We remain fully committed to programs and strategies that value diverse perspectives, ideas and lived experiences and adhere to our commitment as a public university to expand access, opportunity and academic excellence. The university is working to promote the use of "open to all" language and processes online and in our activities. View more details in the Federal Updates newsletter. Logistics were shared with the Chancellor’s Senior Leadership Council (vice chancellors, deans, institute directors and other senior leaders), who will be collaborating on these decisions for their units.

The 2024-2025 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Senate is scheduled to meet at 3:10 p.m. on Monday, April 6, in the Illini Union Ballroom (2nd floor). Meeting materials are available online. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

The Doctoral Research Support Program and the Writers Workshop are hosting Writing in the Disciplines, an online series that connects doctoral students with faculty, journal editors and publishers to discuss writing styles and skills in specific disciplines. These events are open to all current graduate students. 

The Radiation and Laser Safety Committee will hold an open forum via Teams at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, April 11, to present a brief overview of the radiation and laser safety program and address any community questions and concerns you may have regarding RLS on campus. Please email Lowre Young at ldyoung1@illinois.edu by noon on Thursday, April 10, to receive the Teams invitation. 

We are thrilled to introduce "House of Cultures," a brand-new series where we take you inside the vibrant cultural centers of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. To help us premiere this new series, Dr. Charlotte Davidson, the director of the Native American House, and graduate student ambassador David Eby will help us uncover the experiences, resources, and deep sense of community they offer to students.

Enhance your presentations and documents with our accessible, on-brand templates for PowerPoint, Word and Excel. From data-rich research slides to everyday communications, these professionally designed templates incorporate Illinois colors, logos and visual elements that strengthen our collective identity.

ACES Online is excited to introduce a new Coursera course, Alternative Investments as We Age: Dive Into Your Portfolio. Led by Dr. Craig Lemoine, this course explores how alternative investments like farmland, real estate and cryptocurrency can enhance portfolios as we age. Learn about asset allocation, investment risks, returns and portfolio diversification. Gain hands-on experience through case studies and modeling exercises. This course complements the graduate-level certificate, Land, Agriculture and Alternative Investing. Visit @acesonline.illinois.edu to learn more.

The Office of the Provost provides limited funding assistance to full-time, specialized and tenure-stream faculty who are interested in participating in NCFDD’s Faculty Success Program. Up to eight recipients will be selected to receive matching funds. Applicants may receive these matching funds only once.

The University of Illinois Foundation is excited to launch the next cohort of UIDEA, an internal accelerator designed to ignite innovation in philanthropy and engagement. Applications are available now and will be accepted through April 18. The program is open to anyone — advancement staff, faculty, students, alumni, donors, etc. You can apply here for the summer 2025 cohort. Not sure what UIDEA is, need some help with an idea or want tips on the application process or building a team? Register for an information session or workshop: Not sure what UIDEA is? | Strategic Innovation

The Intensive Language Instruction Program offers classes in 11 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. Online and in-person options are available! Register for ILIP today!

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 U. of I. students for free! This workshop is designed for those with little to no experience with InDesign to help you learn the basics of using this document design program. During the workshop, we will create a sample flyer. You will gain experience navigating the features and there will be time to explore.

In this introductory workshop, we will be learning about basic 3D Printing modeling with TinkerCAD. We will provide a walkthrough and activity with this software. After registering, please create a TinkerCAD account. TinkerCAD is a free browser-based software that we will be using in the introductory 3D design workshop. Choose the “Create a personal account” option for this workshop and follow the registration steps.

Join the U. of I. Police Department to chat and grab a free slice of pizza! If you missed us at Chick N' Chat then this is a great opportunity to catch us. Take the time to stop by and say "HI" while taking the opportunity to ask questions and voice any concerns you have. 

