CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Five professors at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have been named 2026-2027 University Scholars in recognition of their achievements in teaching, scholarship and service.
The program honors faculty excellence and provides $15,000 to each scholar for three years to enhance their academic careers. That money may be used for travel, equipment, research assistants, books or other purposes.
“The University Scholars program recognizes faculty whose work exemplifies the very best of the University of Illinois System,” said Nicholas Jones, the executive vice president and vice president for academic affairs for the University of Illinois System. “Through their groundbreaking research, innovative teaching and service to their disciplines and communities, these scholars advance knowledge, enrich the student experience and help address society’s most pressing challenges.”
Wendy Yang, a professor of plant biology, oversees research in terrestrial biogeochemistry and ecosystem ecology with a focus on the mechanisms driving patterns in soil emissions of greenhouse gases and rates of nutrient transformations in the environment. Yang broadly seeks to improve understanding of plant-soil-microbe interactions to better predict, adapt to and mitigate the effects of global environmental changes. An important component of her research has been the development of novel methodologies — using tracer and natural abundance stable isotope techniques — to measure production and consumption of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, in soil. Her scholarly output includes numerous projects, such as studying the effects of rainfall intensification on soil greenhouse gas emissions in the Midwest and the ecological sustainability implications of bioenergy cropping systems.
Yang has maintained a busy profile in her 13 years at Illinois. In addition to her lab pursuits, she serves as the deputy director of research and development of the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation and as the associate director of the Agroecosystem Sustainability Center. She earned the LAS Dean’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2021 and the Campus Award for Excellence in Guiding Undergraduate Research in 2025. She is affiliated with the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology and the Center for Digital Agriculture.