FAA
From the 1940s–70s, ceramic artists were experimenting with glazes, techniques, sculpture, and new ways of thinking about clay.
Centering Clay: Connection and Innovation in American Studio Ceramics at Krannert Art Museum explores this fascinating moment through about 50 works of ceramics, paintings, photographs, glass, and more.🏺
The exhibition opens TONIGHT! (Aug. 27) and runs through Dec. 23.
Join us for the museum`s Opening Night Celebration tonight and check out the exhibition!
Want the backstory? Read the full article for a closer look at the artists, ideas, and connections behind the exhibition with the 🔗 link in bio! @kamillinois
Image 1: Robert Turner, “Casserole Dish,” ca. 1955. Stoneware. University of Illinois Purchase through the Festival of Arts Purchase Fund, 1955-14-1. © Robert Turner. Photo Courtesy Krannert Art Museum
Image 2: Installation view of “Centering Clay: Connection and Innovation in American Studio Ceramics” with Katherine Choy’s vase in the front, 2026. Photo by Kathryn Koca Polite. Courtesy Krannert Art Museum
Image 3: Jerry Rothman, “Sky Pot,” 1961. Stoneware. Museum Purchase through the Festival of Arts Purchase Fund, 1963-50-1. © Jerry Rothman. Photo Courtesy Krannert Art Museum
#CenteringClay #KrannertArtMuseum #StudioCeramics #AmericanCeramics #Ceramics #ArtHistory
Want to learn about the lineage of line dancing and its connection to the LGBTQ+ community? Join us for the Flatlands Dance Film festival!
Feature Film: "Last Dance at the Sundance Stompede" - a documentary directed by Graham Clayton-Chance.
"Flatlands Dance Film Festival recognizes the vast potential where choreography and the screen reside together. Dance at Illinois supports and presents this medium because the moving image reflects the very nature of motion itself, the meeting point of filmmaking and dance."
OPEN TO ALL - don`t miss this one!
📅 Aug 27, 2026
🕠 7pm (Doors open at 6:30pm)
📍 Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St. Urbana, IL 61801
$10 general admission
$5 students and seniors
*Seating is limited*
@spurlockmuseum
@danceatillinois
This week we’re spotlighting 2026 Distinguished Legacy Award recipient and @illinoistheatre alumnus Paul Christian Pement (BFA ’87 Studio Acting)! As the Founder and Executive & Artistic Director of Classical Kids Music Education, Paul has instilled a love of music and theatre in millions of children. His dedication is the driving force behind this important Chicago-based nonprofit, shining a beacon of access and opportunity and creating a positive global impact.
We look forward to celebrating Paul and his work at the Legacy Awards this fall. You can read his full bio at go.illinois.edu/pement #FAALegacies
Kick off the new semester with us at Krannert Art Museum! Join us Thursday, Aug 27 from 5–7:30 PM for our Fall Opening Night.
Free and open to everyone & bring a friend!
📍 500 E Peabody Dr, Champaign
🗓️ Thursday, Aug 27 | 5:00–7:30 PM
@kamillinois
🔹🔸 Welcome back students! 🔹🔸
Thanks for joining us at New Student Welcome last week! We hope you enjoyed meeting your advisors, department heads, the dean, and of course, many new students just like you! Thanks to all the performing arts RSOs who attended and shared information about their programs and how to get involved. It was great to see you all there (and to get a little serenade from @otherguysillinois). @krannertcenter
We are so happy to have you here. Have a great first week of classes!
Featured in images:
@uiblackchorus
@grupoillini
@mariachialma_de_illinois
@lafuerzaflamenca_uiuc
@ballet_folklorico_uiuc
@illinimusicals
LET`S GO! Happy first day of classes! Wishing all our students lots of success, discovery, and joy this semester 🐿️
There`s still a chance to apply for U of I Homecoming Court 2026!🧡💙
Whether you`ve led a student organization, conducted research, supported your peers, volunteered, created art, mentored first-year students, or found other ways to make a difference, your story deserves to be celebrated.
Students from every college, background, and area of campus are encouraged to apply!
Apply at ➡️ homecoming.illinois.edu/homecoming-court
Applications open through August 31, 12:00pm.
