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Faculty Nominations to the Athletic Board

C. L. Cole (LAS)

Dr. Cole is currently Professor of Gender & Women's Studies, Advertising, and the Unit for Criticism & Interpretive Theory, and is an Affiliate Faculty member in the African American Studies & Research Program, Cultural Studies & Interpretive Research, East Asian Studies, and Kinesiology.  Her administrative experience crosses disciplines, constituencies, and administrative levels.  She currently co-Chairs the Chancellor's GLBT Advisory Committees and is a member of Chancellor's Licensing Advisory Committee.  She has been a member of the Advisory and/or Executive committees for multiple programs and departments (e.g., American Indian Studies, College of Communications, Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities) and centers (e.g., Center for Advanced Study, Center on Democracy in a Multiracial Society).  In addition she served as the Acting Director of Gender & Women's Studies during 2004-2005.

Dr. Cole has played a key role in retooling the UIUC's curriculum related to sport studies. She has taught freshman discovery seminars focused on sport and globalization, general education undergraduate courses on sport and U.S. culture, and graduate courses on a wide range of sport-related topics.  She also co-organized "Capitalizing on Sport," the inaugural conference for the Center on Democracy in a Multiracial Society and "Documenting Sport/Documenting Globalization," a year-long symposium sponsored by the Globalization in the Humanities Initiative.  She is currently working with the Department of Advertising and the College of Communications to establish a Center for Advertising, Sport, & Consumer Culture.

Her research focuses on sport culture and includes work on sport celebrity, masculinity and sport, media representations of mega-sport events, visual sport culture, university sport culture, Nike and women's sport, Title IX, and sport and public policy.  She has edited three books about sports and culture and is currently completing a book manuscript entitled Good Sports? The Boundaries of American Democracy.  She has been editor of the Journal of Sport & Social Issues since 2000, and, for the last 15 years, has served as the co-editor of SUNY's book series: Sport, Culture & Social Relations.  As a graduate student at the University of Southern California, Dr. Cole worked in marketing and promotions for USC's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and was the first women in the United States to serve on a Men's Division I water polo team coaching staff.  I can think of no person more suitable for this position than Dr. Cole.

Cleo D’Arcy (ACES)

Cleo D’Arcy would be an ideal candidate for the University of Illinois Athletic Board as, for over 25 years she has been a strong supporter of both students and athletics on this campus.  Cleo has been a faculty member since 1978, first in the Department of Plant Pathology and now the Department of Crop Sciences.  In addition to her graduate level teaching, she developed and continues to teach an undergraduate course, Plant Pathogens and People, which meet both science and writing requirements and draws students from across the campus.  She has served as her department’s Undergraduate Teaching and Advising Coordinator and as an Assistant Dean of Academic Programs in the College of ACES, positions that provided her the opportunity to work closely with a variety of students.  She has taught over 1000 undergraduate students, and advised over 100 at the University of Illinois.  Her outstanding and innovative teaching has been recognized by numerous awards, most recently the 2005-06 University of Illinois Distinguished Teacher Scholar Award. 

Cleo is also an active fan for Illini athletics.  Like many others, she is a season ticket holder for both major sports, football and men’s basketball.  However, she has also been a long time supporter for many other sports, including baseball and women’s basketball, which she has attended most games for over 20 years, and women’s soccer, for which she has endowed a scholarship to help support this sport.

Cleo has extensive leadership experience.  In addition to her leadership roles here on campus, she developed and taught the leadership development seminar for her national organization, the American Phytopathological Society.  She also served on the national governing board and as president of this 5000-member organization.

Athletics is an important part of many students’ lives on campus, whether as athletes or as spectators, and the way our athletic program is conducted impacts the reputation of our university far beyond athletics.  Thus, having such a dedicated and concerned faculty member serve on the Athletic Board would be an important way to ensure our future success.

Nelly S. Gonzalez (LIBR)

Nelly S. Gonzalez is Professor of Library Administration and Head of the Latin American and Caribbean Library of the University of Illinois Library. I have been at the University since 1975. I am very active in the organization of Latin Americanist Librarians in academic institutions SALALM, and was President of the Association. I have done extensive research in my field and published several articles. I also wrote the bibliography of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Nobel laureate in literature, and this work was awarded the "The Jose Toribio Medina Award" in 1993. "My career in librarianship has offered me unique opportunities to interact with a broad constituency of scholars and students throughout the United States and the world.  I've been active with the Latina/o program, La Casa Cultural Latina, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, MOLLAS, among many activities."

My interest in serving on the Athletic Board is based in my belief that I can contribute to promote openness, cooperation, and fairness and be a vehicle to voice faculty and students concerns.

