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  • David Mizell

    David Mizell is the Assistant Director of LAS Honors. He is an Illinois alum and has a Master’s Degree in Political Science. His favorite part of Honors is getting to work with all of you in advising, as an instructor, and through excellent community-building programs such as the James Scholar Student Advisory Board and our Honors Peer Mentor Program. He spends his free time getting together with family and friends, traveling, and cheering on Illinois sports. Go Illini!

  • Julie Higgs

    Julie Higgs grew up in the rolling hills of southwest Wisconsin in a small college town. Her degrees include microbiology, chemistry, zoology, and education.  Instead of heading into teaching after her master’s degree, she spent time working in biology labs which oddly led to various positions in campus administration.  Along the way, she has dabbled in professional costuming, crop scouting, teaching crafting techniques, and retail management. She has a passion to help students.  When not around campus, you can find Julie in her yard growing flowers, watching BBC mysteries, telling bad puns, or creating things with various media.

  • Adam Reedy

    Adam Reedy is an Academic Advisor and lifelong Illinoisan with a B.A. and M.A. in Sociology from Northern Illinois University. Adam has worked in a variety of campus areas including student success programs, first-gen student support, multicultural and LGBTQ+ programming, and college advising. Off campus, Adam enjoys reading, gaming, travelling, gardening with his cousins, and chilling with his cats Judas and Jasper. 

  • Chelsea Swick

    Chelsea Swick works with LAS International Programs and takes study abroad very seriously having studied abroad twice, earned a master’s degree in Germany, and worked in Japan. Chelsea is trilingual and always looking for opportunities to study languages.

  • Kaitlyn Pugh

    Kaitlyn Pugh is an Illinois alum with a BS in Mathematics and a graduate of Northcentral University with an MA in Psychology. In addition to working here in LAS, Kaitlyn is also the Marching Illini Color Guard instructor. In her free time, she does exhibition performances with the Elevate guard programs and volunteers with HOBY Leadership programs.

  • Roman Friedman

    Dr. Roman Friedman works as a Global Learning Specialist, helping facilitate the internationalization of the curriculum in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Prior to his work in international education, Roman received a BA in Economics and worked as a public school History teacher while pursuing his MA in Social Studies Education from Rutgers University. He completed his Ph.D. in Education Policy studies with a focus on Philosophy of Education at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  • Allison Holden

    Allison Holden is the Associate Director of the LAS Honors program. Originally from Wisconsin, she has moved around the Midwest before making the University of Illinois and Champaign home. Now she rallies the LAS Honors Program from enrollment to graduation. When she’s not working with the amazing students in LAS, she’s selling real estate, drinking coffee, listening to podcasts, watching Disney+ with her kids or mapping out her next travel destination. 

  • Cathy Edgar

    Cathy Edgar lives in Arcola where she was born and raised. She then raised her two sons there as well.  She enjoys spending time with her friends and family, particularly her two granddaughters. Reading is a favorite pastime. Living just 35 miles away, she's always been an Illini fan! She is happy to be a part of the University and is here to assist our LAS students.

  • Nikia Brown

    Nikia Brown is the Associate Director for Intercultural and Global Learning, International Student Experience within the LAS International Programs team.  She has master degrees in sociology and intercultural & international communication. She considers South Korea a second home as she lived there for close to 6 years. When she has free time, she enjoy's traveling and finding the best spots for brunch. Recommendations are accepted on a rolling basis.  

  • Ekateryna Woodford

    Ekateryna Woodford is the Assistant Director of Recruitment and Admissions in the College of LAS. Ekateryna was born and raised in Ukraine, coming over to the US at the age of 12. She attended Southern Illinois University for her undergraduate degree, and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for her masters degree in Public Administration and Policy Analysis. One of the things Ekateryna is most passionate about is education, and helping students succeed in their pursuit of knowledge. In her spare time, Ekateryna enjoys reading, traveling, cycling, jewelry making and tending to her plants. Ekateryna is fluent in Russian and English, with the ability to understand and read Ukrainian.