The next meeting of the 2023-2024 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Senate is on Monday, February 5, at 3:10 pm, in Illini Room A of the Illini Union (1st floor). Meeting materials are available at https://www.senate.illinois.edu/ss20240205a.asp. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

Creating your own Illinois-themed website just got easier! Tech Services is excited to announce two new template plugins on publish.illinois.edu that come with a built-in framework and text placeholders that serve as an instruction guide. Get started by reading the article, “New Template Plugins Available on publish.illinois.edu.” 

The Dr. Tai R. Shin and Mrs. You H. Shin Humanitarian Award allows the honoree to award $50,000 to a department or program in the University of Illinois System. Honoree nominations based on award criteria are due April 12. Preference is for recipients to be alumni of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Chicago, or University of Illinois Springfield. 

Illinois Extension SNAP-Ed and the Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion will host two regional Illinois Hunger and Health Summits to catalyze collaboration among local, public, and regional organizations working together on food insecurity and its impact on health. Registration is required:Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby, on March 13 and Salvation Army, Springfield, on March 20.

The Black Joy Project celebrates the beauty, joy, and resilience of Black women and girls and their lived experiences during COVID-19 and the social unrest after the brutal deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others. Throughout 2024, public events will carry the project’s themes into performances, workshops, and other programs. 

The 2022-2023 Annual Global Engagement Report showcasing campus wide international engagements has been published. Please view the report here. It is also available to be viewed on the Global Relations core services page.

The Robert P. Larsen Grant for Research in Career Development is accepting proposals to support research addressing career development and vocational issues. Currently enrolled graduate students are eligible. Qualitative and quantitative proposals considered from various disciplines. Projects should be completed in a 1-year timeframe. Multiple awards possible. Deadline to apply: March 17, 2024.

Join our Conversation Cafés to enhance the Illinois Value Proposition. Share unique benefits of working at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Meet colleagues, explore meaningful questions, and contribute to refining our employee foundation. Multiple dates in Feb, virtual and in-person options. Registration is required. Your input is crucial! 

Get a regular reminder of upcoming training opportunities by signing up for the Tech Services Training Announcements Newsletter. It’s sent every Friday morning to give you a preview of the next two weeks of office hours, workshops, and training classes that are free for all Illinois students, faculty, and staff. Subscribe today!  

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was designated a First Scholars institution by NASPA’s Center for First Generation Student Success last spring. The next step in the process requires mapping services, and programs specifically relating to first-generation student success. We ask that you please complete the form by Thursday, February 29, 2024. 

This year, Moms Weekend is April 12-14. If your department is holding special events during Moms Weekend, we invite you to add them to the official Moms Weekend calendar. Click here to view the calendar. In the upper right-hand corner is a "+" sign, click that and add your event! Questions about Moms Weekend? Reach out to Terry Thies, New Student & Family Experiences, t-thies@illinois.edu.

EJP is accepting applications from faculty, staff, and students interesting in participating in our educational programs at Danville prison in 2024-25, joining our reentry guide or policy teams, or interning in our campus office. Join a zoom info session to learn about  opportunities and the application process: Tuesday Feb 20, 4 - 5pm. Members of the local community are also welcome. 

Spread warmth! By donating new/gently used hats, scarves, gloves, heating pads, and handwarmers to the Food Assistance and Wellbeing pantry. Drop-off locations: Self Care Day: February 5 from 11 am-1 pm, in Illini Room C at the Union. Activities & Recreation Center (ARC), donation bin next to Member Services. Turner Student Services Building, donation bin next to the front desk.

Program includes Mozart's Quartet in D Major, Bartók's Quartet No. 6, and Brahms' Piano Quintet in F Minor. The Jupiter String Quartet, performing tonight with award-winning pianist Soyeon Kate Lee, have been artists-in-residence at the U of I since 2012. Now enjoying their 20th year together, this tight-knit ensemble is firmly established as an important voice in the world of chamber music.

