University of Illinois System News

U of I System leaders embark on annual statewide tour

aquigley@illinois.edu (Alex Quigley) — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 10:00:00 CDT

The University of Illinois System leadership team will travel throughout Illinois this week to learn more about the needs and priorities of communities and organizations across the state, building on longstanding relationships and forging new connections as part of the “Invested in Illinois” tour.

U of I System approves funding for Drug Discovery and Cancer Research Pavilion in Chicago

aquigley@illinois.edu (Alex Quigley) — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:30:00 CDT

The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois today approved funding for the new Drug Discovery and Cancer Research Pavilion at the University of Illinois Chicago. The project’s estimated $232 million cost will be funded through state of Illinois capital appropriations, UIC’s operating budget and gift funds.

U of I System fall enrollment tops 102,000, establishing new system record

aquigley@illinois.edu (Alex Quigley) — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:45:00 CDT

The University of Illinois System’s fall enrollment has topped 102,000 for the first time, extending its string of record fall enrollments, with growth driven largely by new in-state undergraduates. Undergraduate enrollment rose 3.4% overall, with Illinois residents up 4.2% across the system’s universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield.

University of Illinois System explores quantum links with Mexico

aquigley@illinois.edu (Alex Quigley) — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:45:00 CDT

The University of Illinois System will link the architects of the rapidly developing quantum technology hub in Chicago with one of Mexico’s leading quantum computing researchers during an Aug. 20 virtual event focused on accelerating cross-border innovation through partnership.

“Quantum Computing and Microelectronics Technology: Driving Innovation in Modern Industry” will be hosted by the U of I System’s Illinois Mexican and Mexican-American Students Initiative and will feature speakers from the system-managed Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, its private-sector partners and Mexico’s Tecnológico de Monterrey. The event is free and open to researchers, faculty, students, industry professionals and policymakers.

Transfer Drive helps community college students pursue four-year degrees at U of I System universities

aquigley@illinois.edu (Alex Quigley) — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 09:15:00 CDT

The University of Illinois System is launching Transfer Drive, which provides a full range of support for income-eligible students transferring to its three universities from select Illinois community colleges. Each university is partnering with a community college to connect students with a dedicated transfer coordinator and milestone-based help with expenses.

University of Illinois Board of Trustees launches national search for the system's 21st president

aquigley@illinois.edu (Alex Quigley) — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 09:30:00 CDT

The University of Illinois Board of Trustees today released the leadership profile for the system’s next president, formally launching the national search for the 21st leader of one of the country's premier public university systems. The profile, available on the presidential search website, will guide the board of trustees, the search committee and the executive search firm AGB Search as they accept applications and evaluate candidates from across the country and around the world. The board’s goal is to conclude the search by the end of the 2026 calendar year.

IIN awards seed grants to three new social innovation projects

aquigley@illinois.edu (Alex Quigley) — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 08:30:00 CDT

The Illinois Innovation Network has awarded over $250,000 to three new social innovation seed grant projects, bringing the total number of recipients of the IIN’s Social Innovation and Impact Seed Grant program to 10. Provided by the University of Illinois System, the funding translates research into projects that directly affect lives, address critical social problems and build trusted partnerships in communities across Illinois.

Board action supports continued development of university-owned quantum park facilities

aquigley@illinois.edu (Alex Quigley) — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:00:00 CDT

The University of Illinois Board of Trustees today took action to further support development of two important anchor buildings at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park: the National Quantum Facility and Quantum Works. Trustees also approved a recommendation to transform the historic President’s House in Urbana into an executive event space that will serve the entire University of Illinois System while preserving its historic character.

New state budget provides continued support for higher education

aquigley@illinois.edu (Alex Quigley) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:15:00 CDT

The Illinois General Assembly has approved and Gov. JB Pritzker has signed a state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The spending plan includes a 1% increase in general operating support for the U of I System and other public universities. It provides a $748.7 million operating budget for the U of I System in FY 2027.

Trustees approve Carle Illinois College of Medicine's strategic expansion

aquigley@illinois.edu (Alex Quigley) — Thu, 21 May 2026 16:15:00 CDT

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.

In Illinois, research becomes reality at scale

infosource@uillinois.edu (External Relations and Communications staff) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 08:00:00 CDT

The researchers who make discoveries, the students who learn from them, the entrepreneurs who build new businesses because of them: They are the University of Illinois System difference. A sustained engine of human capital and innovation that shows no signs of slowing down.

Brazilian students pursuing advanced research through the Brasillinois Mobility Program

aquigley@illinois.edu (Alex Quigley) — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:30:00 CDT

This fall, the University of Illinois System welcomes its first cohort of CAPES Brasillinois Mobility Program doctoral fellows from Brazil. The dynamic group of scholars working across diverse fields has been awarded fellowships from the Coordination for Higher Education (CAPES) of the Brazilian Ministry of Education. The fellows represent a powerful cross-section of Brazil’s academic excellence, spanning regions, institutions, and disciplines, and reinforce long-standing partnerships between Brazilian universities and Illinois.

