As a teacher, mentor, colleague, and friend, Taylor Willingham (1957-2011) had a positive influence on the people around her. She spent a decade as an adjunct lecturer for GSLIS, inspiring students and faculty alike through her innovative teaching and civic commitment. Her memory will live in the hearts of those whose lives she touched, and now through a generous gift, will be honored through a new lecture series at GSLIS.
As a tribute to Willingham, Susan Kumar (MS ’05) and husband Parameswaran Kumar have made a gift of $25,000 to establish the Taylor Willingham Lecture in Change Management. Susan met Willingham in 2003, and the two became close friends. The gift from the Kumars will be used to match gifts in support of the lecture series, which will focus primarily on developing and managing change to benefit organizations and communities.
“Taylor Willingham was a force to be reckoned with. It is Taylor who can be thanked for the intense zest for life that informs many social entrepreneurs in libraries today. Our hope is that with this lecture series, Taylor can continue to encourage the catalysts of change,” said Susan.
Willingham began teaching for GSLIS in 2001 and regularly taught online courses on change management, community engagement, and civic entrepreneurship and public institutions—topics that were very important in her professional life. She worked closely with the National Issues Forum and served as director of the National Issues Forums Institute. Willingham led Texas Forums, an initiative of the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library with the goal of engaging Texas residents in discussion about current issues. In 2007-2008 she was named a faculty fellow in the University of Illinois Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership.
The Kumars invite GSLIS alumni and friends who knew Willingham, or those who are moved to support academic work in this area, to join them in honoring her legacy by making a gift to this new lecture series. Gifts can be made online or by contacting the Office of Advancement.