Hello Community Advocates, Join us for a fun-filled Brunch with the Easter Bunny at Perkins! Bring the whole family to enjoy a delicious meal, snap photos with the Easter Bunny, and meet officers from U. of I. and Parkland PD. Kids under 12 eat FREE off the kid's menu! Don't miss out on this festive celebration! Please share with family and friends. Debo. 😊

The Research Spotlight Series highlights research conducted by students and faculty, as well as their research experiences. The upcoming segment will feature Dr. Meirong Liu (School of Social Work, Howard University). This event is co-sponsored by the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign). 

The participants are a diverse group of engineers from local, state and federal agencies; consulting and contracting firms; and universities. The conference is designed for professionals in structural engineering to discuss exciting new developments in the field, gain timely job-related information, network with colleagues and renew their sense of professional purpose. 

Join us for a lecture titled "A Constructivist Account of Care Ethics" by Sarah Clark Miller, an associate professor of philosophy, bioethics, and women's gender, and sexuality studies at Pennsylvania State University. 

The Center for Social & Behavioral Science invites assistant and associate professors to join us for a candid and collaborative conversation on navigating the current federal funding landscape. As researchers face growing uncertainty, promotion and tenure pressures only intensify these challenges. This gathering aims to create space for mutual support, shared strategies and collective brainstorming. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunch. Light refreshments will be provided. Please register by April 11.

Join Bo Zou of the University of Illinois Chicago as he presents via Zoom at the Spring 2025 Kent Seminar Series from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, April 10. Presentations this semester focus on topics related to autonomy in transportation. Food and soft drinks will be provided beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the Illinois Center for Transportation Classroom.

On April 9 from 10 a.m. to noon, SCD will host its first “Reflections and Research” event, spotlighting Human-Centered Design in the Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. This event celebrates how HCD has enriched LASS through both practical and theoretical research. Dr. Sofía Bosch Gómez will deliver the keynote, followed by a panel featuring affiliates Andrew Moss, Nikia Brown, Mike Tissenbaum, Shubham Kumar and Carrie James. The event will also include lightning talks on LASS projects. Join us by signing up here!

Explore the intersection of AI, ethics and social justice in Africa! This discussion explores AI’s ethical impact, addressing bias, data privacy and the digital divide. Learn how inclusive policies and Africa-specific ethical frameworks can drive sustainable development. Discover how collaboration among governments, academia, industry and civil society is essential to ensuring AI advances social justice and equitable growth.

The book explores how the centrality of sonic practices and experiences within Islamic traditions stems largely from the orality of the Qur’an and the importance of recitation, while arguing that sound can provide a productive point of entry to human cultures in general. Its tripartite structure guides the reader through the foundations of Islamic traditions and sounds; theoretical frameworks of orality, listening, and deafness; and some of the major types of sonic practices and genres related to Islam, such as chanting the Islamic poetic tradition, South Asian qawwali and hip-hop. 

Join this Quick Start Workshop to learn how to make your Canvas course accessible to everyone. You'll explore key accessibility tips, including how to create a navigable page structure, how to write effective alt text, how to use the Canvas accessibility checker and more. Additional workshops on document and course accessibility, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and PDF, are scheduled throughout the spring semester. Sign up and expand your accessibility skills! 

Please join the School of Social Work for the final Research Methods event of the semester with Dr. Lonny Avi Brooks, professor of communication and Afrofuturism at California State University, East Bay. For the last two decades, Dr. Brooks has advanced futuristic thinking in communications curriculum and created games to envision social justice futures, including Black and Queer liberation. Lunch will be served and CEUs are available. Please register by April 9: visit our webpage. We hope to see you!

Japan House is pleased to partner with the Spurlock Museum to feature the exhibition opening of Kogei: Traditional Japanese Arts and Crafts of Fukushima, Japan. The reception and artist meet and greet will be in the Charles M. and Barbara. S. Hundley Central Core Gallery at the Spurlock Museum, and it features Fukushima artists Seiran Chiba, Akie Hashimoto and Ayako Hirai. There will be light refreshments served and visitors can mingle with the artists and view their creations. Reservations recommended, walk-ins welcome if space is available.

