The next meeting of the 2023-2024 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Senate is at 3:10 p.m. on Monday, April 1, in Illini Room A at the Illini Union. Meeting materials are available at https://www.senate.illinois.edu/ss20240401a.asp. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

Six policies will be removed from the CAM Website by Monday, April 15, 2024: Academic Professional Position Cyclic Review Procedure , Administrative Salary, Affirmative Action Guidelines and Procedures for Academic Appointments, Affirmative Action Non-Academic Program, Bereavement Leave, Departmental Affiliate.

Looking for a flexible volunteer opportunity while meeting new people and having fun at the same time? The IEI is looking for English-speaking volunteers to meet with international students for casual conversation exchange for one hour a week starting in mid-April. You'll be helping students adapt to American culture and you'll learn about another culture at the same time!

National Student Employment Week is April 7 to April 13. Every year, the second full week of April is dedicated to highlighting Student Employment and recognizing and appreciating the invaluable work students provide to the U. of I. Set aside some time during the week of April 7 to celebrate your student(s) and the many contributions they give to your department/office/lab/classroom.   

The Greg Gulick Service Excellence Award is awarded annually to two IT professionals at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The award honors IT professionals who exemplify a commitment to collaboration and servant leadership. The nomination form is now open through 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 30. You may nominate more than one individual, but self-nominations will not be accepted.

Join us for the Art of Teaching Lunchtime Seminar Series at noon on April 4 when Melissa Iverson (Social Work) helps participants explore the crucial role of anti-oppressive teaching in academia. Emphasizing the responsibility of educators, this presentation underscores the importance of revising course syllabi to combat oppressive practices, promote diversity and foster a welcoming environment.

The Graduate College is now accepting applications from graduate students to serve on its 2024-25 student advisory board. SAGE (Students Advising on Graduate Education) members enrich graduate student community, build leadership skills and strengthen Graduate College services and programs. Please encourage students in your units to apply. The application deadline is April 14 (11:59 p.m. CT).

The F&S Diverse Internship Program provides extensive opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented groups to explore future employment in the facilities management and utilities industries. Students participating in the program will receive experiential learning in areas of interest or study. Click the link to view the positions. Applications are due by April 5.

Language and culture are “intertwined, interconnected, and they can never be separated,” asserts Jude (Duah) Mensah, a PhD student in UIUC’s French Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Education program. In this episode, Jude’s passion for language learning and teaching is neatly juxtaposed with his thoughts on language as a vehicle for cross-cultural connection.

Beckman is accepting faculty and staff entries for its research image contest. Images submitted by Beckman affiliates or captured within Beckman's core research facilities by non-Beckman affiliates are eligible. Winning images will be displayed in the Beckman Director's Conference Room, posted on Beckman's website and social media and showcased on campus and in the community. Submit by May 1.

The University of Illinois System and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) have established a joint seed research grants program for one year, starting with the academic year 2024-25. This program will fund projects in three thematic areas: Food and Health; Water; Energy.  https://files.blogs.illinois.edu/files/6758/1179929229/224694.pdf

The Program Leader Safety and Best Practices Workshop guides program leaders in preparing for the safest possible experience abroad. Those who lead, or assist, short-term education abroad or other university-related travel abroad for students must attend at least one workshop a year. Please visit safetyabroad.illinois.edu for more information and to register.

April is National Arab American Heritage Month. To celebrate it, The Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies is organizing a one-day symposium next Friday, April 5.

Mei Shen, an assistant professor of chemistry, will present "High spatiotemporal resolution electroanalysis for understanding brain function and diseases." Register to receive lunch.

Join us for the Research Live! Finalist Showcase! This event will include screenings of the finalists' presentations, live voting for the People's Choice Award and an announcement of the winners! You can view the full list of finalists on the Graduate College website. Mark your calendars for the final event at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, at the Campus Instructional Facility and online.

I will discuss two hearing disorders: tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and hyperacusis (sensitivity to loudness of everyday sounds). The sounds of tinnitus are only heard by the individuals experiencing this condition. In hyperacusis, typically you find the loudness of everyday sounds more bothersome than those around you. My lab uses behavioral and brain imaging tools to study these conditions.

Learn about the methodology and procedures for different types of scientific literature reviews — systematic, meta analysis, scoping and more —to determine which process aligns with specific research projects. Acquire tools and explore Library resources to implement in future research projects or assignments. All are welcome!

This video editing software created by Adobe and part of the Adobe Creative Suite is available free of charge to all Illinois students, faculty and staff. It is the industry standard among videographers, directors and editors. This workshop will introduce this powerful workstation to anyone interested in video production. No experience required but helpful.

