Derek Attig is the Assistant Dean for Career and Professional Development for the Graduate College. After earning a PhD in History here at Illinois, Derek worked in nonprofit communications and instructional development before joining the Career Development team. A devotee of libraries and all things peculiar, Derek is currently writing a book about bookmobiles.

Caitlin Brooks is a PhD candidate in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism. Her research focuses on the creation of communities of meaning in liminal leisure spaces and her dissertation explores narratives of home at Burning Man. In her free time, you can find her traveling, cooking, and exploring with her husband, Matt, and handsome pug, Torbin.

Emily Wuchner is the Thesis Coordinator at the Graduate College. She holds a PhD in musicology from the University of Illinois, and her work focuses on music and social welfare in eighteenth-century Austria. In her free time, she enjoys playing the bassoon, watching sports, and hanging out with her calico cat, Gracie Sue.

Mike Firmand is the Assistant Director for Employer Outreach in the Graduate College. He works with employers to connect University of Illinois graduate students to new opportunities and promote the value of graduate education. He previously worked for the College of Business at Illinois State University and has held positions in insurance, marketing, banking, and retail and event management. Mike holds a B.S. in Recreation, Sport and Tourism from the University of Illinois and an M.S. in Communication from Illinois State University.

Ken Vickery is the Director of Fellowships in the Graduate College. He helps graduate students pursue external fellowships, and he coordinates the Graduate College’s fellowship and grant competitions. When not reviewing proposals, he’s either taking pictures or attempting something akin to dancing at the Regent Ballroom.

Wojtek J. Chodzko-Zajko, PhD, is Dean of the Graduate College, Interim Dean of the College of Media, and Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan Professor in Applied Health Sciences. His primary research interests are in the area of aging and health. He spends his free time entertaining and being entertained by his three young children.

Charlotte Bauer is the Assistant Dean for Communications and Strategic Planning in the Graduate College. She holds a BFA in studio arts and worked many years in advertising before earning a PhD in medieval Art History. Forever curious about how we create, transmit and preserve knowledge, her research interests include the history of the university and all things related to the history of the book. In addition to her work in the Graduate College, she teaches and volunteers with the Education Justice Project.