The University of Illinois System

06/04/2026

This May, your engaged voices reached Springfield, global partnerships took flight, and the joy of commencement season spread across our campuses. Read more about it in Stay Connected, and subscribe below!

🎓 May edition: https://ow.ly/y2QO50Z7Jko
📩 Subscribe here: https://ow.ly/mHZo50Z7Jkp

06/03/2026

The Morrow Plots will have a fresh look at the young age of 150, after this summer's makeover is completed. ✨🌽

By the beginning of the fall semester, North America's oldest experimental agricultural field will be easier to see for passers-by on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus.

URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Changes are coming to the University of Illinois’ Morrow Plots — North America’s oldest experimental agricultural field — which have been putting…

06/02/2026

Great leaders. Great moments. Great convenings.

We're proud to have relaunched the University of Illinois System's David Dodds Henry Lecture Series: The Future of Higher Education. Building on years of tradition, the Chicago gathering brought together higher education leaders and changemakers to explore how to navigate unprecedented times.

A keynote from Robert J. Jones, former University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chancellor and University of Washington president, set the stage for vital conversations on leadership, public trust, and the evolving relationship between society and higher education.

Each panel raised bold questions, shaped new ideas, and lifted the room with a shared passion for meaningful change. We look forward to continuing the tradition next year.

06/02/2026

05/29/2026

As data centers expand, so does their need for energy. Right now, nearly 30% of their energy usage is connected to cooling. But a Mechanical Science and Engineering at Illinois team created a 3D-printed plate—with structures thinner than human hair—that could slash that ratio to a mere 1.1%. ⚡

Computer chips are becoming increasingly high powered, which means they produce more heat. This, combined with the increase in data centers, is putting a strain on the energy grid. For the past 40–50 years, computer chips have been cooled by circulating air, but air is insufficient for dissipating...

05/27/2026

University of Illinois Chicago researchers have the data to back up just how good mentoring is for teens and tweens. Their study shows mentoring’s positive impact on violent behavior and substance abuse, as well as self-esteem and overall mental health.

Researchers focused on Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, which has been pairing adults with “Littles” since the early 1900s. They analyzed four recent years of interviews, surveys, and records from more than 1,300 kids across the country.

“Where the rubber meets the road is in the relationship building,” said Professor Emeritus David DuBois of the UIC School of Public Health. “Mentoring has the potential to influence youth in almost any area of their health and development.”

Learn more: https://ow.ly/iaO550Z4ujE

05/26/2026

Faculty and student researchers across the University of Illinois System are deepening our understanding of mental health from every angle, from brain circuitry to hip-hop beats. This Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re highlighting three of many making an impact.

At the Beckman Institute at Illinois, Steve Maren’s lab is uncovering why PTSD treatments don’t always work and finding new pathways that could make them more effective: https://ow.ly/bgjF50Z4hKP

At the University of Illinois Chicago, Hip-Hop H.E.A.L.S! founder Jaleel Abdul-Adil explores how music can support mental health and trauma recovery. Listen to the podcast here: https://ow.ly/myl750Z4hKQ

University of Illinois Springfield alumna Brianna Werner researched military veterans’ adjustment to college life and now builds on that work in her role at Rush University Medical Center: https://ow.ly/A03E50Z4hKN

05/22/2026

05/21/2026

The University of Illinois Board of Trustees today approved a strategic expansion of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, establishing four new departments that will sharpen its focus on specific areas of medicine and enhance the college’s interdisciplinary collaboration.

“The Carle Illinois College of Medicine is training the next generation of physicians at the intersection of engineering, science and medicine, and these new departments sharpen our focus in areas where Illinoisans most need outstanding care,” U of I System President Tim Killeen said. “It’s a meaningful step forward for the college and for the communities we serve.”

For more from today's meeting ⬇️

The University of Illinois Board of Trustees today approved a strategic expansion of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, establishing four new departments that will sharpen its focus on specific areas of medicine and enhance the college’s interdisciplinary collaboration.

05/20/2026

Happy World Bee Day! At the University of Illinois System, we're highlighting some of the ways our campuses are giving back to the ecosystems around them.

At the University of Illinois Chicago, the Arthington Mall Plaza — a collaboration with UIC, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago — features nearly 14,500 square feet of native plantings that attract urban pollinators. Other initiatives like the Little Prairie on the Campus, the Heritage Garden, and the Plant Research Laboratory further support bee and butterfly populations.

At the University of Illinois Springfield, the matrix gardens, funded by the Green Fee Committee, are composed primarily of native, pollinator-friendly species. Through the Green Fee Committee, the campus funds sustainable projects designed to benefit students for years to come.

And at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the Pollinatarium — the nation's first free-standing science center dedicated to flowering plants and their pollinators — is leading the charge. With pollinators contributing nearly $20 billion to the U.S. economy, the researchers and staff there are working to ensure these essential ecosystems continue to thrive.

Because without pollinators, much of the food we rely on every day simply wouldn't exist. 🐝