Do you have questions about student health insurance? Learn about McKinley Health Center and Student Insurance Benefits, the Health Service fee vs Health Insurance fee, opting out/waving and more! The event will be held via Zoom and will last about one hour.

We are curious to know how our graduates students are thinking about the role of generative AI in research. Please share your thoughts with us! Comments entered in this short questionnaire may be included anonymously in an upcoming GradLIFE blog post. 

The Graduate College is 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 campus 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 today, October 26. Learn more at https://grad.illinois.edu/professional-development/career-exploration-fellowship

Join the Boldly Accessible Challenge to enhance your Canvas course accessibility. This campuswide effort offers a three-level pathway with guided steps, workshops and resources. Earn digital badges, public recognition on the Boldly Accessible Wall of Fame and build inclusive course materials with personalized support. Start by making your syllabus and course content accessible to help build a more inclusive Illinois. 

Join the campus community November 17–21, 2025, for International Education Week (IEW) - a week of events celebrating global learning, cultural exchange, and the international diversity that enriches Illinois. Explore the schedule at go.illinois.edu/IEWevents and take part in activities hosted by student groups, colleges, and campus units. RSOs are also encouraged to host internationally focused events and add them to the IEW calendar. Questions? Contact isss-programs@illinois.edu. 

Stop by the Illini Union Bookstore for the Dads Weekend Scratch Off Ticket Sale! Shop in-store and then at the register you will be given a scratch off ticket to see if you will save 10%, 15% or 20% OFF your entire purchase! No matter what, you will save this weekend. Stock up on all the orange and blue - we even have specific Illinois Dads items - and cheer on the Fighting Illini! 

November 2 is the last day to apply for December 2025 graduation via Self-Service. Students earning multiple degrees (including graduate Certificates) must be on the degree list for each degree. Have questions about adding yourself to the degree list? Click here for an advising appointment!

October 31 is the last day to change your curriculum for the current term. This includes adding or dropping a campus-approved minor, concentration, or graduate Certificate. Please check your student program information in Self-Service to verify your program information is listed correctly. Information on how to change your curriculum is available online.

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.

Good research starts with good data. But how do you keep your files organized, your datasets secure, and your work reproducible? Join us for an interactive lunch seminar on the essentials of Research Data Management (RDM). We’ll cover best practices for data organization, storage, documentation, and sharing—tools that will not only save you time but also strengthen the impact of your research. Whether you’re starting a new project or managing years of data, this session will help you work smarter and more efficiently. Lunch will be provided. Bring your notes and drink

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.

Are you struggling to keep track of all your sources? Looking for an easier way to cite as you write? Mendeley is a free citation manager that helps you organize your citations, store and annotate your files, and insert formatted citations into papers. You will leave this hands-on workshop with a Mendeley library set up and ready to use!

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. Please register with your Illinois email by October 28, and we will send the Zoom invitation on the morning of the event.

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.

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.

Many international graduate students and postdocs seek full-time employment in the US. This workshop covers current U.S. immigration policies and options for making a smooth transition. Speaker Thomas Arkell, a local immigration and employment attorney, will discuss the H-1B petition process for full-time hires and options for permanent residence in the US. Open to anyone who wants to learn more about immigration options for international scholars. No registration required. Held in Graduate College Room 202 (507 E. Green St) and simulcast online at https://go.grad.illinois.edu/eventspace

This session will introduce you to the range of non-tenure track faculty roles in academia (e.g., Lecturer, Teaching Assistant Professor, Adjunct Instructor, etc.). We will discuss issues like employment stability, common work responsibilities, and more. This session will better equip you to understand the landscape of higher education in the U.S., whether you are actively seeking employment in roles like these or just curious about them. Join online at https://go.grad.illinois.edu/eventspace. 

Join us online on Oct. 30 at 4 p.m. for Job Hunting Using AI. Discover how artificial intelligence is reshaping hiring and how to use it to your advantage. Learn about the latest AI tools, ATS optimization, and ways to enhance resumes, cover letters, and networking. Whether you’re new to the job hunt or sharpening your edge, you’ll gain practical strategies to make AI your ally. Registration encouraged, not required. 

Why are personal statements important? How do I start? What makes mine stand out? Join us on Oct. 28 at 5 p.m. for this virtual workshop to learn strategies for understanding prompts, organizing ideas, and drafting a statement that shows your strengths, fit, and potential value to graduate programs. Learn how to submit your draft to The Career Center for personalized feedback. 

Build your intercultural skills in this training designed for faculty, staff, scholars, postdocs, and graduate students. Understanding Intercultural Development introduces the Intercultural Development Continuum (IDC), a framework used to understand and enhance intercultural competence, and provides insight into the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), a tool for assessing and developing these skills. Participants will explore the IDC stages, gain an overview of the IDI, and learn practical strategies for fostering intercultural growth. Registration is required. 

