Even as a customer relationship management (CRM) analyst, Payal Narvekar (MSIM ’23) still finds herself referring to her class notes on Python when she needs inspiration. When not building dashboards or reports, Narvekar is most likely building Lego sets.

An internship with Discover Financial Services led to a full-time position at the company for Terence Frank Njekeu (BSIS '22). He enjoys helping provide solutions for his company’s analytics needs in his role as senior operation strategy analyst.

Through her work at California State University, Fresno (Fresno State), Shuyi Liu (MSLIS ’19, CAS ’23) aims to bridge gaps in health literacy, especially for underserved populations. She recently developed an innovative health informatics course with Medical Library Association certification.

As a legal operations analyst for UC Legal, Andrew Stranahan (MSLIS ’23) helps make pertinent information easy to find, access, and use. He credits the iSchool’s Competitive Intelligence and Knowledge Management (IS 595) course, among others, with giving him the skills he needs for his work as well as the confidence to apply for the position.

The iSchool Alumni Association (ISAA) is seeking nominations for three distinguished awards. The awards are given annually at the iSchool alumni reception held at the American Library Association conference. The deadline for nomination is April 1, 2025.

Kellie Clinton (MSLIS '20) is the librarian at Westview Elementary School in Champaign. She is also the recipient of a 2024 Shining Star Award, given by the Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation to Unit 4 teachers who are nominated by their peers and show "exemplary service, extra effort, enthusiastic attitude, and innovative ideas that noticeably benefit their students."

Two iSchool alumni and two current MSLIS students have been selected by the American Library Association (ALA) to participate in its 2025 class of Emerging Leaders.

According to Hailley Fargo (MSLIS '16), the mentorship and educational opportunities she received at the iSchool provided a strong foundation for her current role as interim associate dean and head of education and outreach services at Northern Kentucky University. She enjoys building a strong and collaborative team and helping colleagues across campus understand the ways a library can impact the academic experience.

Donald G. Davis (PhD '72), one of three alumni who launched the iSchool at Illinois' endowed Professorship in the History of Libraries and the Information Professions, passed away on November 21, 2024. Born in 1939, he was raised and educated in California, earning a bachelor's degree in history from the University of California, Los Angeles and master's degrees in history and library and information science from the University of California, Berkeley. He earned his doctorate in library and information science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

Karina Cooper (MSLIS '23) likes that her job as librarian at the Niels Bohr Library and Archives allows her to explore her interdisciplinary interests and do "a little bit of everything." She credits the iSchool with helping her build a well-rounded skill set and gain valuable hands-on practice, which have helped her succeed in her job.