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The Beckman
Institute is a barrier-busting,
interdisciplinary
research facility
and community
of innovation.
The Beckman Institute is a barrier-busting, collaborative
research facility
and community of innovation.

We Break Barriers.

The Beckman Institute was created to support interdisciplinary research among University of Illinois faculty. We foster scientific advances that couldn’t be done in any other way.
Our founder, Arnold Beckman, was an inventor and philanthropist who knew firsthand the power of interdisciplinary work.
The Beckman Institute is a barrier-busting, collaborative
research facility
and community of innovation.

We Propel Science and Technology.

The Beckman Institute is a unique engine for research. We're making incredible advances while helping ordinary people.
The Beckman Institute is a barrier-busting, collaborative
research facility
and community of innovation.

We Help You Connect.

We offer a café with drinks and daily specials, events from concerts to research lectures, and plenty of study and meeting spaces.
The Beckman Institute was built to help people connect. Learn more about exploring Beckman.

Latest news

Upcoming events

Carle Illinois Advanced Imaging Center Seminar Series

Carle Mills Breast Cancer Institute, third floor conference room

Hear an update from center co-directors Tracey Wszalek and Bruce Damon on the Champaign-Urbana Population Study.

Read more

Gather in the Garden

Beckman Institute Center Atrium

Contact name: Mollie Stevens
Contact email: mollie@illinois.edu
Contact phone: 217-244-2603

All are welcome to join our weekly 10-10:30 a.m. Tuesday gather in the atrium sessions. Please feel free to bring your own favorite beverage and enjoy the company!

Yoga at Beckman

Beckman Institute Room 5269-5th Floor Tower

Contact name: Elena Romanova
Contact email: romanova@illinois.edu

Join us at noon on Wednesdays this spring for yoga with a view! All sessions are free and will be held in Beckman's fifth-floor tower room. All are welcome to bring their own mat! 

Beckman Visualization Lab Office Hours

2203 Beckman Institute

Contact name: Jay Cournoyer
Contact email: itg-vl@beckman.illinois.edu

Beckman’s Visualization Laboratory is offering office hours with new Vis Lab Manager Jay Cournoyer between 1-3 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Vis Lab offers data visualization software, high-performance computing, 3D art services, virtual reality content creation and high-speed photography. Have questions? Email itg-vl@beckman.illinois.edu

Read more

Beckman Visualization Lab Office Hours

2203 Beckman Institute

Contact name: Jay Cournoyer
Contact email: itg-vl@beckman.illinois.edu

Beckman’s Visualization Laboratory is offering office hours with new Vis Lab Manager Jay Cournoyer between 1-3 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Vis Lab offers data visualization software, high-performance computing, 3D art services, virtual reality content creation and high-speed photography. Have questions? Email itg-vl@beckman.illinois.edu

Read more

Cookie Collab and celebration of Marni Boppart and Ying Diao, Presidential Early Career Award recipients

Atrium

Contact name: Mollie Stevens
Contact email: mollie@illinois.edu
Contact phone: 12172442603

Join us at our monthly Cookie Collab at 3 p.m. Thursday, March 27, in the atrium as we celebrate two faculty members: Ying Diao and Marni Boppart were both recently awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

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Director's Coffee Hour with Steve Maren

Director's office

Contact name: Stacy Olson
Contact email: srolson@illinois.edu

Beckman Director Steve Maren will be hosting a weekly Director’s Coffee Hour at 9 a.m. on Fridays at one of the nearby coffee shops (the Daily Byte or Espresso Royale) until the Beckman Café reopens. It's a great opportunity to get to know your new director and for him to get to know you and your research. Steve's buying! 

Please contact Stacy for details on meeting Steve.

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Molecular Science and Engineering, Explained

Beckman Institute, Room 1005 (along with the Beckman Auditorium and Beckman Atrium)

Join us for Molecular Science and Engineering, Explained

The entire Beckman community is invited to learn about the Molecular Science and Engineering theme at MSE, Explained.

9:40 a.m. through 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 1

 1005 Beckman Institute (along with the Beckman Auditorium and Beckman Atrium)

Agenda for the event:

9:40 a.m.: Pre-event coffee and snacks 

10-11:30 a.m.: Welcome and working group presentations

11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.: Poster session

12:20-1 p.m.: Working lunch

If you are a researcher in the MSE theme, please sign up to present a poster. We are encouraging collaborative posters with two presenters from different working groups.

Please register by Monday, March 24. 

Register Here

And please save the date for Intelligent Systems, Explained. It's scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, May 9.

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Molecular Science and Engineering, explained

Beckman Institute Auditorium

Contact name: Stacy Olson
Contact email: srolson@illinois.edu
Contact phone: 217-244-8373

No more information

Gather in the Garden

Beckman Institute Center Atrium

Contact name: Mollie Stevens
Contact email: mollie@illinois.edu
Contact phone: 217-244-2603

All are welcome to join our weekly 10-10:30 a.m. Tuesday gather in the atrium sessions. Please feel free to bring your own favorite beverage and enjoy the company!

