Integrative Biology at Illinois

05/27/2026

Discover the thrill of scientific discovery with IB496: Alpha Taxonomy of Insects this Fall 2026! Students work hands-on with real, undescribed insect species. Collaborate to co-author a publication describing new species, including Amazonian cockroaches. One student recently described 5 new species! So what are you waiting for? Sign up for the course this fall and join us and be part of groundbreaking research.

05/19/2026

Better late than never, right? Our grads have officially crossed the stage, and we’re still basking in the glow (and catching up on our posts)! Share your favorite weekend graduation moments with us so we can celebrate this milestone together!

05/14/2026

With graduation coming up, we had to go find some seniors and ask a burning question… what advice would they give to freshman? 🤔

The seniors came prepared! From saying yes to everything, to joining IBH- listen to the advice from those who went through the four years in biology, and came out on the other side with the degree! 🎓

05/13/2026

SIB is proud to celebrate our outstanding Integrative Biology Honors major, Fisher Houston, on receiving the prestigious Udall Scholarship! This honor recognizes Fisher’s dedication to environmental leadership and academic excellence. Join us in congratulating him on this remarkable achievement!

Link:

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. —University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign junior R. Fisher Houston is one of 65 students nationwide awarded the Udall Undergraduate Scholarship.

05/12/2026

We're excited about Rebecca Song’s work this summer! As a conservation biology and urban studies scholar, Rebecca is combining their passion for ecology with community engagement through Downtown Greens, enhancing urban green spaces in Fredericksburg, VA. Their research on ecological trade-offs in insect populations highlights the vital connections between biodiversity and community health. We look forward to seeing how their project advances conservation efforts with a community-centered approach!

Meet the 2026 Community-Academic Scholars 🧡💙

This summer, these students will spend 10 weeks working with a community mentor and an academic mentor on projects designed to make a direct impact on the communities they serve.

Not only will the students support and advance important research, they will develop a better understanding of the unique considerations and benefits of community-engaged research.

Congratulations to this year’s scholars:

🔸 Ace Aceves | biochemistry

🔹Tori Arduini | Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences (NRES)

🔸Celia Barkley | NRES

🔹Alisha Daga | Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering

🔸Grace Fan | Psychology

🔹Sydney Geiger Bryce | earth, society & environmental sustainability

🔸Zahra Ghadeer | Molecular & Cellular Biology(MCB)

🔹Lina Gil | Spanish and psychology)

🔸Amanda Jamrog | History

🔹Isabel Jimenez | Kinesiology

🔸Ellie Kim | Neuroscience

🔹Alan Medina | MCB

🔸Manh Nguyen | Statistics

🔹Zoe Rains | psychology

🔸Aman Saji | electrical and computer engineering (ECE)

🔹Roshellie Salgado (neuroscience)

🔸Rebecca Song | conservation biology and urban studies

🔹Jaritzi Villegas | (Civil and Environmental Engineering

🔸Wonjin Yang (Mathematics)

Learn more about the scholars and their projects:
https://healthinstitute.illinois.edu/news-events/news/the-2026-community-academic-scholars-are-poised-to-make-an-impact

05/05/2026

Good luck on your finals, IB! ✨

This is the final stretch, study hard, you got this! 💪🏼🧬

05/01/2026

Today is National College Decision Day!

Choose biology at Illinois for the next best four years! From football games, to studying with your new friends, gaining hands on skills in labs, enjoying the weather on the Quad, connecting with amazing faculty, or immersing yourself in biology; Illinois is the place to be.

Go Illini! 🧡💙

04/30/2026

We have more news coming out of SIB! Our former talented undergraduate students have co-authored groundbreaking research uncovering how plants respond to multiple environmental stresses. This discovery not only advances plant science but also has important implications for agriculture and food security worldwide. We’re proud to see our students making real-world impacts through research and contributing to solutions that benefit us all.

Read more about their inspiring journey and the science behind it:

A newly published study in the Journal of Chemical Ecology offers new insight into how plants respond when faced with multiple environmental challenges at once.

04/29/2026

The SIB Scariest Organism in Biology tournament is officially over and the winner is… Humans! After a fierce battle, we’ve crowned ourselves the scariest organism on the planet. Who better to decide than the species that’s reshaped the entire Earth?

Thanks to everyone who voted and joined the fun. Looks like us humans find ourselves the most terrifying and proud of it!

04/28/2026

Discover how some plants perform the incredible feat of drying out almost completely and then coming back to life!

Assistant Professor in Plant Biology Rose Marks and postdoc in the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology R. Shawn Abrahams at Illinois have uncovered how this rare survival strategy evolved over millions of years. Their research not only sheds light on plant resilience but also holds promise for developing drought-resistant crops in a changing climate.

Dive into this fascinating story of nature’s resilience and innovation!

Read more:

A new publication by Assistant Professor in Plant Biology Rose Marks and Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) postdoctoral fellow Shawn Abrahams is reshaping how scientists understand one of nature’s most remarkab