Our Media Relations award this year goes to Rob Rutenbar.
Rob is a professor and the head of the department of computer science.
While many computer scientists can be a bit media-shy, Rob has led by example in his responsiveness to media queries and his seeking of opportunities to tell the Illinois story on regional and national platforms.
He understands the role that media outreach plays in developing a brand, and he makes conscious efforts to showcase his department, the College of Engineering, and the university whenever he is interviewed.
He’s responsive to reporter’s queries on a wide variety of topics, including – but not limited to – his own research, computer science education, the university’s relationship with the technology community in Chicago, and the university’s offering of massive open online courses – or MOOCs – through the Coursera platform.
Rob, thanks for being our media relations ambassador.