School of Information Sciences

Ponder & Rojas named ARL Career Enhancement Program fellows

GSLIS master's student Erik Ponder and CAS student Kate Rojas (MS '14) have been chosen by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) as 2015 Career Enhancement Program (CEP) fellows.

Each year, ARL member libraries select a group of library and information science master's students to participate in this competitive program, which provides avenues for students from traditionally underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups to advance their careers in LIS. The experience, funded by ARL member libraries and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, includes a paid internship at an ARL library, mentorship by a professional librarian, the opportunity to attend the ARL Leadership Symposium, and career placement assistance.

A total of fourteen students were selected for the 2015 cohort. Congratulations to all!

Research Areas:
Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

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 looks into the distance atop a moutain in Japan

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

Get to know Sneha Vyas, MSIM student

Prior to entering the MSIM program last fall, Sneha Vyas worked as a project management associate with Siemens in India. She enjoys using the skills she is learning in her classes on personal projects and looks forward to future opportunities where she can "turn information into smart decisions and see the impact of those decisions in action."

Sneha Vyas

Uba invited to share research at Net Inclusion 2026

PhD student Ebubechukwu Uba has been invited to present her work at the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) conference, Net Inclusion 2026, which will be held on February 3-5 in Chicago. Uba will discuss her digital inclusion work with StepUp Academy, a nonprofit education and digital inclusion initiative in Nigeria that she founded in 2023.

Ebubechukwu Uba

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