University of Illinois System News

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Gift Days 2023

Apr 26, 2023 10:30 am

University of Illinois System leaders announced additional paid days off for staff during the winter holidays for the eighth straight year.
Gift Days program for employees extended to fifth year

May 8, 2020 11:00 am

U of I System leadership have announced that a program providing additional paid days off for employees during the December/January holidays has been extended to a fifth straight year.
Governor appoints engineer, business leader to U of I Board of Trustees

Mar 29, 2023 10:00 am

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has appointed prominent civil and structural engineer and business leader Wilbur Milhouse III to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.
Governor appoints Gutman to U of I Board of Trustees

Jun 27, 2022 12:15 pm

Retired financial executive Joseph D. Gutman has been appointed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. Gutman will fill the seat being vacated by Ricardo Estrada and, pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate, serve a term that runs through 2025.
Governor appoints Puente to U of I Board of Trustees

Aug 9, 2022 3:30 pm

Longtime public policy leader Sylvia Puente has been appointed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.
Governor Pritzker joins U of I System board in roundtable discussion

Sep 22, 2023 9:15 am

Gov. J.B. Pritzker met with the University of Illinois System Board of Trustees on Thursday at its regular bimonthly meeting, taking part in a roundtable discussion on topics including enrollment trends, initiatives to address college affordability and the role of the system in contributing to economic development.
Governor releases $37M+ for food research, business growth at innovation hubs

Dec 13, 2022 9:45 am

Pritzker administration releases $37.3 million to launch facilities for five hubs of the Illinois Innovation Network, created to accelerate job creation and economic growth through groundbreaking education, research and discovery.
Governor's budget would increase U of I System operating funds

Feb 22, 2024 9:00 am

General operating support for the University of Illinois System would increase by 1.8 percent under the budget proposed Wednesday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, which would increase the system’s total general funds appropriation to $710.41 million for the coming fiscal year and continue the trend of state reinvestment in public higher education.
Gov. Pritzker announces 'Innovate Illinois' partnership to secure federal funding

Apr 6, 2023 10:45 am

The diverse coalition of business leaders, higher education institutions, and elected officials will coordinate the state's efforts to secure funding through the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Gov. Pritzker appoints 3 trustees to U of I System board

Feb 9, 2021 9:30 am

The governor on Friday named finance executive Ramon Cepeda, banking executive Sarah Phalen and agricultural communicator Tami Craig Schilling to six-year terms on the board, pending approval of the Illinois Senate. This will be Cepeda’s second term as a trustee.
Gov. Pritzker commits $500 million to IIN and DPI

Feb 12, 2020 9:45 am

Highlighting his dynamic, long-term vision for economic development built on state-of-the-art technology, robust higher education and private partnerships, Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday announced that the State of Illinois is moving forward with $500 million in capital funding for the University of Illinois System’s Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) and Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) – a network of research and innovation hubs that will serve as a magnet for technology and talent.
Gov. Pritzker releases $142M in capital funding for DPI, IIN

Nov 19, 2020 7:45 am

Governor JB Pritzker announced today the release of more than $142 million to launch new facilities for the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) and Illinois Innovation Network (IIN), created to accelerate job creation and economic growth through groundbreaking education, research and discovery. The funding is made possible by the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois Capital program, with state DPI investments matched dollar for dollar through university, private and philanthropic funding sources.
Grad programs earn high marks in latest U.S. News & World Report rankings

Apr 6, 2021 8:00 am

In the 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings, the three universities within the University of Illinois System have more than 140 total ranked programs, 50 of which are top-25 programs.
Happy holidays from the Killeens, students around the system

Dec 7, 2022 10:15 am

U of I System President Tim Killeen said it best. “However you celebrate, we wish you the warmth of family and friends, and the joyful hope each new year brings.”
Holiday Greetings

Nov 21, 2018 12:45 pm

University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen and Dr. Roberta Johnson Killeen deliver best wishes for the holidays to faculty, students, staff, and friends.
IBM and UIUC to launch new Discovery Accelerator Institute

May 26, 2021 9:15 am

IBM and The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign plan to launch a large-scale collaboration designed to increase access to technology education and skill development, and to combine the strengths of academia and the industrial sector to spur breakthroughs in emerging areas of technology.
IDPH announces $225M investment to expand COVID-19 testing in middle and high schools

May 12, 2021 1:15 pm

In an effort to ensure in-person learning can fully resume as quickly and safely as possible, the Illinois Department of Public Health today announced a $225 million investment to expand access to covidSHIELD saliva-based testing, developed by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, to middle and high schools across the state at low or no cost.
IDPH & DPI announce statewide system to monitor COVID-19 in wastewater

May 25, 2021 7:45 am

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) today announced a statewide system to monitor the virus that causes COVID-19 and its variants in wastewater, providing public health officials with early warnings of a potential outbreak on a county-by-county basis.
IDPH expands COVID-19 testing to elementary schools

