTOBER 8: October Dance Virtual Performance @7:30pm   OCTOBER 9: Moving Through It: An Embodied Exploration of Resilience, Power, and Play @5:30pm; University of Illinois Philharmonia Orchestra and Illini Strings @7:30pm   OCTOBER 9-11: October Dance @7:30pm   OCTOBER 10: Improviser's Exchange: Workshop with Ravish Momin (Sunken Cages) @3:00pm; Hindsley Symphonic Band and Wind Orchestra @7:30pm   OCTOBER 10-11: Miguel Zenon Quartet @7:30pm   OCTOBER 11: National Arab Orchestra @7:30pm

The Courtyard Café welcomes New Souls to the stage for Musical Mondays. New Souls is a local Champaign-Urbana soul band known for their R&B, soul, funk, and hip-hop sound. The core trio of Mike Ingram, Brandon T. Washington, and Cii La’cole has built a following with their silky three-part harmonies covering some of the greatest Motown, ’90s, and modern songs. This free event is open to the campus and community.

So, you think you can sing? Now’s your chance to get behind the mic. Sign up on arrival to sing songs performed during and inspired by Farm Aid concerts. JJ from Nowhere Karaoke is hosting this fun-filled evening. Full Farm Aid artist list is on our website! Admission is free and all are welcome.

A frank discussion with faculty and students from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine about the food animal and rural area veterinary shortage. Why are we here? What is the University doing to address the issue? And, how you can help Registration is required at this link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

F&S and the City of Urbana are co-sponsoring a Geothermal Power Hour. Geothermal or ground source heat pumps tap the stored clean energy of the Earth below our feet by using the ground’s relatively constant temperature to provide heating, cooling, and hot water for homes and commercial buildings. Geothermal Urbana-Champaign is a public education and bulk purchasing program that makes getting geothermal heating & cooling easier and more affordable for Champaign, Piatt, and Vermilion County home and business owners.

Orchard Downs residents and university community members with children, join us at Orchard Downs Community Center for a special visit from Mother Goose! She will read engaging stories and bring her scarves, shakers, and drum for a lively session of dancing and singing with the children. Plus, each child will receive a free book to take home. Mother Goose on the Loose is a program from the Champaign Public Library.  

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.