Latest news with #UniversityofIllinois
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
U of I researchers looking back at COVID protocols to see what they can learn
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — The COVID-19 pandemic came into focus around five years ago — causing shutdowns across the country. Now, public health researchers at the University of Illinois are trying to figure out what lessons they can learn — and how they can be used in the future. Becky Smith is a professor of epidemiology. She said the shutdowns were successful in keeping hospitals from being flooded with patients. But — she thinks the federal government could have used that time to build a better test for the virus– and understand its transmission quicker. Urbana man charged with hate crime on U of I campus following erratic behavior Smith's biggest takeaway was the erosion of trust between public health officials — and the general public. 'There were a lot of miscommunications that were made early on, especially with masks that early on people said, 'no, you don't need masks.'' Smith said. 'And then we when we came out and said, 'yes, you do need masks. Okay, you need better masks,' people were a little bit uncertain because, 'were you lying to me before that?'' Smith said there's always a chance for another pandemic. She hopes trust can be built back with the community before then so credible information can be passed along. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Urbana man charged with hate crime on U of I campus following erratic behavior
CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — An Urbana man has been charged with a hate crime that occurred on the University of Illinois campus after a month of erratic behavior. On Wednesday, 39-year-old Tyler Kirkwood was arrested by the University of Illinois Police Department, and the Champaign County State Attorney's Office charged him with a hate crime. It came after an Asian student on U of I's campus claims he was chased and threatened with violence this week. Champaign School Board president responds after tense meeting outing superintendent 'His behaviors have been escalating to the point that he is dangerous,' said Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz Wednesday was the latest, but not the only incident Kirkwood has allegedly caused. Campus police were called for two other outbursts over the last month. Currently, he's being held at the Champaign County Correctional Center. As Rietz explains, all three situations included threats and racial harassment directed towards people on campus. 'It's unfortunate that we are put in the position sometimes of using the criminal justice system to get people the mental health treatment that they need,' Rietz said. That's been the case for Kirkwood. He's had three separate incidents on campus over the last 30-days. The first came on April 30, when witnesses said Kirkwood was yelling threats outside a U of I sorority house. 'He was yelling he was going to burn the house down,' Rietz said. 'And they took him to Carle at that time for an involuntary admission, and he stayed for a few days.' Champaign restaurant asks for help after cameras catch teens damaging property Fast forward to May 15, and officials were called once again after Kirkwood yelled at people on Wright and Green Streets. 'In the course of that conversation, he said specifically that he was upset with foreign students and that he felt they were taking our land,' Rietz said. The third incident happened the afternoon of May 28 on Springfield Avenue in Champaign and involved an Asian student. Rietz said Kirkwood asked the student for money, and that the student said he didn't have any. 'In response to that, Mr. Kirkwood started using racial slurs and threatening him, saying, 'I'm going to crack your head' or 'I should crack your head' and 'get out of this town,'' Rietz said. Rietz also said Kirkwood followed the victim with an object that appeared to be knife or pipe. Police were then called again, and they arrested Kirkwood on campus. He was then taken to the county jail, after Rietz's Office decided his actions met the criteria of a hate crime. 'Alternatives have been tried. Involuntary and voluntary commitment, medication, supports have been tried and his behaviors are escalating,' Rietz said. 'And so, this is what we feel we have to do to protect the public and to protect him.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Rockford's Keith Country Day School graduates 11
Keith Country Day School hosted its 52nd annual commencement ceremony Thursday, May 29, at Rockford University's Maddox Theatre. The ceremony celebrated the graduation of 11 students from the Rockford-based private college-preparatory school. According to Keith, this year's graduating seniors will attend some of the nation's top-ranked colleges including the University of Illinois, Indiana University, University of Minnesota, Rhodes College and Marquette University, among others. The school also reported that the class of 2025 had collectively earned $3 million in merit-based scholarships. This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford's Keith Country Day School graduates 11
Axios
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Axios
Meet the Maker: Nate Baranowski
Meet the South Bend artist chosen to create a mural of one of Indy's most beloved hoops icons on one of the city's most popular streets. Why it matters: Nate Baranowski's 24-foot piece will debut this summer in time to welcome scores of fans to the Circle City for the sellout 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in July. What he's saying:"Tamika Catchings is a magnetic personality and an amazing force for good to those around her and in her community," Baranowski said in a statement. "She is not just a legendary basketball player, but also an entrepreneur, activist, broadcaster, volunteer, mentor and motivational speaker. I wanted my design to reflect this high-energy force surrounding her." Zoom in: Baranowski was one of 98 artists who responded to an international call from the Indy Arts Council and WNBA All-Star 2025 Host Committee. Baranowski — a University of Illinois grad with a degree in fine arts and a passion for street painting — has experience with large chalk murals, painted murals, acrylic on canvas and various forms of digital painting. He was the only Indiana creator to make the final four. The inspo: The selection committee said Baranowski best captured Catchings' bright personality, basketball legacy and impact on Indy.
