UIC Alumni Board

Leadership Committee

The Leadership Committee (LC) comprises alumni who serve in various leadership capacities across the Alumni Board. The LC will set UIC Alumni Board agendas, overall direction and emphasis for the UIC Alumni Board and conduct the business of the UIC Alumni Board in the intervals between UIC Alumni Board meetings. The LC members are visible key stakeholders and provide leadership and vision. ​

Members

Patricia Ballesteros BS ’97, Alumni Career Services Committee Chair

Ed Cohen BS ’75, Immediate Past Alumni Board President

Jim Dorociak BS ’81, PHARMD ’83, Special Project Liaison

Debra Evans MS ’85, Alumni Loyalty and Outreach Committee Co-Chair

Robin Ficke JD ’09, Alumni Advocacy Committee Co-Chair

Kerl LaJeune BArch ’92, Alumni Board President

Bill Merchantz BS ’79, President Emeritus

Mary Maryland PhD ’94, Alumni Board President Elect

John Ochoa BArch ’78, Alumni Loyalty and Outreach Committee Co-Chair

Uche Onwuta MPH ’97, Awards and Nominations Committee Chair

Emily Tapia-Lopez MUPP ’07, Alumni Advocacy Co-Chair

Tikia Travis BA ’17, MA ’20, Student and Recent Alumni Engagement Committee Chair

Damaris Tapia, Executive Director, UICAA, Ex-Officio Member

Alumni Advocacy Committee

The Alumni Advocacy Committee (AAC) comprises alumni who help with advocacy and represent UIC priorities. The AAC coordinates the recommendations for nominations to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees and works closely with UIC Government Affairs to advance UIC legislative priorities. ​

Members

Josué Barba JD ’12

Robin Ficke JD ’09, *Committee Co-Chair

Vittorio Gomez BA ’97

Emily Tapia-Lopez MUPP ’07, *Committee Co-Chair

Angelo Tzivas BA ’14, JD ’17

Heather Winter MPA ’16

Rocco Zucchero MUPP ’98

Alumni Career Services Committee

The Alumni Career Services Committee (ACSC) advances traditional and web-based engagement pathways to career services for UIC alumni. This includes the Alumni Coaching Network, mentoring and networking programming and recommending life-long learning opportunities to be offered to UIC alumni.  ​

Members

Patricia Ballesteros BS ’97, Committee Chair

Farrah Haque BA ’12, MS ’13

Tamekia Holman BA ’08

Lajuana Murphy BA ’94

Brennan Nichols BS ’09, MBA ’24, Vice Chair

Alumni Loyalty and Outreach Committee

The Alumni Loyalty and Outreach Committee (ALOC) promotes meaningful connections between alumni volunteers and UIC through their closest affinity or common interest including, but not limited to geography, college unit, athletics, Greek life, veteran affiliation, employee group, cultural or ethnic identification. ALOC works to create opportunities for alumni to engage, volunteer, and contribute to the University’s growth and community in ways that benefit both alumni and current students.

Members

Cecelia Blue BS ’94, MBA ’07

Nicholas Crite BSEE ’03, MUPP ’07, MPA ’12

Jim Dorociak BS ’81, PHARMD ’83

Debra Evans MS ’85, Committee Co-Chair

Karen Keesing BS ’96

Vera Mandilovitch BA ’01, Vice Chair

Paulina Martinez MUPP ’16

John Ochoa BArch ’78, Committee Co-Chair

Carmen Outlaw BSCHE ’99

Ayesha Patel JD ’14

Eugene Sadhu BS ’00, MD ’07

J. Bradley Sargent BS ’99, Vice Chair

Matthew Steward BS ’01, JD ’07

Awards and Nominations Committee

The Awards and Nominations Committee (ANC) has two specific areas of focus:  ​

1. Identifying and selecting UIC alumni awards recipients ​
2. Work with the Vice Chair – Membership to understand the qualifications for open positions and needs of the various committees to inform new and rotating alumni volunteers

The ANC reviews applications/nominations to serve on the Alumni Board and will make recommendations for new members. The ANC will also annually present a slate of candidates to fill leadership positions. ​

Members

Booma S. Balasubramani PhD ’20, Vice Chair

Barbara Johnson, BA ’68

Lee LoBue BA ’04

Uche Onwuta MPH ’97, Committee Chair

Student and Recent Alumni Engagement Committee

The Student and Recent Alumni Engagement Committee (SRAEC) advises on programming specifically designed for students to engage them in the UIC alumni network from convocation to graduation. They also focus on programming to keep recent alumni connected and engaged with UIC.  The SRAEC supports efforts of the University Ambassadors program by providing training and resources to help ensure student success.  

