Kirstin Phelps honored with PEO Scholar Award

GSLIS doctoral student Kirstin Phelps has been selected by the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) to receive one of ninety Scholar Awards given in the United States and Canada. PEO Scholar Award winners are a select group of women chosen for their high level of academic achievement and potential to positively impact society.

Phelps will receive a merit-based award of $15,000 to support her doctoral studies. She was sponsored by the Champaign, Illinois, chapter of PEO and recommended by members of the GSLIS faculty.

Her research interests involve the role of collective leadership in shaping how interorganizational groups work together to accomplish shared goals. Her research considers three main areas: leadership, groups, and information communication technology. She is project manager for the Digital Innovation and Leadership Program (DILP) grant and a research assistant at GSLIS's Center for Digital Inclusion.

Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, Phelps was an assistant director at the Illinois Leadership Center at the University of Illinois. In this role, she taught undergraduate courses on leadership, developed formal training programs for leadership skill development, and facilitated student, faculty, and staff workshops on leadership competencies. Phelps is a double graduate of Illinois, where she studied agricultural communication and advertising as an undergraduate and earned a master’s degree in agricultural education.

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Scholarship provides validation, motivation for Martinez

BSIS+DS student Fabian Martinez chose his major because he wanted to learn how to help people understand and interpret data and information. While his immediate plans include finding a job in data analytics, business analytics, consulting, or product management, his ultimate goal is "to create meaningful relationships and help make a meaningful impact in the world" in whatever way he can.

Fabian Martinez graduation

Spectrum Scholar Spotlight: Guadalupe Castillo

Twelve iSchool master's students were named 2024–2025 Spectrum Scholars by the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services. This "Spectrum Scholar Spotlight" series highlights the School's scholars. MSLIS student Guadalupe Castillo earned her BA in international studies and Spanish and Latin American literature from the University of California, San Diego.

Guadalupe Castillo

iSchool researchers to present at CHI 2025

iSchool faculty and students will present their research at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2025), which will be held from April 26 to May 1 in Yokohama, Japan. 

Kemboi receives the Research and Advocacy Social Justice Award

PhD student Gladys Kemboi has received the 2025 Research and Advocacy Social Justice Award from the Office of Diversity & Social Justice Education in the Office of Student Affairs. She was presented with the award at the Social Justice Awards Ceremony, which was held on April 8 in the Illini Union. The annual event honors and celebrates the work and dedication of University of Illinois community members seeking to create a more inclusive and equitable campus.

Gladys Kemboi

Garnes receives Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement

Carolyn L. Garnes (MSLIS '72) has received the 2025 Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement from the American Library Association (ALA). The annual award, named in honor of award-winning children's book author Virginia Hamilton, is presented in odd years "to a practitioner for substantial contributions through active engagement with youth using award-winning African American literature for children and/or young adults, via implementation of reading and reading-related activities/programs."

Carolyn L. Garnes