Charles Hillman (AHS)

Dr. Charles Hillman, Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, has a strong commitment to both leadership and service.  He currently serves as the Chair of the departmental honors and awards committee for faculty and students, has been a member of three program planning committees for his professional associations. He has served on five search committees; campus based committees including the McKinley Health Center Research and Grants committee, and is an active member on departmental space and educational policy committees. In each case, Dr. Hillman brings a strong work ethic, attention to detail, and educated perspective on the needs and issues confronting each unique group.  Dr. Hillman is the Director of the Neurocognitive Kinesiology Laboratory and is an Affiliate of the Beckman Institute in the Human Perception and Performance Division. Dr. Hillman currently teaches Kinesiology 140: Social Science of Human Movement and Kinesiology 447: Psychology of Sport Performance.  While Dr. Hillman as not worked directly with this body, he has extensive consulting experiences including the UI Men’s Track Team, the Washington Capitals, and the Motor Behavior Laboratory of the University of Florida. His knowledge and skills will be an asset to the Athletic Board. I believe that Dr. Hillman’s background, leadership, and service make him an outstanding faculty nominee.

Student Nominations to the Athletic Board

Ben J. Blaiszik (GRAD)

Ben Blaiszik graduated summa cum laude from Elmhurst College in 2003 with a B.S. degree in Physics and Mathematics.  He recently received his M.S. from the Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics at the University of Illinois, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. for his work in self-healing materials.  Ben is seeking re-appointment to the Board.

Sports have always been an integral part of his academic work. While attending Elmhurst College, he competed for the men’s tennis team, and was honored as a Verizon Academic All-American.  In high-school at St. Bede Academy, he was a three time state qualifier in tennis, a cross-country team captain, and a varsity basketball player.  He has also worked closely with coaches in the past to ensure the academic integrity of the teams he has been a part of.  As a former student-athlete, he would like to give back to the university using his personal experience.

Jeff Brown (LAS)

Jeff Brown is a sophomore from Morris, Illinois. The most significant of the many positions he held in high school were: president of his class freshmen to junior year, student council executive board and business editor for the newspaper and yearbook his senior year.  Beyond just starting structured cheering sections, his work ethic is evident in his academic accomplishments such as: National Honor Society, Illinois State Scholar, and National Honor Roll to name a few.  His character is evident in the fact that he was chosen for Who’s Who Among America’s High School Students on two separate occasions.  At the University of Illinois he holds the positions of wrestling and soccer chairs on the Illini Pride Executive Board, I-Guide, Football Blockhead, and Orange Krush helper.  He is also involved with nearly every cheering section on campus.  He plans on majoring in business administration and attending law school after graduation.  Jeff is currently serving on the Board.

 John Yu (ENGR)

As part of a group called Engineering Initiatives, I work closely with the Deans of the College of Engineering to develop a blueprint for how to improve the overall experience of students during their undergraduate career within the College of Engineering. I have led a number of registered student organizations including the Solar Car Team, which seeks to employ carbon nanotubes and light capturing diodes as a form of propulsion. I am an active member of the University Senate and Illinois Student Senate where I serve on various committees including the committee on Student Discipline and my favorite, the Parking Appeals Board. In my capacity as Student Senator, I have worked with the student president in defending the rights of students from unjust punishments and alleviated the financial burden of overzealous meter maids. I hope to continue helping the University community through serving on the Athletic Board. 

Although I may be athletically challenged with a spare tire around my waist, I nonetheless do my utmost to attend sporting events ranging from basketball and baseball to tennis and volleyball, fulfilling my duties as a good Illini. As a former high school athlete, I have learned the value of organizational skills and good sportsmanship and hope to maintain this tradition of excellence at the University of Illinois. Athletes at this great institution are required to balance the rigors of academia with the commitments of a demanding athletics program. The University needs to assist student athletes in succeeding both on the court and in the classroom. I would like to serve on the Athletic Board to assist student athletes in realizing their dreams and to maintain a proud and thriving athletics program. There is no greater honor for an Illini fan than serving on the Athletic Board, cherishing a glorious past and building a brighter future for the University of Illinois.

Rebecca Zwang (AHS)

Rebecca Zwang has a strong record of service. Currently a junior, she has been a volunteer with Volunteer Illini Projects since she was a freshman. Rebecca has been involved with events ranging from carnivals, to daddy-daughter dances, to basketball games at the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club.

Rebecca Zwang’s leadership experiences have fostered an interest in policy and management issues surrounding a Big Ten athletic program. As a sophomore Rebecca took on the role as president of the Illini Field Hockey club. As the president, her responsibilities include planning and coaching practices, running fundraisers, and scheduling games. As a result of having to plan for the team herself, Rebecca started to wonder how such planning works on a larger scale. Due to her experience as the president of the Field Hockey Club, Rebecca has a deeper perspective about the needs of a Big Ten athletic team, making her the perfect candidate for the athletic board committee. Beyond that, Rebecca has had enough injuries to know that she bleeds ORANGE AND BLUE.