🎉 Congrats to Heather Lash — Assistant Director of Controlled Environment Facilities for Plant Biology — named one of 8 College of LAS award winners for her leadership in greenhouse operations supporting research, teaching & outreach! 🌿👏 🔗https://shorturl.at/ovYsV

Great opportunity for SIB undergrads! Paid Summer 2026 internships with the Great Lakes Undergraduate Internship Program (IL-IN Sea Grant). Work in conservation, aquaculture, stormwater, sustainability & more. Apply by Jan 12, 2026. Info: [email protected] 🔗

New Current Biology study from @minyaaa.bsky.social and colleagues shows how early CYC expression patterns establish dorsal identity in Mimulus parishii meristems. A clear step forward in understanding floral symmetry and developmental evolution. 🧪 🧪 🔗 buff.ly/3JOjkV1

New research from SIB shows the sugar transporter SWEET1 is essential for seed germination + root growth under drought/salt stress—highlighting a key energy-allocation mechanism in plants. 🧪 🧪 🔗 buff.ly/77Cn64K

SIB’s Tracy Lawson, Donald Ort, and the late Stephen Long are named 2025 Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers. Honoring Long’s lasting impact on photosynthesis research and celebrating all three for their global influence. 🧪 🧪 #SIB #HighlyCited

IB undergrad Julia Vincent turned curiosity into impact while studying abroad in York, UK—proving discovery happens wherever you go. 🌍 #ILLAS #CuriosityDrivesImpact 🔗

Today is LAS Day of Giving! Want to give directly to SIB or one of our three departments? Visit buff.ly/49B3iSN, click on “Choose an LAS annual fund,” and then select “SIB or a department” from the drop-down list. Every $$ goes directly to supporting our students, faculty, and unit initiatives.

October 22 is the College of LAS Day of Giving! You'll be able to donate to the SIB annual fund or one of our three departments annual funds, which helps us continue to provide exceptional opportunities for our students and faculty, now and into the future. Learn more at buff.ly/49B3iSN

🌧️ Schedule Update! Due to rain in the forecast, the Multi-Planar Dragon Expo has been moved to Sunday, October 19, from 1:00–5:00 p.m. at Riggs Beer Company in Urbana. Same dragons. Same science. Just one day later! 🐉 #CuriosityDrivesImpact #CosplayForScience #IllinoisLAS

🐉 How do you blend dragon lore with real-world biology? We spoke with Illinois students Olivia Baima and Joe Spina about curiosity, creativity, and science outreach ahead of the Multi-Planar Dragon Expo 2025. #CuriosityDrivesImpact 🔗

Save the date! 🎉 Oct 22 is the LAS Day of Giving! Support Integrative Biology, Entomology, Plant Biology & EEB—where discoveries shape our world and futures. Every gift matters because #LASgives 🌿 👉 buff.ly/IhIJ4Yj

Ella, an Illinois integrative biology & global studies major, found her path in Vienna—where evolution, sustainability & culture came together. 🌍 🔗 buff.ly/Q3MjOMt #CuriosityDrivesImpact

A new Science paper from the O'Dwyer Lab + partners shows how combining genomic + census data can accurately predict shifts in tree species abundance over time — a major step for forecasting forest dynamics and aiding conservation efforts. 🧪 🧪 Link ➤

Congrats to PhD student Elizabeth Bello (Entomology)! Winner of the 2025 Beckman Institute Research Image Contest, her electron micrograph of leafhopper brochosomes—tiny, ultra-hydrophobic, anti-reflective shields—was also featured in Epsiloon #Entomology 🔗

Tomato plants respond to flooding + herbivory by altering VOCs & microbial communities—and soil origin is key. New Plant & Soil study from Illinois researchers using soils from Sola Gratia & Humbleweed Farm. 🍅🌱🧪 🧪 🔗 buff.ly/K5nvLMW

Congrats to IB alumna Lexxanne on starting med school at UTHSC! 🩺 Her White Coat Ceremony marks the beginning of her journey. She shares: “My IB courses have done an amazing job preparing me for the academic rigor of medical school.”