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Here's how much international students contribute to the US economy
'Students don't just spend money paying tuition fees,' Nicholas Barr, a professor at the London School of Economics, said in an interview. 'They pay rent, they go to restaurants, they travel.' Advertisement States with high concentrations of universities in particular benefited from the economic impact of international students. The nearly 90,000 international students studying at the more than 250 colleges and universities in Texas during the last academic year contributed $2.5 billion to the local economy, according to NAFSA, the Association of International Educators. The 82,000 international students who studied in Massachusetts contributed an estimated $3.9 billion, while California, the state with the most international students, had nearly 141,000 international students contributing $6.4 billion. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The economic demands of international students leads to the creation of jobs, Barr said, whether it's extra staffing at local bars and shops or at the university itself, with extra personnel needed to handle the logistics of having more students. A pause on student visas could have serious impact on 'everything from real estate to restaurants to pretty much any business you can imagine that gears toward consumers,' said Constantine Yannelis, an economics professor at the University of Cambridge in Britain. Advertisement 'Local real estate markets are relying on renting to students. If there is a significant drop in the number of students, it will have a huge effect on the real estate market,' Yannelis said. 'Many local businesses, movie theaters, bars - there will be a drop in demand.' The loss of these contributions is not something that universities can easily make up by accepting more domestic students, Yannelis said, because international students tend to pay more than their American classmates, who can benefit from in-state tuition and a wider range of financial aid. He predicted universities might have to cut back on course offerings or financial aid. The long-term effects of fewer international students are not as easily measurable, Yannelis said. He grew up near the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, hearing about the success story of one of the school's most famous alumni: Shahid Khan, a businessman and owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Khan attended the University of Illinois as an international student from Pakistan before going on to develop a more economical way to manufacture single-piece car bumpers with his start-up, BumperWorks, and taking over the auto manufacturing company Flex-N-Gate. He kept his businesses in the area, Yannelis said, creating many jobs and opportunities for locals. 'I'm worried about the long-term consequences,' he said. 'A huge portion of American entrepreneurs are international, and many of them started their careers as students in the U.S.' Although the visa pause is temporary while the State Department weighs expanded guidelines for screening applicants' social media accounts, and other Trump administration efforts have been challenged in court - a federal judge temporarily blocked a ban on Harvard University's ability to enroll international students - the 'damage is already done,' Yannelis said. 'Even if all of these policies are reversed next week, we'd still have this cloud lingering over us because we've created an uncertainty around the U.S. being a top place for worthy talent.' Advertisement Barr was himself an international student, earning his doctorate in economics at the University of California at Berkeley as a Fulbright scholar. 'I don't think I would apply now because of the uncertainty,' he said, adding that he was sad for both the universities and the prospective students who will not be allowed to enjoy the same experiences he did. 'America is shooting itself in the foot big time,' Barr said.
