Research Seminars @ Illinois
Tailored for undergraduate researchers, this calendar is a curated list of research seminars at the University of Illinois. Explore the diverse world of research and expand your knowledge through engaging sessions designed to inspire and enlighten.
To have your events added or removed from this calendar, please contact OUR at ugresearch@illinois.edu
Thursday, September 24, 2026
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Dr. Clayton Deighan, NanoFCM Co., Ltd., will speak on "How New Analytical Methods Can Unlock the Promise of EV Diagnostics and Therapeutics"
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Join Us for a lively presentation, discussion, and practice session focusing on public speaking skills! We will provide tips about how to practice for common situations like conferences, posters sessions, interviews, and elevator pitches. Lunch available with registration.
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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Please join us for an opening reception to celebrate the acquisition of the first edition of Frankenstein and explore the life and career of Mary Shelley. Exhibit curator Lynne Thomas will give brief remarks, and refreshments will be served. This exhibit will be on display through Summer 2027.
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Exhibit Opening — “I could people the hours with creations”: Celebrating Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Please join us for an opening reception to celebrate the acquisition of the first edition of Frankenstein and explore the life and career of Mary Shelley. Exhibit curator Lynne Thomas will give brief remarks, and refreshments will be served.
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Join us for a reading by author Mary Helen Specht! Mary Helen Specht is the author of the forthcoming novel Mudlark (July 2026) and the novel Migratory Animals, a New York Times Editors' Choice and winner of the Texas Institute of Letters Best First Fiction Award and the Writers’ League of Texas Fiction Prize.
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Join us for a reading by author Mary Helen Specht! Mary Helen Specht is the author of the forthcoming novel Mudlark (July 2026) and the novel Migratory Animals, a New York Times Editors' Choice and winner of the Texas Institute of Letters Best First Fiction Award and the Writers’ League of Texas Fiction Prize.
Friday, September 25, 2026
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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Everything is social: Lessons from birds in winter
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Readings in theme with “Up Against Erasure,” with: Andrea Giugni + Malina Infante + Nathan Metz, as well as Lisa Low.
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Readings in theme with "Up Against Erasure," with: Andrea Giugni + Malina Infante + Nathan Metz; Lisa Low.
Saturday, September 26, 2026
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Join us for Artventures for Kids—an interactive afternoon designed for children (ages 5+) with their families and caregivers. Enjoy stories inspired by art on view, playful gallery exploration that connects the stories to the art, and artmaking led by guest artists.
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Celebrate backyard bugs and bats at the free Central Illinois Bat Festival, featuring expert talks, guided hikes, family activities, vendors, food trucks, a costume contest, and an evening bat acoustic walk with a live ecologcation demonstration.
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Join us at the third annual Central Illinois Bat Festival — a free two-part celebration of bats, bugs, and science! This year, we’re celebrating backyard bugs and bats!
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Drop in for a tour given by our student gallery guides! Topics vary weekly. Free admission and all ages welcome. No reservation required.
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Readings in theme with “Up Against Erasure,” with: Steven Bergmark + Mason McVeigh + Diana Towne, as well as Gabriela Garcia.
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Readings in theme with “Up Against Erasure,” with: Steven Bergmark + Mason McVeigh + Diana Towne; Gabriela Garcia.
Sunday, September 27, 2026
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Bring your stitching, knitting, and other fiber arts craft to Spurlock and socialize with other fiber artists. We've got plenty of comfy chairs, and you could even position yourself within a gallery for extra artistic inspiration! Bonus: we'll have a special kid-friendly fiber craft going on in our Community and Collaboration Gallery so feel free to bring the whole family!
Monday, September 28, 2026
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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Join us for a special Founders Week fireside chat! The Grainger College of Engineering invites you to a special fireside chat as part of Founders Week, the university's annual celebration of Illini entrepreneurship. Join as as we sit down with Dan Caruso, Caruso Ventures.
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Lake Flato: Innovation & Craft Andrew Herdeg, FAIA
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
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David Gottlieb Memorial Lecture Ikuro Abe, PhD Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo Professor, Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama "Unusual Enzyme Reactions in Natural Product Biosynthesis"
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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Nesta palestra, vamos explorar as conexões entre as cantigas de amor, de amigo, de escárnio e de maldizer e a poesia presente na MPB, mostrando como a poesia atravessa o tempo e continua viva em nossa música.
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Please join the Unit for Criticism for a Modern Critical Theory lecture by Lisa Saltzman (History of Art, Bryn Mawr) on Walter Benjamin.
