A giant investment firm paid a university to study one of its biggest assets — farmland
TIAA-CREF invests heavily in farmland, so it paid a university to research it. Read Part I and Part III of this series. CHAMPAIGN — In 2013, mammoth U.S. investment company TIAA-CREF gave $5 million to the University of Illinois — to study an area of investment where the company has made a, sometimes controversial, name […]
Corporate money keeps university ag schools ‘relevant,’ and makes them targets of donor criticism
Large donors can put universities in potentially awkward positions when faculty conclusions conflict with the interests of those benefactors. Data collected by Harvest Public Media and Investigate Midwest show corporations have given at least $170 million to ag colleges in the past decade. Read Part II and Part III of this series. CHAMPAIGN — A major donor to the […]
University of Illinois administrators address possible Quad City expansion, student diversity questions
URBANA — Faculty and students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign get an annual chance to air grievances and clear up rumors with the president of the university system. One rumor at the latest U of I Senate’s Annual Meeting of the Faculty was whether the university system is planning to expand to the Quad […]
McFadden and Romanchuk place second in Boston after winning the Chicago Marathon
BOSTON — For University of Illinois wheelchair athletes Tatyana McFadden and Daniel Romanchuk, it was quite the whirlwind. Less than 24 hours after winning the Chicago Marathon wheelchair women’s and men’s wheelchair divisions, respectively, the two standouts both claimed second in the Boston Marathon on Monday. McFadden placed second behind Manuela Char, clocking a time […]
‘Fertile Soil For Abuse’: A Reckoning At Covenant Fellowship Church
Editor’s note: This story contains descriptions of sexual assault and abuse. URBANA — On May 2, 2021, a new Instagram account by the name of @letters_from_rahab appeared on the popular social media platform. Initially, the account’s posts, addressed to no one in particular, were general notes about sexual and spiritual abuse, trauma and the lack […]
U Of Illinois To Open Offices In India To Recruit Students
URBANA — The University of Illinois system is setting up offices in India to help recruit students and build relationships with academic and corporate partners. India already is one of the top countries of origin for students at the University of Illinois System’s campuses, with 2,848 students between the universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield […]
Animal Activists Encourage Non-Lethal Methods For Controlling Urbana Goose Overpopulation
URBANA- Subdivisions and parks throughout Champaign County have been trying to control the goose population for years– using methods ranging from hazing dogs to culling, or killing, geese. Now, a new goose rights organization named Friends of Geese is recommending non-lethal methods for controlling the population. Susan Parenti, a Friends of Geese activist, says the […]
Illinois Becomes 20th State To Allow College Athletes To Profit Off Their Name, Image And Likeness
CHAMPAIGN – Governor J.B. Pritzker was in Champaign Tuesday to sign a bill allowing Illinois college athletes to profit off of their name, image and likeness. Now, NCAA athletes throughout the state of Illinois can sign endorsement deals with businesses and brands. Speaking at the University of Illinois’ State Farm Center, Governor Pritzker said he […]
U Of I Issues COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement For Fall Students
URBANA – The University of Illinois plans a return to near normal class schedules in the fall, and campus life free of face masks, social distancing and regular testing for the coronavirus. But university officials say that’s only possible with COVID-19 vaccinations for everybody. U of I President Tim Killeen announced the vaccination requirement for […]
New U Of I Class Aims To Dispel Myths About Cannabis
URBANA — When people think cannabis, they often think marijuana. But the cannabis plant takes many different forms, from medicinal cannabidiol (CBD) to industrial hemp. A new class at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign aims to break down all the different uses of the crop and provide a foundation for students interested in entering the […]
Students Struggle with Food Insecurity at the University of Illinois
URBANA — Students at the University of Illinois rely on different resources that provide food when it is needed. One such resource is the “Everybody Eats” program at Bevier Cafe. Ricardo Lopez, a senior studying food science and human nutrition, said he experienced food insecurity during his sophomore year at the University of Illinois. He […]
University Of Illinois Class Of 2021 Graduates Reflect On COVID Graduation
URBANA — Bells rang across the University of Illinois’s main quadrangle as seniors lined up at Alma Mater to take graduation pictures by Altgeld Tower. Pandemic or no, May is still graduation season on the Urbana campus. An estimated 5,600 University of Illinois students graduated during the weekend of May 15. However, for many […]
U of I’s Solar Farm 2.0 Enters Final Phase Of Construction
SAVOY – The University of Illinois’ new solar farm outside of Savoy is entering its final phase of construction. But the facility has already been producing electricity for more than three months. Solar Farm 2.0, located along Curtis Road between First Street and the Canadian National tracks, became operations on January 29. It covers 54 […]
Durbin Among Officials Touting Infrastructure Improvements At Willard
SAVOY — Officials at the University of Illinois’ Willard Airport in Savoy held a ceremony Friday to mark the update of an aging runway. The federal government is contributing more than $11 million to the $12.4 million project. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois says the project is important because of the reach of Willard […]
217 Today: Monday May 10, 2021
Friday, May 7, 2021 https://will.illinois.edu/nfs/217Today5-10-21.mp3 Today’s headlines: Illinois lawmakers are debating whether to permanently allow temporary nursing assistants to take on the duties of a certified nursing assistant in long-term care facilities. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says he hopes negotiations with Republicans on President Biden’s $3 trillion infrastructure bill will produce results “soon.” Champaign County health […]