Before the prescription. Before the crisis. Before the cost.

lmabry@illinois.edu (Laura Mabry) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:00:00 CDT

At the University of Illinois Springfield, a program that places graduates in in-demand jobs touts the real difference exercise science can make. “If we can prevent people from being physically inactive, we’re finally putting to good use one of the most cost-effective tools we have in healthcare,” one professor says.

From her mother’s kitchen to Chicago’s food deserts: A UIC student’s case for nutrition as justice

ekrivo99@illinois.edu (Emily Krivograd) — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:30:00 CDT

Brianna Guerrier came to the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) as a transfer student looking for more opportunities. She found them, and then some. Now a senior in UIC’s Nutrition Sciences program, Brianna has channeled those opportunities into action: deep engagement in food policy, a string of leadership roles, and a volunteer record that has made her one of the most visible students in the College of Applied Health Sciences.

The Healthiest State Starts Here

alittles@uillinois.edu (Ash Littles) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:00:00 CDT

The University of Illinois System doesn’t just study public health. It practices it. This is not a distant ambition dressed up in a mission statement. Across its three universities, the U of I System has positioned health and wellbeing not as a byproduct of education, but as one of its central obligations to the people of Illinois and one of its greatest opportunities to lead.

$50,000 to support life-changing work? Here’s how.

lmabry@illinois.edu (Laura Mabry) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 08:00:00 CDT

Nominate alumni, colleagues, or other humanitarians working to change the world for the better using this form. The deadline is April 13.

Research with impact: Celebrating extraordinary women driving discovery

ekrivo99@illinois.edu (Emily Krivograd) — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:45:00 CDT

From science to the humanities to healthcare, women researchers across our three universities have made discoveries, launched innovations, and driven change — not just throughout our history, but right now. Read on for spotlights on just a handful of the women powering some of the top discoveries to come out of the University of Illinois System in the last five years.

U of I System, National Taiwan University launch joint R&D teams

bktaylor@illinois.edu (Ben Taylor) — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 16:15:00 CDT

The University of Illinois System and National Taiwan University earlier this month awarded funding to three new interdisciplinary research teams that will drive innovations and advance collaboration between the universities, plus four travel grants to strengthen academic connections between the U of I System and NTU. This marks the second group of awards from an institutional partnership launched in 2023.

Trustees approve new UIS major in engineering technology

aquigley@illinois.edu (Alex Quigley) — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:15:00 CDT

The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois System today approved a new major at the University of Illinois Springfield that will help meet employers’ growing need for skilled engineering technologists who can apply a multidisciplinary approach to solve complex problems and drive industrial innovation.

Who teaches the teachers — when the teachers can’t stop teaching?

lmabry@illinois.edu (Laura Mabry) — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:00:00 CDT

The University of Illinois System’s new Early Childhood Education Collaboration addresses the barriers working adults face, ensuring clear pathways to career and financial success.

Discovery Partners Institute announces new West Loop headquarters

aquigley@illinois.edu (Alex Quigley) — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 10:30:00 CST

The University of Illinois System on Feb. 27 closed on its purchase of an office building at 250 S. Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago to serve as the permanent headquarters of the Discovery Partners Institute led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The purchase is a significant milestone in DPI’s continued growth and mission to drive economic development and position Illinois as a global center for emerging technologies.

Zoey’s UIC story: Money worries erased. Support from all angles.

lmabry@illinois.edu (Laura Mabry) — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:00:00 CST

Transfer student Zoey Zhang learned she and her parents could rely on the financial support of the University of Illinois Chicago’s new Aspire grant. Eligible families have a life-changing opportunity: a degree for $0 in tuition and fees.

Gov. Pritzker’s proposed budget would increase U of I System funding

aquigley@uillinois.edu (Alex Quigley) — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 15:15:00 CST

The state budget proposed today by Gov. JB Pritzker would provide a 1 percent increase in state-appropriated general operating funds for the University of Illinois System. If approved by the General Assembly and signed into law, the governor’s proposed budget would increase the system’s general funds appropriation to $736.5 million for the coming fiscal year.

Opening Doors, Powering Illinois

deneenj@uillinois.edu (Deneen Gillespie) — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 10:45:00 CST

The decision to attend college usually comes with a catch: You can go, but only if you can afford it. Across the country, that calculation fails—college costs rising, aid falling short, families left to bridge the gap or walk away. In Illinois, something different is happening. This year, the University of Illinois System enrolled over 100,000 students for the first time in its history—a milestone powered by a simple principle: Cost should never close the door to opportunity.

Collective Strength, Public Good: The 2025 University of Illinois System annual report

aquigley@illinois.edu (Alex Quigley) — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 09:30:00 CST

The 2025 University of Illinois System annual report, Collective Strength, Public Good, is now available. It reflects the essence of our mission: expanding access, driving discovery, and delivering impact—while highlighting our steadfast commitment to serving Illinois while making a difference nationally and globally.