
Awards recognize excellence in public engagement at Illinois
Impact and Innovation at Illinois


“You don’t need to know what happens next. You just need to be ready for the heat.”
Read the full speech transcript from Illinois alumnus Sean Evans

Illinois alumnus Daniel Kraus, a New York Times best-selling author, won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for “Angel Down,” a World War I novel that combines magical realism, science fiction, and allegory.

The National Cancer Institute designated the Cancer Center at Illinois as a Basic Cancer Center, the first such designation in 40 years, affirming Illinois’ excellence in merging oncology, engineering, and basic science.