Alumna Melissa Cragin (PhD '09) has been named executive director of Midwest Big Data Hub (MBDH). MBDH is a network of regional institutions created to facilitate collection, management, and use of complex information, creating active partnerships of experts and resources to address issues relevant to life in the Midwest.

Corey Schumacher's work as a research specialist supports a global firm's management consulting teams across North America. She credits the iSchool's courses with exposing her to the many possible career tracks open to graduates, including her current role.

Alumna Michèle V. Cloonan (MS '84, PhD '88) has received the Preservation Publication Award for the book she edited, Preserving our Heritage: Perspectives from Antiquity to the Digital Age. The award is given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) in recognition of the author or editor of an outstanding published work related to archives preservation.

Around the world, the ubiquity of social media is growing, but its effects remain to be fully understood. Alumnus Anatoliy Gruzd (@gruzd) explores the impacts of social media on modern life, from interpersonal communication to the formation of political structures, in his research.

The Library School Alumni Association (LSAA) has announced the 2016 recipients of its annual awards. The recipients were recognized on June 26 at the LSAA Annual Meeting and reception held at the annual meeting of the American Library Association in Orlando.

Doctoral student Steve Witt (MS '95) is the recipient of the 2016 Donald G. Davis Article Award given by the Library History Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA). The award will be presented on June 26 at the 2016 ALA Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, at the Library History Round Table Research Forum.

Alumnus Allen Lanham (MS '91) has been named an Illinois Library Luminary by the Illinois Library Association (ILA). This distinction honors individuals whose efforts have made a significant contribution to Illinois libraries.

While earning a master's degree, Rob Radtke completed a practicum at Dow AgroSciences, interned with the Boston Consulting Group's Data and Research Services Branch, and worked at the John Deere Technology Innovation Center in Champaign's Research Park. He credits his coursework and real-world experience with preparing him for professional roles in private industry, including his current position.

Alumna Barbara J. Ford (MS '73) has been named an Illinois Library Luminary by the Illinois Library Association. This distinction honors individuals whose efforts have made a significant contribution to Illinois libraries. As director of the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs and Mortenson Distinguished Professor at the University Library, Ford brought librarians from all over the world to programs and events statewide.

“I became fierce at the University of Illinois—ready to learn, share, and grow,” says Parker Hamilton, whose education and attitude set her on a career path that led all the way to the directorship of a public library system serving more than one million people.