One of the iSchool's student organizations is celebrating a special anniversary this year—the Special Libraries Association chapter at the University of Illinois (SLA@UIUC) is turning fifty. The chapter's mission is to support and empower iSchool graduate students with specialized interests in librarianship. The organization provides a community and resources that promote learning and professional development and offers students a chance to connect with peers and working professionals who share their specific interests.

Lauryn Lehman joined the iSchool as academic advisor and coordinator of undergraduate affairs on January 9. In this position, she will provide academic advising and support to students in the BS in information sciences (BSIS) and BSIS + Data Science (BSIS+DS) programs.

Kiona Kittl joined the iSchool as academic advisor and coordinator of undergraduate programs on December 19. In this position, she will provide academic advising and support to students in the BS in information sciences (BSIS) and BSIS + Data Science (BSIS+DS) programs.

Kristina Intinarelli joined the iSchool as academic advisor and coordinator of graduate affairs on December 19. In this position, she will provide academic advising and support to students in the MS in library and information science program as well as develop and facilitate programs, workshops, orientations, and other resources for graduate students.

Jacob Hagman joined the iSchool as academic advisor and coordinator of graduate affairs on December 12. In this position, he will provide academic advising and support to students in the MS in information management and MS in bioinformatics degree programs.

Danielle Wilberg has joined the iSchool as director of corporate and foundation relations. In her new role, Wilberg will be identifying and collaborating with businesses and foundations to develop mutually beneficial partnerships that support the School's mission.

Christine Hopper, assistant to the dean, was named Boss of the Year by Illinois Administrative Professionals (IAP, formerly known as The Secretariat), an organization for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign employees in certain Civil Service classifications. She was recognized at a special IAP event on October 19.

The iSchool at Illinois announces the appointment of three tenure-track faculty, Jiaqi Ma, Meicen Sun, and Haohan Wang, and four specialized faculty, Brandon Batzloff, David Charles, Renee Hendricks, and Adam Rusch.

Two projects with iSchool connections are among the ten proposals that will receive a total of $14.2 million over the next three years as part of the University of Illinois Investment for Growth program. Since the program was created in 2018, the University has invested more than $78 million to provide seed funding for projects that generate revenue, advance the University's mission, and address areas of high and emerging student demand.

In 2022, Illinois became the first state in the nation to mandate the teaching of Asian American community history in public elementary and secondary high schools. The Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act ensures that every K-12 student in Illinois learns about the contributions of Asian Americans to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the United States. To mark the implementation of this act, the Center for Children's Books (CCB) is hosting a series of events for the 2022-2023 academic year.