On Saturday, April 19, at the Knight Auditorium in Spurlock Museum, Japan House is pleased to welcome Japanese calligrapher Seiran Chiba for a performance and keynote lecture titled, Stories of Fukushima: The Journey of Seiran Chiba. Chiba's performance will be interactive and features musical accompaniment from Ho Etsu Taiko. Doors to the Knight Auditorium will open at 12:45PM. Registration is strongly recommended and seating is first-come, first-serve. Walk-ins are welcome if seating is available.

It's Earth Month! Each April, iSEE joins Facilities & Services, the Student Sustainability Leadership Council and other campus and community groups to celebrate Earth Day (April 22) all month long! This year, Earth Month includes the popular "Sustainapalooza" (and iSEE Clothing Swap) on April 12, an Earth Day Trash Pickup, a new Bike for Earth Day event, and the Green Globes + iCAP Reception honoring student sustainability achievements and showcasing objectives for the 2025 Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP)! Find all the details on iSEE's Earth Month calendar >>>

Join us for an insightful panel discussion featuring professionals and academic experts in data science. Hosted by Global Education and Training and the School of Information Sciences and moderated by Dr. J. Stephen Downie, this event offers an opportunity for students and visiting scholars to engage with leaders in data science, gain valuable career insights, and explore new opportunities for professional growth. Don’t miss this chance to learn, connect, and take your data science career to the next level. Cookies will be served!

The Forum on the Future of Public Education is hosting a Climate and Sustainability Education Summit to discuss curricular and education policy initiatives across the University of Illinois System to address climate change.  The summit will highlight how our universities and the state of Illinois have shaped and can continue to impact the future of climate education. The summit will highlight new investments and curriculum development in climate change and sustainability at U. of I., as well as recent state legislative mandates to teach climate literacy in the K-12 curriculum.

You are cordially invited to attend the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Health Care Engineering Systems Center at The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. May 5. Please join us at Heritage Hall, I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center, Champaign, as we commemorate 10 years of accomplishments and look ahead to the exciting future and new directions for HCESC. The agenda is available online. Please register by Friday, April 18.

Join Funk ACES Library for its 7th Solving the World’s Challenges panel on April 15 (2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.) During this hybrid event, three campus experts (from Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Urban and Regional Planning and the Illinois State Water Survey) will discuss their work related to environmental justice and respond in a Q&A. Please register to receive a Zoom link or join us in-person to enter a book drawing and to enjoy the post-panel reception.

Celebrate spring at Allerton Park’s Bluebell Festival on May 2-4! This festive community event will feature a visitor-favorite Plant Sale Fundraiser (May 2-4), Spring Market (May 3), live music, workshops, food, drinks and more! Come for a day or make a weekend of it and stay overnight for a discounted rate! (Learn more and make your lodging reservation here). Free. A variety of add-on events (registration required) are also planned.

Beginning and advanced knitters can sign up for courses at Allerton Park on Thursdays, April 17 and 24, in the Studio. Knitting 101 will be held 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., while Knitting 201: Mittens will be from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on those two dates. Get more information and register at the links above by April 14.

Get a first-hand look at how honey bees manage hive activity at Beehive Observation from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. April 19* and 27, May 11 and 25, June 8 and 22, July 6 and 20 and Aug. 3, 17 and 31, in The Studio. (Each class will cover the same material). $100 per person for the series or $20 per person per class. Register here three days prior to each class. *The April 19 session will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Please join us from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, for the spring open house at the McKechnie Family LIFE Home! The event will spotlight social and assistive robots and their role in enhancing daily life. Guests are invited to explore the facility at their own pace, listen to presentations and interact with live demonstrations. RSVP here. Free limited parking is available in the lot behind the building.

Join us for an evening of axes and ambiguity, gender and genetics, spirits and science …There will be an information presentation about differences in sexual development followed by ample time for Q&A. Stick around afterward to continue the conversation while tossing an axe or two.

