Contact Us

Leadership

Name / Title Phone Email
Laura Child
Associate Dean for Advancement
 217.244.6566 llchild@Illinois.edu
Paula Besson
Executive Director of Advancement
217.244.4081 besson@illinois.edu
Korrine Kuhn
Office Manager
217.333.3839  korrine@illinois.edu

 

Major Gift Officers

Name / Title Region Phone Email
Caroline Backlund
Assistant Director of Advancement
New England & Cook County 217.265.0343 cgaffrig@illinois.edu
Dori Botts 
Director of Advancement
Southwestern US & Wisconsin  217.244.4218 suddarth@illinois.edu
Tim Cochrane
Senior Director of Advancement, Major and Corporate Gifts
Mid Atlantic & Illinois I-80 Corridor 217.333.1149 tcochran@illinois.edu
Steve Hall
Director of Advancement
DuPage & Cook County 217.300.7830 stevhall@illinois.edu
Jonathan Hill
Senior Director of Advancement
Ohio Valley, Southeastern US, Champaign & Cook County 217.265.6567 jonahill@illinois.edu
Todd Hollister
Director of Advancement
Southern California, Milwaukee to Lake County 217.333.5169 toddh@illinois.edu
Ethan Scott
Associate Director of Advancement
Northeast & Florida 217.265.0786 ethans@illinois.edu
Erin Smith Huynh
Director of Advancement
Louisiana Purchase, Southern Illinois 217.244.5202

ehuynh@illinois.edu

Heather Vazquez
Senior Director of Advancement
Texas & Central California 217.333.2517 hfv@illinois.edu
Kendra Wolf
Associate Director of Advancement
Pacific Northwest & Central Illinois 217.300.7297 kjwolf@illinois.edu
Jana Zollinger
Director of Advancement
Northern California & Michigan 217.333.5221 jmzollin@illinois.edu

Don't see your region listed? With over 90,000 alumni and friends, Grainger Engineering's advancement team supports relationships across the country. Contact Laura Child, Associate Dean for Advancement, with questions or to learn more about how you can have an impact on the college.

Constituent Engagement

Name / Title Phone Email
Alexa Ashenhurst
Assistant Director of Alumni & Donor Engagement
217.300.2252 alexaa@illinois.edu
Megan Bainter
Assistant Director of Stewardship & Donor Relations
217.333.7385 mbainter@illinois.edu
Jerilyn Hutson
Associate Director of Alumni & Donor Engagement
217.300.2656 jhutson@illinois.edu
Haruka Neiswender
Associate Director of Stewardship & Donor Relations
217.300.5950 neiswend@illinois.edu
Samantha Rupkey
Assistant Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations
217.333.9340 srupkey@illinois.edu
Samantha Stokowski
Assistant Director of Advancement Data
217.300.6006 terstri2@illinois.edu
Sydney Trover
Office Support Associate
217.300.9954 strover2@illinois.edu
Kate Worster
Associate Director of Marketing Communications
217.265.5467 kworster@illinois.edu

 

Corporate Relations

Name / Title Phone Email
Kent Studer
Senior Director of Corporate Relations
217.300.4671 kstuder@illinois.edu
Melissa Belcher
Associate Director for Corporate Relations
217.244.5956 stierwlt@illinois.edu