The 2024-2025 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Senate is scheduled to meet at 3:10 p.m. Monday, April 28, in the Illini Union Ballroom (2nd floor). Meeting materials are available online. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

This brand-new version of the workshop is a 90-minute engaging and interactive session designed for all staff across the university to connect with the Illinois brand. You'll gain a comprehensive understanding of the Illinois brand platform, practical strategies for integrating the brand into your unit's communications and inspiration for effective brand storytelling. This workshop also provides a valuable opportunity to meet and network with your peers throughout the university. The workshop will be held online from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, May 8. Register here. 

Need a professional web presence that's unmistakably Illinois? The PIE (publish.illinois.edu) offers free, secure WordPress hosting for all faculty, staff and students. Build your own branded website without technical expertise or off-campus services. Join thousands of Illini already telling their stories through this user-friendly platform. 

Mobile unit services include: driver’s license and state ID card (renewal, replacement, corrections), vehicle stickers; passenger, B-truck, motorcycle and collegiate license plates; vehicle title and registration; organ/tissue donor registration and parking placards for persons with disabilities.

The FY26 Campus Holiday Schedule for the University of Illinois System is now posted on the Illinois Human Resources website. You can view the current holiday schedule as well as the upcoming schedule. You can view the schedule here.

Submit a proposal to the UNIQ Trilateral Alliance's inaugural seed funding call for AY 2025-2026! Funding is available to support promising collaborative projects aimed at strengthening research and educational ties between the three partner universities: National Taiwan University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Kyushu University. Funding may be used for joint research projects or initiatives that may lead to further external funding, co-authored papers or other long-term collaborations.

Do you have questions about Benefit Choice? Central Management Services is hosting a Benefit Choice Fair to review materials and discuss plan options with you. CMS representatives and benefit vendors will be available to answer any questions. The fair will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, May 22, at the I Hotel and Conference Center, 1900 S. First St., Quad and Technology Rooms, Champaign. A 30-minute presentation will be offered at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. No registration is required. View other Benefit Choice fair locations here.

Looking for fresh insights? The Magelli Office of Experiential Learning is sourcing tech-focused business projects for our MSTM students this summer! Students tackle real-world challenges and deliver actionable, data-driven solutions. No cost to participate — just your time and guidance. Have a project idea? Click below to submit your project concept. Thank you for helping us create valuable experiential learning opportunities for our students!

The Grainger Engineering Tech Startup Challenge brings together engineering-powered startups from leading Midwestern universities to compete for funding and prizes from a pool of over $150,000. The challenge will showcase tech startups from top Midwestern universities as they pitch live to investors, founders and leaders in Chicago’s thriving tech scene. The challenge will take place at the TechChicago Capital Summit, an event that is part of TechChicago Week. Please share this opportunity with your students.

The Reading Room will be closed for a private event on May 5 from noon onwards. Before noon, the study space will be limited to the south side of the room. Normal hours resume May 6. The Main Library building will be open normal hours May 5, with all other service points accessible to patrons. Parking in Lot E3 may be limited. Library digital resources remain available and can be accessed through the Library Gateway. Please adjust your schedule.

Don't abandon your bike on campus at the end of the semester. If you no longer need your bicycle, consider donating it to the Campus Bike Center (51 E. Gregory Dr., Champaign) or the Bike Project of Urbana-Champaign (202 S. Broadway Ave., Room 24). No appointment is required. Donations are tax-deductible. Bicycles will be refurbished or recycled, reusing as much of the bike as possible. More information, including bike storage options, is available by contacting bike@illinois.edu.

The Writers Workshop will close all satellite locations after May 9. The Main Library will have modified hours beginning on Saturday, May 10, and will close for the semester at 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 14. On Wednesday, we'll host drop-in hours from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. See our website and social media for the full finals schedule! We will re-open on June 16 for Summer Session II.

Join CSBS for our Spring Social, an opportunity to reconnect, recharge and strengthen our community of social and behavioral scientists. In light of the many challenges researchers face, from funding uncertainties to the demands of impactful scholarship, CSBS is committed to fostering a supportive, inclusive and collaborative environment. All faculty engaged in social and behavioral science research are warmly welcome. Please register by April 29 so we can accommodate all our guests.

