Endowed Appointments
Allen and Elaine Avner Endowed Professorship in Interdisciplinary Research Fund
Current Appointee: Heidi Imker, Head of Research Data Services
The professorship, a position through which meta-research will help identify ways that a major research library can best assist such work—either through existing resources or by providing new directions, was established with a gift from longtime Library Friend Allen Avner in November 2017.
Ralph Fisher Library Scholar in Slavic, East European and Eurasion Collections and Services
Current Appointees: Joe Lenkart, International Reference Librarian; Kit Condill, Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies Librarian
Professor Larry Miller collaborated with Ralph Talcott Fisher, Jr. and others to build an outstanding research library in the Russian and East European field which attracts scholars from around the world. The establishment of the Ralph Fisher University Scholars program is how Miller paid tribute to Fisher, his respected colleague, while creating his own legacy.
Stewart S. Howe Archivist of Student Life and Culture as an Endowed Professor
Current Appointee: Ellen Swain, Archivist for Student Life and Culture
Illinois alumnus Stewart S. Howe provided the impetus for the development of the Student Life and Culture Archival Program at the University of Illinois Archives. Howe was founder of the Stewart S. Howe Alumni Service, which provided management, public relations, and fund-raising assistance to fraternities, sororities, and institutions of higher education. He had a life-long interest in higher education and was a dedicated collector of material dealing with fraternal organizations and other areas of college life.
Andrew W. Mellon Endowed Senior Conservator
Current Appointee: Quinn Morgan Ferris, Senior Conservator for Special Collections
Andrew W. Mellon Endowed Conservator
Current Appointee: Jody S. Waitzman, Conservator
C. Walter Mortenson and Gerda B. Mortenson Distinguished Professorship for International Library Programs
Current Appointee: Clara Chu, Director, Mortenson Center for International Library Programs
C. Walter and Gerda B. Mortenson envisioned a program for the promotion of international education, understanding, and peace through library programs. Their gift created the Mortenson Distinguished Professorship for International Library Programs at Illinois.
Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson Rare Book and Manuscript Library Professorship
Current Appointee: Lynne Thomas, Head, Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Bob and Juanita Simpson supported the University Library for more than 20 years and shared Library Dean Paula Kaufman’s passion and vision for the University Library. Their gifts for this deanship, as well as for the Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson Rare Book & Manuscript Library Chair, have provided invaluable funding for Library programs and projects.
Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson University Library Deanship
Current Appointee: Claire Stewart, University Librarian and Dean of Libraries
Bob and Juanita Simpson supported the University Library for more than 20 years and shared Library Dean Paula Kaufman’s passion and vision for the University Library. Their gifts for this deanship, as well as for the Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson Rare Book & Manuscript Library Chair, have provided invaluable funding for Library programs and projects.
Andrew S. G. Turyn Professor
Current Appointee: Myung-Ja Han, Metadata Librarian
The Andrew S. G. Turyn Endowed Professorship was established through a significant gift from the estate of former librarian, alumnus, and longtime Library Friend Andrew Turyn. Offered on a five-year rotating basis, it is open to full professors of library administration who are pursuing innovative research in any scholarly area, including library and information science, the humanities, the sciences, the social sciences, the arts, and other fields.
John ‘Bud’ Velde Endowed Professorship
Current Appointee: Jennifer Hain Teper, Head of Preservation Services
A longtime Library Friend, Mr. Velde was involved in the support and direction of libraries at local and national levels for many years. In addition his monetary gifts, Mr. Velde and his wife Gretchen Swanson Velde donated the University Library’s 7- and 8-millionth volumes, as well as a one-of-a-kind set of works by Charles Dickens.
Library’s Outstanding Employee Awards
The University Library annually recognizes the contributions and accomplishments of Library employees in advancing the mission of the University Library and assisting faculty, staff, and students. Nominations can be submitted by peers or supervisors, and the winners are selected by the Awards and Recognition Committee. This page lists past winners of these awards.