Asian American Studies welcomes guest speaker Dr. Nayan Shah, a professor of American Studies and Ethnicity and History at the University of Southern California, for his lecture "Mutual Aid and Resisting Carceral Power: Asian American Strategies." This presentation explores the creative strategies of mutual aid and resistance utilized by Asians over the course of American history and examines how the rightless fight unjust conditions and create communities of survival.

Take a deeper dive into visual design with the Speakers Workshop! This workshop will focus on poster design, data visualization and connecting with your scholarly audience. We will also consider aspects of delivery in poster presentations. Pre-registration required. 

The Business Process Improvement Office will host Lean Concepts training from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16, at 50 Gerty Dr., Champaign. Training is open to staff members and faculty and is free. Participants will learn about Lean Concepts and tools to uncover and eliminate unnecessary activities in a business process. Register online at the link above by April 14.

The College of Media welcomes David O. Dowling (University of Iowa), the 2025 Harry J. Skornia Distinguished Lecturer, who will present "Podcasting for Public Media: State-of-the-Art Exemplars and Cautionary Tales in a Volatile Digital Publishing Industry" on Thursday, April 10. Dowling's work in digital media and journalism studies centers on developments in publishing industries that drive markets and cultural production. "Podcast Journalism: The Promise and Perils of Audio Reporting" is his most recent book. All are welcome to Dowling's presentation, which will be followed by a Q&A.

Classics Summer Camps welcomes applications for CIT positions from teens ages 14-16 who are interested in ancient Greek and Roman culture and enjoy working with children ages 8-11. Dates: June 2 - 20. For details, see classics.illinois.edu/academics/summer-camps. Questions may be directed to director Ariana Traill (traill@illinois.edu).

This panel will feature Karen Flynn (Terrance and Karyn Holm Endowed Professor, UIC); Julie A. Pryde (C-U Public Health district administrator); Lauren R. Aronson (clinical professor of Law and Immigration Law Clinic director); and Jessica R. Greenberg (professor of Anthropology and director of EUC). The panel will be moderated by Brett Ashley Kaplan, director of Initiative in Holocaust, Geneocide Memory Studies.

Co-sponsored by the Student Sustainability Leadership Council and the Illini Union Board, this Earth Month festival will include many activities such as games, crafts, a student art show, live music, delicious food, craft vendors and engagement and education about sustainability efforts by different campus organizations and RSOs. 

Please join us to celebrate the book launch of LLS professor Aja Y. Martinez's new book "The Origins of Critical Race Theory: The People and Ideas That Created a Movement," co-authored with Robert O. Smith (University of North Texas). The book weaves together the many sources of critical race theory, recounting the origin story for one of the most insightful and controversial academic movements in U.S. history. 

Join us for the final Interseminars lecture of the year with Dr. Bryce Henson (Communication and Journalism, Africana Studies Program Affiliate - Texas A&M University), professor and author of the book "Emergent Quilombos: Black Life and Hip-Hop in Brazil." The book explores the historical and contemporary significance of “quilombos” — Black encampments formed by enslaved people who escaped captivity in Brazil. Henson is an alum of the Institute of Communications Research at the College of Media at Illinois and was also a past HRI Campus Fellow. 

SPEAK stands for Song, Poetry, Art and Knowledge. It’s an open-mic public performance space at Krannert Art Museum curated by local artist, Shaya Robinson, featuring guest performers and welcoming all to the mic.

Celebrate the exhibition opening of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR): Red Regalia Project created with Chicago-based Native artist Angel Starr (Omaha, Odawa, Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota) to call attention to violence against Indigenous Peoples. Part of the 2024–2025 Native North American Art Residency. The exhibition will be on view through April 11. Reception in Link Gallery.

Join us for a free screening of "Queendom" (2023), followed by a discussion with producer Igor Myakotin. This documentary follows Jenna, a queer artist in Russia, who stages radical public performances to challenge perceptions of beauty and queerness while protesting government oppression. Myakotin, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, brings this powerful story to the screen.

