Alyssa Aiello is a front end developer who works on web projects for the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. With experience in web design and development, she strives to make the user experience the best that it can be. Outside of the office, she enjoys hiking with her dog and trying new recipes on Pinterest.

I’m here to ensure that our brand strategy is executed effectively and supports the university's strategic plan. A few things I have lots of experience in include developing integrated marketing campaigns; seizing upon creative and digital opportunities to connect with key audiences; and thinking holistically about the brand experience. Outside of work I love going for long runs, working in the yard, and having movie nights with my family (milkshakes are a must – chocolate-peanut butter-banana is a family favorite).

Jaclyn Banister is the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) coordinator for the Urbana campus. She collects and reviews documents pursuant to the Act. In addition to FOIA, she also assists the Associate Chancellor for Public Affairs. When Jaclyn isn’t working, she can be found spending time and traveling with her family.

Lance Campbell is the Software Developer behind the many tools offered by Web Services at Public Affairs. He began writing software in sixth grade on an Apple 2e. The computer back then weighed more than he could lift. Today he writes software in the cloud. If you have a great idea on how to improve communications or marketing just let Lance know. If he likes your idea he might even build a new Webtool.

Phil Ciciora is the business and law editor at the News Bureau. He writes and edits news releases that spotlight the innovative research and teaching in the Gies College of Business, College of Law and other units on campus. Stories based on his releases have appeared in print, radio and television, including Stephen Colbert’s show. Outside of work, he enjoys long-distance running and coaching youth baseball.

Taylor Dent is the social and digital strategist, assisting with the organic and paid digital campaigns for the university-level social media accounts. She enjoys telling colorful stories using multimedia. Outside of managing her small photography company, Taylor is an avid reader and loves snuggling her baby boy.

Sydney is an adept web developer who is passionate about building visually stunning and user-friendly websites that prioritize accessibility and inclusivity. Her expertise in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, combined with her keen eye for design, allows her to create exceptional web experiences that balance aesthetics and intuitive functionality. When she's not coding, Sydney can often be found teaching her dog, Bebop, new tricks, pranking her husband, or making a latte. Whether she's working on a complex web project or spending time with her friends and family, Sydney approaches everything she does with dedication, creativity, and a deep sense of compassion.

Sharita Forrest is a writer and editor who covers education, social work, food science and other units. During her nearly two decades with the News Bureau, she’s covered the campus administration and arts beats. When not writing, rewriting or tweeting, she serves as a library trustee at her hometown public library, caters to the whims of four spoiled pets and cruises the backroads on her motorcycle.

I’m here to help illustrate and amplify the U of I brand through engaging and impactful design. A few things I have lots of experience in include brand development and execution; focusing our efforts to ensure our overall look is on-brand; and tying together all of the details of a project. Outside of work I love getting outdoors and exploring the world with my family, cooking healthy meals (and tricking my son into eating them), playing and watching sports, and repurposing old furniture to give in a new life.

Andrew Gleason is a director, cinematographer, editor and producer, who loves creating and watching movies. He is an active member in the local film community, creating films and volunteering for Pens to Lens, the Champaign-Urbana Film Society and Champaign Movie Makers. When he isn’t making movies, he is spending time sharing his love for movies with his two children, Eva and Liam.

Chris Harris joined the university in 1994 and is currently responsible for managing speechwriting and other executive communications activities for the Office of the Chancellor and Office of the Provost as well as coordinating the Public Affairs strategic content team. His career path has included stints in arts marketing, field archaeology, environmental communications and institutional fundraising.

Michelle Hassel is a photographer whose camera lens focuses on telling the Illinois story. While shooting for Public Affairs, the News Bureau, and social media platforms, she loves to highlight the incredible work happening across campus and the inspiring individuals who bring it to life. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her sweet husband, Jonathan, and constantly reminding their Westie, Molly, how adorable she is (although, she never forgets). Living in Monticello, they can be found strolling the beautiful gardens of Allerton Park together and greeting every Fu Dog, and real dog, they pass.

Jodi Heckel is the arts and humanities editor for the News Bureau. She writes about the disciplines within the College of Fine and Applied Arts, as well as humanities and the University Library. When she’s not at work, she likes to spend time outdoors running, biking, swimming and sailing.