Outstanding Public Engagement
Outstanding Academic or Civil Service Professional
2025-2026: Krista Gray
2024-2025: Heather Murphy
2023-2024: Helen Zhou
2022-2023: Mark Zulauf
2021-2022: Susan Braxton, Megean Osuchowski
2020-2021: Jonathan Gorman
2019-2020: Stephanie Baker
2018-2019: Miriam Centeno
2017-2018: Eric Kurt
2016-2017: Jennifer Maddox Abbott
2015-2016: Susan Schnuer
2014-2015: Dennis Sears
2013-2014: Joe Lenkart
Outstanding Civil Service Staff Member
2024-2025: Kara Hagen, Rosemary Trippe
2023-2024: Steve Bermingham, Gennye Varvel
2022-2023: B.A. Davis-Howe, Kyle McCafferty
2021-2022: Sarah Bial, Norris Purdy
2020-2021: Kristen Blankenship, Joseph Hall-Ingram
2019-2020: Faraba Parish, Lesli Lundquist
2018-2019: Julie Bumpus, Aneitre Johnson
2017-2018: Rand Hartsell, Jessica LeCrone
2016-2017: Stuart Albert, Gregg Homerding
2015-2016: Jan Adamcyzk, Lindy Wheatley
2014-2015: Paul Kotheimer, Zoe Revell
2013-2014: Wendy Gregory, Jody Waitzman
2012-2013: Madeline Gibson, Peggy Glatthaar, Sandy Wolf
Outstanding Faculty
2024-2025: María Emerson
2023-2024: Jennifer Hain Teper
2022-2023: Matthew Roberts
2021-2022: Sara Holder
2013-2014: Nancy O’Brien
2012-2013: Mary Laskowski
Outstanding Graduate Assistant
2024-2025: Cadence Cordell, Yanling Liu
2023-2024: Elizabeth Budd, Flannery Cusick
2022-2023: Savannah Adams-Clark, Annika Deutsch
2021-2022: Leah DiCiesare, Jason Larsen
2020-2021: Kadet Alaks, Katherine Howell
2019-2020: Michael Cummings, Joshua Hackel
2018-2019: Sharon Han
2017-2018: Cristina Kuhn
2016-2017: Amber Ballinger
2014-2015: Angie Stangl
2013-2014: Cate Kompare
Outstanding Undergraduate Student Employee
2024-2025: Rachel Mulick, Nathan Murphy
2023-2024: Ethan Park, Urva Vashi
2022-2023: Maggie Beese, Sophie Nikolov
2021-2022: Adam Chibe, Vera Mak
2020-2021: Andrew Gentrup, Victor Oscilowicz
2019-2020: Sammeer Jain, Jensen Rehn
2018-2019: Aaron Deeke, Chloe’ Toussaint
2017-2018: Diane Shepherd, Katrina Toman
2016-2017: Alvaro Rodriguez, Brian Summers
2015-2016: Hannah Jellen, Bethany Murphy
2014-2015: Amber Ballinger, Al Merkley
2013-2014: Greg Blaszczuk, Lillian Helms
Library Residency Program
The University Library’s Diversity Residency Program is designed to expand professional pathways for early-career librarians from historically underrepresented backgrounds and those who support the professional development of diverse individuals. This program provides residents with hands-on professional experience, mentorship, and career development opportunities in academic librarianship. As a member of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Diversity Alliance, the University Library supports its mission to promote inclusive hiring practices and professional growth in the field. More information about the ACRL Diversity Alliance can be found at www.ala.org/acrl/issues/diversityalliance.
In alignment with our mission to foster a supportive environment for all members of our university community,
this program is open to all eligible persons, regardless of race, color or national origin.
For our 2026-2029 cohort, we are currently recruiting for the following positions:
Residency Timeline
Residency Timeline
Year One:
Residents will spend their first year fully engaged in their home unit, building a strong foundation in their role and becoming familiar with the campus community. Orientation, training, job shadowing, informational interviews, meeting participation, and presentations will be scheduled to provide a broad understanding of the administration of an academic research library.