The 2024-25 Dean's Distinguished Speaker Series aims to facilitate conversation with preeminent scholars in education about the connections between Community, Schools and Identity. As schools face existing and emerging challenges, they weigh shifting opportunities for educating and nurturing the students and communities they serve.

The School of Art and Design invites you to join us for the 2025 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 12, through Saturday, April 26. Krannert Art Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Tuesday through Saturday.

Please join us for the University Archives' monthly Women in Science Lecture Series from noon to 1 p.m. April 10. Dr. Taiye Winful, a postdoctoral research associate in the department of Anthropology, will discuss her research on the biological mechanisms linking stress to health, with a focus on inflammation. This is a hybrid event and will take place in the University Archives, Main Library 146, or you can register for the Zoom link.

All faculty are invited to an AAUP panel discussion on promotion and tenure at the U. of I. A panel of campus experts will offer short presentations and answer questions. This program is for asst. professors seeking tenure, assoc. professors seeking promotion, colleagues who serve as their mentors and departmental leaders. Panelists: William Bernhard, Executive Vice Provost for Academic Affairs; Curtis Perry, Chair of the Campus Committee on P&T; Rosa Milagros Santos, Assoc. Provost for Faculty Development; Carol Tilley, Chair of the Faculty Advisory Committee. Registration required: here.

Attendees will become familiar with the differences between a dissertation and first book manuscript, and will further learn about identifying points of revision, creating a revision plan/timeline, approaching editors/presses, writing a book proposal and the publishing process at a glance.

Are you overwhelmed by organizing your sources? Zotero is a free, open-source citation manager that helps you store and organize your files and insert formatted citations into papers. You will leave this hands-on workshop with a Zotero library set up and ready to use!

This hands-on workshop will teach you how to make common word processing documents accessible for screen readers, and how to make presentations accessible for a wide range of users. We’ll cover MS Word and PowerPoint as well as general best practices for accessibility that you can incorporate across formats. You’ll leave this workshop with readily implementable strategies and checklists you can start using immediately to ensure your research, teaching and presentations are more accessible to diverse audiences. 

Have questions about digital accessibility? Join office hours with Keith Hays to learn best practices and get guidance tailored to your unit’s needs. The discussion will include accessibility requirements common to all digital documents and web pages. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance accessibility and ensure your digital content is accessible to all.

Join us for a Spanish and Filipino Names training! This session will introduce the history and diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds that shape names in Spanish speaking regions and the Philippines. Our presenters from Latin America and the Philippines will guide participants through key pronunciation techniques, name structures and cultural insights. Feel free to submit or bring names to practice! You must register here in advance in order to receive the Zoom meeting link to attend this training.

The iSchool's Center for Informatics Research in Science and Scholarship (CIRSS) will host Yang Zhang, teaching assistant professor at the School of Information Sciences at the Illinois and a senior researcher at U. of I.'s Social Sensing and Intelligence Lab, presenting "Human-AI Collaboration for Social Good: Collective Design, Calibration, and Interaction" on Wednesday, April 9, as part of its Generative AI and the Future of Research speaker series. More information is at this link.

This speaker series brings together researchers on campus whose work touches on environmental impacts (e.g., air quality, water quality, weather patterns) on health, to share their current research and to foster discussion and collaboration. This week, professor Julian Reif will discuss, "The Long-run Effect of Air Pollution on Survival."

Resisting Digital Surveillance in Brazil: Preliminary Fieldwork on AI and Facial Recognition at Carnaval with Kainen Bell (Information Sciences Ph.D. student) on April 9 on Zoom - Last year, the Panopticon, a Brazilian project that monitors how police acquire new technologies, reported a record increase in festivals — such as Carnaval — being monitored using facial recognition technologies. During this presentation, I will introduce the debates against using surveillance technologies and AI in public security and present firsthand experience of FRT and AI use at this year’s Carnaval. 

