Effective Dec. 20, 2024, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will enable the Zoom AI Companion for students, faculty and staff. This tool enhances virtual collaboration with features like meeting summaries, in-meeting queries and smart recordings. Read the article about Zoom AI Companion here. Manage settings at illinois.zoom.us/profile/setting. Questions? Email consult@illinois.edu.

NCSA’s new artificial intelligence-focused computing system, DeltaAI, is now live! Learn how Illinois researchers can apply for allocations to this unparalleled AI and machine learning system through Illinois Computes. Sign up for the newsletter and don't let winter break allow you to forget to take advantage of all of the compute resources, data storage and research expertise to assist your work!

Celebrate the Fighting Illini football team's Citrus Bowl appearance with the official merchandise and souvenirs from the game, including t-shirts, hoodies, koozies, pennants, decals and lapel pins. These are great gifts for your fans, staff, alumni and family. Check out the selections.

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. 

Announcing Wetland Delineation Fundamentals on Coursera. Led by Caitlin Bloomer, NRES teaching professor, this course explores the fundamentals of wetland delineation for determining wetland boundaries. Learners will gain skills in hydric soil identification, field research, wetland reports, delineation and environmental analysis. 

Developed by Professor Sridhar Seshadri, "Understanding the Healthcare Ecosystem," part of an upcoming Healthcare Innovation specialization from Gies Business and Carle Illinois College of Medicine, dives into the world of healthcare by exploring the principles of healthcare delivery and innovation through fresh perspectives into this evolving sector. Enroll for free with Coursera for Illinois.

Fiber arts courses abound at The Farms: An Allerton Folk School for the spring semester! Enroll in one or more of the following: Basket Weaving: Back to Basics, Knitting 101: Knitting for Beginners, Learn to Spin Yarn, Granny Squares, Needlefelt Ladybug, several weaving classes, Weaving a Mantel Basket, Circular Weaving and Colorful Coiled Items. Get a full course listing here.

Over the upcoming holiday schedule, most shops and departments at F&S will have limited staff availability. However, team members will continue to support campus operations. Please use the my.FS Portal for regular facility-related requests. Call 217-333-0340 for urgent items needing an immediate response. NOTE: The F&S Service Office will be staffed during regular business hours on gift days.

The Technology Services Help Desks in DCL and Illini Union are closing early at 5 p.m. Dec. 23 and will be closed Dec. 24 through Jan. 1. Regular hours resume Thursday, Jan. 2. The full schedule is available on the Help Desk webpage. Walk-ins are welcome! Users can also get IT support by submitting a Tech Request or emailing consult@illinois.edu.  

Are you looking to fill part-time positions for spring, summer or fall 2025 semesters? Register for the Illinois Part-Time Job Fair from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 29, at the Illini Union. The Fall Part-Time Job Fair attracted 2,300 students, making this the perfect opportunity to recruit hardworking and dedicated students looking to gain experience. Registration is FREE, but space is limited!

Join us for a free monthly practice of the Sufi Tamarkoz meditation method, which includes relaxation, breathing exercises, slow meditative movements and visualization. The practice will be led by a licensed clinical psychologist. Sessions will be held the first Saturday of the month, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. beginning January 4, 2025, at the Wesley Student Center at 1203 W. Green St. in Urbana.

We are excited to invite you to the Global Mental Health Research and Services Conference on Oct. 9 and 10, 2025, in Champaign. Coinciding with World Mental Health Day, our theme is "From Local to Global: Encouraging creative solutions to transcultural mental health challenges." To participate in this conference, please submit a proposal. Abstracts are due Jan. 31, 2025.

Get the kids outside this winter at a Hot Chocolate Hike at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 15. Children and their guardians are invited to discover the joys of Allerton Park in winter. Each adventure will feature a different part of the park, a stop for hot chocolate and a story around the campfire. $5 per person (adults free with registered child). Register here by Jan. 14.

Join Fulbright for a webinar on the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence (S-I-R) Program on how to host international scholars for a semester or academic year. The S-I-R Program supports campus internationalization while building global collaborations that can strengthen future Fulbright opportunities. Don’t miss this chance to bring the world to your units/department — learn how to apply!

We are looking for kids ages 8-11 to participate in a research study about the effects of plant-based foods on metabolic health, cognition and body composition. Participation includes eating plant-based snacks daily and six visits to our lab over three months. All snacks are provided by research staff and compensation is $500. Email PODS-study@illinois.edu or schedule a screening call today!

Recruiting 3- to 4-month-old infants who are exclusively breastfed since birth and have not received any solid foods. We request the collection of three to four infant stool samples. Participants will receive a gift certificate upon sample pick up. For more information, contact Dr. Marcia Siegel at monaco@illinois.edu or 217-244-2873.