Katherine Merrill, the first female professor at the University of Illinois, was hired as Assistant Professor of Literature in 1892. Known as the “preceptress” to students, this unofficial role preceded the creation of the official “Dean of Women” position at the University.
Martha Jakson Kyle earned a BA in 1897 and an MA in 1899, both in English/Rhetoric. She taught English and Rhetoric and was Acting Dean of Undergraduates in 1905-06, sitting on the Council of Administration when few women had such roles. Women featured in our weekly series are part of the 150 for 150 website Celebrating the Accomplishments of Women at the University of Illinois at...
Mary Louise Page is the 1st woman in the US to obtain an architecture degree. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Science form the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois. She was very active in the Women's Christina Temperance Union to decrease alcohol intake. Women featured in our weekly series are part of the 150 for 150 website Celebrating the Accomplishments of Women at...
Louisa C. Allen was hired in 1874 in the Domestic Science Department, the same year the first female students graduated. Though not officially a Professor, she’s considered the first female faculty member. Louisa started the first domestic science course and a women’s calisthenics program. Women featured in our weekly series are part of the 150 for 150 website Celebrating the...
Lucy Flower was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1895 as the first female trustee and first elected female official in Illinois. She pushed for women's gains at the University, including hiring female faculty, creating a Woman’s Department, and establishing a Dean of Women. Women featured in our weekly series are part of the 150 for 150 website Celebrating the Accomplishments of...
Maimouna Barro received her M.A. in African Studies in 1997 and her PhD in Education with a minor in Gender Relations in International Development (GRID) in 2005, both from the University of Illinois. She is the Associate Director at the Center for African Studies and has been instrumental in expanding the Center’s academic programs. Maimouna helped establish a joint degree with the School of...
Ashlynn Stillwell joined the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department in 2013 and is one of two female professors in the field of Hydrology and Hydraulics. She has several high-impact publications and is very active in leading the Sustainability Committee of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Environmental and Water Resources Institute. Ashlynn actively works to promote STEM to...
Assata Zerai came to the University of Illinois in 2002 as a faculty member in Sociology. In spring 2015, as Associate Dean in the Grad College, she worked with colleagues to establish an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation University Center of Exemplary Mentoring at the University of Illinois. They were awarded $1M to increase the number of graduate students underrepresented in STEM. In 2015-2016, Assata...
Barbara Wilson came to Illinois in 2000 as a faculty member in the Department of Communication. She served as Department Head for six years, and during her tenure, the faculty size grew by 20%. She led initiatives to improve departmental relationships with alumni, create faculty mentoring programs, and increase the number and diversity of students in the undergraduate major. In 2009, Barb was...
Carolyn Tomchik received all of her degrees from the Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering in the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois: a BS in 2005, a MS in 2011 and her PhD in 2016. As a student, she was a member of the Engineering Council, held executive committee positions in the Student Branch of the American Nuclear Society, and performed a number of...