This webinar will describe the use of cover systems over wastes and leachate lagoons to reduce leachate generation and costs. In particular, if rain/clean water falls on wastes or a leachate lagoon, it becomes contaminated and must be treated. Covering wastes or a lagoon prevents fresh water from becoming leachate thus dramatically reducing the cost and amount of water that must be treated. 1.0 PDH.

Dr. Paredes’s research over the past decade has critically examined the complexities of extractive frontier expansion, including the proliferation of illegal economies. More recently, she has explored its intersection with the localized implementation of global climate change policies in conservation areas, particularly within indigenous communities. 

The next Online Student Service Watercooler Group meeting is at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 9, via Zoom. This month, we will have a student panel joining us to discuss their experiences in an online program at the U. of I. Students will discuss how they have felt supported in an online program, where they have seen gaps in services for online programs and more. 

PFAS are found in various matrices, including water, soil, humans and wildlife. Reliable analytical methods for multiple media are lacking, making regulation challenging. Current methods limit identification and quantification of PFAS, especially emerging ones. High-resolution LC-MS is key for identifying unknown contaminants, but challenges remain in annotation. This presentation covers PFAS analysis challenges and solutions, including matrix effects, ionization, extraction, separation, quantification and identification, focusing on short-chain PFAS and biodegradation studies. 

Join the Writers Workshop to learn about genre expectations for personal statements and strategies for drafting and tailoring your statement. We will review examples from a range of disciplines. Register using your Illinois email to receive a reminder and the Zoom details on the morning of the event.

Testing the effect of soy flour on hunger, blood sugar and insulin responses. Participants ages 21-45 who are non-smokers, BMI 25-40 kg/m2 and no diabetes will complete questionnaires, product tasting (bread, tortilla or arepa), body composition scans and blood draws. You will receive $260 upon completion of four visits for 3-4 hours along with free parking. Please fill out our online screening if interested.

We are seeking adults considering but not currently following a healthy diet (400g+ fruits/vegetables daily, <10% of calories from added sugar, <5g salt/day, replacing saturated with unsaturated fats). Participants will receive a $15 gift card for a one-hour online study involving talking with chatbots and filling out surveys. 

Do you have occasional slips in memory? If you or anyone you know is 60+ years old, takes prescribed medication for high blood pressure, has mild problems with memory and uses smartphones, then you are eligible for this study that supports medication taking using smartphones. Compensation provided for participation. For more information, please contact us at 217-244-7383 or medmanage@illinois.edu.

Looking for adults ages 40-75 for a study on prolonged sitting and cognition. The study tests interrupting sitting with short, high-intensity exercises and measures brain and cognitive functions before and after. Participants earn $280 with travel expenses covered if living 30-plus miles from Champaign. Interested? Click here to join.

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 $400 in compensation for participation. 

We are seeking volunteers who had a stroke and movement difficulty in one side of upper body to participate in our study. You will receive a $50 for screening at Carle, $50 for MRI and a $100 per visit for movement exercises and assessments at the U. of I. Contact: carly.skadden@carle.com or 217-326-0102. Details.

The Infant Cognition Lab is conducting a brief, one-time and in-person study on whether infants expect authority figures to ensure fair turn-taking. Infants sit on their parent's lap and watch a puppet show while their looking times are measured. Parking is provided. In thanks, choose $15 in cash or a child’s gift. If interested, email infantlab@illinois.edu or call 217-333-5988.

Study on children’s movement and brain health! The PLAY Lab is looking for children finishing preschool and starting kindergarten in the fall to participate in a yearlong study. Participation involves attending five laboratory sessions over one year and completing some motor tasks and cognitive tasks some while various brain responses are recorded. Up to $100 in compensation. PLAY LAB – Department of Kinesiology and Health, Freer Hall, playlab@illinois.edu. INTEREST FORM LINK.