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In a follow up to the September 15th Facilitating Dialogue around Objects of Hate, this program examines how visual artists create works that interrogate, reimagine, or repurpose objects and imagery associated with hate.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
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Join us for our weekly FACS Seminars, given by graduate students, staff, and other ACE Affiliates! Take the opportunity for an excellent meeting to learn about ACE topics, and to meet like-minded peers. This week, join Juo-Han Tsay for an introduction to the TIAA, as well as an additional farmdoc speaker.
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“Getting reliable quantitative images with Huygens: from Deconvolution and restoration to image analysis” Melvin Le Bihan Scientific Consultant Scientific Volume Imaging BV
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The International and Area Studies Library, Literatures and Languages Library, Ricker Library of Architecture and Art, Music and Performing Arts Library, and History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library invite you to our "International Studies and Humanities Meet and Greet" on Wednesday, September 30, from 3:30 to 4:30 PM, in Main Library Room 220.
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Please join us for the second of 2 talks in the Center for Advanced Study Climate | Change Initiative's Victorian Culture and Climate Change series. Stephanie O'Rourke (Art History, U of St Andrews) discusses the relationship between new pictorial formats for representing landscapes and industrial mineral extraction in Victorian England.
Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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Join us for a special Founders Week fireside chat! The Grainger College of Engineering invites you to a special fireside chat as part of Founders Week, the university's annual celebration of Illini entrepreneurship. Join as as we sit down with Grainger Engineering alumni, Arpit Dwivedi, founder and CEO of Cache Energy, and Arnav Mishra, co-founder and CTO of DOSS.
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Justin Jackson is a George A. Miller Visiting Scholar from the University of Massachusetts Amherst who is here to present his project titled "Occupying America: War and the Infrastructure of US Power in a Globalizing World" about America's complex relationship with occupation and globalization.
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Join us for an info session to learn more about the Humanities in Action program and receive insight into the application process.
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Join us for an info session to learn more about the Humanities in Action program and receive insight into the application process.
Friday, October 2, 2026
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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The Psychology Department is excited to continue the First Friday Psychology-Beckman Colloquium Series for the 2026-2027 academic year, a monthly event designed to bring together members of the Department of Psychology, Beckman Institute, and beyond for engaging, cross-area conversations.
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Consequences of seasonal migration for life history and genetic diversity in birds
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Monday, October 5, 2026
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
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New Beckman community members and those across campus are invited to join this monthly tour of the Beckman Institute. It meets in Beckman's east atrium.
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Design controls and risk management aren't just compliance tools for FDA. They are fundamental approaches to developing safer, more robust products that attract investors, funding agencies, and industry partners. In this two-part, virtual symposium series, learn how implementing both processes early, and throughout your development stages—strengthens your research, creates
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This panel brings together scholars and experts to discuss key issues surrounding Brazil's electoral process. Participants will explore the political landscape, major campaign themes, and the broader implications of the election for Brazilian society and democracy.
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Paul Plummer, PhD Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine; University of Tennessee “One Health Perspectives of Antimicrobial Resistance”
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Join Jaclyn Schurman, program officer at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, and other faculty members for a workshop in pursuing training grants. Please register by Monday, Sept. 26.
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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Lectures and discussions on current work in research and development in nuclear engineering and related fields by staff, advanced students, and visiting speakers.
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Please join the Unit for Criticism for a Modern Critical Theory lecture by Maryam Kashani (Gender & Women's Studies, UIUC) on Visual Theory.
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
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Join us for our weekly FACS Seminars, given by graduate students, staff, and other ACE Affiliates! Take the opportunity for an excellent meeting to learn about ACE topics, and to meet like-minded peers. This week's speaker will be Marin Skidmore.
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On October 7th at 3PM in Coble Hall Room 306, CLACS and the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies are excited to present Cristina Cielo's talk, "Narratives of Youth, Violence and Drugs. Comparing “Mano Dura” in Ecuador and the Philippines".
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Join the Departments of Latina/Latino Studies and Gender and Women's Studies for the Reproductive Justice Symposium: a space for conversation between leading scholars of reproduction and the campus community.
Thursday, October 8, 2026
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Please join us for presentations by recent CAS Fellows. At 11am, Nicholas Jackson (Chemistry) discusses Designing Polymers in the AI Era and at noon, Stefan Vogler (Sociology) presents Police Consciousness and the Potential for Reform.
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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“Staying with the Trouble of Preservation: The Ambivalent Politics of Deletion in Digital Societies.” Presented by Nanna Bonde Thylstrup (Art and Cultural Studies, University of Copenhagen).