A manuscript should be evaluated by reviewers based on its quality and scientific merit. However, peer review has been pointed out in literature as a biased system comprised of biased people. This workshop will discuss types of bias in the peer review process such as gender, race, nationality, prestige and reputation of authors, and share recommendations to deal with reviewers and their biases.

Adobe InDesign is a layout and design software program that allows you to create print and digital media. It is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud, which is available to all Illinois students for free! This workshop is designed for those with little to no experience with InDesign to help you learn the basics. You will gain experience navigating the features and there will be time to explore.

Campus Recreation is offering a 45-minute story time adventure for your little ones! Kids ages 4-6 are welcome to join Adventure Rec staff in the cozy Reflection Room at the ARC. Feel free to bring a pillow or stuffie from home! Dates, times, and registration information can be found in Active Illini. Little Adventure is open to everyone - no Campus Rec membership required.

An absurdist fable commemorating the October Revolution, Black Square is, as described by its creators, “a tragicomic love story that mixes intellectual traditions of Russian avant-garde and the fast pacing style of an action thriller." The work features music by Ilya Demutsky and libretto by Olga Maslova and Igor Konyukov. Performances April 2, April 4 and April 6.

Deanna Ledezma "Upholding Photographs: Archival Resurgences and Precarious Homecomings" 

Do you have grad or undergrad students preparing for a class or conference presentation? The Writers Workshop and Office of Undergraduate Research will help them figure out what their presentation should include, share tips and strategies for engagement and discuss how to present with confidence online and in-person. We will offer an online session on 4/4 and an in-person session on 4/16.

This workshop will outline key principles for grad student mentoring and use discussion of case studies to explore what those principles look like in practice. It will address topics including establishing and maintaining boundaries, considering student well-being and more. The workshop is open to all faculty but may be especially useful for those in their first few years. Register here.

Please join Disability Resources and Educational Services for our 75th Anniversary Celebration April 19, 2024! Open House 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Remarks 10:30 a.m.; Lunch Buffet 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Beckwith Residential Support Services tours 11 a.m. to noon. RSVP by April 5th at: go.illinois.edu/DRES75rsvp or contact Wendy Mintz at wwolter@illinois.edu or 217-300-1387.

This symposium will showcase how new work on medical and scientific knowledge production challenges what we think we know about the creation, circulation and application of medical authority in oppressive regimes in the Americas. Register here. 

The annual Balgopal Lecture is taking place on Wednesday, April 3. Guests are welcome to hear Dr. Maha Hilal present her talk Islamophobia, The War on Terror, and the Rhetorics of State Violence at the Levis Faculty Center from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Balgopal Lecture on Human Rights and Asian Americans is established by a generous endowment from Pallassana R. Balgopal and Shyamala Balgopal in 2007.

The State Universities Annuitants Association (SUAA) will present at the April Council of Academic Professionals meeting. SUAA works to preserve and protect a strong public pension system, healthcare benefits, higher education and the general well-being of university employees. Learn more about SUAA, the work they do, and how to get involved at 1:15 p.m. April 4 via Zoom. 

The Astronomy Department welcomes everyone to attend the Icko Iben Jr. Distinguished Lecture, "Signals from the Beginning of the Universe," presented by Jo Dunkley, Joseph Henry Professor of Physics and Astrophysical Sciences. The Iben Lectures bring high-profile astronomers to campus to speak to a general audience. 

Fresh Press still has some educational and fun workshops and open studio hours this April for you to explore hand papermaking in general and for your creative projects. Our next introductory workshop is April 6, while our next open studio is March 27! We'd love to see you here!

Enjoy the Solar Eclipse at Allerton from 12:30 to 3:20 p.m. Monday, April 8, in the Meadow. The partial eclipse begins at 12:48 p.m., maximum coverage is at 2:05 p.m. and the eclipse concludes around 3:20 p.m. A limited number of solar eclipse glasses will be available. $5 suggested donation. You can also take part in a free Yoga session from 1 to 2 p.m. Register here.

Aerospace connects people and enables global commerce. It also has a significant impact on the environment. Boeing is dedicated to bold climate change ambitions and support civil aviation’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This seminar will discuss ongoing efforts being taken by Boeing to address the climate challenge facing aviation. A reception will follow.

We invite you to join us as Dr. Leonard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Carle Health, explores the history of healthcare during the last four years and the extraordinary impact created by the pandemic, with a focus on the healthcare delivery system. Faculty, staff and students are all invited to attend.  

Join us for a special event featuring the Oscar-winning short documentary "Period. End of Sentence." by Rayka Zehtabchi. This 25-minute film sheds light on the efforts of village women in Northern India to improve feminine hygiene and destigmatize menstruation through their sanitary pad business. Following the screening, stay for a discussion moderated by Kate Clancy. Registration appreciated.

