Seven University Library Instructors were named in the University of Illinois List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students for Spring 2025. This list is released each semester, and results are based on the ratings from the Instructor and Course Evaluation System (ICES) maintained by Measurement and Evaluation in the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. Only those instructors who gave out ICES forms during the semester and who released their data for publication are included in the list.
The Library is central to the University of Illinois’ mission of teaching, research, and public service. It is one campus unit that serves all academic disciplines. Therefore, Library faculty and staff serve as instructors across a wide variety of departments.
Faculty and instructors ranked on this list include:
Chu, a member of the IRRT since 2015 and of ALA for 37 years, was recognized for being a “leading voice in international and multicultural library and information education, research and practice.” In addition to her role at Illinois, she is active in several ALA committees and international library and information science (LIS) organizations. Chu has served on the editorial board of several journals, including the International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion, and was co-editor-in-chief of Library Trends and the co-founding editor of the “International Insights” column of College & Research Libraries News. She publishes, presents, and consults worldwide in English and Spanish on diversity, equity, and inclusion in LIS, strategic planning, research methods, and emerging technologies, among other topics.
“I’m deeply grateful for this honor, which recognizes professional work that I find fulfilling and meaningful. Moreover, as the director of the Mortenson Center, the purpose of the ALA IRRT aligns with our mission to strengthen international ties among libraries and librarians worldwide, promoting international education, understanding, and peace. Through ALA IRRT membership and service, I engage with a community of colleagues to collectively advance ALA’s core values and librarianship at the international level,” said Chu.
Congratulations to Chu for this recognition from the ALA!
Lynne M. Thomas, Head of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library at the University Library, has received a 2025 Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine for her work as co-editor-in-chief and co-publisher of Uncanny Magazine with her husband, Michael Damian Thomas. The award includes managing editor Monte Lin; poetry editor Betsy Aoki; and podcast producers Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky. Additionally, a story published in Uncanny Magazine,“Stitched to Skin like Family Is” by Nghi Vo won the 2025 Hugo Award for Best Short Story.
This is Thomas’s twelfth Hugo Award; she now holds the most Hugo Award wins among women and ties Mike Glyer for the fifth-most wins among all Hugo Award winners. The Hugo Award is “the leading award for excellence in the field of science fiction and fantasy.” The awards were announced on August 16, 2025, at a formal ceremony at Seattle Worldcon 2025, the 83rd World Science Fiction Convention. Since 1955, the Hugo Awards have been awarded annually by the World Science Fiction Society.
Nancy O’Brien, Education Librarian and Head of the Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library, has been named a recipient of the 2025 VIP Award from the Department of Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership (EPOL) in the College of Education. This award honors individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service and commitment to supporting students and faculty at the University of Illinois.
O’Brien is recognized for her many years of dedicated support to the EPOL community, providing expert research assistance, instructional guidance, and resource development to help advance scholarship and teaching. Her work has spanned both in-person and virtual settings, ensuring broad and equitable access to library services.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award in recognition of my work with students and faculty in the Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership in the College of Education,” said O’Brien. “Whether providing online or in-person assistance to scholars in the program, I have been privileged to work with current and emerging leaders who will have a profound impact on education in the U.S. and globally.”
Congratulations to O’Brien on this well-deserved recognition of her lasting contributions to the University of Illinois academic community!
