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The �ڰ������� community is full of leaders, trailblazers and agents of change. As we wrap up another academic year, we celebrate our new graduates, take pride in our alumni and remember someone who was part of the fabric of our institution. Read about all this and more in the latest edition of Noteworthy at �ڰ�������. 

William C. “Doc” Speller, who served as the founder and coordinator of Project Success for more than 40 years, died on Jan. 12. He was 91 years old. A memorial service will be held from 11 a.m-1 p.m., Saturday, May 28, at the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies, 700 E. Oakwood Blvd. in Chicago, Illinois.

Professor of Biology Aaron Schirmer has been honored with �ڰ�������’s 2022 Bernard J. Brommel Distinguished Research Professor award.

�ڰ������� is all about breaking barriers—to education and research. Read about our new partnership with Hope Chicago and the largest study on longevity and aging in reptiles and amphibians. Plus, view our upcoming events and more in this edition of Noteworthy at �ڰ�������. 
 

GradReports, an online resource that matches students to graduate programs, named �ڰ�������’s Educational Leadership program the best in the state and 20th overall in the nation on its list of 2020 Best Colleges.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $25 million over five years to DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory and a team of academic and community leaders, which includes �ڰ�������, to advance urban climate science by studying climate change effects at local and regional scales.

�ڰ�������’s Fall 2022 classes begin Monday, Aug. 22! Learn about new and transfer student orientation and get everything you need to start the semester strong. Our TRIO Upward Bound students shined at Fiesta del Sol and two of our professors took to the international stage to highlight the importance of combating Antisemitism. Read about all this and more in the latest edition of Noteworthy at �ڰ�������. 

After a national search, Thomas Philion has been appointed dean of �ڰ�������’s Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education.

At 190 years old, Jonathan the Seychelles giant tortoise recently made for being the “oldest living land animal in the world.” Although anecdotal evidence like this exists that some species of turtles and other ectotherms—or “cold-blooded” animals—live a long time, evidence is spotty and mostly focused on animals living in zoos or a few individuals living in the wild. Now, an international team of 114 scientists, led by �ڰ������� and , reports the most comprehensive study of aging and longevity to date comprising data collected in the wild from 107 populations of 77 species of reptiles and amphibians worldwide. 

Through �ڰ�������'s Student Center for Science Engagement, undergraduate students examined air pollution data this summer to study two separate issues: if areas with higher levels of particulate matter (or PM 2.5) correlate with higher cases or mortality rates of COVID-19 and the occurrence of ozone plumes.