Behnam Ben Taleblu is senior director of FDD’s Iran Program, where he oversees the breadth and depth of FDD’s work on Iran in addition to serving as a senior fellow specializing in Iranian security and political issues. Behnam has supported FDD’s Iran program as a senior fellow, research fellow and senior Iran analyst. Prior to his time at FDD, Behnam worked on non-proliferation issues at an arms control think tank in Washington. Leveraging his subject-matter expertise and native Persian-language skills, Behnam closely tracks a wide range of Iran-related functional and regional topics.

The U. of I. will host the 2025 Illinois Academy of Science State Exposition on May 2 and 3. This is the premier statewide science research competition for grades 7-12. We are seeking volunteer judges for the exposition. All levels of expertise are welcome. All volunteer judges must have completed high school. Please click HERE to learn more about volunteer opportunities or HERE to learn about judging.

The Towards a Center for Gender and Sex in Health team is hosting Rose Eveleth from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Rose Eveleth's talk is free and open to the public.

Build your cultural competence in this workshop as you learn about the Intercultural Development Continuum, a framework used to understand and enhance intercultural competence. This session will explore the IDC stages, give an overview of the Intercultural Development Inventory for assessing intercultural competence skills and provide practical strategies for fostering intercultural growth in your own work and daily interactions. Join us to learn how to improve cross-cultural understanding and build stronger connections in diverse settings. You can view more information and register here.

Former Allerton In-Residence naturalist Michael Baker will conduct Foraging Walks from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on May 10, 11, 24 and 25. Baker, a professional forager, will give demonstrations of the uses of edible plants and mushrooms during the walk. $35 per person (all ages). Register here three days before each workshop.

Get a first-hand look at how honey bees manage hive activity at Beehive Observation from 1 to 3 p.m. on May 11 and 25, June 8 and 22, July 6 and 20 and Aug. 3, 17 and 31, in The Studio and outside at the beehives at Allerton Park. (Each class will cover the same material). $20 per person per class. Register here three days prior to each class.

Join us at Riggs Beer Company at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 4, to hear Dr. Sepideh Sadaghiani discuss her work understanding how the brain processes information into cognitive control networks and how these networks communicate across the brain. We hope to see you there! Brought to you by the MCB GSA, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology and Beckman Institute 

The IP and Technology Law Program is pleased to host professor Camilla A. Hrdy (Rutgers) to present her project, "Keeping ChatGPT a Trade Secret While Selling It Too." Free and open to the public, with lunch provided to attendees (limited number).

Please join us for a free Mindful Music: Classical Chamber Music Recital from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday, April 28, at Smith Memorial Hall, Memorial Room 220, 805 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana. Featuring the works by Beethoven, Fiala and Schubert and beginning with a talk by Annie Tigranyan about her research with music and stress reduction. This is a student led collaboration with the College of Music, McKinley Health Education and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. Light snacks will be provided.

Enjoy a dance performance at Krannert Art Museum! Anna Sapozhnikov’s evening-length "Good House Keep" is inspired by midcentury modern spaces throughout Champaign-Urbana, in conjunction with the Making Place for the Arts at Home: Performance and Midcentury Modern Architecture exhibition. Collaborators include fellow faculty members from the Department of Dance: Roxane D’Orléans Juste, Nicole Marini, Alexandra Barbier and Jan Erkert, with documentation by Laura Chiaramonte and an original sound score by Elliot Reza Emadian. Partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Early bird registration for the 2025 Lincoln Legacy Teaching and Learning Community will end on Friday, May 2. You are invited to attend this annual conference to join other educators and learn more about Applied Innovations in Teaching and Learning, Designing for Student Engagement and Accessibility, Supporting Student Learning, Enhancing Teaching and Learning with AI and Emerging Issues in Higher Education. View the conference schedule.

Michelle Campos is a professor of history and Jewish Studies at Pennsylvania State University. The author of "Ottoman Brothers: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Early Twentieth Century Palestine," Charles Anderson is a professor of history at Western Washington University and a senior editor at Arab Studies Journal. His scholarship has appeared in Comparative Studies in Society and History, Jerusalem Quarterly and elsewhere 

The workshop provides an overview of mainstream materials characterization techniques, including advanced microscopy, spectroscopy, thermal and microstructural characterization emphasizing on practical applications. The event features presentations by MRL staff and industry experts with a large vendor exhibit. Registration (only $80 including lunch) and program: https://go.illinois.edu/amc2025.