Stephanie Henry is a writer and editor who provides communications support and strategy for the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost. She has served as a communications and marketing professional at the university since 2013. When not at work, Stephanie enjoys spending time outside with her golden retriever, Murphy, gardening, and listening to live music (preferably outdoors).

Cory Holt is the Office Manager, who oversees Illinois in a Box and Illinois in a Basket, which provides Illinois themed items either free, for loan or at minimal cost to help units tell their Illinois stories. Cory has amassed a vast and useless knowledge of movie, movie quotes, music and all things ’80s.

Robin Kaler leads the Public Affairs group and serves on the chancellor’s senior leadership team advising on issues management and crisis communications. She is the university’s official spokesperson and leads the university’s crisis response communications team. She and her family enjoy exploring the world together.

I’m here to collaborate with the team in strategizing and creating visuals that are aesthetically pleasing and capture the attention of our audiences. A few things I have lots of experience in include creating aesthetic and engaging graphics, producing motion graphics that tell a story, and developing and upgrading brand standards. Outside of work I love playing video games (mostly VALORANT), watching competitive esports, and traveling to different continents and photographing my experience (Sydney, Australia is next on my list).

Todd Mette is a front end developer involved in many web projects with Public Affairs. He also assists Web Services in building the front end for new tools or features. When not at work, Todd enjoys weekend camping trips, or (when the weather is bad) playing a wide variety of video games with friends.

Eric Minor is the Chief Marketing Officer working with campus faculty, staff and students to tell the great stories of the U of I in a strategic, engaging way. With experience in both the private sector and in higher education, he has significant experience envisioning, planning, executing and delivering marketing campaigns and approaches that translate into recognizable, respected and resilient brands. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with family and listening to live jazz.

I'm here to develop, execute and optimize digital marketing campaigns and strategies that are consistent and aligned with the broad communication, reputational objectives, and operational strategies of the platforms and university brand standards. A few things I have lots of experience in include digital marketing, organic and paid social media optimization, planning and overseeing digital campaigns, search engine optimization, strategic planning and copywriting. Outside of work I love spending time with family and my two dogs, discovering new music, catching up on Bravo TV and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.

Lea Peck helps manage vision and content for the university-level social media accounts. Coming from a journalism background, she enjoys sharing unique stories found on the Illinois campus. At home, Lea spends her free time taking photos of food, hitting “still watching” on Netflix, and obsessing over her asthmatic cat.

Charlotte Peloquin is a designer, creator and problem solver who loves all things visual design. She supports the Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing and the Office of the Provost with any visual communications and design needs. After graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, she made a goal to travel to all 50 U.S. states. She enjoys reading, with her dog, Bingo, and cat, Socks, cuddled next to her.

Emily Polk is a director, cinematographer, editor and producer, who is active in the local film community. When not making or watching movies, she likes checking things off of lists, playing video games and hanging out with her pets and husband, Thomas.

Thomas Polk is a director, cinematographer, editor, and producer for Public Affairs. He met his wife Emily at a filmmaking club on campus, and together they’ve created a long list of (often bizarre) narrative short films. His other loves and hobbies include his incredible pets, prop design, Legos, and interior design.

Adam Rahn is an award-winning producer, director, editor, and videographer with almost 15 years of professional production experience. Currently, he is the Assistant Director of Video Production for the Big Ten Network. In addition to his role here at the University, he runs his own freelance video production company, teaches a variety of courses and workshops on video production and marketing, and produces educational content for filmmakers over on his YouTube channel. In his free time, Adam likes to hike with his wife Jordan and their border collie Emmy, ride his bike, garden, brew beer, and watch movies.

Maeve Reilly is a writer and editor. She started her career at Illinois in Public Affairs but has had a few diversions along the way, mainly in various campus communications units. When not at work, Maeve enjoys gardening, reading, cooking (and eating) and hanging out with her four adult children.

August Schiess leads social media for the university, overseeing the vision and content for the university-level social media accounts. She enjoys strategically using writing, design, photography and video to tell the Illinois story—and helping others do the same. When she’s not checking her phone for notifications, she’s reading, running or finding her next piece of chocolate.

