The spring issue of the Redbird Scholar is out. Our biannual magazine focused on the research, scholarship, and creative expression of Illinois State faculty and students was published Monday online and in print.

Here are a few of the topics featured in this issue:

  1. Internationally acclaimed tenor Justin Vickers, an Illinois State music professor, uses his vocal talents and research abilities to honor the legacy of his musical muse, British composer Benjamin Britten.
  2. Illinois State Physics Professor Allison Harris researches collisions involving atomic and subatomic particles in order to give scientists a better understanding of how the universe operates at its tiniest level.
  3. Where is U.S.’s war on drugs headed? In this Redbird Scholar Q&A, Illinois State drugs researcher and criminal justice expert Ralph Weisheit talks about states loosening their marijuana laws, the surge in opiate overdoses, and what President Donald Trump’s administration might mean for the drug war.
  4. Beer waste has long been an ingredient in cattle feed. Now Illinois State Agriculture researchers have partnered with Destihl to study whether the microbrewery’s spent grain could be a feasible option for Central Illinois farmers.
  5. Anthropology undergraduate students are examining skeletal remains uncovered 40 years ago in a Western Illinois farm field to answer questions about an ancient people.

We printed 8,000 copies of the 24-page print publication. Copies have been mailed to graduate students, faculty, staff, other members of the Illinois State community, peer institutions, and select business, government, and nonprofit officials. Copies are also available at kiosks across campus: near the east entrances to Hovey, Schroeder, and Turner Halls; near the entrances to Milner Library and Stevenson Hall; and inside the Bone Student Center (near the information desk on the first floor). All of the magazine’s content and a PDF of the magazine can be accessed online.

The biannual magazine publishes each fall and spring. It features stories, profiles, and Q&As on the most interesting and impactful researchers at the University. Other sections highlight research grants procured by the University, and books produced by Illinois State faculty. Readers can interact with the magazine by submitting questions to our faculty experts.

Share your research

Are you engaged in interesting research? Do you have an upcoming art exhibition or concert? Are you coming out with a new research paper, book, audio recording, or film? Please tell us. We want to hear about it.

Contact Editor-in-Chief Kevin Bersett at kdberse@IllinoisState.edu or (309) 438-4329 with research projects that we can feature in the magazine or on our website. You can also tweet your research to us at @ISUResearch by using the hashtag #RedbirdScholar.

To keep up with research news between issues, be sure to follow @ISUResearch on Twitter and look for more research stories at IllinoisState.edu/RedbirdScholar.