This Week in Illinois Research
The Class of 2026
We’ve had a lot to celebrate as a campus in the last few months, from our Final Four appearance to NCI designation for our Cancer Center. Later this week, we will be celebrating something a little different: our graduates!
The University's top-tier research and innovation enterprise propels student experiences in the classroom and out and gives them an edge for years to come. This year’s graduates are Legislative Fellows. Cancer Scholars. Certificate holders. Lab assistants. Research Park Interns. They have completed minors in sustainability. They understand computational genomics. They have studied team science. They have started companies. They are ready to join the workforce. They know how to advocate for a better world. They have become more than just students absorbing knowledge—they are contributors, collaborators, and leaders in projects and teams that advance research and innovation at Illinois, and far beyond. And soon they will be our alumni!
Congratulations to the Class of 2026.
Sincerely,
Susan
Featured Stories
Cheri Pettey tagged to lead Office for the Protection of Research Subjects
Cheri Pettey has been named Director of the Office for the Protection of Research Subjects (OPRS) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, pending approval from the Board of Trustees. Her first day of work is March 23, 2026.
NAGPRA Intensive Training Program Receives NEH funding
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded three years of funding to a training program developed jointly by the NAGPRA offices at the University of Illinois and Indiana University. The award punctuates the success of and broad need for the training known as INSTEP (Intensive NAGPRA Summer Training & Education Program).
Cultivating a culture of safety across campus is goal of new campaign
New campaign to highlight best safety practices, resources, and more
Stephanie Hess still remembers a time when personal protective equipment saved her from possible burns on her hands and arms.
Around Campus
New funding for statewide mosquito, tick, and biting midge surveillance
The Medical Entomology Lab at PRI has received new funding for …
Researchers leveraging ultrasound waves to activate stress-sensitive molecules inside living plant tissue
Researchers are leveraging …
Understand how stress impacts fear memory and fear extinction
Researchers in the Emotion and Memory Systems Laboratory, led by …
National Landscape
Science details steps ahead for scientists around the world to chart the route of spread
As we learn more about the deadly hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship, …
Thirteen former NSB chairs and NSF directors released a letter last week
Thirteen former National Science Board chairs and National Science Foundation directors …
NOAA’s proposed 2027 budget would eliminate key research and development programs
Members of the House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on the Environment warn that NOAA’s proposed…
White House dismissed every member of the National Science Board
After dismissing every member of the National Science Board, the body that oversees the National Science…