Web Workshop: Lens on Leaders—Developers & Educators Collaborating to Put Students First

Every year, the Illinois Leadership Center (ILC) provides upwards of 5,000 students formal leadership education opportunities, but with an aging system and an increasing demand for leadership education it became increasingly clear that something needed to be done to better support the needs of those who were frequenting  ILC programs & services. Learn how ILC staff and software developers in the Office of the Dean of Students embarked in a yearlong design collaboration to create a user friendly portal that allows for ease of registration, streamline administration of programs, volunteer management, and most importantly enhanced learning for students participating in ILC programs & services.

Presenters

Neelam Dhungel has served as a software developer for the Dean of Students Office for nearly three years. Prior to his time at Illinois he has served as a software developer for Corporate Payroll Services and a web developer with the Academy of Business Research. He has a B.B.A in finance from Tribhuvan Vishwavidalaya, a master’s in computer science from Georgia Southwestern State University, and his currently working towards a second master’s in management information systems from the University of Illinois Springfield.

Mark Hege has been the director of technology development and support with the Dean of Students Office for nearly two years. He’s also served as an operations manager and a research programmer, all at Illinois. Mark is an Illini through and through having earned his B.S. in computer science from the College of Engineering. Mark is currently working towards a master’s in management information systems from the University of Illinois Springfield.

Jeff Yacup has been an assistant director for the Illinois Leadership Center for almost four years. Prior to his time at Illinois, he worked as a student life coordinator at Virginia Tech’s Steger Center for International Scholarship in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland. He also has had roles in fraternity and sorority life and housing and residence life, both at Virginia Tech. He has his B.S. in sociology and psychology and his M.A.Ed. in educational leadership and policy studies, both from Virginia Tech.