Who we are
Retention, Inclusion, and Support Efforts for Underrepresented Persons, more concisely known as RISE UP, @ Illinois is a student-powered initiative that strives to improve the experience of underrepresented persons at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
We seek to build an inclusive community for STEM students that identify as members of any underrepresented group, be it racial/ethnic identity, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.
While we specifically cater to Grainger College of Engineering students, we welcome students from all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.
What we do
We work to connect underrepresented students across disciplines, degree programs, and demographics by targeting three major themes:
- Building a mentorship network
- Connecting students to administrators with the power to make changes
- Educating the broader university community
Providing community, empowering students, facilitating conversation about our shared experience

How we are supported
We are grateful for the support of a Grainger College of Engineering IDEA Institute GIANT grant (#GIANT2020-07).