The last Eweek edition for the calendar year will be Sunday, Dec. 17. Eweek will resume publishing on Sunday, Jan. 7. If you have a time-sensitive event or announcement that needs to be published prior to Jan. 7, please submit it for the Dec. 17 edition.

This year, the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Committee will convene to recognize the power of community action to honor local partners, students, faculty, and staff who have dedicated their talents to enhancing a movement of justice, equity, and dignity. The deadline for submission is Monday, December 11. For additional information please contact Medra Roberts-Southerland, mrs@illinois.edu.

Assist the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center and Facilities & Services with their examination of waste streams on campus by responding to an online survey. Answer questions on current waste management practices and suggest ideas for waste reduction and improved recycling. Survey closes December 22. https://surveys.illinois.edu/sec/1006279958.

Lemann Center and the Graduate College are organizing a workshop on January 23rd, 2024,  which hopes to help students planning to apply for our graduate fellowships, most with deadlines on February 13, 2024. Visit the URL to learn more.

Sign Up to present at The Grainger College of Engineering's 7th Spring Engineering Research Fair on February 6, 4-6PM, Illini Union rooms, A, B, C. Representatives from research groups, programs, and centers are welcome to join to recruit undergraduate assistants, have students present research, and provide information about undergraduate opportunities. Sign Up Deadline: January 31 Learn More

The Graduate College's Career Exploration Fellowship connects PhD students with campus units for mentored work experience. Host units hire a Fellow for 10-15 hrs/week at $25/hr and the Fellow receives a fellowship/tuition waiver. Enthusiastic learners and innovative thinkers, Fellows contribute significantly to units. Interested in being a host in Fa24 or Sp25? Email gradsuccess@illinois.edu.

The Gen AI CoE, under the Office of the Provost and the Office of the CIO, would like to invite all U of I faculty and staff to participate in a survey about their use of generative AI by January 8. This survey will help move our University towards a more responsible and effective use of generative AI. Thank you in advance for your time and input. 

The Fulbright Arctic Initiative (FAI) is for professionals, practitioners, and researchers from Arctic Council member countries to address key research and policy related questions through webinars, collaboration, and exchange in three main areas: Climate Change and Arctic Resources, Arctic Security and Governance, Mental Health and Well-Being. Check here for more info.

The Illini Union Bookstore is offering Holiday Deal Days from December 12-21. Each day you can get a different great deal on Illini apparel and gifts. Check out all the deals! Watch our Instagram page for the daily deals as well.

Interested in exploring the potential commercial application of your research? Apply to the Illinois I-Corps Lean Launchpad Short Course that provides a set of skills and entrepreneurial knowledge that can be applied to any career path. Explore your innovation from a business and customer perspective and prepare to apply for federal grants. Spring session application is due January 15.

Nominate your students for the $20,000 Illinois Innovation Award. Awarded by The Grainger College of Engineering through the Technology Entrepreneur Center, the Illinois Innovation Award honors students for excellence in cutting-edge innovation or translational research that addresses real-world problems and has the potential to make a significant impact. Nominate now. 

The Office of the Provost at Illinois provides funding assistance for full-time, tenure-stream and specialized faculty of all ranks to attend the conference. This funding cover registration costs up to $500.00. Deadline to apply is February 23, 2024.

The Technology Services-ICS Reservation System is now accepting reservations for the Fall 2024 semester. Classroom/lab details can be found by visiting the Technology Services-ICS Computer Lab Webpage. Classrooms/labs can be reserved for individual dates or for the same time for multiple weeks in a semester.

Attn. Faculty, Postdocs, Staff & Grad Students, we need your help! We are seeking judges for the 2024 Undergraduate Research Symposium, set for Thursday, April 25, 2024. As a judge, you'll be assigned a 1.5-hour slot (based on your availability) to evaluate a subset of student presentations. Sign up at: https://go.illinois.edu/URSJudge. Great university service opportunity to add to your CV!

The Doctoral Research Support Program (DRSP) invites students to submit workshop and symposium proposals for spring 2023. These workshops and symposia can be in person, virtual, or hybrid. We welcome proposals from all disciplines. These workshops should help foster dissertation research, peer-to-peer mentoring, academic training, and research collaboration at Illinois and beyond.