Hey New FAA Students!! We cannot wait to meet you all in person at Friday`s (8/21) New Student Welcome at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts! 🧡💙🧡
~Activities begin at 1:30pm~ (swipe to last pic for flyer) @krannertcenter
✅ Intro to your support team!
✅ Free awesome T-shirt & Swag
✅ Free Ice Cream 🍦
✅ Fun activities
✅ Newly forged friendships with the best kind of people on campus (FAA students)
📷 photos by Emma Pyatt @epyattphotography
#ArtsatIllinois #Illini #Classof2030 #ILLINOIS
BSSD
Let’s continue shining a spotlight on our BSSD Students and their internships they took part in this summer!
Meet Faye Wettstein, who interned at the Office of Energy and Environment at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority!
Congratulations Faye!
Let’s hear about it! —>
BSSD: Tell us about your internship this summer? What company or organization did you work for? What was your role within the internship?
FW: I’m working as a Sustainability Intern for the Office of Energy and Environment at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). WMATA is the leading public transit agency for the DC Metro region, and this is my second summer interning here! The team I work for leads innovation in sustainability best practices at WMATA, proposing and implementing everything from improved sustainable design guidelines to energy efficiency projects.
BSSD: How has the BSSD program prepared you for this role?
FW: The BSSD program prepared me for my role at WMATA by providing me with an adaptable sustainability toolkit and the knowledge necessary to meaningfully contribute to projects. I’ve really appreciated the support and guidance I’ve received from my advisors (shoutout Ashley and Karin), who have always encouraged me. I also prepared myself by pursuing leadership opportunities in my RSOs and research assistantship positions. This prepared me to contribute to interdisciplinary projects and succeed in my internship.
BSSD: Do you have a dream job or role you hope to play in the future? If in any way, how does your internship connect to that dream job or role?
FW: Ultimately, I am really passionate about sustainable urban planning and would love any job that allows me to manage sustainability projects. I hope to work in the public sector and would love to eventually work internationally at an organization like the World Bank or at UN-Habitat. WMATA has prepared me to work collaboratively on complex, interdisciplinary planning projects. Overall, I have loved my internship experience and would encourage anyone interested in sustainable design to apply for a public transit agency!
BSSD: Do you have advice for BSSD students interested in apply
The semester has begun. Let`s go! 🎉
The last day to drop a full-semester course is the 10th day of classes, September 4.
➡ You may modify your schedule or change a course or section until the 10th day of classes. Have questions? Contact your advisor at sustaindesign@illinois.edu.
➡ Study Abroad and Study Away scholarships are available now!
Whether you`re planning a semester abroad or a short-term trip over fall, winter, or spring break, or in early summer, you may be eligible for I4I and IIP funding.
✨ Apply for financial aid before committing to a class!
➡ Applying for or already admitted to a semester abroad?
Apply for the FAA Scholarship for Study Abroad by September 15!
https://studyabroad.illinois.edu/.../costs.../colleges/
➡ Bates Scholarship Fund for FAA Continuing Student Success applications are open. Have you experienced an unforeseen financial setback? Apply for a Bates Scholarship of up to $1,000 to support your continued studies.
To be eligible to apply for the fund, you must:
➡Be enrolled as a continuing FAA student.
➡Be registered for at least 12 credit hours during the semester for which the funds would apply.
➡Provide a statement detailing your unforeseen financial difficulties.
➡Be in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 2.0.
Application Process:
Students should complete the Bates Scholarship Fund online application. This form will be available during the first three weeks of the term.
https://go.illinois.edu/FAAFund
Welcome back BSSD students! We hope your summer was relaxing, fun, and full of great memories. Now it’s time to kick off a new semester, let’s get back to business!
Welcome New Sustainable Designers! We had a wonderful day of welcoming events! From the New Student Convocation, to the college welcome, on to the BSSD tour of Grind 2 Energy at ISR and back to the office to learn about study away and other opportunities. We are so happy to join with faculty, staff and other students to welcome you to campus!