Join us for the opening reception of the IGB’s Art of Science 15.0, our celebration of the common ground between science and art. Images from Illinois research are the starting point for these works, created by scientists working in partnership with current IGB artist Julia Pollack. These pieces are are an abstract visual exploration to highlight the power and aesthetics of science imagery. The opening is free and open to the public; refreshments provided.

In this talk, Lex Kapczynski will share her dissertation study titled, "Storied Trauma: The Violent Chronotopic Laminations of Queer Survivor Narratives." This research explores the ways in which popular public discourse communities violently impose dominant normative standards upon the circulation, reception and reframing of embodied queer trauma and its material rhetoric. The event is hybrid. You can register for the Zoom link or join us in person at IUB 504.

Do you have an interest in increasing efficiency in your department? Can you think creatively as well as systematically? Are you a leader and a collaborator? Are you a good listener and an effective communicator? If so, you might be interested in attending the Leading a Business Process Improvement using RAPID Methodology training workshop on Wednesday, May 7. For detailed information, see the link above.

NCSA is hosting the Machine Learning and Big Data workshop presented by the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center. This workshop will focus on big data analytics and machine learning with Spark and deep learning using TensorFlow. Visit the event description for more details.

This session gets into the technicalities of podcast distribution. We will cover library policies as well as ethical and legal guidelines for ownership and fair use, copyright and ensuring the accessibility of your podcast.

Join Illinois Extension for Walk and Talks — fun, interactive sessions featuring a short lesson followed by a walk on paved park paths. The next walk is from noon to 1 p.m. May 8, at Kaufman Lake (2702 W. Springfield Ave., Champaign), led by Nutrition and Wellness educator Rachel Mannen. Enjoy the fresh spring air, a chance to win a giveaway and connect with your community! In case of bad weather, we'll meet at First Christian Church (3601 S. Staley Road, Champaign). Registration is required to receive the meet-up details. Register at: go.illinois.edu/SpringWalks.

The Courtyard Café is excited to partner with the traveling comedy group based out of Champaign-Urbana, C-U Comedy Club, to bring a night of fun and laughter to the Illini Union! Student organization Phoenix Improv Company will open the show, followed by three entertaining comics and finishing with headliner Winston Hodges from Washington, D.C. Don't miss the last Friday Funnies of the semester!

Campus Recreation is hosting a Faculty and Staff Free Day on Thursday, May 1. All faculty and staff will have free access to both the Activities & Recreation Center (ARC) and Campus Recreation Center East (CRCE). Remember to bring your i-Card. Experience the state-of-the-art workout facilities on campus and consider purchasing a membership at only $42 per month via payroll deduction.

Join us for a lecture from Jeff McMahan, the emeritus Sekyra and White’s Professor of Moral Philosophy from the University of Oxford, titled "Human Extinction and the Morality of Procreation." 

Join the Prairie Research Institute May 2–3 for the PRI Expo, a free, family-friendly science event. PRI scientists and staff will lead more than 50 interactive exhibits and hands-on activities, showcasing research in archaeology, natural history, sustainability, geology, climate and more. Dig for artifacts or learn how scientists track weather patterns across Illinois.

Join us for a panel discussion that convenes energy researchers and activists to reflect on lessons learned from the fight against DAPL in Illinois and on present-day issues in our energy landscape.

Join CDA and National Taiwan University for the "Smart Agriculture in Crops" webinar on Wednesday! This session is part of our "Global Perspectives on Digital/Smart Agriculture" joint seminar series. Attend to learn about phenotyping plant responses to abiotic stress using the fluorescence lifetime imaging systems, AI-driven image analysis for enhancing crop monitoring and quality prediction, predicting nitrogen needs and more. Details here.

The iSchool's Center for Informatics Research in Science and Scholarship will host Blessing Ogbuokiri, a professor in the department of computer science at Brock University in Canada and director of the Responsible and Applied Machine Learning Laboratory, presenting “Trustworthy and Responsible Large Language Models: Principles, Pitfalls, and Progress" on Wednesday, April 30, as part of its Generative AI and the Future of Research speaker series. More information is at this link.

