Sara Benson has been recognized with the Campus Excellence in Public Engagement Faculty & Staff – Emerging Award for her wide-ranging work in helping people understand the intricacies of copyright.

Benson serves as the University Library’s Copyright Librarian, but her efforts extend far beyond campus and its academic personnel. She has appeared before the U.S. Copyright Office, advised Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, worked on international copyright matters, reached thousands with her Copyright Chat podcast and YouTube channel, and advocated for and protected librarians across the nation through her invitation-only role as a member of the American Library Association Policy Corps.

This spring, Mark Zulauf, Researcher Information Systems Coordinator, received the Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award in the area of Research for his work with the Illinois Experts portal and the University of Illinois’ ORCID membership.

Both systems have enhanced collaboration among researchers and advanced Illinois’ profile on the national level.