There will be no hazardous waste collection or deliveries of radioactive materials on campus holidays and gift days. Please adjust your research schedules accordingly.  Do not order materials to be delivered to the Illinois campus on these days or expect waste collection (12/21/23 – 1/1/2024). Please contact the Division of Research Safety at drs@illinois.edu if you have any questions or concerns.

The Illinois Wiki will be set to read-only on January 10, 2024. It will be fully retired by June 30, 2024. To support your transition from the Illinois Wiki, you can request a consultation by December 15 on the Illinois Wiki Retirement page, that’s also where you can view FAQs and identify an alternative to the wiki.  

Join the Writers Workshop to kick off the New Year the "write" way! For folks planning to catch up on some writing over Winter Break, we'll be offering a mini-retreat during the week of January 8th on Monday, Wednesday, & Friday from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, in the Main Library's Orange Room or by Zoom. Please note that you only need to register once to attend any or all of these dates. 

The Campus Bike Center, in collaboration with the Urbana Bike Project, is hosting a Kids' Bike Giveaway! Stop by the Independent Media Center on Saturday, December 16 from 1-3pm to receive a free bike (first come, first served - while supplies last). Bike sizes are for children ages 1-10 and they must be present to pick it out. Everyone is welcome!

AWS for Higher Education will demonstrate Generative AI solutions on January 24, 2024, 1:00 to 5:00pm at NCSA Auditorium. AI offers exciting opportunities to enhance learning, scholarship and accelerate research but also to drastically enhance efficiency by augmenting many administrative processes across campus. Attend in-person or online. Info & registration: https://go.illinois.edu/awsai.

Registration is now open for the 2024 AgTech Innovation Summit on Tuesday, March 5. The AgTech Summit is a free interactive conference. This event features a unique mix of investors from throughout the Midwest, large corporations, prominent academics, growers, and startups to provide a well-rounded perspective on the future of AgTech. Register Here.

Explore the potential of generative AI with this interactive workshop. Engage in hands-on exercises, learn about diverse practical applications, and network with your colleagues. This workshop offers a unique opportunity to understand and leverage AI tools in your work. Spaces are limited, so we encourage prompt registration.

Join Gies College of Business as we discuss multiple perspectives on the impact of generative AI in the workplace (featuring Tawnya Means, Gies Assistant Dean for Educational Innovation and Chief Learning Officer, Chris Tidrick, Gies Chief Information Officer, and Mark Cianca, Principal, Huron Consulting Group)

In December's Web Con workshop, "How to Create Engaging Videos for Universities," the Strategic Communications & Marketing's Videography team delves into the art of creating captivating videos. This session will discuss the importance of strong visual storytelling, encompassing the principles of dynamic cinematography, as well as recording and presenting audio. Join us on Zoom!

A webinar related to design and proper deployment of geocomposite drainage layers for landfills and ponds will be presented. In particular, preferred details for connecting geocomposites to pipes, anchor trenches, sumps, etc. will be covered. In addition, incorporating leachate levels in slope stability analyses will be discussed.  1.0 PDH

Participants needed for a study on health technology that supports BP medication adherence. Participants must be 65 years of age or older, take at least 1 medication for high BP, and use an iPhone. Participants will receive compensation. Please spread the word to family and friends. (Study in partnership with the University of Arizona). Email bp-system@pharmacy.arizona.edu or call (520) 477-9369 

Did you give birth in the past 12 months? Have you currently or previously experienced stress, sadness, low mood, other sad emotions, and pain since childbirth? We are conducting individual phone interviews for women (aged 18-45) to learn how emotions and pain are experienced by women postpartum. Contact us today at (217) 244-9363 or sepppi-study@illinois.edu. Participants will be paid.

All meals are provided for 12 weeks. 3 urine collections, 4 blood draws and 7 fecal donations will be required. Those without food allergies, intestinal disease, diabetes, gallbladder removal or bariatric surgery may qualify. BMI greater than 25 meets inclusion criteria. For your participation, you will receive up to $1000. To learn more and find out if you qualify contact: maggieo4@illinois.edu 

Help make the Next Alcohol Fitbit! The Alcohol Research Lab is looking for frequent drinkers to participate in a validation study of transdermal biosensing bracelets. Participation involves attending three laboratory sessions, wearing a transdermal bracelet, and filling out surveys for two weeks. Up to $300 in compensation for participation.