Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

Individuals and teams from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who have made a visible impact on society were recently recognized with the 2025 Campus Awards for Excellence in Public Engagement. Faculty, staff members, students and community members who engage the public to address critical civic and community issues at the local, state, national and global levels were honored at an awards ceremony last month.

The recipients this year include faculty and staff members Antoinette Burton and Lee Ragsdale; graduate student Ananya Yammanuru; undergraduate student Ariana Mizan; the Entomology Graduate Student Association team; and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology Communications and Outreach team.

The IGB Communications and Outreach team is the recipient of the Team Award for Excellence in Public Engagement. Ever since the founding of the institute in 2007, the team has worked to translate complex ideas to the public in eloquent and playful ways, channeling the IGB’s motto: “Where Science Meets Society.”

One of the sustained successes from the team is hosting the annual Pollen Power summer camp. Since its inception in 2012, more than 300 area elementary and middle school students have attended the camp. During the week, the campers enjoy intensive hands-on research experiences using state-of-the-art microscopes and other scientific equipment. Participation in the camp frequently acts as a springboard for those same students to seek out other programs and activities offered by the institute. On a regional scale, the IGB team also led the 2024 return of World of Genomics, a multi-day event hosted at Chicago’s Griffin Museum of Science and Industry that attracted thousands of attendees.

A recent priority for the communications and outreach team has involved deepening the quality of the institute’s community relationships. The IGB's Genomics for workshop series aims to foster such relationships by partnering with an array of groups to offer relevant and timely information about genomics. Judges and justices from around the country attended the 2024 Genomics for Judges workshop and participated in substantive discussions and case scenarios that explored the legal implications of genomic and AI biotechnologies. The communications and outreach team have been guided in their planning of another workshop series, Genomics for Faith leaders, by the involvement of local faith leaders themselves. Conversations with faith leaders helped the team create a workshop format that is comfortable to participate in and has successfully explored challenging topics at the intersection of science, society and faith.