The Campus-Community Compact awarded $94,000 to projects addressing one or more of its six focus areas. Proposals ranged in focus from health, education, workforce development, language access, food systems, and community engagement. Selected collaborative projects connect university expertise and resources with the knowledge and leadership of local organizations and residents. Awardees include: CU Early; Champaign-Urbana Public Health District; The Refugee Center; Stratton Academy of the Arts/Yankee Ridge Elementary/Jefferson Middle School; Urbana-Champaign Reproductive Justice. Learn more.

Start the fall semester off right by getting tech support at our IT Service Desk satellite locations during Tech Points. All Illinois students, faculty, and staff can get help with email, password resets, Wi-Fi set up, multifactor authentication, and so much more! Find us at CIF, Ikenberry Commons, and Illini Union from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 24 and 25. More information is on the Tech Points webpage. Please share!  

The Personalized Nutrition Initiative has moved its home to the National Center for Supercomputing Applications thanks to a new two-year memorandum of understanding between the two groups designed to expand interdisciplinary research, strengthen industry partnerships, and position the initiative to become a self-sustaining campus center. The move reflects the growing convergence of nutrition science, artificial intelligence, genomics, data science, and behavioral research, while aligning PNI with NCSA’s biological and health sciences research mission. Read more!

Encourage your graduate students and postdocs to sharpen their #SciComm skills while broadening the impact of their health-related work by presenting for The Community Seminar Series. Presenters work closely with a University of Illinois Extension Mentor to develop a presentation that is accessible to the public and considers learning objectives, audience engagement, and visual communication. The fall CSS occurs at noon Wednesdays, Oct. 7 through Nov. 18. Email Max Wallace to nominate presenters by Aug. 12.

Starting Friday, Aug. 14, Technology Services will update the Spam Digest web portal, Proofpoint for Outlook. After the update is complete, users will notice that the interface has changed. This is intended to be more user friendly and provide easily accessible features that were confusing on the old digest. Users will still get emails about their digest just like they did in the past, and the link in the emails will now take you to the new web interface. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at consult@illinois.edu.

The Graduate College is now recruiting hosts for the Career Exploration Fellowship for the spring 2027 term. This program connects Ph.D. students with campus units for mentored work experience. Host units hire a Fellow for a 25% graduate assistantship, and the Fellow receives an additional fellowship/tuition waiver. Enthusiastic learners, skilled workers, and innovative thinkers, Fellows contribute significantly to units. Curious about hosting a Fellow in spring 2027? Email gradsuccess@illinois.edu.

Ready to lead with confidence? Illinois Human Resources presents Supervisor Fundamentals, a highly interactive program developed to support new supervisors in their role for less than three years. Dive into hands-on activities, scenario-based learning, and discussions designed to build essential skills in communication, self-awareness, and managing employee performance while emphasizing the important role supervisors play in shaping workplace culture.

Registration is open for Founders Week, Sept. 30 through Oct. 3. Whether you’re already involved in Entrepreneurship at Illinois or curious to learn more, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the community are invited to attend all or part of the free, on-campus event. The schedule includes panel discussions, a pitch competition, networking opportunities, and a founders showcase featuring some of the latest innovations from our faculty and student research labs. Learn more and register now!

NCSA is pleased to host a regional, in-person machine learning workshop Oct. 5-6, designed to support academic researchers across disciplines who are either new to artificial intelligence/machine learning or looking to build intermediate skills. That means you – yes, you – can join and feel confident you’ll get what you need from this hands-on event. Participants will gain experience through guided training sessions, real-world examples, and interactive exercises, all aimed at lowering barriers to entry and accelerating productive use of advanced computing. Space is limited so register early!

Creative Dance for Children is an innovative community program provided by the U. of I. Department of Dance under the direction of Betty Allen. Instructors collaborate to design and deliver creative dance classes tailored for children ages 4-10. Classes are Saturday mornings from Sept. 12 through Nov. 7. REGISTER today. Spots still available!

This week, we are offering four hands-on workshops to help you meet accessibility standards for your courses and documents: 1.) 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 11: Make Your PDF Documents Accessible, Part 2; 2.) 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Aug. 12: Make Your MS Word Documents Accessible; 3.) 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 12: Make Your Moodle Course Accessible Using the FACT Accessibility Checker; 4.) 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Aug. 13: Make Your MS PowerPoint Documents Accessible. Registration is required!

Have you ever wondered what it takes to build something great from scratch? Design Seedling is taking over Moonlight Bay with: “Can You Rebuild It? Design Seedling Challenge.” Through this interactive installation, you can explore how making an "invisible process" visible helps build value and connection. Come challenge your brain and see if you have what it takes!

Registration is open for the 2026 Personalized Nutrition Innovation Day – The Science of Eating: Variability, Behavior, and the Role of Personalized Nutrition, held on Sept. 29. Campus faculty, researchers, post-docs, and students can submit abstracts (by Aug. 24). Visit our website for agenda, registration, and abstract submission.

The Illinois Science Explorers Designing and Delivering STEM Outreach workshop helps graduate students build science communication, outreach, and leadership skills. Participants learn to simplify complex ideas, design engaging STEM activities for youth, and support inclusive learning. Open to all disciplines. Registration closes Aug. 25. Please share this opportunity to help students gain experience while supporting STEM learning in our community.

Get ready for an unforgettable adventure at Allerton's 10th Annual Family Campout on Saturday, Sept. 19, through Sunday, Sept. 20. This hassle-free camping experience includes the rare chance to camp overnight at Allerton! In addition to campfire s’mores and stories, we have a wide variety of optional activities to explore and learn from experts at the Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois State Archeological Survey, University of Illinois Astronomy Department, Land Conservation Foundation, and more!