Jun 10, 2021 7:45 am

To help ensure schools can more safely resume in-person learning, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced it is expanding access to no-cost and low-cost COVID-19 testing to elementary schools across Illinois. Schools can choose to utilize the saliva-based covidSHIELD test developed by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). The covidSHIELD test can quickly detect the virus that causes COVID-19, and its variants, including among people who do not have symptoms.
IDPH to offer free covidSHIELD tests for public schools for 2022-23 school year

Jun 14, 2022 2:30 pm

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced a renewed agreement with SHIELD Illinois that offers every public school outside of Chicago the opportunity to use the University of Illinois System’s innovative, saliva-based COVID-19 testing platform at no cost for the 2022-23 school year.
IGPA releases report on state economic impact of COVID-19

Apr 9, 2020 12:45 pm

The University of Illinois System's Institute of Government & Public Affairs Task Force on the Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic released a report today looking at the potential effect on Illinois state finances. The hit to state revenues is expected to be worse than the Great Recession.
IGPA releases report on strain pandemic is putting on families

Apr 16, 2020 12:45 pm

The University of Illinois System’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs (IGPA) today released a report on the strain the COVID-19 Pandemic is putting on communities and families in Illinois, and how policymakers can help make them more resilient in the face of the crisis.
IGPA task force's roadmap for safely reopening state's economy

May 29, 2020 8:00 am

The Institute of Government and Public Affairs assembled a task force of interdisciplinary faculty experts from all three universities in the University of Illinois System to assess COVID-19’s effects on the state. This essay represents the work of several task force members to create a roadmap for safely reopening the state’s economy.
IIN awards inaugural round of social innovation seed grants

Jul 17, 2023 2:15 pm

The funding for this Illinois Innovation Network progam is provided by the University of Illinois System, and designed to translate research into projects that directly affect lives, address critical social problems, and build trusted partnerships in communities across Illinois.
IIN awards new seed grant to social innovation project

Jan 23, 2024 12:45 pm

The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) awarded $30,000 to a new social innovation seed grant project this week. The funded project, “Journeys to Justice: Commemorating and Memorializing the History and Legacy of Anti-Black Terror in Illinois,” will launch a statewide coalition to promote and support the research and remembrance of anti-Black riots, massacres and lynchings in Illinois.
IIN awards seed grants to 8 new projects

Jun 16, 2022 12:00 pm

The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) on Thursday awarded nearly $240,000 in seed grants to eight research teams focused on projects that include using renewable technologies to design equitable STEM education programs, making construction materials from wastes and industrial byproducts, developing a game-like energy career exploration platform, and creating high-performance computing simulation tools for additive manufacturing.
Illini Angels notches six investments in first year

Mar 18, 2024 9:30 am

Illini Angels is a powerful network of alumni investors – a team that brings decades experience in investing, innovating, building market leading companies, establishing connections, and encouraging the highest-impact relationships. The angel investing network has backed six companies since March 2023 and has grown to 70 members.
Illini Success report documents graduates' post-college experiences

Mar 13, 2019 4:30 pm

Graduates from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s undergraduate programs continue to experience exceptional success in securing a “first destination” – defined as a job, enrollment in graduate school or a volunteer position – within six months of graduation, according to the newly released Illini Success report.
Illini Success report shows graduates succeeding in jobs, salaries

Mar 5, 2020 3:00 pm

Recent graduates from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found jobs, enrolled in graduate school or began a volunteer program at record rates, according to the 2018-19 Illini Success annual report released today.
Illinois Broadband Lab launches survey to shape broadband investment plan

Apr 25, 2023 9:30 am

Anyone in Illinois is encouraged to click here to access the survey and share their perspectives and input about the planning initiative, forthcoming federal investment, and the work of the Illinois Office of Broadband and Illinois Broadband Lab.
Illinois Commitment will help in-state students from middle-income families

Aug 27, 2018 9:00 am

Through a combination of institutional, federal and state aid, including Pell Grants and Monetary Award Program grants, Illinois Commitment will provide financial awards to cover the tuition and campus fees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for in-state students whose family income is less than $61,000, the current median family income in Illinois.
Illinois Innovation Network adds 9 new hubs

May 15, 2019 8:45 am

The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN), a group of hubs across the state that aims to boost Illinois’ economy through entrepreneurship, research and workforce development, announced the addition of nine new members today. IIN now has 15 hubs, including all of Illinois’ public universities and spans the entire state.
Illinois Innovation Network announces seed funding recipients

Jan 22, 2021 10:00 am

The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) on Friday awarded $229,000 in seed grants to eight research teams in its second round of funding, selecting projects that include ag tech, vaccine distribution, strengthening the state’s teacher pipeline and protecting Illinois’ biodiversity.
Illinois Innovation Network announces seed funding recipients

