Master's student Galen Kelly has focused his studies on knowledge management and applied business research and supplemented his educational experience by working as a business research consultant. He is currently completing an internship in product strategy at U.S. Cellular and preparing to graduate this August.
Why did you decide to pursue an LIS degree?
I wanted something that would provide me with a variety of high-quality options because when I began the program, I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to do after graduating. The diversity of coursework and research/professional opportunities associated with this degree were incredibly appealing, so I applied.
Why did you choose the iSchool at Illinois?
The iSchool was the clear choice for me because of its connections to other departments at Illinois (namely Business, for my interests), excellent faculty, and course offerings. After making my choice, I was very impressed by the way staff handled my application and communicated all decisions, etc.
What particular LIS topics interest you most?
I've focused mainly on information management (knowledge management) and applied market/business research, and the courses I've taken reflect this. Information Consulting and Applied Business Research: Competitive Intelligence & Knowledge Management, both taught by Associate Professor Yoo-Seong Song, were especially useful in building knowledge and skills applicable to real-world situations. They were also a lot of fun! In addition, reference is a very useful LIS area, even if you're like me and aren't planning to work in a traditional library setting. Being able to locate obscure information from a variety of sources is a great skill to have in any research-heavy field.
What do you do outside of class?
On campus, I managed a business research team, was a consultant with Illinois Business Consulting, and worked as a graduate assistant at the Grainger Engineering Library, so my schedule was pretty full, but I still found time for fun.
I enjoy travel, and I had the opportunity to visit Panama in Fall 2015 as well as Japan and Korea in Spring 2016. Live music also holds a special place in my heart, and luckily Champaign-Urbana is a great place to find it, especially considering its relatively small size. The Krannert Center in Urbana is an excellent option (shows/concerts are incredibly cheap for students!), and the Canopy Club (a block from Krannert) is also worth checking out.
Currently, I'm undertaking the challenge of learning Mandarin Chinese as well as learning to sail on the weekends. Both are keeping me quite busy, but that's how I like it!
What career plans or goals do you have?
I'm currently working in a role that is essentially a marriage of business strategy and product management, and I'd like to continue doing something similar. It's challenging, rewarding, and an amazing opportunity for continuous, hands-on learning. I'm also toying with the idea of going back to school for another degree—likely an MBA—down the line to explore additional options, but that's a bridge I'll cross when I come to it.