Class Notes
Find out what's happening in the lives of your friends from days gone by. Publications, awards, marriages, retirements, moves, promotions, birth announcements—you're sure to come across news from someone you remember.
While you're here, don't forget to submit a class note and let old friends know what you've been up to. Don't be a stranger—we'd love to hear from you!
Alumni Class Notes will remain posted online for at least six months, and will be published in the next possible issue of the iSchool magazine, Intersections.
We're proud of the accomplishments of our alumni and their contributions to the field and their communities!
2020
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Falconer, Josh (Class of 2022) 4 months 29 days ago
Josh Falconer (MSLIS '22) was recently hired as senior ontologist at Bloomberg in Princeton, New Jersey.
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Halka, Pim (Class of 2020) 2 months 3 days ago
Pim Halka (MSLIS '20) has a new role as the supervising reference librarian with Jefferson-Madison Regional Library in Charlottesville, Virginia. "I look forward to building the community engagement program at JMRL with skills I learned at the iSchool," Halka said.
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Hutton, Dyamond (Class of 2021) 23 days 9 hours ago
Dyamond Hutton (MSLIS '21) has started a new job as a knowledge and research service coordinator at Mendelson P.C.
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Kanter, Jane (Class of 2020) 9 days 9 hours ago
Jane Kanter (MSLIS '20) is featured in the Library Journal article, "Among the Stars: The Adler Planetarium Collection | Archives Deep Dive."
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López, Eileen (Class of 2020) 3 months 12 days ago
Eileen M. López (MSLIS '20) has transitioned from leading UX research to community college librarianship. In her current position as an adjunct faculty librarian for the City Colleges of Chicago, she embraces technology and ignites discovery, shaping the futures of adult and English-language learners in a dynamic learning environment.
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McMenamin, Carolyn (Class of 2022) 3 months 23 days ago
Carolyn McMenamin (MSLIS '22), social studies teacher at Centennial High School in Champaign, was named Teacher of the Week in the January 11, 2024, issue of The News-Gazette.
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Salkeld, Helen (Class of 2022) 5 months 28 days ago
Helen Salkeld (MSLIS '22) has accepted a position as a school-age/teen librarian at Athens Drive Community Library in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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Smith, Jessica (Class of 2023) 2 months 14 days ago
Jessica Smith (MSLIS '23) was featured in The News-Gazette article, " Meet the Champaign County Forest Preserve District's new collections coordinator."
2010
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Anantachai, Tarida (Class of 2011) 7 days 2 hours ago
Tarida Anantachai (MSLIS '11) was selected as a 2024 Library Journal Mover & Shaker (Change Agent category).
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Coats, Anna (Class of 2011) 1 month 7 days ago
Anna Coats (MSLIS '11) has been elected to the ALA APALA (Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association) leadership board.
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Helmick, Sam (Class of 2012) 5 months 28 days ago
Sam Helmick (MSLIS '12) has been selected as a candidate for president of the American Library Association for the 2025-2026 term.
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Lučić, Ana (Class of 2017) 3 months 24 days ago
Ana Lučić (PhD '17), a research scientist at the Applied Research Institute at the University of Illinois, received a Digital Humanities Advancement grant to develop a method to computationally identify the paratextual elements within the digitized book collections in the HathiTrust Research Library.
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McGrory, Amanda (Class of 2018) 2 months 27 days ago
Amanda McGrory (MSLIS '18), archivist and collections curator for the U.S. Olympic and Parlympic Committee, is featured in the American Libraries podcast, "The Wide World of Librarians in Sports."
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Mody, Nisha (Class of 2017) 1 month 28 days ago
Nisha Mody (MSLIS '17) has created a course called Trauma-Informed and Relational Care for Libraries.
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Padilla, Thomas (Class of 2014) 4 months 26 days ago
Thomas Padilla (MSLIS '14) will deliver the opening keynote at NISO Plus 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland.
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Quiballo, Ted (Class of 2017) 3 months 1 day ago
Ted Quiballo (MSLIS '17) was featured in the Evanston RoundTable on February 2, 2024.
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Remington, Conrad (Class of 2017) 1 month 29 days ago
Conrad Remington (MSLIS '17) married Greg Remington (née Alvarez) on February 29, 2024.
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Savage, Devin (Class of 2011) 3 months 1 day ago
Devin Savage (MSLIS '11) has been nominated to stand for election for Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) vice-president/president-elect in March 2024.
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Smith, Daniel (Class of 2018) 4 months 29 days ago
Daniel Smith (MSLIS '18) recently became the genealogy librarian at the Cook Memorial Public Library District in Libertyville, Illinois. He is very excited to turn a passion into a profession.
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Stark, Nicholas (Class of 2011) 17 days 5 hours ago
In 2023, Nicholas Stark (MSLIS '11) was promoted to branch chief of research services at the IRS Office of Chief Counsel Library in Washington, D.C.