Jul 27, 2020 1:00 pm

The Illinois Innovation Network on Monday awarded seed grants to teams that will use collaborative research to improve nutrition, turn trash into usable products, explore urban-rural connections, and enhance agricultural practices.
Illinois Innovation Network awards inaugural manufacturing grant

Aug 29, 2023 12:00 pm

The funded project will combine manufacturing and inspection processes into a single collaborative robot platform to reduce setup and maintenance complexity, as well as the amount of workforce training needed to implement and operate the robots.
Illinois Innovation Network awards seed grants to 4 new projects

Jan 21, 2022 1:00 pm

The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) last week awarded $120,000 in seed grants to four research teams in its fourth round of funding. Selected projects include a new approach to improving community resilience against floods, growing the computational thinking and coding workforce in southeast Illinois, investigating the viability of geopolymer concrete as a sustainable construction material, and examining how Illinois can develop a sustainable and inclusive supply chain for the electric vehicle industry.
Illinois Innovation Network awards seed grants to four new projects

Jul 6, 2023 11:00 am

The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) awarded nearly $120,000 in seed grants to four research teams this month. The funding is part of IIN’s Sustaining Illinois program, which is designed to increase collaborative research among the state’s public universities.
Illinois Innovation Network awards seed grants to six new projects

Mar 13, 2024 9:00 am

The Illinois Innovation Network awarded nearly $240,000 in seed grants to six research teams in its eighth round of funding this week, with projects including measuring and mapping contaminants in Illinois’ water supply, virtual training for informal caregivers of cancer patients, developing an electricity consumption analysis that enables equitable energy distribution, and developing new electrolyzers that produce hydrogen from water.
Illinois Innovation Network honors innovators from across state

Aug 17, 2022 3:00 pm

The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) announced recipients of its second-annual innovation awards Wednesday at the Illinois State Fair’s Tech Prairie STEAM Expo, recognizing individuals from the IIN’s 15 hubs who have made key advances in research, technology commercialization and education.
Illinois Innovation Network honors innovators from across state

Aug 19, 2021 7:45 am

The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) announced its first group of innovation awards Wednesday at the Illinois State Fair’s Tech Prairie STEAM Expo, recognizing individuals from the IIN’s 15 hubs who have made key advances in research, technology commercialization and education.
Illinois Innovation Network installs inaugural officers

Oct 4, 2019 3:30 pm

The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) installed its inaugural slate of officers, approved bylaws and created four working committees to address key statewide priorities during a Sept. 26 meeting of the IIN Council at Governors State University.
Illinois K-12 public schools can access free SHIELD Illinois COVID-19 testing

Aug 5, 2021 12:30 pm

The llinois Department of Public Health announced that it has expanded access to free COVID-19 testing to al K-12 public schools across Illinois outside of Chicago, which received its own funding.

Schools can choose to utilize the SHIELD Illinois saliva-based test developed by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Illinois Legislature Approves State Budget

May 31, 2018 11:45 am

We are very pleased to share the news that the University of Illinois System will receive increased funding for operations and its first state capital funding in nine years under a fiscal year 2019 budget approved today by Illinois legislators and sent to the governor.
Illinois public universities seek additional COVID-19 relief

Jan 29, 2021 3:30 pm

Presidents of the state's public universities sent a letter to Illinois federal legislators today seeking additional relief from increasing costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Illinois public universities seek additional federal support for COVID-19 costs

Apr 8, 2020 9:00 am

Presidents of Illinois public universities sent the following letter to the state’s congressional delegation Tuesday, seeking additional relief from increasing costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Illinois public universities seek additional federal support for COVID-19 costs

Jul 20, 2020 10:00 am

Presidents of Illinois’ public universities sent a letter to the state’s congressional delegation Friday, seeking additional relief from increasing costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Illinois public universities unite to advocate for increased funding

May 23, 2019 11:00 am

The University of Illinois System has joined with all of the state’s public universities in a united effort to advocate for robust funding to Illinois higher education. The universities launched a statewide advocacy campaign today that includes a call-to-action for alumni and appearances from university presidents around the state to build grassroots community and legislative support for higher education.
Illinois universities unite to advocate for international students and scholars

Feb 17, 2020 11:15 am

Illinois universities are urging members of the state’s congressional delegation to address obstacles facing international students and scholars. More than 53,000 international students attended colleges and universities in Illinois during the 2018-19 academic year, contributing $1.9 billion to the state’s economy and supporting more than 25,000 jobs.
Illinois Ventures and Illinois alumni collaborate on launch of Illini Angel network

Mar 2, 2023 8:45 am

The University of Illinois System's venture capital arm and prominent alumni join forces to finance, support, and mentor early-stage companies with university roots.
Impact Illinois: 2018 annual report

Apr 27, 2018 1:45 pm

The University of Illinois System's 2018 annual report, Impact Illinois, is now available online.

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