Directory
Digital Strategy and Development
Kalee Ackerman serves as Associate Director of Marketing Operations, partnering with campus departments to develop and execute strategic marketing initiatives that support institutional goals and student engagement. She focuses on building and improving processes, workflows, and systems that keep marketing operations running efficiently and effectively. Outside of work, she spends much of her time as the family chauffeur, helping her children maintain active social lives, and enjoys tackling DIY home improvement projects whenever she gets the chance.
Kelly assists colleges and units across campus in developing their marketing and recruitment strategies. She is passionate about driving impactful campaigns and fostering meaningful connections. Kelly is a proud two-time alumna of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and has special interests in online education, market research, and marketing analytics. When she's not immersed in data and strategy, you'll find her spending quality time with her family or diving into a good book.
Taylor Dent is the social and digital strategist, assisting with the organic and paid digital campaigns for the university-level social media accounts. She enjoys telling colorful stories using multimedia. Outside of managing her small photography company, Taylor is an avid reader and loves snuggling her baby boy.
Sydney is an adept web developer who is passionate about building visually stunning and user-friendly websites that prioritize accessibility and inclusivity. Her expertise in HTML, CSS and JavaScript, combined with her keen eye for design, allows her to create exceptional web experiences that balance aesthetics and intuitive functionality. When she's not coding, Sydney can often be found teaching her dog, Bebop, new tricks, pranking her husband or making a latte. Whether she's working on a complex web project or spending time with her friends and family, Sydney approaches everything she does with dedication, creativity and a deep sense of compassion.
Michelle Frazier is a lead brand designer who loves to collaborate with units across campus to develop the university brand. She does research, brand development, and execution and helps units across campus adhere to the university brand guidelines while still retaining their unique identity. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family — usually at a sporting event, cooking, or spending time in nature.
As a marketing and communication specialist, Noelle Laghmam helps strategize and execute marketing campaigns for academic programs. Before coming to the University of Illinois, she had a long career as a newspaper reporter. Outside of work, Noelle enjoys finding her way around new and far off places and getting lost in a good book.
Bryan Lin is a graphic designer who loves to tell stories that capture the attention of his audience through design. He works with the Strategic Communications and Marketing team to elevate the university branding and make sure it’s reflected across campus. Outside of the university, he spends his time playing video games, playing soccer or photographing his experience traveling the world.
David LoSardo is an omnichannel advertising professional experienced in media planning, data analysis and research. He strives to achieve university goals and amplify the Illinois brand through efficient campaign execution and creative marketing strategies. Outside of work, he enjoys staying active (recently got into rock climbing), watching horror/sci-fi movies and TV shows and watching sporting events (die-hard college football fan in particular).
Cassidy Marcum is a graphic designer and artist who loves to create visually stunning work both in and outside of work. She collaborates on a range of design projects for the Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing. She recently graduated from Illinois and is excited to support the university’s brand in this new position. When she’s not designing or crafting, you can find Cassidy collecting vinyl, testing new recipes, playing board games and pursuing antique malls.
Todd Mette has always had a passion for web technology and started building websites as a hobby in high school. Working as a developer, he helps keep many websites updated and consistent with the latest standards. He also enjoys collaborating with other professionals at the university to learn more about keeping websites accessible, fast and secure.
Grace Lamb is a senior digital media and marketing manager with StratCom, where she helps colleges and academic units connect with prospective students through strategic digital advertising and marketing initiatives. In her role, Grace develops and manages data-driven campaigns across search, social, display, and other digital channels, partnering closely with campus stakeholders to support enrollment, engagement, and brand awareness goals. She enjoys translating complex objectives into effective marketing strategies, analyzing campaign performance, and identifying opportunities to continuously improve results. The most rewarding part of her work is seeing marketing efforts translate into real outcomes — from prospective students becoming admitted students to demonstrating measurable return on investment and the tangible impact of strategic digital marketing on university enrollment goals.
Lea Peck is the strategic mind behind the @uofillinois social media handles. Whether deciphering algorithms or crafting clever captions, Lea transforms #ILLINOIS stories into captivating narratives that resonate with both the curious and the committed. Outside of work, she enjoys reading (and napping) with her two kittens and puppy, exploring new cities in search of the best gluten free pastry and embracing new hobbies on a whim.
Andy Savage creates shortform video content for the university-level social media accounts and loves finding creative ways to showcase Illinois. From campus traditions and everyday moments to sweeping drone views, he enjoys telling stories that help people see the university from a fresh perspective. When he's not behind a camera, Andy enjoys traveling, exploring the outdoors, and making memories with his wife, Megan, their daughter, and their two dogs, Zion and Roo.
August Schiess leads the marketing and branding for the university. She enjoys working with her teams in social media, marketing, web, and design to develop and execute strategic, branded campaigns and content to tell the Illinois story — and helping others do the same. Her hobbies include reading, running, and finding her next piece of chocolate.
Matt Sharkey has been designing and building on the web for over 20 years. As a consultant, he worked closely with educators and non-profits to create sites that engaged audiences and empowered content creators. In his current role as front end developer, he works with units and other developers across campus to make sure that their sites are adaptive, accessible and on-brand.
Michael Vincent is a graphic designer who loves to collaborate on the visual aspect of a wide range of projects. He leads design for StratCom, creating work across teams. Projects include designs for the Chancellor and Provost, the News Bureau and the university-wide social media team. He spends his free time watching bad movies, drawing and listening to way too many podcasts.