School of Information Sciences

Rupp receives ACS Publications Travel Grant

Kortney Rupp

Master’s student Kortney Rupp has been selected by American Chemical Society (ACS) Publications as one of two recipients of the ACS Publications Travel Grant for Librarians and Library School Students. The grant provides funding to attend the 253rd ACS National Meeting & Exposition, which will be held April 2-6 in San Francisco and focus on the theme of “Advanced Materials, Technologies, Systems & Processes.”

“This travel grant will be the first opportunity to engage with the chemical information community as a professional academic librarian and begin to form the relationships that will influence my success in the field for the entirety of my career. It’s also perfect that the meeting will take place in the area where I am going to be living for the foreseeable future,” said Rupp, who will complete her MS degree in library and information science in May and then move to California to assume the role of chemical information librarian for the University of California, Berkeley, in June.

Rupp is passionate about chemical information literacy and effective data management habits in chemistry research. She is a graduate assistant for the Physical Sciences and Engineering Division of the University of Illinois Library, working at Grainger Engineering Library and Information Center. She also serves as current president of the iSchool’s Special Libraries Association (SLA) student group. She is the recipient of other noteworthy awards from ACS, including the 2013 Women Chemists Committee Overcoming Challenges Award, 2012 Student Leadership Award, and 2011 Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry. Rupp holds a BA in chemistry from Monmouth College and an MS in analytical chemistry from Purdue University.

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Reynolds prepares for a career in global tech

Growing up on the south side of Chicago, BSIS student Devon Reynolds always saw his future in technology. He discovered the information sciences program during his senior year of high school and was drawn to its balance of challenging coursework. Choosing the iSchool at Illinois felt like a natural next step. 

Devon Reynolds

Spectrum Scholar Spotlight: Mariana Guerrero

Eight iSchool master's students have been named 2025–2026 Spectrum Scholars by the American Library Association. This "Spectrum Scholar Spotlight" series highlights the School's scholars. MSLIS student Mariana Guerrero earned a bachelor's degree in Spanish language and literature from Rockford University.

Mariana Guerrero

PhD student Fobazi Ettarh passes away

PhD student Fobazi Ettarh passed away on January 28, 2026. Ettarh entered the doctoral program at the University of Illinois in 2022. She held an MLIS from Rutgers University and bachelor's degree in English and sociology from the University of Delaware. Prior to joining the iSchool, Ettarh served as an academic librarian at Temple University Libraries; California State University, Dominguez Hills; and Rutgers University. She was also a school library media specialist at Hawthorne (NJ) Public Schools.

Fobazi Ettarh

iSchool International: Studying abroad in Japan

BSIS+DS student and undergraduate ambassador Alex Soja discusses his meaningful experience studying abroad in Japan, where he got the opportunity to live independently in Tokyo and gain a more global perspective.

Alex Soja 2026

Raji selected for IAPP Westin Scholar Award

PhD student Mubarak Raji has been selected as an IAPP Westin Scholar Award honoree for the 2025-2026 academic year. The annual awards were created by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) to support students who are identified as future leaders in the field of privacy and data protection. Honorees receive a $1,000 cash award; two years of membership with the IAPP; three complimentary exams for IAPP certifications (CIPP, CIPM, CIPT); and unlimited access to online training for the recipient's selected IAPP certification exams.

Mubarak Raji headshot

School of Information Sciences

501 E. Daniel St.

MC-493

Champaign, IL

61820-6211

Voice: (217) 333-3280

Fax: (217) 244-3302

Email: ischool@illinois.edu

Back to top