Yellow warblers have a secret code to warn each other about sneaky cowbirds laying eggs in their nests. Discover how these tiny birds communicate this threat, stay vigilant, and call in reinforcements!  Join us this Wednesday February 7th at 5:30PM to hear Dr. Shelby Lawson discuss her work with these amazing birds! We are back at Cafeteria and Company in downtown Urbana (208 W Main St, Urbana).

In this workshop, you will learn the basics of Illinois REDCap and how it can be used for the collection of research data, including how to create projects, instruments, and surveys and how to start collecting research data. It is recommended (but not required) that you have a REDCap account prior to attending the workshop. No prior REDCap experience is necessary.

Please join us for the Women in Science Lecture Series, February 8 from 12 -1pm. Dr. May Berenbaum, Professor and Head of the Department of Entomology, will present her talk titled “Curiosity-driven research in plant-insect interactions across a half-century” about her career and research. This is a hybrid event and will take place in the University Archives or you can register for the zoom link.

Is it a performance? An installation? A presentation? Come find out... Performance at 5:30, reception to follow at 6:30. Recommended for adult audiences. No photography, videography, or other recording is permitted. Skeena Reece is a Tsimshian/Gitksan and Cree artist based in British Columbia. She has garnered national and international attention, most notably for Raven: On the Colonial Fleet.

Presented in collaboration with Illinois Soul 101.1 FM in celebration of Black History Month. A Louisiana-born, Illinois-raised stick of dynamite! Dexter’s musical stylings have roots in gospel, blues, r&b, and early jazz traditions. He is the frontman of the number one funk band in the Midwest, Dexter O’Neal and The Funk Yard. 

How is historical imagination embedded in the writing of fiction? Sidney Chalhoub, Professor of History and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University, will present his lecture on Fiction as Archive: Slavery in Literary and Legal Texts. Register here for the event and for the lunch.

Join Masoud Darabi of the University of Kansas as he presents in person at the Spring 2024 Kent Seminar Series Thursday, February 8, from 2-3 p.m. (CT). Food and soft drinks will be provided beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the ICT Classroom. 

This session will cover conceptual design, storytelling techniques, and scriptwriting. Our goal is to set a strong foundation to help researchers understand communication in this popular, innovative format. We will have four subsequent sessions that go into more depth, but this first workshop is paramount to getting started! This is the first session in a 5-part series.

Join the Speaking Center on Thursday, 2/8/24 at 3:30pm in Main Library 106 for our first workshop of the spring, Coping with Presentation Anxiety! In this workshop, students will learn strategies and mindsets to help cope with common symptoms and more related to speech and presentation anxiety. Pre-registration is required using the link above.

The Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble returns to their Midwest home for this performance of three extraordinary dances: Castor and Pollux, which premiered in 1980 at the Cunningham Dance Foundation; V, which premiered in 2001 at the Dance Umbrella Festival in London; and Water, which premiered in 2021 at Brooklyn Bridge Park. 

Let Allerton ‘light up’ your Valentine’s weekend with a romantic stroll through a special Valentine GLOW presented by the U of I Community Credit Union from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9. Make memories and enjoy a stroll through Formal Gardens and woodlands (Find a map here.)! Complete your visit with a discounted overnight stay in the House in the Woods. Call 217-333-3287 for reservations.

The Sky Happiness Retreat is an internationally acclaimed life-skills program that helps participants develop relaxed, stress-free mind, energetic, healthy body through evidence-based meditation, yoga, breathwork in a fun and an experiential format. The retreat is fully funded for all UIUC students, partial scholarships available for staff and faculty. Sign up link: tiny.cc/skyuiucfeb2024 

Join DSJE & the University YMCA for our Spring 2024 Friday Forum x Conversation Café speaker series! On February 9, we'll be hosting Keith Knight, Gentleman Cartoonist (cartoonist, rapper, social activist, father, and educator) for a comic strip slideshow. Free lunch from Y Thai Eatery provided! 