I’m here to share knowledge and resources that campus web developers want and need to do their jobs better. A few things I have lots of experience in include web accessibility; creating reusable software that’s elegant and useful; and making decisions based on the experience of website visitors. Outside of work I love reading, watching movies, making pizza from scratch, and taking long neighborhood walks.

Anna Simon specializes in event safety, event production, and audio visual needs. She specializes in learning and implementing technology that will enhance an event from the user experience and works to streamline office processes. While away from the office she and her husband wrangle their three children, and dog.

Kaitlin Southworth is an Emmy Award-winning producer, editor, and videographer for Big Ten Network Campus Programming at Illinois. She creates documentaries that air nationally on the Big Ten Network and highlight a vast array of incredible stories from our university. In her spare time, you can catch her watching movies with her husband, Kevin, and loyal dog, London.

Pam Steele is the executive assistant to the Associate Chancellor for Public Affairs. As part of her role, she also leads all business and human resources activities for the unit. When she’s not working, she enjoys volunteering in her hometown of Tolono and spending time with her grandkids.

I’m here to create a unified market research program that will fuel data-driven decisions at UIUC. A few things I have lots of experience in include qualitative and quantitative research; visitor journey mapping; creating reports that provide strategic recommendations; and getting data deeper and wider across organizations. Outside of work I love cooking, off-road mountain bike riding, playing card games, and collecting fresh bruises on the roller derby track.

Liz Ahlberg Touchstone covers biomedical sciences for the News Bureau. She works with faculty and researchers to make health, medicine and biomedical research news accessible to the public. When not in the office, she can be found playing with her adorable baby, frequenting bookstores and baking.

Allison Copenbarger Vance is a writer and editor who leads content strategy and communications campaign planning for the university. Her other duties include acting as director of communications for the Office of the Provost and being part of the crisis communications team. At home she can be found tending to her ever-growing indoor plant collection.

Michael Vincent is a graphic designer who loves to collaborate on the visual aspect of a wide range of projects. He leads design for Public Affairs, creating work across teams. Projects include designs for the Chancellor and Provost, the News Bureau and the university-wide social media team. He spends his free time watching bad movies, drawing and listening to way too many podcasts.

Katie Watson is a writer and editor who leads distributed campus-wide communications in close collaboration with colleges, departments and units. Her other duties include leading major communications projects for the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Operations and the Office of the Chancellor. Outside of the office, she enjoys yoga, peanut butter and baby goats (not at the same time).

Laura Wilhelm-Barr directs the team that produces and manages university-wide special events, including Commencement, New Student Convocation, groundbreakings, dedications, pregame donor events, regional advancement events, and other gatherings hosted by the Chancellor. When not at an event, she enjoys watching her son Liam’s games and walking Prancer the Aussiedoodle with her husband Jon.

E. Todd Wilson oversees Multimedia Services, which includes Video Services, Photo Services, and the producers of Big Ten Network non-athletic programming (documentaries) for the U of I. Other current duties include content curation on the campus homepage and assisting campus units with Webtools, such as the online directory, A-Z list and calendars. He is an avid motorcyclist, gardener and cook.

Jim Wilson oversees Web Services and Webtools. Web Services offers solutions to all three campuses and supports every faculty, staff, and student at the university.

I’m here to help campus communications leaders make strategic advertising decisions that produce the most cost-effective, impactful media buys. A few things I have lots of experience in include strategic planning; media placement; budgeting; and building value-added long-term relationships. Outside of work I love my family, enjoying a great cup of coffee on the deck, playing anything with a ball or puck, and having jack-ten suited in late position.

Diana Yates writes about living organisms – their biology, evolution, habitat, history and psychological quirks. She likes to hike in the mountains and walk on the beach, and yet for some reason chose to live in Central Illinois.

Lois Yoksoulian covers physical sciences, including engineering, earth science, astronomy, chemistry and mathematics. She loves to learn about new things and this is why she thinks being a News Bureau science editor is the perfect job. When not thinking about science, you will find Lois enjoying live music, cooking and spending time with her friends, family and pets.

Fred Zwicky is a photographer and visual storyteller who captures moments that matter at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A photojournalist at heart, Fred documents the life of the university for the News Bureau, Public Affairs and social media platforms. His work might seem like play, so off-duty, Fred works at getting better at volleyball and relaxes by playing guitar.