Leep student Marian Ekweogwu is the recipient of the 2020-2021 Diversity Scholarship from Atla, a professional organization committed to advancing the study of religion and theology. The scholarship, worth $4,000, includes the option of a travel grant to attend and participate in the Atla annual conference.

Associate Professor Masooda Bashir has received a $150,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS LG-246404-OLS-20) for her project, "Securing our Public Libraries: A Forum on Privacy and Security." The project seeks to identify the existence and absence of privacy protecting technologies (software and/or hardware) in public library systems.

Tamara Roosevelt, senior grants and contracts coordinator at the iSchool, has received the Outstanding Service Award from Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance (SPaRC), a working group at the University of Illinois devoted to the management and administration of sponsored programs. She was presented with the award at the SPaRC Retreat on September 4.

Senior Lecturer Sharon Comstock has been named to the first roster for the Public Library Data Alliance (PLDA) by the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) and the National Information Standards Organization (NISO). Representing an array of stakeholders, this group will continue the work of the COSLA's Measures that Matter initiative.

The National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes program awarded $20 million to the Center for Digital Agriculture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) for the new Artificial Intelligence for Future Agricultural Resilience, Management, and Sustainability (AIFARMS) Institute. The program, a joint effort between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture was created in response to the White House's 2019 update to the National Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Strategic Plan, which aims to provide support for AI research that focuses on impacting and improving society. iSchool Associate Professor Jingrui He is one of the researchers involved in the AIFARMS Institute.

Inkyung Choi and David Hopping have been promoted to the position of teaching assistant professor, effective August 16, 2020. Choi and Hopping joined the iSchool in August 2019 as a lecturer and visiting lecturer, respectively.

MS/LIS student Jonathan Puckett has been selected as a recipient of the Sherrill Carlson Fellowship by The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. The fellowship, worth $35,000, is one of two national awards given by the society to the top-ranked nominee in the humanities and the arts.

Academic Advisor Katelyn Talbott has been named Outstanding New Advising Professional by IlliAAC, a professional development organization for student and academic affairs staff at the University of Illinois. The award recognizes outstanding academic advising by a University of Illinois employee and IlliAAC member with less than three years of experience. Talbott, who primarily advises MS/LIS students, joined the iSchool in January 2019.

A record fifteen iSchool master’s students were named 2020-2021 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. MS/LIS student Anthony Martínez holds a BS in business administration and marketing from Idaho State University.

Associate Professor and Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Emily Knox and Associate Professor Kyungwon Koh have received a $100,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (LG-246251-OLS-20) for their project, "Measuring the Impact and Value of Makerspaces in Public Libraries." Knox will serve as principal investigator for the one-year exploratory project, which is a partnership with Indian Trails Public Library District in Wheeling, Illinois, that was initially proposed by iSchool alumna Ryann Uden (MS ’06), the library's deputy director.