Beginning in late spring, the university will change phone carriers and calling plans. Teams and Teams resources set up by individuals or departments will not change. By FY27, numbers will be ported to a new carrier; service is not expected to be impacted. When changing calling plans, phone service outside of the university’s Teams environment may be briefly interrupted. We will work to minimize disruption and provide more information as timelines finalize. For questions, please consult this KB article, submit a ticket, or email consult@illinois.edu.

The Main Library’s first-floor north-south corridor will be open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. May 16 and 17 during Commencement Weekend for photos with the Bronze Tablets (1925 through 2025). The Bronze Tablets represent Illinois’ highest undergraduate academic honor, recognizing sustained excellence. Inscribed with the names of top students, the tablets are permanently displayed in the Main Library.

Applications are now open for the fall 2026 Illinois Supervisory Skills Program. This cohort-based program is designed for supervisors seeking to advance their leadership skills while learning alongside peers from across campus. Open to employees with at least a 75%-time appointment who currently supervise status or student employees.

Effective May 18, the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) and Campus Recreation Center East (CRCE) will no longer accept the Illinois ID QR code in the Illinois App for facility access. All patrons will be required to tap or swipe a valid, physical i-card for access.

Data Science Research Services at Gies Business has built iKompete, an online platform designed to make competitions easier to launch, manage, and scale. iKompete hosts structured challenges where participants can browse events, submit work, and view live leaderboards. The platform supports diverse formats — including data, images, code, and artificial intelligence agents — using both human judging and automated scoring. It is ideal for classroom challenges, research calls, student events, and certifications. To host a competition or learn more, email dsrs@business.illinois.edu.

The Illinois Mexican and Mexican-American student initiative invites you to the Precision Brain Health: Merging Genetic Insights with Nutritional Neuroscience online symposium. Join us to foster an interdisciplinary forum in which medical students and faculty collaboratively explore and critically appraise emerging evidence on how genomic variability and targeted nutritional interventions converge to optimize cognitive function and neurological resilience. Register for the event.

Organized by the Mayo Clinic and Illinois Alliance for Technology-Based Healthcare, this one-week course will introduce Mayo Clinic and Illinois faculty, staff, and students to the basics of computational genomics and the tools and methodologies used to analyze genomic data. The 2026 course will be held virtually June 22-26 and will include synchronous and self-paced sessions led by Illinois and Mayo Clinic faculty. No previous experience or knowledge of computational genomics is required. Learn more from 2025 course participants.

The Champaign County Regional Planning Commission needs your feedback on walking, biking, and rolling around the cities to help guide recommendations for the Champaign-Urbana Active Transportation Plan. Your firsthand experiences and candor will help inform future improvements to the local transportation system that will positively impact the bicycle network, micromobility infrastructure, pedestrian safety aspects, and more. The survey should take five minutes or less to complete, and it closes at 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 13.

The 2026 Dennis H. May Mental Health Conference on Belonging in Higher Education theme is "Radical Reimagining: From Student Resilience to Institutional Responsibility." Suggested areas for proposals include strategies for supporting historically marginalized communities, culturally responsive mental health practices in higher ed, fostering care, belonging, and community healing, navigating mental health within the context of systemic inequities and social justice, and innovative approaches to resilience, balance, and mental well-being. Submit your proposal by 11:59 p.m. July 10.

Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue is an interactive course that teaches skills on how to effectively turn disagreement into dialogue. This course is appropriate for a range of roles, including those who provide customer service, manage conflict, or supervise others. Find information about this 4-day, in-person training opportunity in the Crucial Conversations reservation form.

Starbucks at the Illini Union Bookstore will be closed this summer for renovation starting Monday, May 18, and reopening for the start of fall 2026. The renovation will bring a new layout, new menu options, and additional bathrooms. During the renovation, you can enjoy your Starbucks from the Illini Union with mobile ordering available.

The Illinois Leadership Center is now accepting requests for workshops for summer 2026 into spring 2027. If you would like your students to learn more about addressing conflict, giving feedback, critical decision-making, and more, please check out our offerings! These services are provided for free to academic class, student staff teams, registered student organizations, and more.