Members

Jocelyn Bravo BA ’21, Vice Chair

John Donners BS ’22

Evaristo Herrera BA ’12

Nida Husain BS ’16

Tikia Travis BA ’17, MA ’20, Committee Chair

Adrian Villarreal BA ’17, MEd ’21

Melvin Woolfolk BA ’18, MEd ’19

All members of the UIC Alumni Board are expected to:

• Read and understand the Alumni Board’s Operating Guidelines and review Board materials in advance of each meeting.
• Prepare, attend and actively participate in two scheduled full Alumni Board meetings.
• Actively serve and contribute on one of the UIC Alumni Board standing committees.
• Make a meaningful gift to UIC each year.
• Serve as an advocate for UIC out in the field and with your alumni community (regional/class/degree cohorts) by staying informed of news and issues affecting UIC.
• Represent the UIC Alumni Board by attending and participating in various UIC campus related activities (e.g. UIC Connected, Alumni Admission Program, Undergraduate Research Forum, Homecoming, Alumni Awards).
• Promote Alumni Association events to your personal networks and encourage alumni to attend.
• Vote on new Board members and elect current Board members to serve on the Leadership committee.
• Help identify/recommend alumni in your personal network to get involved with UIC.
• Recommend prospective students and share job or internship opportunities for current students when available.
• Support the professional staff of the Alumni Association.

The general responsibilities of the UIC Alumni Board include, but are not limited to:

• Serving as the official alumni volunteer leadership voice representing the collective UIC alumni body.
• Supporting and working to advance the mission of UIC.
• Fostering synergies to enhance and advance relationships between UIC alumni, the UIC campus and the university at large.
• Mentoring students and alumni.
• Promoting life-long learning and connections.
• Recruiting, nurturing and encouraging UIC alumni volunteerism.
• Building, promoting and strengthening alumni outreach and relationship building.
• Supporting alumni relations strategies consistent and complimentary with the UIC Office of the Vice Chancellor for Advancement and university goals at large.

Members of the UIC Alumni Board serve a two-year term. Terms can be renewed up to two consecutive terms, totaling six (6) consecutive years of service. Average time commitment is 7-10 hours per month.

Applications are currently closed and the Alumni Board has no open positions for the 2026-2027 year. 

Alumni* are eligible to apply when positions become available. Applications are accepted February 1–March 31 and reviewed by the Awards and Nominations Committee; submissions received after March 31 roll into the next year’s pool.

For more information, please email uicalumni@uic.edu.

*Alumni are defined as individuals who have completed coursework toward or who have been granted a postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma including an associate, baccalaureate, masters, doctoral, or first professional degree, as well as post-baccalaureate or first professional certificate.

A committee member serves on an alumni board committee as a non-board member, supporting its work as an extension of the Alumni Board. Volunteers contribute time, talent, and resources during a one-year term, renewable as determined by the Alumni Board. Average time commitment is 3-7 hours per month, depending on the committee.

• Maintain regular communication with committee chairs, Alumni Association staff, and fellow volunteers.
• Respond promptly to emails and attend scheduled meetings.
• Participate in committee meetings and come prepared with ideas.
• Engage actively in projects and activities.
• Attend orientation and periodic check-ins.
• Support UIC Alumni Association events and share them within personal networks.
• Build relationships with students and alumni via UIC Connected.

All alumni are eligible to become a committee member. Ideal candidates have strong interpersonal and communication skills are effective connectors and networkers, bring some leadership experience, and preferably have prior UIC volunteer involvement. They should also demonstrate a clear commitment to serving UIC and its community.

Applications are accepted annually and reviewed by the Awards and Nominations Committee. The application window is open February 1–April 17; submissions after April 17 roll into the next year’s cycle. Terms begin July 1, 2026 and applicants will be notified of decisions in early June.

For more information, please email uicalumni@uic.edu.

Click here to apply today!