Angharad Valdivia
Angharad Valdivia was one of the first Latina professors to be hired (1994), tenured (1998) and promoted (2005) at the University of Illinois. She was a foundational member of the Latina/Latino Studies Program (1994-2010) helping to pave the way for the program to become a department. Angharad has served in key administrative positions contributing to the creation of the Department of Media & Cinema Studies and overseeing the transition of the Institute of Communications Research into a college-wide PhD program. Her work as a faculty mentor has played a critical role in expanding institutional access to undergraduates, graduates and faculty women of color at the University of Illinois.
Antoinette Burton
Antoinette Burton became an Associate Professor of History at the University of Illinois in 1999. From 2005 to 2010, she served as the chair for the department and in 2013, she served a two-year position as the interim head of the Department of Sociology. She has been a Catherine C. and Bruce A. Bastian professor of Global and transnational Studies since 2004, and more recently became the Director of the Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities in 2016. Antoinette has published numerous articles and books related to her research surrounding 19th and 20th century British Empire and colonial India. She brings in her interests of women, gender, and sexuality into her historical research and received several awards and distinctions to support this.
Betsy Brandt
Betsy Brandt graduated from the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois in 1996. As an alum, she has become a famous actress, most notably staring on the hit TV show, Breaking Bad.
Charlene Teters
Charlene Teters graduated from the University of Illinois in 1994 with a degree in painting. As a student, she reacted strongly to the performance of a pseudo-Native American dance by a student portraying Chief Illiniwek at a basketball game. She began to protest outside athletic events while holding a sign that said “Indians are human beings.” Her efforts led to widespread activism on campus and beyond to retire the chief as the mascot of the U of I. The University of Illinois’ Board of Trustees did retire the chief in 2007 in name, performance, and symbol. Charlene appeared in the film In Whose Honor by Jay Rosenstein about the subject of Native American imagery in university athletics across the U.S. As an alum, she is a prominent activist.
Jean Driscoll
Jean Driscoll received her Bachelor of Arts in 1991 and her Master of Science in 1993, both from the University of Illinois. As a student, she competed on many U of I wheelchair athletic programs. Jean was the only eight-time champion of the Boston Marathon in its 100+ year history and was ranked #25 of the top 100 female athletes of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated for Women. She competed in several Olympic and Paralympic games earning 14 medals, and was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. Jean worked as Assistant Dean for Advancement in the College of Applied Health Sciences, and also started the International Disability Sport Outreach Program. Jean was acting Assistant coach for Wheelchair Track for several years.
Kimberly Collins
Kimberly Collins has been at Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) at the University of Illinois for almost two decades. She served for many years as Coordinator of Cognitive and Psychological Disability Services and now serves as Associate Director. She initiated and expanded services at DRES to include more intensive supports such as neuropsychological evaluations, academic screenings, coaching, individual therapy, group therapy, and transition programs for students with ADHD, ABI, autism spectrum disorders, and psychological disabilities so that they can succeed at the post-secondary level. Kimberly is an adjunct faculty member in the Educational Psychology Department, and has presented at over 75 international, national, and regional conferences on topics related to providing supports for college students with disabilities.
Lian Ruan
Lian Ruan joined the University of Illinois in 1999, becoming the Head Librarian of the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI). Beginning in 2005, Lian has led the IFSI Chinese Librarians Summer Program which has trained more than 220 librarians from all over China. She received her masters and PhD from the School of Information Sciences (previously the Graduate School of Library and Information Science.) Lian is the winner of the University of Illinois’ Chancellor's Academic Professional Excellence Award and the Special Libraries Association Diversity Leadership Development Program Award.
Maimouna Barro
Maimouna Barro received her M.A. in African Studies in 1997 and her PhD in Education with a minor in Gender Relations in International Development (GRID) in 2005, both from the University of Illinois. She is the Interim Director at the Center for African Studies and has been instrumental in expanding the Center's academic programs. Maimouna helped establish a joint degree with the School of Information Sciences as well as the graduate minor in African Studies. She has received several awards, including the Chancellor’s Academic Professional Excellence Award in 2010.
Kay Simmons-Kappes
Kay Simmons-Kappes joined the College of Engineering staff in 1995. Kay served as mentor and advisor to several student organizations, she was a kind and thoughtful academic adviser, and for many years, Kay seamlessly planned graduation events for the College. She is also the recipient of the Golden Shamrock award given at the Knights of St. Patrick Ball. The Kay Simmons-Kappes Outstanding Student Contribution Scholarship is named in her honor.
Nancy Abelmann
Nancy Abelmann joined the University of Illinois faculty in 1990, and was a scholar in Anthropology, Asian American Studies, East Asian Languages and Cultures, and Gender and Women’s Studies. She was a member of the core committee that founded the Asian American Studies program (now department). Nancy also co-founded the Ethnography of the University Initiative (EUI) in 2002; served as the Director of the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies from 2005 to 2008; and beginning in 2009, Nancy was the first Associate Vice Chancellor for Research for the Humanities, Arts and Related Fields, where she created several research groups and workshops. She is a world-renowned scholar of Korean and Korean American Studies. Nancy passed away in the spring of 2016 after battling cancer.
