Dream Achiever
Not everyone gets a career path marked by so many signposts. As a child, Natalie J. Bomke, ’04 MEDIA, talked such a non-stop streak that her mom worried there was
Fire Bearer
A Cherokee legend tells of ancient animals praying for warmth to survive the winter on their island. Unetlanvhi (“the Creator”) answered by striking a tree with lightning, setting it on
In Class: Royal Thespian
I teach acting. Beginning acting, contemporary scene work, classical plays. I regard teaching as my life’s calling—helping my students to find their own voice. Because getting a degree in theatre
Chess King
Although the most cerebral of games, chess is lodged in the physical world: the site of the match, the pieces, the players squaring off across a board. But apart from
My Alma Mater: A Core Curriculum
When I attended the U of I in the mid-to-late 1950s, I was in the right place, at the right time, with the right major: home economics. Most people may
Alumni Interview: Robert Doubek
The Washington Post’s architecture critic called the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund “a clipper ship of efficiency.” Part of it was the fact that we were all young. The effort was
Alumni Interview: Kevin Jackson
When I arrived at Illinois in 1990, a kid out of a tough neighborhood south of Chicago, I had no idea I’d become a research scientist. I was a football
Birds of a Feather
In his first picture book, Mr. Watson’s Chickens (Chronicle Books), Jarrett Dapier, ’01 LAS, MSLIS ’15, tells the story of a same-sex couple whose love can survive anything—even a house
Taboo Buster
Dr. Nicole Williams, ’97 LAS, ’97 LAS, doesn’t get mad—she gets motivated. When a guidance counselor suggested that she consider becoming a nurse instead of a doctor, Williams doubled down
Alumni Interview: Ronald S. Urick
In the 1995 movie Mr. Holland’s Opus, Richard Dreyfuss plays a classical composer who begrudgingly accepts a high school music teaching job to pay the bills. As the film unfolds,