Thank you to super star students, Ethan, Xenia, Jenesse and Victoria for sharing your stories of travel and research in Casa Pueblo, Japan, building your own opportunities and connecting with community through your sustainability courses. There are bright futures ahead!
Welcome new students and welcome back to everyone returning. We can’t wait to see you all soon.
#sustainabledesign #sustainability #studyabroad #faa
As we approach the new academic year, we want to shine a spotlight on some of our BSSD students and the internships they took part in this summer!
First up, meet Aaliyah Murphy, who interned at the Metropolitan Museum of Art!
Congratulations Aaliyah on this opportunity!
Let’s hear about it! —>
BSSD: Tell us about your internship!
AM: This summer, I had the opportunity to intern at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) within the Buildings Department. My internship focused on an Embodied Carbon Study at The Met Cloisters, where I was brought in as an expert in sustainability to help evaluate the environmental impact of materials and building decisions. I worked alongside department leaders to help reshape how sustainability is approached within the museum, bringing a sustainability-focused perspective to challenges, projects, and future decision-making.
BSSD: How has the BSSD program prepared you for this role?
AM: Majoring in Sustainable Design is what truly prepared me for this internship and gave me a strong foundation in sustainability within architecture. Through courses in architecture, landscape architecture, industrial design, urban planning, and sustainability, I have developed a unique perspective on how to approach sustainability-related challenges across different disciplines. The flexibility of my degree has helped me grow as both a developing architect and a professional in the field.
BSSD: Do you have a dream job or role you hope to play in the future? If in any way, how did your internship connect to that dream job or role?
AM: My dream role is to become an Architectural Designer with a sustainability focus, creating spaces that center community and help revitalize neighborhoods. This internship allowed me to gain experience understanding sustainability and how carbon emissions impact buildings on a larger scale, especially within museums.
Working at The Met was an incredible experience because I had the opportunity to learn from architects and exhibition designers while seeing how spaces are intentionally designed around the visitor experience. Exhibitions are created to help people interact with art, and I loved seeing how des
Sustainable Design New Student Welcome
You`re invited to the Sustainable Design New Student Welcome! We`ll meet in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (KCPA) lobby immediately after the Arts at Illinois New Student Welcome. See below for more details about the afternoon`s activities. We can`t wait to welcome you to the Sustainable Design community!
📅 Friday, August 21
🕒 3 - 5 PM
📍 Meet in KCPA lobby
As we gear up for the new school year, we’re excited to welcome back our creative, passionate, and ever-inspiring Sustainable Design students!
Whether designing products or buildings, communities or landscapes, every B.S. Sustainable Design major uniquely blends their interests and the breath of skills they develop in the program to build the future they want to see.
With the BSSD Opportunity Scholarship, awardee Julia Konrath completed her LEED Certification this spring! The scholarship supports Sustainable Design students pursuing ambitious academic or professional projects that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive.
BSSD: Tell us about your project.
JK: With the Opportunity Scholarship, I was able to purchase a study package to strengthen my foundation in LEED and to prepare for the LEED GA exam. I completed the course that included a textbook, flashcards, and full-length exams that built my confidence in LEED concepts. I passed the LEED GA exam in April 2026 and I am now confident to apply green building principles in my future projects and jobs.
BSSD: How has the BSSD Opportunity Scholarship supported your academic or professional development?
JK: The BSSD Opportunity Scholarship made it possible for me to complete the LEED Green Associate credential while working towards my Sustainable Design degree. By reducing financial pressure of purchasing the study materials, the scholarship allowed me to dedicate time to studying, take practice exams, and cover the cost of the test. The support brought me confidence in understanding green building principles and seeking professional opportunities in renewable energy systems. I hope to become a sustainability consultant, and the Opportunity Scholarship made me confident in reaching that goal.
BSSD: What are your future goals or plans for the project?
JK: Earning my Leed Green Associate credential is a step toward my professional goal of becoming a sustainability consultant specializing in renewable energy systems. I plan to apply my LEED knowledge and credentials to local projects, deepen my understanding of low-carbon strategies, and help produce high-performing systems. I hope to help organizations and companies become more resilient, efficient, and climate-positive by applying renewable solutions into the built environment.
Congratulations Julia!