A discussion on adoption and racial healing, featuring Gina Samuels and performer Gabriel Gutierrez. The evening features poetry and visual art from Illinois adoptees in Roots Unbound alongside dance and storytelling by Gutierrez, an adult adoptee, and reconnecting P’urhépecha Native. Through poetry, movement, and art, the event centers lived experience, connection, and healing.

Please join Academic Women in STEAM for our monthly seminar series, Science Uncorked. Our next seminar event will be at 6 p.m. Thursday May 14, at The Literary in downtown Champaign. Our presenter will be Shuchi Singh, postdoctoral researcher in agricultural and biological engineering at the U. of I., who will present "Designing Value from Miscanthus for Biofuels and Bioproducts." All are welcome! Interested in presenting in the future? Contact a-wis@illinois.edu.

The Farms: An Allerton Folk School is hosting two events at the Illinois Arboretum this week: Sunset Yoga from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, May 11, and Spring Migration Bird Hike from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 12. In addition, if you are interested in volunteering at the Arboretum, there will be a Volunteer Orientation from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 12. Learn more and register by clicking on the links above.

Four hands-on accessibility workshops are coming next week — registration required. 1.) Make Your MS Word Documents Accessible: Use Word's Styles tool and Accessibility Checker to find and fix common issues. 2.) Make Your MS PowerPoint Presentations Accessible: Build accessible slide structure and use PowerPoint's Accessibility Assistant. 3.) Checking Documents for Accessibility: Scan multiple document types and practice remediating issues. 4.) Make Your Excel Spreadsheets Accessible, Part 1: Cover table structure, color contrast, alt text, and more.

Join the Neuromusculoskeletal Seminar Series for a talk by Illinois' Mariana Kersh and Carle's Adam Kahn. The title will be, "Clinical biomechanics: applications in orthopedics and rehabilitation." Want to be added to the NMSK group's list of members? Email nmskAtCI@gmail.com.

Join the Data Science Research Collaboration Community webinar for a panel discussion of current and emerging issues around research data security. Bring your questions for our guests during the Q&A. Panelists: Joe Barnes, chief digital risk officer, University of Illinois System; Patty Jones, associate vice chancellor for research and innovation in compliance, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Anita Nikolich, director of research and technology innovation and research scientist, The School of Information Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Recent grads, join us online for our weekly summer meet-up, May 20 through July 1, designed to support and empower you as you transition from college to the workforce. Whether you are exploring job leads, preparing for interviews, refining your personal narrative, or navigating job offers, this student-driven space gives you the opportunity to ask questions, share challenges, connect with peers, and take action on your next steps. To learn more, visit Handshake.

The PLAY Lab is looking for children finishing preschool or kindergarten to participate in a year-long study. Participation involves attending five laboratory sessions over one year and completing some motor and cognitive tasks while various brain responses are recorded. Up to $100 in compensation. PLAY LAB — Department of Health and Kinesiology, Freer Hall | play-lab@illinois.edu; INTEREST FORM LINK!

Help make the Next Alcohol Fitbit! The Alcohol Research Lab is looking for participants for a validation study of transdermal biosensing bracelets, and we will be running sessions over the summer. Participation involves attending three laboratory sessions, wearing at least two transdermal bracelets (on your non-dominant hand), and filling out surveys for two weeks. Up to $400 in compensation for participation.

The Nutrition and Exercise Performance Research Group is looking for participants to partake in a 2-day study to establish the utility of the indicator amino acid oxidation method in adults. Participation in this study involves 2-day habituation lead in with all meals provided, muscle biopsies, and blood, breath, and urine sampling during two all-day trials. Upon completion, you will receive $150 and information about your body composition and caloric needs. Contact Gena (NEPRESEARCH@illinois.edu) for more information! Male participants are strongly encouraged!

The Nutrition and Exercise Performance Research Group is recruiting recreationally active adults (19–40 years old) to participate in a 2-day study examining how food combinations affect muscle protein synthesis and whole-body protein utilization. Participation includes four free meals, resistance exercise, muscle biopsies, and blood, breath, and urine sampling across two lab visits. Participants who complete the study will receive $300 and information on body composition and caloric needs. Interested individuals may contact Calvin at (cw148@illinois.edu) to learn more and see if you qualify!