University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, also known as UIUC and the UofI (the officially preferred abbreviation), is the largest campus in the University of Illinois system. It is highly ranked in engineering, computer science, physical sciences, psychology, and accounting. The campus is divided almost exactly between the cities of Urbana and Champaign. The university is composed of 18 colleges and institutes that offer more than 150 programs of study. There are approximately 28,000 undergraduates and 10,000 graduate students at Urbana-Champaign.
A nationally acclaimed research center, UIUC is the site of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, which created the first graphical Web browser, Mosaic and Telnet. The University also has the third largest academic library, and the largest public engineering library (Grainger Engineering Library) in the country. The Daily Illini is the (unofficial) student newspaper. In 1952 the University built the ILLIAC (Illinois Automatic Computer), the first computer built and owned entirely by an educational institution. UIUC is also the site of the Department of Energy's Center for the Simulation of Advanced Rockets, an institute which has employed graduate and faculty researchers in the physical sciences and mathematics in some of the most advanced research in the field. This history of excellence is continued in the 21st century, most recently with the opening of the Siebel Center for Computer Science, the most technologically advanced academic facility to date.
See: UIUC College of Engineering
11 alumni and nine professors from U of I have won the Nobel Prize.
Notable faculty
- John Bardeen - Nobel laureate (Physics, 1956) for co-inventing the transistor, and Nobel laureate (Physics, 1972) for work on superconductivity. Served on the faculty from 1951 until his demise in 1991.
- Michael Heath - Engineering Council Award for Excellence (2003), Fulton-Copp Chair (2002), ACM Fellow (2000), Hertz Fellow (1975)
- Nick Holonyak Jr. - Lemelson-MIT Prize (2004), National Medal of Technology (2002), National Medal of Science (1990). He is credited for the invention of the LED and the first semiconductor laser to operate in the visible spectrum.
- Elias Corey - Nobel laureate (Chemistry, 1990). Served on faulty from 1951 to 1959.
- Paul Lauterbur - Nobel laureate (Physiology or Medicine, 2003). Joined the faculty in 1985.
- Anthony J. Leggett - Nobel laureate (Physics, 2003). Joined faculty in 1983.
- Salvador Luria - Nobel laureate (Physiology or Medicine, 1969). Served on faculty from 1950-1959.
- Rudolph Marcus - Nobel laureate (Chemistry, 1992). Served on faculty from 1964-1968.
- Franco Modigliani - Nobel laureate (Economics, 1985). Served on faculty from 1948-1952.
- Carl Woese - Crafoord Prize Recipient (Bioscience, 2003). Professor of Microbiology
Notable alumni
Alumni with Nobel Prizes
- Edward Doisy, B.S. 1914, M.S. 1916 - Nobel laureate (Physiology or Medicine, 1943)
- Vincent Du Vigneaud, B.S. 1923, M.S. 1924 - Nobel laureate (Chemistry, 1955), faculty member of UIUC
- Robert Holley, B.A. 1942 - Nobel laureate (Physiology or Medicine, 1968)
- Jack Kilby, B.S. 1947 - Nobel laureate (Physics, 2000). Inventor of the microchip.
- Edwin Krebs, B.A. 1940 - Nobel laureate (Physiology or Medicine, 1992)
- Polykarp Kusch, M.S. 1933, Ph.D. 1936 - Nobel laureate (Physics, 1955)
- John Schrieffer, M.S. 1954, PhD 1957 - Nobel laureate (Physics, 1972), faculty member of UIUC
- Phillip Sharp, Ph.D. 1969 - Nobel laureate (Chemistry, 1993)
- Wendell Stanely, M.S. 1927, PhD. 1929 - Nobel laureate (Chemistry 1946)
- Rosalyn Yalow, M.S. 1942, Ph.D. 1945 - Nobel laureate (Physiology or Medicine, 1977)
Alumni with Pulitzer Prizes
- Barry Bearak, M.S. 1974 - awarded the 2002 Pulitzer Prize (International Reporting)
- Michael Colgrass, B.A. 1956 - awarded the 1978 Pulitzer Prize ( Music )
- George Crumb, M.A. 1952 - awarded the 1968 Pulitzer Prize ( Music )
- David Herbert Donald, M.A. 1942, Ph.D. 1946 - awarded the 1961 Pulitzer Prize(Biography), 1988 Pulitzer Prize(Biography)
- Roger Ebert, B.S. 1964 - movie critic, awarded the 1975 Pulitzer Prize (Criticiscm)
- Roy J. Harris, B.A. 1925 - awarded the 1950 Pulitzer Prize (Public Service)
- Hugh F. Hough, B.S. 1951 - awarded the 1974 Pulitzer Prize (Local General Spot News Reporting)
- Paul Ingrassia, B.S. 1972 - awarded the 1993 Pulitzer Prize (Beat Reporting)
- Monroe Karmin, B.S. 1950 - awarded the 1967 Pulitzer Prize (National Reporting)
- Allan Nevins, B.A. 1912, M.A. 1913 - awarded the 1933 Pulitzer Prize (Biography), 1937 Pulitzer Prize (Biography)
- James Reston, B.S. 1932 - awarded the 1945 Pulitzer Prize (National Reporting), 1957 Pulitzer Prize (National Reporting)
- Robert Lewis Taylor, B.A. 1933 - awarded the 1959 Pulitzer Prize (Fiction)
- George Thiem, B.S. 1921 - awarded the 1950 Pulitzer Prize (Public Service)
- Carl van Doren, B.A. 1907 - awarded the 1939 Pulitzer Prize (Biography)
- Mark van Doren, B.A. 1914 - awarded the 1940 Pulitzer Prize (Poetry)
- Abe Zaidan, B.S. 1953 - awarded the 1971 Pulitzer Prize (Local Reporting)
Technology and Innovation
- Donald Bitzer & H. Gene Slottow, 2003 Emmy Award in Technical Achievement for the invention of the plasma display.
- Marc Andreessen, B.S. 1993, co-creator of Mosaic, and later co-founder of Netscape
- Ed Boon, B.S. 1986, creator of Mortal Kombat video game
- Steve Dorner, B.S. 1983 creator of Eudora (email software)
- Lawrence Ellison, founder of Oracle Corporation, drop out
- Michael Hart, B.A. 1973, founder of Project Gutenberg
- Max Levchin, B.S. 1997, founder of PayPal
- Bob Miner, B.A. (mathematics) 1963, co-founder of Oracle Corporation
- Ray Ozzie, B.S. 1979, creator of Lotus Notes
- Jerry Sanders, B.S. 1958, co-founder and former CEO of Advanced Micro Devices
- Tom Siebel, B.A. 1975, M.B.A. 1983, M.S. 1985, founder of Siebel Systems
- Jack Welch, M.S. and Ph.D. 1960, former CEO of General Electric
Literature, Media, and Entertainment
Society
Astronauts
Illini Athletics
The University of Illinois participates in the NCAA's Division 1-A and forms part of the Big Ten athletic conference. UIUC offers 9 men's and 10 women's varsity sports including baseball, basketball, football, and track and field.
Athletes