Congrats to Dr. Andrew Suarez, named a 2025 Fellow of the Entomological Society of America! From biomechanics to invasion biology, his work has transformed how we understand ants—and how we teach science. 🐜🎓 🔗 buff.ly/3lGhXvA #entomology #ESA2025

It is with deep sadness that we share that Professor Amy Marshall-Colon passed away over the weekend. Amy was a gifted scientist, generous colleague, and strong advocate for early career faculty. She will be deeply missed by our department and the wider plant biology community.

Four incoming SIB grad students completed the Summer Predoctoral Institute and presented at the Illinois Summer Research Symposium. Congrats to Mary Heather Jingco (1st) & Sam Pring (3rd) on their award-winning talks! #STEMgrad #IllinoisGrad #AcademicSky

Mac Chamberlain’s cowbird research (Animal Behaviour) was recently featured in NYT, ScienceX, CBC As It Happens, and he also served as a scientific advisor for Nat Geo's Underdogs (Ep. 4). Public-facing science at its best! 🔗 buff.ly/H6NJAyS

Congrats to James O'Dwyer (2025 Campus Distinguished Promotion Award + Dean’s Distinguished Scholar) & Mark Lara (2025–26 Helen Corley Petit Scholar)! Plant Biology at Illinois is thriving 🌿🌎

Congrats to Juliana Soto‑Patión (PEEC, INHS) for winning Best Student Presentation at ICP8 in Marseille! Her talk on parasitic lice solving the Sapayoa evolutionary riddle was outstanding 🎉

Bees are in trouble. 🐝 In PBS’s Human Footprint, SIB’s Associate Professor in Entomology Dr. Alexandra Harmon-Threatt explores what 20,000+ bee species tell us about our own survival. 📺 July 16 @ 9/8c #HumanFootprintPBS #pollinator #ecology #bees #PBS

Just two months left until the inaugural Great Lakes Plant Science Conference! 🌿 Make sure to register by August 31 to join us in expanding horizons in plant science at: research.msu.edu/glpsc2025 #GLPSC2025 #PlantScience #PlantBiology

The Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA) has won the 2025 Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement! From insect petting zoos to the 43rd Insect Fear Film Festival, they’re redefining science outreach. 🐜🎉 🔗 buff.ly/KMp79Gq #SciComm #Entomology #UIUC

Big congrats to UIUC’s Dr. Stephen Long, named a 2025 World Food Prize Agri-Food Pioneer! His work boosting crop yields through better photosynthesis is changing the game for global food security. 🧪 buff.ly/SjT6l7C

Dr. Esther Ndumi Ngumbi (Entomology) reflects on her father’s choice to educate his daughters in a moving NPR Goats and Soda op-ed. A powerful Father’s Day tribute to equity in education. 🔗

🎓 Can’t believe it’s already been a whole month since Convocation! Time truly flies when you're celebrating milestones. Here's to the memories, the friendships, and the beginning of new chapters. 🧡 💙 #SIBGrad #Convocation2025

🪲 Got big click beetles? ABCLab is collecting live ones for research! Found near porch lights or tree trunks. Keep in a ventilated container w/ moist towel or soil. 📧 @cotesia.bsky.social | [email protected] 📍 317 Morrill Hall #Entomology

🚨 Abstracts to present a poster at the 1st Great Lakes Plant Science Conference are due June 30, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET! Don’t miss this chance to showcase your research and connect with prominent Great Lakes region plant scientists! Visit the #GLPSC2025 website to submit: research.msu.edu/glpsc2025

A new study co-authored by Dr. Phil Anderson rethinks saber-tooth biomechanics—moving beyond the old "shear vs. hold" model to a spectrum of feeding strategies. Evolution is more nuanced than we thought. 🧪 🧪 🔗 Read more:

Illinois is hiring an Assistant Director for the Integrative Biology Merit Program! Help foster equity and excellence in biology education. Teach, mentor, and lead with impact. Apply here 👉 buff.ly/JUQfiCC

