Faculty & Staff Tech Talk

Summer 2026 edition

From Deque to Equalify

UIC is transitioning from Deque to Equalify, a modern, open-source accessibility testing and reporting platform. UIC’s access to Deque Axe Monitor ends after June 29. Please plan to transition your accessibility testing and reporting workflows to Equalify before this date.

Equalify Reflow

As part of UIC’s ongoing commitment to digital accessibility, Technology Solutions has launched Equalify Reflow, an open-source tool that helps convert static PDF files into accessible content.

Google’s accessibility checker now available

Grackle accessibility checkers are now available to the UIC community for Google Docs, Sheets and Slides. To learn more, visit How do I check accessibility in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides using Grackle?.

Learn more about Digital Accessibility at UIC.

Registration now open for IT Community Conference 2026

The annual IT Community Conference will be held on Friday, June 12. It will bring together IT professionals from across UIC for a day of collaboration, learning and community engagement.

Hosted in the Illinois Room at Student Center East, this year’s conference is being shaped collaboratively by Technology Solutions and colleagues from across the broader IT community. Registration is now open.

UIC hosts inaugural Cybersecurity and Privacy Community Conference

Technology Solutions hosted the Cybersecurity and Privacy Community Conference on April 13 that brought together experts, policymakers and members of the UIC community for a day of insight, dialogue and collaboration around today’s most pressing cybersecurity challenges and trends. The event concluded with a keynote discussion from cybersecurity entrepreneur and "Shark Tank" investor Robert Herjavec.

Computational Research Symposium 2026

The Advanced Cyberinfrastructure for Education and Research hosted its third annual Computational Research Symposium on April 20. Held at Student Center West as part of UIC Research Week, the event attracted over 100 participants from across campus.

The event featured keynote presentations from UIC’s associate vice chancellor for research, the director of IBM’s Quantum Algorithm Centers and the director of science at the Department of Energy’s Argonne Leadership Computing Facility.

Be aware of emerging threats like cyber criminals sending fake event invitations to trick people into giving away their login details or installing software that gives attackers access to their devices.

Awareness is an important part of maintaining a secure digital environment. Instructors and staff should stay informed about common scams they may encounter online, through email or over the phone. Learn more at it.uic.edu/cyberscams.

Easier phishing reporting coming soon

Technology Solutions will soon implement a button to report phishing directly in the Outlook email platform to simplify the reporting of suspicious emails and strengthen campus cybersecurity.

This new tool will make it easier to report suspicious emails and will help Technology Solutions respond to phishing threats more quickly and effectively.

Remember to report suspicious emails to security@uic.edu.

Canvas migration: Prepare your courses for fall semester

Summer is a great time to migrate your course materials to Canvas. With lighter course loads for many this summer, it's a great time explore Canvas at a less pressured pace and thoroughly test your course content before the fall semester begins. Support is available through your college's instructional designers and the Learning Technology Solutions team which offers workshops and one-on-one consultations. Note that Blackboard will be retired on Dec. 31. Learn more about the Canvas transition.

UIC launches Google AI Accelerator for Education

UIC is partnering with Google to provide all students, faculty and staff with free access to Google's AI suite, including Gemini, NotebookLM and Gems. Faculty will receive training on integrating AI effectively and ethically into their curriculum, and researchers can leverage the tools for data analysis and interdisciplinary discovery. Learn more about the Google AI Accelerator for Education Program.

Advanced Cyberinfrastructure for Education and Research, part of Technology Solutions, empowers the UIC research community with tools like high-speed networking, secure storage, advanced computing and expert-led workshops on topics from Python and R to Machine Learning and Generative AI. Learn more about ACER’s Services and Events.

Accelerate your research with Chicago Computes

The Chicago Computes program at UIC provides faculty and their teams with fully subsidized access to advanced computing, powerful GPUs and robust data storage, all backed by expert support.

Designed to narrow the digital divide across underrepresented scientific disciplines, the program provides researchers with the tools, infrastructure and guidance needed to advance scientific discovery. Whether you’re analyzing large datasets, building AI models or exploring new research questions, Chicago Computes can provide the resources and guidance you need to take your work to the next level.

Technology Solutions

University of Illinois Chicago

601 S. Morgan St. | Chicago, IL 60607 US