hrI staff & advisory committee

michelle awad eric ciciora

Michelle awad, Odyssey Project advisor and Student experience Coordinator

michelle awad initially joined the odyssey Project as an intern while pursuing her undergraduate degree at the university of Illinois. upon graduation, she was a program coordinator for the YWca of the university of Illinois. currently, she is also the student engagement program coordinator at the university Ymca where she advises student organizers and activists on campaigns like the global climate strike of 2019 and Write for rights campaign by amnesty International to free innocent political prisoners.

michelle’s bachelor’s degree is in education Policy and arabic studies. she is currently a graduate student pursuing a master’s in secondary education and high school english teaching License with a minor in college teaching. she is dedicated to providing equitable opportunities for people to engage with the humanities in meaningful and impactful ways, believing deeply that, in the words of audre Lorde: “Poetry is not a luxury.”

erin Ciciora, Senior Communications Manager

erin ciciora brings 20 years of experience in higher education, including roles in admissions, public affairs, and communications for campus housing and advancement. most recently she served as associate director of advancement communications at the college of Fine and applied arts (Faa), where she developed and implemented communication strategies for alumni and donor audiences. she also served as the editor of Faa’s magazine Dimension.

Prior to her work in Faa, she was a senior communication coordinator for university housing on the Illinois campus for 11 years. during that time, she gained valuable experience in website content management, print and electronic publications, and coordination of departmental social media accounts.

erin holds a bachelor’s degree in english from allegheny college and a master’s degree in journalism from the university of Illinois at urbana-champaign.

antoinette burton, Director aburton@illinois.edu, 217-244-3344

Nancy Castro, Deputy Director ncastro@illinois.edu, 217-244-7913 alaina Pincus, Assistant Director for Education & Outreach apincus2@illinois.edu, 217-265-6330 erin Ciciora, Senior Communications Manager elukehar@illinois.edu, 217-265-7580 Jason b.P. Mierek, Humanities Without Walls Director of Operations hww-manager@illinois.edu, 217-300-3711 Stephanie uebelhoer, Office Support Specialist suebelho@illinois.edu, 217-244-3344 Jenna Zieman, Business Operations and Grants Manager zieman@illinois.edu, 217-244-5013

THe ODySSey PROJeCT

Michelle awad, Odyssey Project Advisor and Student Experience Coordinator odysseyproject@illinois.edu, 217-300-3888

eDuCaTION JuSTICe PROJeCT

Rebecca Ginsburg, Director info@educationjustice.net

HRI aDvISORy COMMITTee

James R. brennan, History Kathryn la barre, Information Sciences Ruby Mendenhall, Sociology / African American Studies Ghassan Moussawi, Gender and Women’s Studies / Sociology valleri Robinson, Theatre Gilberto Rosas, anthropology / Latina/o studies valeria Sobol, Slavic Languages & Literatures andrea Stevens, English