Dear Fellow Community Members,

We are honored to announce the establishment of presidential and provost fellows at Illinois Tech, a new initiative to gain valuable insight from our university community while helping develop pathways for faculty and staff members to work on critical institutional goals.

Illinois Tech presidential and provost fellows will work in close collaboration with university leaders, colleges, administrative offices, existing committees, and external stakeholders on strategic topics to help advance and implement key university priorities. The fellows program is intended to bring together diverse voices to assist in decision making, while also providing opportunities for staff and faculty to gain valuable administrative experiences across the university.

We are honored to announce the following inaugural presidential and provost fellows for 2021.

President’s 2021–2022 Fellows

Alicia Bunton, Presidential Fellow for Community Engagement

Alicia Bunton is the director of the Office of Community Affairs and Outreach Programs. Alicia will help formulate a bold vision that embeds diversity, equity, and inclusion in university-wide collaborative efforts with the Bronzeville community and beyond. Alicia will work with local community leaders as well as internal stakeholders to mobilize resources and influence systems, build relationships among partners, and serve as a catalyst for changing policies, programs, and practices.

Helen Ezenwa, Presidential Fellow for Equity and Belonging

Helen Ezenwa is assistant dean for external relations and career management at Stuart School of Business. Helen will bring a systems approach to diversity, equity, and belonging, and work with internal stakeholders as well as Illinois Tech’s DEI Committee to formulate policies and guidelines in order to create a more inclusive workplace.

Provost’s 2021–2022 Fellows

Ruth Schmidt, Provost Fellow for Design Methodology

Ruth Schmidt is an associate professor in the Institute of Design. Her teaching and research focus on how human-centered design influences—and is influenced by—human behavior, judgment, and decision-making. Ruth will help our Strategic Envisioning Committee working groups move through the integrated design process to arrive at actionable and impactful conclusions.

Brent Stephens, Provost Fellow for Integrated Interdisciplinary Research and Education

Brent Stephens is professor and the chairperson of the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering. Brent’s research focuses on the intersection of energy, air quality, and human health in the built environment. Brent will help the Strategic Envisioning Committee working group on Big Bets arrive at conclusions that are both impactful and integrated across Illinois Techs strengths.

Sincerely,

Raj Echambadi
President, Illinois Institute of Technology

Peter Kilpatrick
Provost, Illinois Institute of Technology