Join us for a special Moroccan Names Training from noon to 1 p.m. Monday, May 5, held online through Zoom! This interactive session will explore the diverse linguistic and cultural influences that shape Moroccan names, including Arabic and French traditions. You’ll gain insight into name structures, pronunciation tips and cultural context — guided by our presenter with lived experience and knowledge of Moroccan naming customs. Click here for more information and to register. After you register, you will receive the virtual meeting link via email.

You are invited to attend an interactive panel discussion on Global Classrooms across the U. of I. campus from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, May 1. Our guest speakers, Holli Hazelwood and Roman Friedman from LAS, will explore the impact of a virtual international education modality and how it breaks barriers to traditional international education. Register.

The next talk in our series, "Women Environmental Defenders and Climate Change in the Amazon," includes the panelists Ruth Buendía, a renowned Asháninka Indigenous leader and an environmental activist from the Peruvian Amazon. For her efforts, she was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2014. Jane Shirley Mori: an Agroforestry and Aquaculture Engineer from the Shipibo - Konibo people. She works with Indigenous communities in her region of Ucayali on projects led by NGOs and Indigenous organizations that align with her professional training.

Dr. Deziel from Yale University will share results from research examining numerous exposures to thyroid hormone disrupting environmental stressors, including flame retardants, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides and air pollution in relation to thyroid cancer risk in adults and/or children. Dr. Deziel will describe findings from an inter-disciplinary research project evaluating potential exposures and children’s health impacts for communities living near UOGD sites.  

The Education Justice Project’s Policy and Research Team is hosting a research group meeting from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, May 2, via Zoom. Join us to hear from Alina Loewenstein about their current research, Policing Mental Health. All are welcome!

Seeking participants (21-64 years old) who had a sleeve gastrectomy 1-5 years ago or have not had any bariatric surgeries (control group). Participants must not smoke and drink alcohol at least once a month. There will be blood draws, body composition assessments, alcohol challenge tests and questionnaires. Compensation will be provided (up to $850 upon completion of four visits and free parking). Please fill out our online pre-screening form if you're interested, using the following link https://illinois.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7R2VUEoOuh2cTXw or contact ornella2@illinois.edu if interested.

The Alcohol Research Lab is looking for social drinkers to participate in our study. Participation involves attending one 6- to 9-hour laboratory session and completing cognitive, social and communicative tasks while EEG brain responses are recorded. A referral of at least one same-gender friend is required at the time of sign up. Up to $100 in compensation. Fill out our interest form!

Unhealthy group dynamics, poor communication or unresolved conflict can derail your research and make life miserable. Labs That Work for Everyone is an interactive, asynchronous program that builds skills to help you avoid problems or to address effectively the ones that do happen. Build the skills no one ever warned you’d need by piloting the program individually or with your lab group.

Looking for male adults ages 18-40 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.

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.

Adults 35–64 are invited to join the HEATWAVES study — a 10-week, video-delivered wellness program you can do from home on your schedule (walking, bathing or both). Includes brief surveys and two lab visits. Free Fitbit ($100 value). Our first testing starts April 28, with rolling enrollment and summer sessions available. Post-testing is scheduled right after your 10 weeks. Limited spots — don’t wait! Click here or email or call us at 217-300-7484 to learn more. 

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 some cognitive tasks while various brain responses are recorded. Up to $100 in compensation. PLAY Lab – Department of Kinesiology and Health, Freer Hall, projectready@illinois.edu INTEREST FORM LINK.

The Infant Cognition Lab is conducting a brief online study that focuses on infants’ ability to reason about small numbers of objects. In a one-time Zoom session (weekdays or weekends), children watch computer-animated events while we record their looking behavior. In thanks, receive a $10 e-gift card. If interested, contact us at infantlab@illinois.edu or call 217-333-5988.

Healthy adults ages 18-40 with no hearing loss but significant difficulty hearing in noise are invited for a study on listening in noise. There is an online survey to determine eligibility, followed by lab visits for those who qualify. Lab visits include hearing screening, listening to sounds and measuring ear and brain activity. There is a maximum of three lab visits, each lasting 2-3 hours. Compensation for lab visits is paid in cash ($15 per hour). Parking is covered, and mileage is reimbursed ($0.655 per mile, up to a maximum of 37.5 miles per visit). To participate, complete our survey.