Jeremy Sarkin is a Research Professor of Law at the University of Lisbon, Portugal, and has held a position at the University of Pretoria. He has extensive experience in international law, having served as an acting judge in Africa and Chairperson of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. Lunch with RSVP.

The Intensive Language Instruction Program (ILIP) offers classes in 13 different languages. ILIP classes combine language and culture via engaging activities led by skilled instructors. No grade, just for fun! Students receive 30 hours of enjoyable language instruction, which maximizes exposure to the target language to help them meet their own personal learning goals. Register for ILIP today!

Join us for a presentation and discussion with Liliana Wilson and María Teresa Pizarro who immigrated to the United States from Chile to escape the Pinochet regime (1973-1990) and have since used their experiences with state violence and displacement as the basis for their art and activism. 

Join us for a discussion featuring Temple Grandin. Panelist and moderator Laura Hetrick will lead the discussion. Panelists Nien-Pei Tsai, Marie Channell, Amy Cohen, Tracey Wszalek and Stephanie Ceman will join her. Space is limited; please register in advance.

Celebrate at Allerton’s Earth Day Workshop from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 22. Join Extension Educator Ryan Pankau for a short hike exploring the specular woodland habitat at the Park to see a collection of blooming wildflowers. Continue the celebration by making a wildflower seed bomb with 4-H Program Coordinator Anne Reinbold. $5/person (5 and under free). Register here. 

Allerton’s first Folk School vendor fair, The Market, is 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 4 in the Mansion. Part of the inaugural Bluebell Festival: A Folk School Fundraiser, this event will feature instructors from The Farms: An Allerton Folk School selling their wares and sharing information about their craft. There will also be demonstrations. Free admission; donations accepted.

Join the first-ever Amazing Allerton Race (Teen version) from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 27. Like the popular television reality show, racers will start in groups of two (13-17-year-olds) and travel through the park, solving clues, completing challenges and racing other teams! $10/person. Register here. All sales are final. An All-Ages version is also planned at 10 a.m.

The School of Art and Design invites you to join us for the 2024 MFA Exhibition to see works created by graduating Master of Fine Arts students. The MFA Exhibition will be on view at Krannert Art Museum in the East Gallery from Saturday, April 6 through Saturday, April 20. Krannert Art Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

We are delighted to announce that the Edible Book Festival will be taking place on Saturday, April 6 at the Common Ground Co-Op, Lincoln Mall in Urbana. This year will be particularly exciting since we have a new roster of judges including our very own dean of Libraries, Dean Claire Stewart, and some fun prizes to win! Register now to submit your culinary creation! 

The annual Poetry in Translation is a hybrid event and will take place in the Main Library 106 and on Zoom (registration below). All are invited. If you want to read a poem in an original language and then in English translation, email Marek Sroka (msroka@illinois.edu) or Paula Carns (pcarns@illinois.edu) by March 28. Refreshments will be served.

Please join the College of Education's upcoming Dean's Distinguished Speaker, Dr. Neil Anthony Lewis Jr., at 12:15 p.m. on April 16 in 22 Education. A short reception in the O'Leary Learning Center will follow his lecture.

Dr. Kolia, an Illinois alumna with a Ph.D. in the School of Social Work and a graduate minor in Gender Relations in International Development, will share information about Reaching Across Borders services to Syrian Refugees in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. She will discuss how war transforms society, and she will dispel biases and myths about Syrian refugee girls and women. Lunch provided with RSVP.

The Conference is hosted by the Women and Gender and Global Perspectives Program and the Gender and Women's Studies Department, and organized by WGGP and GWS graduate students, bringing numerous feminist scholars and activists from different countries and continents to the campus. Find more information here. Pre-registration is appreciated to provide conference materials and luncheon.

Dr. Amina Mama from UC Davis will deliver the keynote for the Common Differences Conference II. The conference, focusing on transnational feminist resistance, spans April 4-5, with pre-registration recommended. Her lecture addresses our witness to violence in Gaza through media and the resulting global and feminist responses informed by historical struggles. More information is available here. 

Film Screening and Discussion with Egyptian Filmmaker Rasha Azab, “Trapped,” will take place at 4 p.m. April 3 in Illini Union Room A, Illini Union. This is part of the "Transnational Feminist Resistance(s) Against Contemporary Violence(s)" conference taking place April 4-5, 2024. Registration appreciated.

Are you interested in extracellular vesicles? Extracellular vesicles are important mediators of cell-cell communication and are currently used as important biomarkers in the clinic. Come learn more at the upcoming EV Imaging and Therapy Working Group workshop. The full agenda includes campus and external speakers, a poster session, and boxed lunches. Register by April 5. 