A delectable adaptation of a Jacobean drama with Faustian echoes, Witch by Jen Silverman is a vibrant dark comedy in which the Devil, a charming trickster, arrives to tempt people in the town of Edmonton, he preys on those who appear vulnerable. In a social setting of nefarious gamesmanship and social striving, the devil may just meet his artful match! Contains adult content

Join the lively Brazilian Carnaval at the University YMCA, a celebration with delicious food, invigorating live music, and fun games. Don't miss this chance to experience the joy and energy of Carnaval, where community, culture, and festivity come together for an unforgettable day of fun and excitement! Please Register Here. 

Game Studies and Design brings to campus a day of Games, VR and Dance at SCD in the lower level gallery. Sam Glassenberg, CEO of Level Ex, will speak at 12:30pm. The GSD Stu/dio invites all to join hands-on game development experiences at 1:30pm and at 4pm.  Guest artist Jody Sperling will perform the dance art of Loie Fuller at 3pm. Finally an Art & Design Q&A session will begin at 5pm.

Enjoy a fine dining experience with Chef Rupinder Kaur at Supper Club on Thursday, Feb. 15 in the Allerton Park Mansion. Kaur is the head chef at NAYA Indian Cuisine, which serves high-quality Indian fare on the University of Illinois campus. The evening begins with a cocktail hour at 6:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. $100/person. Register here by Feb. 8. 

Do you have responsibility for approving events or activities in your facility? Plan to attend the upcoming training for "Designated Officials" to learn about assessing risk, emergency planning, conflict de-escalation, and more. The in-person training will be offered Thursday, February 22 from 2-3:30pm in room 104 Illini Union. Register to attend by Feb. 19.

Learn the skills of improv, including scene creation and team dynamics at Improve Your Improv from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays, Feb. 20 through April 9 at Allerton Park. Kyle Tasch returns to The Farms to teach this course, which will be packed with improvisational fun that will use both short-form games and long-form scenes in its sessions. $120/person for the series or $25/session. Register here.

Please join us for a potluck and a chance to meet the Doctoral Research Support Program (DRSP) team and your fellow doctoral students. All are welcome to bring a dish. We look forward to seeing you there! Click here to register.

Would you like to learn about the latest initiatives in sustainability, social responsibility, and resilience in Supply Chains from both academia and industry? Come join us at the 2024 Illinois Supply Chain Management Conference, February 23-24, 2024.   For details and registration information, visit: https://giesbusiness.illinois.edu/scm-conference-2024. Register by February 8.

The European Union Center and the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago invite you to join us for a free screening of “Tigre Reale,” a 1916 Italian silent film about the power of love and the destructiveness of memory, the cliché of the femme fatale and the obsession with guilt. The film will be accompanied live by Stefano Maccagno (piano) and Furio Di Castri (double bass). Learn more here.

In celebration of Black History Month, the McKinley Sexual Health Program will be hosting a sex positive poetry show on Thursday, February 29th from 6-8pm at the Illini Union Lower-Level Food Court. The show features storytelling, spoken word, educational demonstrations, music and more. We invite you to share your ideas, experiences and feelings about sex and sexuality through creative expression.

This training series is designed for faculty and staff at the University of Illinois seeking to understand race and racism in deeper ways, promote racial justice, and dismantle systems of oppression through intensive 3-hour trainings co-facilitated by DSJE and campus staff. You can register for one of these trainings here: http://go.illinois.edu/RJAA

There is still time to register for the Chief Engineers & Facility Manager Conference. This budget friendly training conference features high-quality educational sessions on the latest technologies and applications used in the efficient and sustainable operation of buildings. Industry experts deliver presentations and offer attendees the opportunity to ask questions and discuss common interests.

Our theme is “The Evolving, Engaged Learner in a Digital World.” Some of the most rapid and impactful changes in the teaching and learning landscape are due to digital technologies. These impact how students can learn now and will learn in the future. There will be spaces for innovative ideas, interactive activities, resources, retreat grants, and new colleagues. Space is limited! Register here. 

The AICE Spring Research Symposium will be held on March 5 in Chicago. The event will showcase AI conversational systems work by AICE researchers and students by bringing together thought leaders from academia and industry to foster collaborations and build community for research, education, and infrastructure to accelerate AI for interactive conversational experiences. Register by February 26.