Infographics can be an effective way to convey small bits of information very quickly, while drawing viewers in due to their visual appeal. In this workshop students will learn about best practices for creating infographics and be introduced to several free online tools that allow users to create their own infographics. The session will end with a practice activity where participants are encouraged to use the webtool of their choice.

How might service and volunteer work reinforce structures of inequity? Join We CU and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on Thursday, October 30, at 5:30 PM for a workshop on centering equity and humility in service learning. We will discuss why ethical service requires cultural humility and a commitment to confront power imbalances. This training will help you develop strategies to promote equity in your own service work, critically examine biases, and center the voices of the communities you are serving. Dinner will be served. Register today!

It's challenging to keep track of all the options available for analyzing grayscale data—and even more challenging to understand what some algorithms actually do. During this tutorial, Jay Cournoyer from the Beckman Institute Visualization Laboratory will run through multiple use-case workflows to demystify some of these processes and show off some of the hidden strengths of widely used programs. Please join us at noon on Wednesday, November 5, in 2203 Beckman. Please register by Monday November 3rd.

Join us online on Oct. 29 at 12 noon for the Global Professional Spotlight Series. Meet Rajat Nidoni, Mechanical Engineer at Redwood Materials (and alum), where he focuses on sustainable product development, design thinking, and advanced manufacturing. He has worked on projects from Baja SAE vehicles to clean-tech challenges, including battery recycling and material production. Visit Handshake for more details.

Please join us for a hybrid event with Baiheng Qian, a PhD Candidate in Classical Chinese Literature at Sun Yat-sen University (Guangzhou, China). Her talk examines women's ci poetry and cultural transformation in the mid-to-late Ming dynasty (1522-1644), a period shaped by tensions between hedonistic indulgence and moral rigor. The talk should appeal to anyone interested in poetry, women writers, and Chinese culture, literature, and history.

How can artificial intelligence serve the needs, values, and aspirations of communities beyond the Global North? In this talk, Dr. Sharifa Sultana explores Human–AI Interaction (HAI) through the lens of the Global South, drawing on years of ethnographic and participatory research in Bangladesh, South Asia, and immigrant communities in the United States. 

Join us for the First Friday Psychology-Beckman Colloquium Series, monthly events bringing together members of the campus community for faculty-led lectures, panel discussions, and research spotlights that showcase the breadth and depth of work happening in psychological science at UIUC. On Friday, Nov. 7, we are hosting a panel discussion about Lifespan Development, featuring Associate Professors Joe Cohen, Nu-Chu Liang, and Jessica Montag, moderated by Professor Karen Rudolph.

School of Information Sciences faculty, students, and alumni build and navigate the systems that help society manage increasing amounts of information. Learn about the breadth of their research in a series of presentations and posters addressing interdisciplinary research topics such as LLMs, Responsible AI and cryptocurrency. Kevin Hamilton, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation – Humanities, Arts & Related Fields, will be the keynote speaker. The showcase will be held Wednesday, November 5, from 12:00-4:30 p.m., in Illini Rooms B & C of the Illini Union. 

The HRI Social Movements Reading Group will hold two upcoming sessions on Mon Oct 27 & Mon Nov 3, 5:30-7 PM (central time) in Lincoln Hall 3057 (use one of the entrances on Wright Street). We will read excerpts from Jane McAlevey’s No Shortcuts for the first session. Light refreshments provided. You can find more information about the reading group or register at bit.ly/READMOVEMENTS.

Older adults face unique physical, cognitive, and technological challenges that affect their ability to use digital health tools effectively. This session explores prior tech experience, health literacy, physical limitations (e.g., vision, dexterity, hearing), and perceived usefulness. It addresses barriers specific to older adults, beyond general technology use, to improve their engagement with digital health tools.  Presenter: Mimi Trinh 

NCSA, in collaboration with the Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center (IQUIST), invites you to the Quantum User Group (QUG) kick-off event at NCSA. The QUG was formed to raise awareness of activities of interest in quantum computing, in all its forms, to the campus community and create a forum for information sharing about emerging quantum computing capabilities. There will be an overview of the group, lightning talks from Santiago Núñez-Corrales and Wolfgang Pfaff, and time for Q&A. More information available See more information..

Erik McDuffie (African American Studies and History) will discuss his book “The Second Battle for Africa: Garveyism, the US Heartland, and Global Black Freedom.” This talk appreciates the importance of Garveyism and the Midwest for understanding the contours, genealogies, and complexities of twentieth-century Black transnational resistance and for imagining that another world is possible in this moment of global crisis.  

The Icko Iben Jr. Distinguished Lecture Series brings world-renowned astronomers to campus for engaging talks designed for a general audience. Join us at 7 p.m. Wednesday., Oct. 29, in the Lincoln Hall Theater or online for Cosmic Gold, as Princeton professor Eliot Quataert explores how gravitational waves, first predicted by Einstein, are helping reveal the secrets of black holes, neutron stars and even the origins of elements like gold and platinum. Come early for a chance at a free gift!