Patricia Morey
Patricia Morey has served as the Director of the Women’s Resource Center at the University of Illinois since 1992. She will retire in June 2017 after over 25 years of service. Prior to the WRC at Illinois, Pat worked with the Women’s Center of Champaign and was the Director of Rape Crisis Services for 7 years. She received her degree in Social Work at the University of Illinois in 1980 and later, her PhD in Library and Information Science.
Paula Kaufman
Paula Kaufman became the first female Dean of Libraries and University Librarian in 1999 and held the position until 2013. During that time, she also served as Interim Chief Information Officer for U of I from 2006-2007. Paula has received several awards and distinctions, including the Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom award in 1989, Anniversary Roll of Honor from the Office for Intellectual Freedom in 1999, and the Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award in 2010.
Ramona Faith Oswald
Ramona Faith Oswald became a faculty member in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies in 1998. As a scholar, Dr. Oswald is a nationally-recognized leader in LGBT family life and processes. In recognition of her scholarship, she earned the Jessie Bernard Award for Outstanding Contribution to Feminist Scholarship in 1999 from the National Council on Family Relations. She also earned the Anselm Strauss Award for Qualitative Family Research in 2000 and again in 2009. Dr. Oswald established the LGBT Research Symposium in 2011; a multi-day national meeting held in Champaign-Urbana now moving toward its fifth year. In addition, she leads a USDA supported multistate project examining the quality of life for rural LGBTQ youth and families; a first ever for this federal agency. Her outstanding reputation as an instructor is known nationwide -- she was twice invited to conduct her "marriage equality simulation" at national conferences and she has earned prestigious national teaching awards from NCFR and NACTA (North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture) as well as from the College of ACES. On the UIUC campus, Dr. Oswald has twice chaired the Chancellor's Committee for LGBT Concerns to bring visibility to gender and sexual minority members of UIUC community, as well as to advocate for organizational change to promote equity. Her survey data on LGBTQ lives in downstate Illinois has been shared with state legislators and used to advocate for human rights protections. For over 20 years, Dr. Oswald has been a member and leader of the National Council on Family Relations. Perhaps most distinguishing was her early role as Founder (1998) and Co-Chair (1998-2003) of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Straight Alliance Focus Group. Dr. Oswald has also served as NCFR Program Chair, Chair and Secretary/Treasurer of the Feminism and Family Studies Section, and a member in several other committees. She is a member of the editorial boards of two leading journals, Family Relations and Journal of Family Theory and Review, and is currently an Associate Editor of Journal of Family Theory and Review (JFTR).
Renee Heiken Slone
Renee Heiken Slone graduated from the University of Illinois in 1993 and then became the head coach for the women’s golf team at the University in 2006. Throughout her career as a student athlete, Renee was a three-time All-American, claiming three straight top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships. She also was a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year, two-time Big Ten Championship Medalist, and two-time U of I Dike Eddleman Female Athlete of the Year. After her stellar Illini career, Renee continued playing golf as a member of the LPGA Tour and also spent time on the Futures Tour and the Ladies Asian Tour.
Reshma Saujani
Reshma Saujani graduated from the University of Illinois in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Speech Communication. She was the founder of the organization Girls Who Code, started in 2012. She is also the first Indian-American woman and the first South Asian American woman to run for Congress. In 2015, Fortune Magazine named Reshma to their “40 Under 40” list.
Ruth Nicole Brown
Ruth Nicole Brown graduated from the University of Illinois in 1998 with a degree in Political Science. She began teaching at U of I in 2006 after finishing her Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. In 2006, she founded SOLHOT (Saving Our Lives, Hear Our Truths), an ongoing "practice-based, publicly engaged, collectively organized space for Black girls to envision Black girlhood anew." Dr. Brown also envisioned and spearheaded the Black Girl Genius project, a multi-media convening of incredible talent on campus that launched in 2014 and has occurred annually since. As a faculty member, she has effectively mentored numerous graduate students and co-organized the Hip Hop and Punk Feminisms conference on campus in 2013.
Theresa Grentz
Theresa Grentz joined the University of Illinois coaching staff in 1995, becoming the Head Coach for the Women’s Basketball team. She was named Big 10 Coach of the Year in 1997 and 1998, leading the women’s basketball team to the Sweet Sixteen in 1997. Prior to her coaching career at Illinois, Theresa was an Olympic athlete and competed for the USA Women’s basketball team in 1973 in Moscow. She served as the USA Women’s basketball team head coach in 1985, 1990, and 1992.
Tonja Buford Bailey
Tonja Buford Bailey graduated from the University of Illinois in 1993. She was the first female Illini to make the US Olympic team and win an Olympic medal. She won the 1992 NCAA championships in the 400 meter hurdles on the track team. She competed in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, and several more Olympics to follow. From 2008 to 2013, she was head coach of the women's track and field program at the University of Illinois. During her coaching career at Illinois, she was successful in leading her team and athletes to victory and winning several titles.