Beckman DEI Committee hosting therapy dog

Beckman Atrium

Contact name: Tim Trinklein
Contact email: timtk@illinois.edu

Join us from 10:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, April 2 in the Beckman Atrium to unwind with a visiting therapy dog! All are welcome to take a moment to destress, relax and recharge with the calming presence of a canine friend!

Read more

Yoga at Beckman

Beckman Institute Room 5269-5th Floor Tower

Contact name: Elena Romanova
Contact email: romanova@illinois.edu

Join us at noon on Wednesdays this spring for yoga with a view! All sessions are free and will be held in Beckman's fifth-floor tower room. All are welcome to bring their own mat! 

Beckman Visualization Lab Office Hours

2203 Beckman Institute

Contact name: Jay Cournoyer
Contact email: itg-vl@beckman.illinois.edu

Beckman’s Visualization Laboratory is offering office hours with new Vis Lab Manager Jay Cournoyer between 1-3 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Vis Lab offers data visualization software, high-performance computing, 3D art services, virtual reality content creation and high-speed photography. Have questions? Email itg-vl@beckman.illinois.edu

Read more

New-to-Beckman tour

MRI Exhibit

Contact name: Lexie Kesler
Contact email: lkesler@illinois.edu

Come find out more about the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology! Learn about the barrier-busting interdisciplinary research facility and community of innovation. Tours will be offered the first Thursday of the month from 10-10:30 a.m.  Register here.

Read more

Beckman Visualization Lab Office Hours

2203 Beckman Institute

Contact name: Jay Cournoyer
Contact email: itg-vl@beckman.illinois.edu

Beckman’s Visualization Laboratory is offering office hours with new Vis Lab Manager Jay Cournoyer between 1-3 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Vis Lab offers data visualization software, high-performance computing, 3D art services, virtual reality content creation and high-speed photography. Have questions? Email itg-vl@beckman.illinois.edu

Read more

Beckman Institute SmithGroup Lecture: Calvin Mackie

Beckman Institute Auditorium, 1025

Contact name: Stacy Olson
Contact email: srolson@illinois.edu
Contact phone: 217-244-8373

Calvin Mackie, founder of STEM NOLA, will give a lecture titled, "Hope in the 21st Century."

A kid-friendly reception will follow, as will a preview of the Beckman Institute Open House from 4-6 p.m.

For more information, the full abstract and Calvin Mackie's full bio, visit the SmithGroup Lecture web page.

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2025 Beckman Institute Open House: Friday, April 4

Beckman Institute, 405 N. Mathews Ave

Contact name: Lexie Kesler
Contact email: lkesler@illinois.edu

The Beckman Institute Open House is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, April 4, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 5, 2025. It offers a fun, interactive look at the interdisciplinary research happening at the Beckman Institute. It happens at the same time as Engineering Open House each year. 

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2025 Beckman Institute Open House: Saturday, April 5

Beckman Institute, 405 N. Mathews Ave

Contact name: Lexie Kesler
Contact email: lkesler@illinois.edu

The Beckman Institute Open House is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, April 4, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 5, 2025. It offers a fun, interactive look at the interdisciplinary research happening at the Beckman Institute. It happens at the same time as Engineering Open House each year. 

Read more

Gather in the Garden

Beckman Institute Center Atrium

Contact name: Mollie Stevens
Contact email: mollie@illinois.edu
Contact phone: 217-244-2603

All are welcome to join our weekly 10-10:30 a.m. Tuesday gather in the atrium sessions. Please feel free to bring your own favorite beverage and enjoy the company!

ITG Tech Talk: "Visual Feast: How the Sausage Gets Made."

5602 Beckman Institute and on Zoom

Contact name: Bishop Gonzalez
Contact email: jbgonza2@illinois.edu

Please join us at noon on Tuesday, April 8, in 5602 Beckman to learn about "Visual Feast: How the Sausage Gets Made" demystifying digital image data and all of the things you can do with it, presented by Jay Cournoyer.

Lunch will be provided to those who register for in-person attendance.  

Please register by Thursday, April 3.

Register here!

Registration link

Read more

Deadline to register: Extracellular Vesicles in the Clinic: Establishing New Partnerships Between Illinois and Mayo Clinic

1005 Beckman Institute

Contact name: Marni Boppart
Contact email: mboppart@illinois.edu

Extracellular vesicles represent an important mechanism for intercellular communication, yet our understanding of the biosynthesis, detection, and characterization of EVs continues to emerge.

The 

mission

 of the Beckman Institute EVIT Working Group is to bring together our university community focused on the investigation of EVs in the context of both health and disease. Our 

vision 

is to introduce 

innovation

 into the traditional workflow of isolating and characterizing EVs, which requires synergistic efforts from faculty in multiple disciplines. 