NCSA will host William K. M. Lai on Wednesday, October 29, as part of the NCSA Colloquium Series. Lai is Assistant Research Professor in Molecular Biology, Genetics, and Computational Biology at Cornell University. He will present "Poisoning of Networks with Adversarial Particle Swarm Optimization," and focus on Adversarial Particle Swarm Optimization (APSO), a new method for creating and studying “poisoned” data—data that can trick or weaken AI systems.

The Illinois Wind Symphony plays their four-part program in Foellinger Great Hall, featuring works by Gao Hong, Vincent Persichetti, Joaquin Turina, and Jules Strens. Illinois Theatre kicks off their season with The Play that Goes Wrong by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Saying, and Henry Shields: a 'comedic masterpiece' guaranteed to make you laugh! Varsity Men's Glee Club performs their annual Dads Day Concert with guest appearances from the UI Women's Glee Club & Andrea Solya and The Other Guys. Visit KRANNERTCENTER.COM for tickets or more information!

Do you want to learn how to swing dance? The Illini Swing society hosts weekly lessons and social dances for beginners and intermediate dancers every Thursday! Intermediate lessons are from 6:30 - 7:30pm, and beginner lessons are from 7:30 - 8:30pm. Our 7-week long set of lessons began Oct 23rd, but registration is still open. This week's dance on October 30th will also feature a Halloween costume contest. The 7-week series is $40, but we have volunteering opportunities that can help lessen the cost. We can’t wait to dance with you!

Get ready for a time of fun and friendly competition at our Global Games Get-Together! Join us to explore a collection of board games from different countries and regions around the world, meet new friends, and enjoy a variety of international snacks in a relaxed atmosphere. From classic games to unique cultural favorites, there’s something for everyone—whether you’re an experienced gamer or just looking to try something new. Free and open to everyone. 

Native American Heritage Month at Illinois. This year's theme is "Through the Lens of Kinship: Exploring Indigenous Standpoints on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)." Programs, activities, and events in November foreground the deep ethic of kinship as a framework for reimagining belonging, accountability, and sustainability in our communities and institutions. Programs are open to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, or national origin. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request. Please contact the Native American House at nah@illinois.edu.

The Annual Tagore Festival celebrates the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore's 1912 visit to the Urbana campus, where he delivered lectures at the Channing Murray Chapel. The 2025 celebration will feature a keynote lecture by Professor Michele Louro titled "India's Anticolonial Struggle from Swadeshi to Independence," followed by a performance of Tagore's songs by students and community members of CU.

Join us for the NetworQ, a space for Graduate and Professional LGBTQIA+ students to engage in social and professional opportunities. For more information or to join the NetworQ GroupMe, email Chris Schlarb, cschlarb@illinois.edu. Our next meeting is on Thursday, November 6 from 5 - 6 pm in the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, 616 E. Green Street, Suite 202, entrance between McDonalds and Subway, 2nd floor. We will be having "Craft & Chill" so bring your favorite craft to work on and enjoy ice cream sundaes. 

The struggle for academic survival can be a scary experience.  If you want to survive, follow us – to the Library Halloween Phobia Phest!  On Tuesday, October 28th from 1-4pm the Main Library’s Orange Room will host an event to destress from Midterms and prepare for the rest of the semester.  Create fun crafts like bat bookmarks and buttons, explore virtual reality haunted houses, and learn about horror from across cultures.  Don't let your next assignment be a jump scare – prepare ahead with tips from the Writers Workshop, Speakers Workshop, and Research Consultations.

Dating in a new culture can be both exciting and complex. Join us for an engaging discussion on navigating cultural differences in relationships—from communication styles to expectations. Open to all; lunch provided. 

Staying on campus for Fall Break? Please join University Housing Dining Services and International Education for our 11th Annual Cooking with the Chefs. Tell stories, make new friends, and share warm memories in addition to a delicious celebration meal prepared with and for you and our Chefs. Space is limited, RSVP today! "You Teach" session recipe/ingredients must be received by November 10.  Lunch only option is also available, RSVP here.  Open to all students!

Join us at our mid-semester coffee hour to meet other graduate students and start your day with coffee, bagels, and de-stressing activities. We'll have some information about available resources and upcoming opportunities for graduate students. ALL graduate students are welcome (no IGB affiliation required to attend)! RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/IGBGrads-coffeehour.

Join us as we honor Veterans Day with keynote speaker Major General (Ret.) James H. Mukoyama, Jr., a University of Illinois alumnus, decorated combat Veteran, a proud Illinois alumnus and trailblazing U.S. Army leader. With over 30 years of service, Major General Mukoyama’s legacy reflects courage, groundbreaking leadership, and a lifelong commitment to supporting Veterans and military families.

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.