College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois

09/16/2026

Hey, Illini! Get ready for our Homecoming celebration!

🔸 SAVE THE DATE: Oct. 3, 2026 🔹

Join us for our AHS Homecoming Tailgate party. RSVP by Sept. 25 ➡️ https://buff.ly/BfJwiFY

09/16/2026

Five years ago, the McKechnie Family LIFE Home opened with a bold vision: to create technologies that help people of all ages and abilities live healthier, more connected and independent lives.

Since then, the LIFE Home has grown into a vibrant hub for interdisciplinary research, education and community collaboration. A recent visit from students and staff of the Beckwith Residential Community brought that growth to life as guests explored assistive robots, smart-home technology and virtual reality—all within realistic environments designed around people’s everyday needs.

As we celebrate the LIFE Home’s fifth anniversary on Oct. 8, we’re proud of how far we’ve come—and excited for all that’s ahead.

Read the story: https://buff.ly/S4YvUC0

09/15/2026

This weekend, Elizabeth Mason had the pleasure to introduce some of our I-LEAP Scholars to our namesake and supporter, Mr. Mannie Jackson. Mannie shared some stories about his experiences as a student-athlete on campus in the 1950s-60s and while with the Harlem Globetrotters and how those experiences motivated him to strive for greatness. It was great to have Mannie back on campus.

09/14/2026

That's a wrap on our new student socials! 🎉

Welcome to all our new students in Health and Kinesiology, Recreation, Sport and Tourism, and Speech and Hearing Science.

Department of Health and Kinesiology at Illinois
Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism at Illinois
Department of Speech & Hearing Science at Illinois

09/10/2026

There you are, Class of 2030! 🔶🔷

All 9,332 of you, the largest freshman class ever. But who's counting?

At the College of Applied Health Sciences, we welcomed 438 freshmen this semester, across our six undergraduate programs.

Read the University of Illinois 10-day report! ▶https://buff.ly/eomDXzC

09/09/2026

A new Chez Veterans Center scholarship recognizes that military service reshapes whole families—and that spouses and partners have ambitions of their own.

Phoebe Mbuvi, a doctoral student in the iSchool, is the first recipient of the Skinner Family Foundation Scholarship.

The scholarship is funded by Sam Skinner, a Chicago native who attended the University of Illinois before serving in the U.S. Army and later serving as White House chief of staff. It is open to spouses of U.S. military Veterans and to spouses or domestic partners of active-duty, Reserve or National Guard service members.

Read the story and learn more about this scholarship in the comments.

School of Information Sciences at Illinois

09/09/2026

Welcome, Class of 2030!

9,332 strong. 🧡

The newest class of Illini has arrived from 92 Illinois counties, across the nation, and around the world. You’re now part of a community of 61,060 students, the largest in university history.

Wherever you came from, you’re home at Illinois.

09/06/2026

Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism at Illinois doctoral student Malaika Bigirindavyi received an NCAA Graduate Student Research Grant for her project, “Reimagining Belonging and Community Building for Black Women Student-Athletes at NCAA Division III Predominantly White Institutions.”

The NCAA Graduate Student Research Grant Program aims to stimulate research on college sports by providing financial support to graduate students in the social and behavioral sciences: https://buff.ly/HYov7tN

Her project draws from semi-structured interviews and Sista Circles—an innovative methodology rooted in community building and empowerment—to explore the experiences of Black women student-athletes, while also creating a space for community building in an institutional setting that often creates barriers to belonging for Black women student-athletes.

Congratulations, Malaika!

09/05/2026

Wishing you a restful Labor Day weekend. 🚴‍♀️

09/03/2026

RJ Fitzpatrick's junior year was full of accomplishments: collegiate Player of the Year honors in wheelchair basketball, a 4.0 in the classroom, and a third-place tournament finish with his fellow Illini.

Fitzpatrick, a senior in recreation, sport and tourism, did all of this while losing his chief supporter: his father, Peter, who died in March after a two-year battle with brain cancer.

A new year brings new reflections and a new level of maturity for Fitzpatrick, a fierce competitor on the court with a kind, fun-loving presence in his daily life. And this year, he knows for sure: he’s not going it alone.

“The support from the whole wheelchair basketball program has just been huge,” he said. “Knowing I always have them in my corner, that just has made the whole thing a little bit easier, you know?

Read his story at the link in the comments.

Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism at Illinois
Illinois Wheelchair Basketball