Bioengineering Welcomes Katelyn Talbott as our Graduate Professional Programs Assistant Director

The Department of Bioengineering at The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is happy to welcome Katelyn Talbott as our new Assistant Director of Graduate Professional Programs. Katleyn has years of experience helping graduate students, an educational background in education and management, and is an Illinois alumna. We’re so excited to have her aboard. In this Q&A, Katelyn shares more about her background and what most excites her about this new role. 

 

Where did you go to school?

 

I went to school here at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I received my B.S. and M.S. in Sports Management in 2013 and 2016, before getting my Ed.D. in Education, Policy, and Organization Leadership with a concentration in Learning, Design, and Leadership in 2021. My dissertation focused on the advising resources that online professional MS students used while enrolled in a professional M.S. program.

 

What interested you about this position?

 

My background is working with graduate students, specifically graduate professional students. I absolutely love working with graduate students because they have so much life experience. This experience greatly informs why they are pursuing the next step in their careers. My professional goal is to assist students in achieving their educational goals by helping them to navigate the higher ed system. They are already doing so much – holding full-time jobs, searching for jobs, parenting, supporting themselves and loved ones – the least I can do is make processes and procedures easy to understand. Bioengineering is a strong department where faculty, staff, and students are doing amazing work. I was very excited to join the community and help others reach their professional goals through the professional masters programs.

 

What aspect of the job are you most looking forward to?

 

I am really looking forward to continuing to build a community for our graduate professional students – making sure to include the online students as well! Having been an online graduate student, I was very appreciative of what my department did to ensure I was included in the graduate student appreciation week events, orientation, graduation celebrations, and more.

 

Tell me about your career journey- what are some other fun or memorable roles you've had?

 

My professional journey started with the Division of General Studies, where I advised undeclared freshman and sophomore students. From there, I began working on my Ed.D. in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership. During this time, I transitioned to working with graduate students in Library and Information Sciences. This is where I found my professional motivation– supporting the success of graduate students. Having been the Chair of a national group for graduate student advisors, I continue to advocate for resources to support not only the students, but the advisors and administrators that support the graduate students!

 

Do you have any advice for the students you'll be working with?

 

Don’t be afraid to reach out and introduce yourself to me. I love getting to know you all – especially your interests outside of academics!

 

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

 

My husband, Dan, and our 6-month-old son, Jackson love to travel. This past January, we took our first flight with Jackson to one of our favorite places – Maine! Traveling is a pastime of ours, and we can’t wait to continue to explore national parks, state parks, and Europe as a family of three. This summer our goal is to visit five Illinois State Parks and explore the surrounding towns with Jack and one of our dogs, Bear, who is a 7-year-old Black Lab!