Graduated but still exploring your next step? The MS in Integrative Biology offers advanced IB coursework, labs, and global research opportunities. Great for GPA boosts or prep for PhD/med school. Apply by July 15 for Fall 2025: buff.ly/dFt76uD

Join us in congratulating the IB Class of 2025 — a cohort of globally minded, intellectually curious graduates. Their dedication reflects the best of the IB mission. The future is in capable hands. 🌍🎓

EEB alum Abbigail Turner’s work on convergent nesting behavior in cavity-nesting birds is now published in Nature E&E! A compelling look at behavior & evolutionary genetics. 🧪 🧪 Read more:

You’ve got this, SIB students! Finals might be tough, but so are you! Whether you’re writing research papers or cramming for a few more tests, remember—you’re not alone, and you’ve already come so far. Good luck and when you're done, have a safe and wonderful break!

Dr. Amy Marshall-Colón has received the 2025 ASPB Excellence in Education Award for her outstanding contributions to plant biology teaching and mentorship. A well-deserved honor!

Plant Biology Prof. Andrew Leakey & team unveil a flexible AI approach for computer vision in crop breeding—boosting real-world accuracy + ag innovation. 🧪🧪 Read more on how we’re growing the future of food: sib.illinois.edu/news/2025-04...

🚨 1 week left! 🚨 Submit your abstracts and travel grant applications for #GLPSC2025, the inaugural Great Lakes Plant Science Conference. Network, present, and learn with leading plant scientists September 12–14 in Lansing, MI! research.msu.edu/glpsc2025

Congrats to Plant Biology grad student Lijia Guo for earning 3rd place in the 2025 Image of Research! Her photo of thawing Arctic tundra highlights climate change’s impact through science and art. 🔗

Huge congrats to Entomology alum T. Josek for winning the 2025 Staff Spirit & Dedication Award at Beckman Institute! From insect science to microscopy outreach, T. is making waves in STEM education. 🔗 sib.illinois.edu/news/2025-04...

Incredible to see global collaboration pushing the boundaries of plant resilience research! This roadmap is vital for understanding how life survives extreme dryness. 🧪🧪

What happens when field biology meets global exploration? IB 496 pushes students to study life in extreme environments and rethink what biology can be. This is just one of several options for students receiving an education in integrative science: sib.illinois.edu/news/2025-04...

Meet Tracy Lawson, one of our newest faculty members! Her lifelong passion for plants has taken her around the world, & now she's bringing her expertise in plant biology to Illinois. Learn more about her journey, research, and what she's most excited about in this next chapter: bit.ly/4jfguQQ

Entomology professor Adam Dolezal spoke to @wcia3news.bsky.social about unprecedented bee deaths and what they mean for IL agriculture and ecosystems. Learn more about this vital context on pollinator health from a leading expert. 🧪🧪 🔗 shorturl.at/ChLNU

Congratulations to Plant Biology grad student Daniel Sani for advancing to the final round of the 2025 Research Live! competition! Join us today from 5–6:30 PM at the Campus Instructional Facility to support him and other finalists. This competition is free and open to the public.

Happy Grad Student Appreciation Week! Huge thank you to all grad students for your hard work, passion, and dedication. You make a big impact every day — and we see you!

Are you pre-dental and wondering how the IB major fits into your care goals? Get some insights directly from Integrative Biology seniors who are going to dental school!

Congratulations to our very own Phil Anderson and Wendy Yang for receiving the 2025 Campus Awards for Excellence in Instruction! This prestigious honor recognizes their outstanding contributions to teaching and mentoring. Read more about their achievements here:​ buff.ly/sUQRp6G

The 42nd Annual Insect Fear Film Festival crawled into Foellinger Auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 22! 🕷️ From the 1990 classic Arachnophobia to a hands-on petting zoo, an art competition, and Hollywood bug wrangler Steven Kutcher. Watch the recap and learn more about IFFF!🎥