School of Information Sciences

Scholarship recipient balances coursework and military career

When Rob Callahan isn't participating in an online class, he is out flying helicopters. First Lieutenant Callahan flies H-60 Blackhawks as an aeromedical evacuation officer in the U.S. Army. 

"I have been fortunate to have commanders and supervisors who support my off-duty education," he said. "Since classes are held at the same time each week, I do my best to shape my schedule so I am available for the live sessions. When unavoidable conflicts arise, my professors are both understanding and accommodating, and Moodle recordings help me keep up to date."

Callahan is currently working on his MS in information management (MS/IM). He is the recipient of a scholarship that focuses on recruiting exceptional students, which is made possible through contributions from alumni and friends to the iSchool's Annual Fund.

"Receiving a recruitment scholarship helped make my decision to accept a spot in the MS/IM program. Graduate school is an investment of both time and money; knowing that the iSchool thought I was worth their time and money is a big confidence booster," Callahan explained.

Originally from New York City, Callahan earned his AB as a College Scholar at Cornell University, where his coursework focused on enlistment motivations and his senior thesis addressed civil-military relations at Cornell. He wanted to gain a better understanding of the information-driven systems he uses every day, so he decided to pursue an information science degree. He chose the iSchool for his graduate studies because of its excellent distance learning program.

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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

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