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Join us for a reading by poet Philip Metres! Philip Metres (he/him) grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, the grandchild of Lebanese refugees and migrants and the descendent of Irish famine survivors. Metres has been called “one of the essential poets of our time,” whose work is “beautiful, powerful, magnetically original.”
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Join us for a reading by poet Philip Metres! Philip Metres (he/him) grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, the grandchild of Lebanese refugees and migrants and the descendent of Irish famine survivors. Metres has been called “one of the essential poets of our time,” whose work is “beautiful, powerful, magnetically original.”
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This inaugural event by the Borders of Sanctuary Working Collective presents a public facing panel that pairs Professor Willie Mack (Black Studies, University of Missouri) on Black migration with Devin Lowe from the Black Trans Travel Fund, which serves Black and Transgender migrants.
Friday, October 9, 2026
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PRESENTER Maxine Roman, PhD Lead| Innovation Collaborations & Partnerships (IC&P) Kraft Heinz Company TITLE Disruptive Technologies to broaden networks and source sustainable, upcycled, and agricultural solutions for food development DATE Oct. 9, 2026 TIME 11 a.m. LOCATION 180 Bevier Hall
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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This is a panel discussion with artists and scholars on Everett’s Erasure. Each panelist will provide a different window into what’s beyond Erasure or what reading Erasure inspires (broadly conceived).
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This is a panel discussion with artists and scholars on Everett’s "Erasure." Each panelist will provide a different window into what’s beyond Erasure or what reading Erasure inspires (broadly conceived).
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CAS Professor of Psychology Brent Roberts draws from the science of personality development to discuss the following questions: How important are my genes for my personality? What effect did my parents have on who I am? Does my personality matter for love, work, and health? And “am I stuck with my personality or can I change?" A reception follows this CAS Annual Lecture.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
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The Education Justice Project is hosting a "reentry simulation" on Saturday October 10, followed by a panel of system-impacted individuals who will share their experiences of reentry and discuss the complex systems and barriers that can impact reentry after incarceration.
Sunday, October 11, 2026
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Join us for the interactive, hands-on science experience that is World of Genomics, featuring multiple stations focused on specific aspects of science!
Monday, October 12, 2026
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This year’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day examines how Native mascots, logos, and stereotypical imagery perpetuate colonial narratives and cause harm. Through programs and dialogue, we will challenge notions of “honor,” center Indigenous voices, and explore how self-representation can affirm the diversity, humanity, sovereignty, and contemporary presence of Indigenous peoples.
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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Please join the Unit for Criticism for a Modern Critical Theory lecture by John Lurz (English, Tufts) on Poststructuralism.
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
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Join us for our weekly FACS Seminars, given by graduate students, staff, and other ACE Affiliates! Take the opportunity for an excellent meeting to learn about ACE topics, and to meet like-minded peers. This week's speaker will be Richie Ma on the topic "Caught in the queue: Exchange latency and market quality."
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Join us as we highlight the incredible work of each of Humanities Without Walls' Reciprocity and Redistribution Grand Research Challenge projects in four virtual showcases over the 2026-27 academic year. During each event, 2-3 teams will present their projects and share a bit about the centrality of reciprocal and redistributive methods to their work.
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Join us as we highlight the incredible work of each of Humanities Without Walls' Reciprocity and Redistribution Grand Research Challenge projects in four virtual showcases over the 2026-27 academic year. During each event, 2-3 teams will present their projects and share a bit about the centrality of reciprocal and redistributive methods to their work.
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Join us to celebrate the new books of three history PhD alumni: Latinx Encounters: How Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and Puerto Ricans Made the Modern Midwest by Juan Ignacio Mora (PhD, ’21, history); White, Black, Brown: Becoming Puerto Rican in Chicago by Michael Staudenmaier (PhD, ‘16, history)...
Thursday, October 15, 2026
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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Professor Ángel García (English/Creative Writing) will read from his latest collection, Indifferent Cities.
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Professor Ángel Garcia (English/Creative Writing) will read from his latest collection, Indifferent Cities.
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Join us for a reading of creative work my MFA students from the Department of English. This month's reading will feature: Steven Bergmark Morgan O'Sullivan William O'Brien
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CEAPS 2026 Fall Travel Grants are due today!
Friday, October 16, 2026
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Professor Austin Strange is an Associate Professor at the University of Hong Kong. He will be presenting his paper titled "Is Soft Power a Zero-Sum Competition?" where he dives into the economic relations between the United States and China. Join us in David Kinley Hall Room 404 to learn more about his findings.