We have reserved the Mansion for the public on Saturday, Aug. 29, so that you can Wind Down and take in the lovely ambiance of Allerton! The Solarium Bar will be open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Stop by for happy hour or bring the whole crew for a fun night out! Optional activities include Off the Books: Comedy from Zoo Improv (6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; registration required here) and live music from Doty and Dexter (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.).

The Illinois Mexican and Mexican-American student initiative invites you to the U.S.–Latin America Day of Artificial Intelligence online symposium. Join us to provide a unique voice of personalized and empowering experience, particularly to high school students, with the latest innovations in AI through an interactive virtual conference that will be broadcast live to a global audience in real-time. Register for the event.

The Illinois Mexican and Mexican-American student initiative invites you to the Quantum Computing and Microelectronics Technology: Driving Innovation in Modern Industry online symposium. Join us to promote strategic collaborations among the industry in Mexico and the University of Illinois System in the areas of quantum computing, microelectronics technology, industry, and innovation. Register for the event.

Bird species are declining worldwide. Understanding their needs is crucial for conservation management. More than 50% of North American birds migrate, creating knowledge gaps, particularly for stop-over habitat selection and migratory routes. Long-term bird banding can help while assessing population trends and responses to environmental change. The Phillips Tract Banding Station was started in 2019 and is one of many American stations collaborating to answer big questions. Presented by INHS' Tara Beveroth in person at Champaign Extension or via Zoom.  See registration details.

Faculty Job Search Retreat! Join us for valuable advice from faculty who have recently navigated the process successfully and from our career development staff. This virtual event includes an overview of the search, a faculty panel, and a discussion of how this year's hiring cycle might look different than before. Everyone is welcome: visiting scholars, faculty, postdocs, graduate students, etc. Registration is required. Find more information and the registration link at https://go.grad.illinois.edu/FacultyJobSearchRetreat.

SHIFT (Scholars in Human-Centered, Innovative, and Forward-Thinking Teaching) Spark is back! This fall, Siebel Center for Design is hosting a series of introductory Human-Centered Design workshops tailored to faculty, staff, and grad students. In just 1-2 hours, each session applies design thinking methods to audience-tailored challenges. Join us online for interactive sessions that explore new perspectives and prototype practical tools for your team!

The Parasol Lab in the Siebel Center for Computer Science is seeking participants for a research study. You will experience interacting with robots in virtual reality and answer survey questions. The study will take approximately 2.5 hours to complete. Participants can choose to enter into a raffle for a $50 Amazon gift card as compensation. More information can be found at: https://forms.gle/kGf3SG2ZhWmjwo95A.

The Health Promotion and Rehabilitation Lab invites older individuals to take part in a study for brain health monitoring. You can expect the following activities: 1.) Testing a brain health monitoring mobile app; 2.) Regular 10-minute self-assessments via the app; 3.) Doing simple activities with the app (e.g., taking a selfie, describing a picture). If you are 65+ years of age, speak English, and have a smartphone with reliable internet, welcome to the study! Please sign up here. Your participation will be compensated.

The Alcohol Research Lab is looking for social drinkers to participate in a study that examines the effects of alcohol on brain activity as well as social and cognitive processes. Participation involves attending two 4- to 9-hour laboratory sessions and completing physiological 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 $250 in compensation.

Looking for children ages 5-7 years and teenagers ages 16-17 years who are native speakers of American English and have normal hearing. The purpose of this research is to study how and when children develop the ability to process sounds in noisy environments, such as busy classrooms and other crowded environments. Participants will listen and respond to speech samples and receive a hearing test during one or two 1- to 2-hour visits. Compensation of $15 per hour and free on-site parking will be provided for each visit! To learn more, fill out our screener or email anex-lab@illinois.edu.

Adults with constant, chronic, and bothersome tinnitus ("ringing in the ears") between the ages of 18-65 years are needed for a multi-visit research study that seeks to develop and validate new methods for coping with tinnitus. The study uses brain wave recording to guide individuals in regulating their brain activity. Two hearing tests and 3-5 MRI scans will be conducted. Individuals will be paid for their participation and reimbursed for parking.  Email tinnitus@illinois.edu or call 217-333-7561.

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.

Our team is conducting research on understanding the benefits and challenges that artificial intelligence presents when people explore information in unfamiliar disciplines.  If you have experience or interest engaging with an unfamiliar research discipline, please complete this 10-minute survey: https://illinois.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d6GmENZBABKEsjs. Those who complete the survey can enter a raffle for one of five $20 Amazon gift cards. There is also an opportunity for a follow-up Zoom interview that is compensated with a $15 Amazon gift card. This project is approved under IRB #26-0810.

Seeking participants (21-64 year olds) 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 email here.

Participation in this study involves collecting blood and muscle samples and completing resistance exercises during two all-day trials (14-16 hours per trial). Upon completion, you will receive $1,500, information about your lower body strength, and nutritional status. Contact Zan for more details.

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!

U. of I. researchers are recruiting adults for a remote study on how people explore a public-facing dashboard about fatal police use-of-force incidents while interacting with an artificial intelligence assistant. Participation involves one 90- to 100-minute Zoom with dashboard tasks, a short questionnaire, and an interview. Compensation: approximately $30–$33 for the full session ($20/hour). We especially welcome people who work with or interpret public or socially relevant data. Availability before Aug. 15 is appreciated. Later dates are also welcome, and we will do our best to accommodate.