The University of Illinois Springfield has released the names of the 2026 class of the Promising Prairie Star Recognition Program. This program, established by the Young Alumni Committee, honors outstanding graduates under the age of 40 or those who have graduated within the previous five years. The honorees are selected for their emerging and unique innovation, creativity and success in their chosen career or life's work.

The University of Illinois Springfield College of Business and Management celebrated the opening of the Sean and Taryn Grant/Landmark Auto Trading Lab on Feb. 26 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The lab features 12 Bloomberg Terminals that support hands-on learning for UIS students pursuing careers in finance, data analytics and related fields.

What type of research do you do and what fascinates you about it?

Growing up, I was drawn to environmental issues, likely influenced in part by my mother's own interests in environmental issues. That early interest led me to study biology as an undergraduate and later earn a doctorate in molecular biology. Over time, my work evolved to bridge both fields.

Rex Wyatt, a proud UIS alum, earned their bachelor’s degree in social work in 2018. They then went on to earn a master of social work from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2020 and plan to complete their doctorate of social work in 2027 from Simmons University.

Rex reminisces about their favorite times at UIS, which include the traditions of homecoming and being a student ambassador in the Admissions Office. They hold UIS in high esteem, mostly for its impactful professors.

The University of Illinois Springfield’s online bachelor’s degree programs have been ranked among the nation’s best in the 2026 U.S.

The University of Illinois Springfield is offering free tax preparation services for the first time through the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, expanding access to professional tax help for eligible members of the Springfield-area community.

Businesses and organizations are encouraged to register for the Career Connections Expo at the University of Illinois Springfield. The Expo will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 20 at The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) on the UIS campus.

In addition to the Expo, registered employers are invited to participate in a pre-Expo networking event called the C2C (College to Career) Exchange, which will give them the opportunity to connect with faculty and staff before the Expo begins.

Siddharth K. Upadhyay, assistant professor in the College of Business and Management at the University of Illinois Springfield, is a co-author of a new national research study that finds employees with disabilities perform at levels comparable to non-disabled employees but continue to face lower pay and higher levels of perceived discrimination.

Research by University of Illinois Springfield Professor of Legal Studies Deborah Anthony was cited by the California Supreme Court in a 2025 decision that reversed a woman’s murder conviction and cautioned courts against relying on gender-based assumptions when determining a parent’s criminal liability for failing to protect a child.

Tiffany Nielson, an associate professor of counseling at the University of Illinois Springfield, received the 2025 Counselor Educator of the Year award from the Illinois Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. The award was given at the annual Illinois Counseling Association Conference on Nov. 7 in Chicago.