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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Environmental DNA and beyond: Understanding the ecology of environmental nucleic acids
Saturday, October 17, 2026
Sunday, October 18, 2026
Monday, October 19, 2026
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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Lectures and discussions on current work in research and development in nuclear engineering and related fields by staff, advanced students, and visiting speakers.
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Please join the Unit for Criticism for a Modern Critical Theory lecture by Greta LaFleur (American Studies, Yale) on Gender.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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Join us for our weekly FACS Seminars, given by graduate students, staff, and other ACE Affiliates! Take the opportunity for an excellent meeting to learn about ACE topics, and to meet like-minded peers. This week's speaker will be Esteban Vizcarrondo on the topic "How much is the smirk worth? Downside risk pricing in cattle options."
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“Where Science Meets Society: How Outreach Brings the IGB Motto to Materiality” Dan Urban Assistant Director of Outreach Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
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Learn about our M.Eng. in Chemical Engineering Leadership degree program.
Thursday, October 22, 2026
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
Friday, October 23, 2026
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Please join us for the Game Studies and Design October Town Hall. This month's guest speaker is Amber Holkenbrink, Principal Experience Designer on Apex Legends at Respawn Entertainment. She has worked in the game industry for over 16 years and has contributed to the art, animation, and design of more than 30 titles, including Call of Duty: Warzone.
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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In this CAS/MillerComm presentation, GAM Visiting Scholar Professor Sangaré (Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales - INALCO) treats Islam in France as a case study in the state management of minority religion in a secular republic. Hosted by the Department of History.
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Join us for a professional development presentation from a visiting literary agent! Rayhané Sanders will give a glimpse at the nuts and bolts of publishing, working in publishing, query letters, and other aspects of the literary trade. This will include some do's and don'ts and plenty of time for questions and answers.
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Join us for a professional development presentation from a visiting literary agent! Rayhané Sanders will give a glimpse at the nuts and bolts of publishing, working in publishing, query letters, and other aspects of the literary trade. This will include some do's and don'ts and plenty of time for questions and answers.
Monday, October 26, 2026
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Following the election, this panel examines the results and their significance for Brazil's future. Speakers will analyze voting patterns, political shifts, and the potential impact of the election on governance, public policy, and democratic institutions.
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
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Speaker: Hannah Manetsch
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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Youssef Hakiki talks about "The Itô–Stratonovich formula for rough sheets"
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The techniques for making texts have changed across multiple media and historical contexts since antiquity, but a regular feature of the work of authors and scholars through all those changes is the reliance on helpers or amanuenses. Dr. Ann Blair (Harvard) will discuss the factors that have made them both invisible and occasionally visible, and the kind of work they did.
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The techniques for making texts have changed across multiple media and historical contexts since antiquity, but a regular feature of the work of authors and scholars through all those changes is the reliance on helpers or amanuenses. Dr. Ann Blair (Harvard) will discuss the factors that have made them both invisible and occasionally visible, and the kind of work they did.
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Lectures and discussions on current work in research and development in nuclear engineering and related fields by staff, advanced students, and visiting speakers.
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Please join the Unit for Criticism for a Modern Critical Theory lecture by Rob Rushing (European Languages & Transcultural Studies, UCLA) on Biopolitics.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
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Join us for our weekly FACS Seminars, given by graduate students, staff, and other ACE Affiliates! Take the opportunity for an excellent meeting to learn about ACE topics, and to meet like-minded peers. This week's speakers will be Flavia Castro Motta and Jawad Khan.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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Professor Gillen D'Arcy Wood (English and Earth Science & Environmental Change) will discuss his book, The Wake of HMS Challenger: How a Legendary Victorian Voyage Tells the Story of Our Oceans’ Decline.
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Professor Gillen D'Arcy Wood (English and Earth Science & Environmental Change) will discuss his book, The Wake of HMS Challenger: How a Legendary Victorian Voyage Tells the Story of Our Oceans’ Decline.
Friday, October 30, 2026
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Join us Friday, Oct. 30, 1005 Beckman and the Beckman Atrium for a Core Facilities Showcase! We'll serve breakfast and lunch. The event will also feature lightning talks, "Ask the expert" booths, posters and tours of the core facilities.
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Beckman’s Visualization Lab is open for office hours weekdays between 1-3 p.m. in 2203 Beckman, which is located just across the atrium bridge from the elevator.
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James R. Karr seminar in aquatic biology
