College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Former Professor Provides Significant Support to Altgeld Campaign

Philippe Tondeur, professor emeritus of mathematics, has worked and studied at universities around the world, but the University of Illinois holds a special place for him. That’s why Tondeur has donated in support of the Altgeld and Illini Hall Project. “Being part of a faculty entirely devoted to research and teaching has been a life-enhancing experience and the contact with students has been an integral part of it,” Tondeur said. “The assimilation and admiration of the achievements of my colleagues over time at Illinois and elsewhere has been an exciting part of it. These activities have been the substance of my wonderful professional life.” Take a virtual tour of planned renovations of Altgeld Hall.

Department of Religion Receives Largest Gift Ever

The Department of Religion received $1 million from a group of donors to establish a course of study on Jainism, a South Asian religion that emphasizes nonviolence, non-possessiveness, and respect. Jainism is one of the oldest continuously practiced religions in the world, with many of its seven million followers in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The department will request that a tenure stream position be established for a faculty member who specializes in Jainism, and others already in the department will further lessons about Jainism in their classes. The department also hopes to create a postdoctoral or non-tenure stream faculty member position to build a curriculum for Jainism. The gift is the largest that the department has ever received. Read more.

Gift to Department of Chemistry Launches PhD4 Program

A new initiative, called the PhD4 program, has been established in the Department of Chemistry to fund fourth-year graduate students. Alumnus Peixin He (PhD ’85, chemistry) and Xiaoming Chen have made the first donation, a $1 million gift. The long-term goal of the program is to fund all graduate students during their fourth year, providing full fellowships for those who have passed their preliminary exams. The program will also provide some additional funds to each student above the department’s standard salary. “We certainly hope to see this program grow with other donors supporting it as well,” he said. “It will help graduate students and faculty members to be more productive in their research work.” Read more.

The Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science Receives Major Endowment

College of LAS alumna Candace Penn Frame (BS ’72, geography) credits much of her career success to her U of I degree. That’s why she and her husband, James (BA ’73, general curriculum) made a gift to the Department of Geography & Geographical Information Science with four purposes: to support a named professorship in honor of her grandfather, Henry Penn (BS 1910, civil engineering); to support graduate fellowships that help recipients move on to work in national security or intelligence; to support a young faculty scholar in the department; and to support students in the department in the form of tuition assistance, grants, research support, scholarly travel, attendance at conferences, equipment needs, or other educational related expenses. Read more.

Scholarship Funds Pivotal Student Experiences

From research labs on campus to virtual internships with unique companies from around the world, College of LAS students are taking advantage of career advancement opportunities thanks to the Life + Career Design Scholarship. During summer 2021, the scholarship provided $81,000 in support for students representing 16 different majors. In all, 34 students benefitted. The scholarship was created to support students as they inquire about, engage in, and create opportunities for professional development. The scholarship provides up to $5,000 to help with living, transportation, and/or other expenses related to engaging in a significant professional experience. Read more.