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Communities

ACES, Extension partner Jackie Joyner-Kersee named 2023 commencement speaker

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Six-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee will serve as the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s commencement speaker Saturday, May 13, at 9:30 a.m. in Memorial Stadium.

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Study links COVID-19 rates with nature equity, shows double burden for communities of color

URBANA, Ill. – By now, it’s clear the COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly unkind to communities of color and low-income populations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ties these disparities to disproportionate representation of nonwhite populations in essential worker roles, discrimination, lack of healthcare access, wage gaps, housing factors, and more.

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Extension horticulturist among Chancellor's Distinguished Staff Award recipients

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Sixteen civil service employees were recognized for exceptional performance by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign – eight this year and eight in 2020.

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Toxic facility relocation depends on community pressure

URBANA, Ill. – No one wants to live near a toxic plant. Toxic-releasing facilities such as paper, pulp, and other manufacturing plants negatively affect human health, environmental quality, and property values. And communities with lower income and educational attainment are more likely to house such facilities. 

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'Hunker down' stress genes boosted in women who live in violent neighborhoods

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The chronic stress of living in neighborhoods with high rates of violence and poverty alters gene activity in immune cells, according to a new study of low-income single Black mothers on the South Side of Chicago.

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How housing discrimination affects environmental inequality

URBANA, Ill. ­– Economists and urban planners generally agree that local pollution sources disproportionally impact racial minorities in the U.S. The reasons for this are largely unclear, but a University of Illinois study provides new insights into the issue. 

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Hiring foreign nurses does not hurt US nursing jobs, study shows

URBANA, Ill. – An aging U.S. population is rapidly increasing the demand for nursing care. The number of U.S. citizens aged 65 and over is expected to almost double from 43.1 million in 2012 to 87.5 million by 2050, while the workforce is shrinking. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the need for health care professionals.

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University meat and egg sales room thrives through pandemic

URBANA, Ill. – Back in March, the University of Illinois meat science research group was wrapping up a big project and the meats judging team was preparing to host a regional contest. Then, in the blink of an eye, COVID-19 hit, sending everyone home.

“Our coolers were absolutely full,” says Anna Dilger, meat scientist and associate professor in the Department of Animal Sciences.

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U of I receives funding to create, expand mental health resource network for farmers

URBANA, Ill. – Even without the added stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, agricultural producers experience high levels of anxiety, depression, substance use, and death by suicide. Researchers at the University of Illinois and Illinois Extension are working to ensure producers and their families have the resources and access to services to manage their stress and mental health.

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