Register now for the Cancer & Microbes Symposium, a one-day event hosted by the Cancer Center at Illinois on March 29 at Allerton Park & Retreat Center. This symposium will explore the latest work in cancer and microbe research and opportunities for potential collaborations. Registration closes on March 22. 

Dr. Lizhi Liu (Georgetown), "The Rise of Data Politics: Digital China and the World.” Dr. Liu will explore various aspects of data politics through the lens of China’s digital rise and the country’s global engagement. Her talk will address topics of data sovereignty and the valuation of state power in a data-centric global economy. 

In this workshop, you will learn a method for planning qualitative data analysis (QDA) and choosing which tools you will need for your project. We begin by focusing on the intended outcomes of your project and moving back from there to decide your next steps.

Curious about mapping the relationships between people, places, and institutions and seeing how they change over time? Join us to play with GephiLite, a beginner-friendly network analysis tool, and learn how to visualize relationships as webs of connection. In this workshop, we’ll provide an overview of how GephiLite works and how to create relationship networks in it. 

This webinar will discuss the various applications and advantages of flexible geomembranes to protect water including potable water, stormwater, produced, & process water containment. The webinar will include industry best practices for material selection, immersion performance testing for chemicals including PFAS, and methods to evaluate remaining life expectancy of aging geomembranes. 1.0 PDH

How can you teach about, through, and with Human-Centered Design in higher education? This workshop introduces instructors to Human-Centered Design and its potential applications in teaching strategies and course materials. 

Robert Sisneros, senior research scientist at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, will present "Browser-Based Analytics: The Practical Reality and Developing Robust, Reliable, and Reproducible Analyses in Spite of It."  CIRSS' Trustworthy Computational Science Speaker Series addresses the challenges of enabling researchers to build on prior computational research with confidence.

This webinar introduces the basic tools and resources for government statistics and data. Attendees will learn about the major federal government and intergovernmental organizations' statistics and data as well as strategies to search for government statistics.

Have you ever wondered why you make the money decisions that you do? Exploring the psychology of money will help you understand this and how our personalities impact our finances. Join us on February 14, 2024, for this free webinar!

This event is an online discussion about the 2022 Nigerian film "The Wildflower," co-sponsored by the Center for African Studies. The film addresses various forms of domestic abuse against women. The discussion, led by Adetutu Faburoso, is about the film's themes and its portrayal of societal issues. Please watch it on Netflix and then join us for the online discussion. Please register here.

In this session, students will learn about general and subject-specific indexing and abstracting resources, search techniques, and interacting with collections held at the University of Illinois and beyond. There will also be subject librarians available to meet for area-specific guidance. This session is open to all doctoral students. Zoom link will be sent to registrants in advance of the event.

In this session, we partner with the Writers Workshop to cover the writing process of a literature review. This session is open to all doctoral students. Zoom link will be sent to registrants in advance of the event.

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 (217) 300-5445 

Bee hotels buzz with activity, but is it the right kind? Graduate student Timo Wayman is working with Extension's Brodie Dunn at University of Illinois to research bees and needs help. If you have a previously used bee hotel, donate it to further the understanding of these man-made nests and how they are affecting the bee population in Illinois. Visit https://go.illinois.edu/BeeHotel. 

We are looking for males with no known hearing loss to participate in research exploring how information received by the left and right ear is combined by the brain. Compensation of $15 an hour; an estimated 2-3 hours of participation. Email binauralhearinglab@gmail.com or call (217) 244-2154.

Is drinking causing problems in your relationship? The University of Illinois is conducting a research study for people with alcohol use disorder and their partners. Participants will receive 12 sessions of science-backed alcohol couples treatment and complete phone-based study assessments during their enrollment. Qualified individuals will be compensated for their time. 

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.

The Cognitive Neuroimaging Lab is recruiting people between the ages of 25-75 (native English speakers) for a multi-session study on arterial health and cognition. Compensation and parking will be provided. For more information, please email brain-research@illinois.edu including your name, age, and contact information and indicate that you interested in the “cognition study.”