JJ Pionke is an Applied Health Sciences Librarian at the Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library who received the Larine Y. Cowan Make a Difference Award within the Excellence in Access & Accommodations Category. Awarded by the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, it recognizes the achievements and contributions of faculty, academic professionals, and civic service employees who made an impact in creating and maintaining an inclusive, learning, living, and working community at Illinois through teaching, research, hiring practices, advocacy, programs, and events. The award itself was created and dedicated to Dr. Larine Y. Cowan, who had made efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1982-1999, and the award reflects a commitment to human rights advocacy, social justice, and diversity.
Bethany Anderson, an assistant professor, and Natural and Applied Sciences Archivist with the University Archives at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign was one of the two individuals named as the next Editors-In-Chief of