Judith Pintar joined the iSchool in August 2018 as a senior lecturer. She previously served as a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures and as a visiting assistant professor in Sociology, where she earned her PhD.

Due to record enrollment this fall, the iSchool held new student orientation in the Illini Union Ballrooms for the very first time. According to Meg Edwards, assistant dean for student affairs, the new venue provided a welcoming experience for students and a wonderful opportunity to engage.

Working on his application for graduate study at the iSchool at Illinois, Michael DeNotto (MS '12) wanted to make his personal statement stand out. DeNotto worked at an upscale wine shop after receiving his master's in English studies and communication from Valparaiso University. There he discovered a "fascinating wine classification system that determined whether a wine was a vin de pays or premier cru or grand cru." He used the wine classification analogy in his personal statement to demonstrate his interest in librarianship.

Alison C. Rollins (MS '17) has been selected to receive a 2018 Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer's Award, which is given annually to six women writers who demonstrate excellence and promise in the early stages of their careers.

The iSchool Alumni Association (ISAA) honored its 2018 award recipients at the ISAA Annual Meeting and reception, which was held on June 24 during the annual meeting of the American Library Association in New Orleans.

Associate Professor Jana Diesner taught a course on network analysis to Chinese students participating in the Information Science and Engineering Summer Program this past July. Sponsored by Global Education and Training (GET) at the University of Illinois, the two-week, hands-on program took place at the Urbana campus.

The fifth annual Summer Getaway, hosted by the iSchool, was held July 12-14 on the Urbana campus. The annual professional development event offers a series of workshops focused on current topics in school librarianship and provides opportunities for participants to gain expertise through collaborative activities.

A class project in the Global Health Informatics course has resulted in a journal publication for Ian Brooks, instructor and research scientist, and students Noah Samuel (PhD) and Janina Sarol (CAS).

Lynne M. Thomas (MS '99), head of The Rare Book & Manuscript Library and an iSchool adjunct professor, has won two Hugo Awards—science fiction's most prestigious award. Thomas, now a seven-time Hugo Award winner, joined the University Library in July 2017.

Jill Gage's degree from the iSchool and specialty in English makes her a perfect match for her work at the prestigious Newberry Library. In her current role, she manages one of the world's leading collections in printing history and serves as bibliographer for British literature and history. Gage credits the innovative coursework at the iSchool as excellent preparation for her career in special collections.