Year Two:
In their second year, residents will begin taking the lead on projects within their home unit. Based on their professional interests and the needs of the unit, residents may also initiate collaborative projects or rotations with one or two additional units. Ongoing training and guidance from mentors will support this work, as residents also begin planning their capstone project.
Year Three:
During the final year, residents will continue and complete any cross-unit projects or rotations. They will also finalize their capstone project, which serves as a culmination of their residency experience. The capstone may take different forms—such as a conference presentation, publication, or program reflection—depending on the resident’s goals and the group’s vision for sharing outcomes.
Goals of the Library Diversity Residency Program
At the end of their three-year appointment as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University Library, the residents will leave having:
- A strong mentor-mentee relationship with faculty and staff within the Library
- Substantive opportunities for professional development
- Training to be successful in their ongoing professional careers
- Opportunities to design and implement innovative library projects
- Experience with meaningful service and committee commitments within the Library and/or the profession
- Developed relationships with professional organizations
- Engaged in the scholarly activities of the profession
Residents for 2022 – 2025
Grainger IDEA Lab Experiential Learning and Engagement Librarian: Celenia Graves
Celenia has a background in education, metadata for special collections, and public librarianship. Her research interests include accessibility, user experience (UX) design, metadata, and website design. They will be taking the lead in comprehensive programming and outreach efforts in the IDEA Lab to help bridge the digital and technical divide by focusing on engagement efforts to underserved and underrepresented communities on campus and in the Champaign-Urbana area. She is a first-generation American and a forever curious learner excited to work with emerging technologies such as 3D printing and VR/AR/XR. Celenia received a Master of Science in Library Science and Certificate in Archival Management from the University of North Texas (UNT).
Preservation Outreach and Engagement Librarian: Rachel Miller-Haughton
Rachel earned a Master of Library and Information Science and Certificate in Special Collections from the University of Iowa. She will promote awareness and access to the Library’s rich digital and physical collections, and advance public engagement through education related to the field of preservation and conservation of cultural heritage. Her research interests include accessibility and barriers for marginalized communities in the field of library science, specifically in the intersection of archives, special collections, and preservation.
Residents for 2017-2020
Archives Resident: Jessica Ballard
Jessica received both her Master’s in Library Science, and her Master’s in History from Indiana University in 2016. During her time at Indiana University, she specialized in archives. Jessica worked at the University Archives, the Black Film Center Archives, the Sidney and Eskenazi Museum of Art, the Lilly Library, the Kinsey Center, and served as an intern at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She holds a Bachelors in History, and a Bachelors in American Racial and Multicultural Studies from St. Olaf College. Before making the transition to library studies, Jessica was employed at the La Brea Tar Pits Museum, and volunteered with both the education department and the archives department at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Data Analytics and Visualization: Megan Ozeran
Following a BA in Media Studies from Pomona College, Megan Ozeran earned her Master of Library and Information Science from San Jose State University. She received the 2017 LITA/Ex Libris Student Writing Award for a paper she wrote for her metadata class, and this paper is published in the open access journal Information Technology and Libraries. Megan has previously worked for a health information technology startup, in public services at a community college library, and in digital services at a university library. Before moving to Champaign, Megan had never lived outside her home state of California. She is thrilled to be part of a rich research library community, and to establish data analytics and visualization services in the University Library.
Digital Preservation: Karl Germeck
Karl Germeck joins the UIUC University Library Residency Program from North Carolina where he earned his MSLS with a concentration in Archives and Records Management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2016. He also holds an MS in American Studies from Utah State University and a BA in English from West Texas A&M University.
While a library student at UNC, Karl pursued his interest in digital curation and community-driven archives by collaborating closely with The Jackson Center, a public history center in Chapel Hill, NC, to develop and implement strategies for providing long-term care of and access to the organization’s Chapel Hill Civil Rights digital oral history collection. He has held additional positions as Project Librarian and Archivist at UNC’s Highway Safety Research Center and as Resident Art Librarian at The Johnson Collection in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Karl’s current research interests include digital preservation and web archiving policy management, archival and born-digital preservation practices that promote diversity and inclusiveness within the digital historical record, and digital cultural heritage community building and advocacy.