Ky Merkley joined the iSchool this month as senior IT specialist. Their responsibilities will include supervising the graduate assistants at the Help Desk, assisting with instructional technology, and providing support to faculty on the digital accessibility of their courses.

Carolyn Thomas joined the iSchool on September 16 as human resources manager. She will be working with the HR team to mentor and train, create efficiencies and streamline tasks, and provide an overall successful delivery of HR services to the iSchool community.

Desiree McMillion has joined the iSchool as director of undergraduate affairs. In her new position, she will provide leadership and strategic direction for the School's undergraduate degrees, the BS in Information Sciences (BSIS) and BS in Information Sciences + Data Science (BSIS+DS).

Professor Emerita Pauline Anna Blazina Atherton Cochrane passed away on July 29, 2024, at The Arthur Home, in Arthur, Illinois. 

Jiangping Chen assumed the position of interim executive associate dean and visiting professor on August 16. In this role, she will work closely with Dean Eunice E. Santos to realize the iSchool's strategic goals and objectives. She also will provide leadership for the internal administration of the School, including oversight for the work of associate deans and assigned staff as well as the coordination of faculty affairs. Chen's position will become permanent following approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.

Amira Al-Mutairi joined the iSchool last month as an academic advisor and coordinator of graduate affairs. In this position, she will provide academic advising and support for students in the MS in Information Management and MS in Bioinformatics programs. She will also be responsible for teaching Internship (IS 569).

Stacy Clemmons joined the iSchool this month as academic advisor and coordinator of graduate affairs. In this position, she will provide academic advising and support for students in the MS in Information Management and MS in Bioinformatics programs.

A new master's degree program offered through Game Studies and Design, an Informatics program hosted by the iSchool, will provide professional training for students who are interested in working in video game studios, game-adjacent industries, or other businesses where game-related skills are increasingly in demand. 

Gillian Gabriel joined the iSchool on June 3 as an office administrator - course scheduler. In this position, she will work with the Academic Affairs team to design the schedule and input it into Banner, work with Catalog Management and Section Scheduling (CMSS) to arrange classroom space, manage the final exam schedule, and coordinate with the bookstore on textbook orders.

Alexis Miller joined the iSchool on June 4 as an office manager. In this position, she will provide support to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and assist with various student affairs activities.