In a recent publication with The Conversation, Entomology Associate Professor Ester Ngumbi reveals groundbreaking insights into the hidden costs of fertilizer use. While fertilizers are vital for crop production, Ngumbi highlights how excessive use can damage essential soil microbes that underpin...
Associate Professor of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior Phil Anderson recently wrote for The Conversation, an independent, nonprofit news organization and academic network that is partnered with The University of Illinois. His article, titled "Cacti spines, snake fangs, snail love darts – oh my!...
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Nature has invented countless types of pointy appendages, and scientists have long sought to explain what makes these structures so effective at puncturing other things. A new study models the key physical characteristics of puncturing tools to reflect their diversity in...
When Dr. Ya Min (Minya) joined the Plant Biology faculty, she already knew which course she hoped to teach."I love plants and teaching people the wonders of plants," she said. "So IB 103: Introduction to Plant...
The value of basic science into insect biology is no more evident than when a crisis arises involving a devastating insect pest like the New World screwworm, says University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign entomology professor and...
Erin Murphy, an alumna of the University of Illinois, School of Integrative Biology (B.S., 2013), has been at the forefront of marine conservation through her leadership role at Ocean Conservancy. As the manager of a study published in 2025, Murphy and her team revealed that small amounts of...
Entomology professor Esther Ngumbi became interested in the chemical communication between plants and insects when she was growing up on her family’s farm in Kenya.“Halfway through the growing season, I would actually watch a lot...
This past year, PEEC graduate student Mary Heather Jingco achieved significant milestones in her research on the endangered Mariana Fruit Bat. In Fall 2025, Heather was awarded the...
The College of LAS is where curiosity drives impact, and the new Curiosity to Impact (C2I) Fund helps faculty members to do exactly that.Announced in fall of 2025, the C2I Fund is part of the college’s Strategic Investment Program....
PURSUE LAS is a program at the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences with the goal of expanding access to transformative undergraduate research experiences. It supports both established programs and new initiatives that connect...