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Tipton, Kim (Class of 2018) 1 month 25 days ago
Kim Tipton (MSLIS '18), reference librarian at the McHenry County College Library, was featured in the Illinois Library Association's Member Spotlight for the week of March 11, 2024.
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Ward, Steven (Class of 2015) 2 months 12 days ago
Steven Ward (MSLIS '15) has started a new "dream job" as reference librarian for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois.
2000
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Chambers, Tamela (Class of 2005) 5 months 6 days ago
Tamela Chambers (MSLIS '05) has been promoted from branch manager to district chief at the Chicago Public Library.
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Cuervo, Adriana (Class of 2005) 3 months 17 days ago
Adriana Cuervo (MSLIS '05) assumed the role of director of Special Collections and University Archives at Rutgers University Libraries on January 23, 2024. She brings to this role over eighteen years of experience in special collections administration, collections development, and management.
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Drummond-Cherniwchan, Lori (Class of 2006) 5 months 13 days ago
Lori Drummond-Cherniwchan (MSLIS '06) recently retired after serving as the teacher-librarian at Auburn High School in Rockford, Illinois, for more than 20 years. She now teaches ESL part-time at Rockford University.
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Edwards, Eric (Class of 2006) 2 months 12 days ago
Eric Edwards (MSLIS '06), interlibrary loan librarian at the Illinois State Library, was the Illinois Secretary of State Employee of the Month for March 2023. The Secretary of State’s Office has approximately 4,000 employees across 21 departments, one of which is the State Library.
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Eynon, Diana (Class of 2004) 3 months 4 days ago
Diana Eynon (MSLIS '04) began her new role as a clinical assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in January 2024. She is the languages cataloging coordinator in the Acquisitions & Cataloging Services unit of the University Library.
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Fleming, Nell (Class of 2008) 4 months 29 days ago
Nell Fleming (MSLIS '08, CAS '14) is in her fourteenth year as librarian and archivist at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf in Delavan, Wisconsin, the nineteenth-century circus capital of the world.
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Kraus, Daniel (Class of 2005) 3 months 17 days ago
Daniel Kraus (MSLIS '05) has received a 2024 Alex Award from the American Library Association for his book Whalefall. The awards are given to the ten best adult books that appeal to teen audiences.
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Mayhood, Erin (Class of 2002) 2 months 12 days ago
Erin Mayhood (MSLIS '02) has been appointed as chief executive officer of Mentor Collective.
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McHone-Chase, Sarah (Class of 2005) 3 months 24 days ago
Sarah McHone-Chase (MSLIS '05), director of the University Library at Aurora University, was featured in the Illinois Library Association's Member Spotlight for the week of January 8, 2024.
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Muller, Elizabeth (Class of 2008) 4 months 5 days ago
Elizabeth D. Muller (MSLIS '08) started a new position as lead metadata strategist in the MIT Libraries in September 2023.
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Nichols, Lisa (Class of 2005) 5 months 24 days ago
Lisa Nichols (MSLIS '05) was recently hired as the director of the education library at the University of Kentucky.
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Repplinger, John (Class of 2002) 4 months 29 days ago
John Repplinger (MSLIS '02) has authored and illustrated his debut middle-grade (MG) fantasy novel, Amara and the Giant's Ring: The Blue Mist, published by IngramSpark.
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Staley, Lissa (Class of 2001) 7 days 5 hours ago
Lissa Staley (MSLIS '01) was selected as a 2024 Library Journal Mover & Shaker (Community Builders category).
1990
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Rutherford, Dawn (Class of 1997) 5 months 24 days ago
Dawn Rutherford (MSLIS '97) has been promoted to regional manager at The Seattle (WA) Public Library.
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Varvel, Gennye (Class of 1994) 3 months 22 days ago
Gennye Varvel (MSLIS '94), library operations associate for the Social Sciences, Health, & Education Library at the University of Illinois, received a 2023 Library Outstanding Civil Service Staff Award.
1980
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Burgh, Scott (Class of 1986) 4 months 22 days ago
Scott G. Burgh (MSLIS '86) has successfully passed citizen initiative legislation to reduce research copy fees in Illinois Coroner Offices, signed by the governor as PA 103-73 in June 2023. He serves as advocacy chair and recently elected president of the Chicago Genealogical Society.
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Leibiger, Carol (Class of 1985) 2 months 3 days ago
Carol Leibiger (MSLIS '85) has been promoted to professor in the University Libraries at the University of South Dakota.
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Zabel, Diane (Class of 1982) 1 month 7 days ago
Diane Zabel (MSLIS '82) received the 2024 BRASS Excellence in Business Librarianship Award from the Reference and User Services Association, a division of the ALA.
1970
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Henderson, Elise (Class of 1979) 25 days 5 hours ago
Elise Henderson (MSLIS '79) passed away on April 9, 2024.
1960
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Martel, Anne (Class of 1967) 3 months 24 days ago
Anne Martel (MSLIS '67) passed away on January 12, 2024.