COVID-19: Rising to the Challenge

The federal government's COVID-19 national emergency declaration ended April 10, 2023, and, as such, this site is no longer being updated. We hope our communities continue to make personal decisions and take individual actions that maximize the safety of others.

The University of Illinois System demonstrated its land-grant mission in real time throughout the 2020-23 global pandemic, marshalling its world-class resources and utilizing its knowledge-generating power to foster solutions that helped steer our state through this challenging time. Our researchers continue to study changes in society during this historic period, thus positioning us to face future challenges, stronger together. 

Story archives

Visit our story archives to read about some of the many contributions from talented faculty, staff, and students at our universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield and the System Offices during the pandemic.

Learn more

Learn more about efforts throughout the system in the early months of the pandemic on our COVID-19 response narrative page.

Podcast

In 2020, the University of Illinois System partnered with Illinois Public Media to produce a limited-series podcast about the universities' efforts to combat the virus and keep communities safe.

Listen to the Rising to the Challenge podcast