As an ISPP Scholar, Alex Sprinkle is appointed to with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Juliana Stratton. His work is focused on bolstering the agricultural college and career pathways. Alex shared some insights with me on her work within the ISPP so far.Why did you apply for the...

As an ISPP Scholar, Mary Ojoma is appointed to the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus / Black Caucus Foundation. Her work is focused on enhancing the health and well being of the Black Communities through programs and policies. Mary shared some insights with me on her work within the ISPP so far....

As an ISPP Scholar, Vyshnavi Jetti is appointed to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency - Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS). Her work is focused on enhancing the Illinois Capability Assessment and Tracking Tool (IL-CATT) to improve data collection and analysis, ensuring that quality data...

As an ISPP Scholar, Marissa Leal is appointed with the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation . Her work is significant as she focuses on helping to support the efforts of the ILLCF including have significant impact on the RAICES report. Marissa shared some thoughts about her role...

As an ISPP Scholar, Sami Pierce is appointed with the Congressional Office of Representative Nikki Budzinski. Their work is significant as they are conducting research and developing informational sheets as the Representative tours her district as well as supporting other efforts. They...

As an ISPP Scholar, Stephanie Schnaufer is appointed with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Broadband. Her work is significant as she focuses on helping to develop rules and regulations for the Dig Once Act as well as blending her background in nutrition with...

Each year, I get to work with not only some of the best and brightest individuals who graduate from one of our three campuses, but also who are committed to public service and public policy. This year is no exception. Who would have imagined that under the veil of masks and the unknown of a...

As an ISPP Scholar, Shuvam Das is appointed with the Illinois Board of Higher Education. His work is significant as he focuses on using data analysis to support educational equity in higher education. Shuvam shared some thoughts with me about the ISPP, and his work so far. Why did you...

  As an ISPP Scholar, Theodora (Dora) Kourkoulou is appointed with the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity,...

As an ISPP Scholar, Angelique Evans is appointed with the Illinois Black Caucus/ Black Caucus Foundation. Her work is significant as she focuses on using data to critically analyze themes relating to the...

As an ISPP Scholar, Drake Materre is appointed with the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus / Latino Caucus Foundation. His work is significant as he focuses on improving the lives of those who are historically underserved and underrepresented...

As an ISPP Scholar, Kaung Nyein is appointed with the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity,...

It’s hard to believe that this summer the Illini Science Policy Program ushered in its fourth cohort of Scholars. In many ways this program, which at one point seemed as if it would be one of the many victims of COVID, has steadily gained its strength and recognition building momentum by helping...

As an ISPP Scholar, Kehinde 'Kenny' Adesina is appointed with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Division of Natural Resources. His work is significant as he focuses on using his communication and multimedia skills to increase knowledge and understanding about sustainable agricultural...

As an ISPP Scholar, Maria Cynthia (MC) Anderson is appointed with the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Her work is significant as she explores the ways in which to expand quality access and equity in higher education in Illinois, especially to...

As an ISPP Scholar, Sirabo Patrobas Wafula is appointed with the Illinois Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Juliana Stratton. His work is significant as he focuses on agricultural equity and food insecurity, and...

As an ISPP Scholar, Alicia V. Ross is appointed with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Broadband. Her work is significant as she looks to eliminate barriers to broadband and the digital divide. She supports...

As an ISPP Scholar, Yu Tian is appointed with the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology. His work is significant in looking at gaps in STEM/STEAM resources and information gaps between people and resources....

As an ISPP Scholar, Oluwakemi Adeyemi is appointed with the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus/ Black Caucus Foundation. His work is significant as he investigates reproductive and voting rights for Black communities to help inform policy in...

As an ISPP Scholar, Elizabeth Gutierrez is appointed with the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus/Latino Caucus Foundation. Her work is significant in helping to build out a new vision for the ILLCF to better meet the needs of Latino ...

As an ISPP Scholar, Chukwuemezie (Charles) Emejuo is appointed with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Broadband. His work is significant as it explores the ways in which...

As an ISPP Scholar, Oluwaseun Ojo is appointed with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Division of Natural Resources. His work is significant in analyzing and identifying the range of barriers currently impacting the implementation of climate-smart agriculture in Illinois and working...

If only the days on the calendar slowed to match my to-do list, more blogs would be written, more work would get done. But here we are and it’s December already, and I am just getting back to blogging. But what a year it has been for Illinois Extension’...

As an ISP Scholar, Monserrat Carrillo-Rodriguez is appointed with the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus/Latino Caucus Foundation. Her work is significant in targeting food security through access to healthy cultural fruits and vegetables for...

As an ISP Scholar, Yasamin Khoshpour is appointed with the Illinois Board of Higher Education. She uses her data analysis expertise to look at program specific outcomes for graduate and professional studies within the state of...

As an ISP Scholar, Skye Lewis is appointed with the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus/Black Caucus Foundation. Her work is significant in looking at culturally responsive healthcare for underserved communities in Illinois and enhancing her own knowledge and...

As an ISP Scholar, Shubhika Agarwal is appointed with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Broadband. Her work is vital in identifying and evaluating the...

     As an Illini Science Policy Scholar (ISP ), Adrienne Pickett is appointed with the...

2021 came and went. At times, it felt like if you blinked, you have would miss it. At others, it seemed like time was standing still. Time was such a strange construct. So much of what was going on was navigating a new normal. And for many of us, a new understanding of expectations...

It would be easy to look at 2020 and only focus on all the challenges that arose this past year – many unexpected, and as we have all come to learn - unprecedented. But here at the Extension and Public Engagement Connection Center (EPECC), we are all about making connections for what lies ahead,...

Above photo: ISP Fellow Allison Wheeler in a soil pit taking VR photos for a STEAM digital curriculum. ISP Fellow Allison Wheeler is working with the Department of Innovation and Technology Education Group to provide...

As an ISP Fellow Ruth Adekale works with Rep. Camille Lilly and the Illinois Black Caucus Foundation to look at the way public policies relate to health care issues and their impact on...

As an ISP Program Fellow, Diamond Ruffin is working with 12 Illinois communities awarded funding through the Connect Illinois...