Human-Centered Design is a creative problem solving approach that uses design thinking tools to identify the unmet needs of a population in order to collaboratively and iteratively develop relevant and innovative solutions. This seminar provides an introduction to the tools, spaces and processes that define this approach. 

iSEE has compiled a list of Earth Month events throughout April. Join the Institute and student organizations co-sponsors as we celebrate the Earth by kicking off the Illinois Climate Action Plan 2025 planning period, celebrating sustainable achievements and hosting a lecture on a smarter electricity grid.

Saturday Engineering for Everyone is a free lecture series open to anyone interested in learning more about engineering. On April 6, Alejandro Dominguez-Garcia will explore the fascinating history of our electricity grid with "From Nikola Tesla to TESLA: How the Electric Grid Became the Most Complex System Every Engineered."

Join Anne Goodchild of the University of Washington as she presents in person at the Spring 2024 Kent Seminar Series from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, April 4. Food and soft drinks will be provided beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the ICT Classroom. 

Hear from the TechSAge D2 research team, a collaboration between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Georgia Institute of Technology tackling the common issue of falls among wheelchair and scooter users. Explore the development of a cutting-edge system designed to accurately detect falls and automatically alert caregivers or emergency professionals. Presenter: Andie Tangonan.

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.

A reviewer is generally an academic who writes reports to help authors improve their manuscripts and to assist the editor in making the decision of accepting or rejecting a manuscript. We will learn about the role and the non-role of the reviewer in the peer review process in contrast to the roles of authors and editors, and we will discuss concepts such as bias and reviewer agreement.

Planning a social science or humanities research project this summer? Putting together your dissertation or thesis proposal and not sure where to start? We’ll discuss how a project charter can help you refine your research questions, identify models and create a timeline. Plus, we’ll discuss examples from the humanities and social science to guide you as you think about your own project.

In this workshop we will cover how to build, transpile, verify and run quantum circuits written in Qiskit on both simulators as well as IBM Quantum Systems backend. Mainly, we will focus on using the Estimator and Sampler primitives of both the Qiskit SDK as well as Qiskit Runtime. Find more info and register by April 3 with the link in the title.

Join to hear more about awards considered by program staff to be Fulbright's "hidden gems" of the competition. We will share tips for applying, and answer applicant questions live. If you're interested in Fulbright, this webinar is for you! Global Hidden Gems of the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Competition, April 2, 2-3 PM Eastern

Learn more about the Master of Science in Journalism degree with a focus on science and technology journalism—a new hybrid/online program that can be completed entirely online and in as few as two semesters. Journalists and other professional communicators who want to boost their skills are welcome to enroll in online modules as non-degree students. Register to join via Zoom.

Join us for an online lecture with Silvia Federici (Emerita Professor, Hofstra University) entitled "Feminist Insurgencies and the Reconstruction of the Commons." Federici is a feminist activist, teacher and writer. Advanced registration is required to attend this event. This event is part of the Interseminars series for "Improvise and Intervene" supported by the Mellon Foundation.

What is credit, and why is it so important to have good credit? Let’s discuss credit reports and credit scores together! Join us on April 10, 2024, for this free webinar!

We are conducting a research study to understand and support effective teamwork behaviors through the use of digital tools. If you have assigned and assessed team-based projects in the courses you have taught, we would love to hear your experience and thoughts. Participation will consist of an interview lasting up to an hour. More detailed information can be found in the title link. (IRB23-0337)

We are exploring challenges encountered in daily activities for older adults (60+) with a history of stroke. If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulty with thinking, memory or concentration, we would like to learn from your experiences to develop solutions. The study will be conducted using videochat. Participants will be paid. Contact KCH-HFA-ENACT@illinois.edu or 217-265-0885.

Looking for male adults (ages 18-50) who are native speakers of American English and have normal hearing. Participants will listen and respond to speech samples and receive a hearing test during a single 1-to-1.5-hour visit. Compensation of $15 per hour will be provided at completion. To learn more, fill out our screener or email: anex-lab@illinois.edu.

Seeking South Asian women managing a chronic illness for an interview study via Zoom (approx. one hour). You will be compensated with a $30 Amazon e-gift card for your participation. Sign up for interview here. Alternatively, contact Dr. Charee M. Thompson (charee@illinois.edu) or Sara Babu (sbabu3@illinois.edu).

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 participants for 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.

Looking for adults aged 60-75 to participate in a study into prolonged sitting and how adults think. The study's aim is to test the feasibility of interrupting sitting with short bouts of high-intensity exercise in older adults and measure brain and cognitive functions before and after sitting. Compensation for participation is $280. If you are interested, please click here. 

Are you a Latina woman who had a planned cesarean delivery in the past 12 months? We are looking for women (aged 18-45) to help us develop a mindfulness intervention for Latina women who plan to deliver by cesarean. Eligible participants will complete a brief online survey and receive a $10 electronic gift card. Contact us today at 217-244-9363 or mamidappstudy@illinois.edu