Football player catching touchdown in the end zone over a defender

Moving on

Redbirds advance in FCS playoffs with huge last-minute win over top-ranked Bison

three people look at a screen in a radio studio

WZND named Radio Station of the Year at National Student Media Convention

Illinois State University’s student radio station, WZND, recently won the College Broadcasters, Inc. (CBI) Radio Station of the Year award.

Image of Virgel Caval

Behind the stream: The Illinois State alum shaping Hulu’s product experience 

Almost everyone has a streaming platform of some kind, and millions of people have a Hulu subscription. What might not be as well-known are the Redbirds behind this major streaming company. 

Lauren Cancio stands in upper hall of the Center for Performing Arts holding a trumpet

Graduating Redbirds: Educator and trumpet performer strives to make music accessible to all

Lauren Cancio is ready to carry inclusive music practices into her future classroom as she graduates from Illinois State in December with a double major in music education and trumpet performance.

portrait photograph of LJ on the quad

Vice President Levester Johnson elected chair of the board of directors for the Institute for Study Abroad

Dr. Levester “LJ” Johnson, vice president for Student Affairs at Illinois State University, has been named chair of the board of directors for the Institute for Study Abroad.

Reggie Redbird and students show off the 2026 Reggie's Holiday Pick items that will be available for order starting November 1, 2025.

Reggie’s Holiday Pick 2025: Dream in style. Give with heart.

Reggie Redbird is back for the 2025 holidays with his coziest holiday gift items yet! With Reggie’s Holiday Pick, Redbirds can holiday shop while giving with purpose to the Red and White Scholarship Fund for students in need. Giving opens for orders on November 1.

several graduates in their graduation regalia smile as they hold their diplomas at Commencement

Career tips for graduating Redbirds

Whether you’re heading to grad school, diving into the job market, or still exploring your options, Career Services is here to help you launch your next chapter with confidence.

Athletics

Publications

Baker squeezing icing dollop onto large sheet cake.

The biggest restaurant in town: Around-the-clock dedication makes campus dining ‘indispensable’ to Illinois State

Preparing food for thousands of Redbirds daily requires the perfect mix of dedication, creativity, and care from Event Management, Dining, and Hospitality staff.

Dr. Gina Hunter holding a book while sitting in a library

Redbird Scholar Q&A: 5 questions for Office of Student Research Director Gina Hunter

In the Redbird Scholar Q&A, Dr. Gina Hunter discussed the Office of Student Research’s accomplishments, the importance of student research, and the future of the office.

staged mock DCFS training session with 3 individuals

Illinois State’s new simulation lab trains DCFS investigators

Child protection specialists with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) are frontline responders charged with investigating reports of child abuse or neglect. A new DCFS simulation training center operated by Illinois State University is designed to prepare investigators-in-training for their vital role in protecting children and promoting their well-being.

Illustration of the Cahokia Mounds

Archeologist Michael Wiant traces 12,000 years of Indigenous ingenuity

Dr. Michael Wiant ’71, M.S. ’77, has dedicated nearly 50 years to researching the communities of Native people who built a legacy of ingenuity in the lower Illinois River Valley.
Ian MacKaye with a microphone on stage at the Normal Theatre

Punk rocker, Fugazi frontman Ian MacKaye draws hundreds for School of Creative Technologies talk

Fugazi frontman Ian MacKaye spoke to a sold-out Normal Theater crowd as part of the David Brian Williams Creative Technologies Visiting Artist Series.
Student wearing a white shirt, standing on the Quad.

Leading the way: First-generation exercise science major closes in on college dream

Aleena Alfaro, a senior exercise science major on track to graduate this spring, grew up in Lockport knowing how much education mattered.
Rendered image of planned renovations to WKCFA buildings on southeast corner of Quad. Brick buildings, gray rooftops, green grass, off of Beaufort Street in Normal.

Preparations underway for WKCFA renovation project, sidewalk closure planned

Pedestrian traffic along Beaufort Street will be rerouted as construction crews prepare for a two-year project to update and expand Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts.
A person poses in front of a building holding a tuba.

Veteran and music professor Dr. Andy Rummel reflects on service, music, legacy

When Dr. Andy Rummel first set foot on the Illinois State campus as an enthusiastic sixth-grader at band camp, he didn’t know he’d be starting a lifelong relationship with the University.