This workshop will provide the opportunity to learn about the use of EVs as markers of disease progression from Mayo Clinic faculty, as well as become acquainted with newly emerging technologies to capture and detect EVs by faculty at Illinois. The poster session will provide an informal venue for exploring new collaborations. All faculty, staff, postdoctoral students, graduate students, and interested members of the public are welcome to join us for this half day workshop. 

See the full agenda and register by April 9.

Registration link

Read more

Yoga at Beckman

Beckman Institute Room 5269-5th Floor Tower

Contact name: Elena Romanova
Contact email: romanova@illinois.edu

Join us at noon on Wednesdays this spring for yoga with a view! All sessions are free and will be held in Beckman's fifth-floor tower room. All are welcome to bring their own mat! 

Vision and Spirit, and Staff Spirit and Dedication Awards presentation

Beckman Institute Center Atrium

Contact name: Mollie Stevens
Contact email: mollie@illinois.edu
Contact phone: 217-244-2603

Join Beckman Director Steve Maren in the Beckman center atrium for the annual presentation of two Beckman awards: the

Vision and Spirit Award

,

which recognizes a researcher at the institute who has fostered collaboration in their research and exemplifies founder Arnold Beckman's vision, and the

Staff Spirit and Dedication Award

,

which recognizes a staff member who embodies the mission and core values of the Beckman Institute and demonstrates teamwork.  

Cupcakes will follow in celebration of the anniversary of Arnold Beckman's birth, April 10.

Read more

Gather in the Garden

Beckman Institute Center Atrium

Contact name: Mollie Stevens
Contact email: mollie@illinois.edu
Contact phone: 217-244-2603

All are welcome to join our weekly 10-10:30 a.m. Tuesday gather in the atrium sessions. Please feel free to bring your own favorite beverage and enjoy the company!

Yoga at Beckman

Beckman Institute Room 5269-5th Floor Tower

Contact name: Elena Romanova
Contact email: romanova@illinois.edu

Join us at noon on Wednesdays this spring for yoga with a view! All sessions are free and will be held in Beckman's fifth-floor tower room. All are welcome to bring their own mat! 

Beckman DEI Committee hosting therapy dog

Beckman Atrium

Contact name: Tim Trinklein
Contact email: timtk@illinois.edu

Join us from 10:30-11 a.m. Thursday, April 17 in the Beckman Atrium to unwind with a visiting therapy dog! All are welcome to take a moment to destress, relax and recharge with the calming presence of a canine friend!

Read more

Cookie Collab

Atrium

Contact name: Mollie Stevens
Contact email: mollie@illinois.edu
Contact phone: 12172442603

Join members of the Beckman community for coffee and cookies in the Beckman Atrium. The Cookie Collab is scheduled for 3 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month. 

Extracellular Vesicles in the Clinic: Establishing New Partnerships Between Illinois and Mayo Clinic

1005 Beckman Institute

Contact name: Marni Boppart
Contact email: mboppart@illinois.edu

Extracellular vesicles represent an important mechanism for intercellular communication, yet our understanding of the biosynthesis, detection, and characterization of EVs continues to emerge.

The 

mission

 of the Beckman Institute EVIT Working Group is to bring together our university community focused on the investigation of EVs in the context of both health and disease. Our 

vision 

is to introduce 

innovation

 into the traditional workflow of isolating and characterizing EVs, which requires synergistic efforts from faculty in multiple disciplines. 

This workshop will provide the opportunity to learn about the use of EVs as markers of disease progression from Mayo Clinic faculty, as well as become acquainted with newly emerging technologies to capture and detect EVs by faculty at Illinois. The poster session will provide an informal venue for exploring new collaborations. All faculty, staff, postdoctoral students, graduate students, and interested members of the public are welcome to join us for this half day workshop. 

See the full agenda and register by April 9.

Registration link

Read more

Director's Coffee Hour with Steve Maren

Director's office

Contact name: Stacy Olson
Contact email: srolson@illinois.edu

Beckman Director Steve Maren will be hosting a weekly Director’s Coffee Hour at 9 a.m. on Fridays at one of the nearby coffee shops (the Daily Byte or Espresso Royale) until the Beckman Café reopens. It's a great opportunity to get to know your new director and for him to get to know you and your research. Steve's buying! 

Please contact Stacy for details on meeting Steve.

Read more

Beckman Visualization Lab Ribbon Cutting

2203 Beckman Institute

Contact name: Jay Cournoyer
Contact email: jecourno@illinois.edu

The Beckman Institute's Visualization Laboratory has a new location!

From 1-3 p.m. Friday, April 18, join us to celebrate with refreshments, remarks and a ribbon cutting in 2203 Beckman. You'll have a chance to meet new Vis Lab Manager Jay Cournoyer and see demonstrations of various services the lab offers from its Graphic Services team.

Remarks will begin at 1:30 p.m., followed by a ribbon cutting. Please RSVP by April 11.

Read more