Jerry Dávila is Executive Director of the Illinois Global Institute. He is also the Jorge Paulo Lemann Chair in Brazilian History. Dávila’s research focuses on   the influence of racial thought on public policy in Brazil, as well as the state and social movements in the twentieth century.  He is the author of Hotel Trópico: Brazil and the Challenge of African Decolonization (Duke, 2010), Diploma of Whiteness: Race and Public Policy in Brazil (Duke, 2003), and Dictatorship in South America (Wiley, 2013). He is also co-author of A History of World Societies, 11^th ed. (Bedford-St. Martin’s, 2018).

Gisela Sin is Acting Director of the Illinois Global Institute. She is also past Director of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and  Associate professor of Political Science. Prof. Sin is the author of the award winning book Separation of Powers and Legislative Organization (Cambridge University Press, 2015), and the coauthor of Congreso, Presidencia y Justicia en Argentina (TEMAS, 1999). Her research has been published in numerous journals and has presented her work at universities throughout Latin America and Europe, and was a scholar in residence at Universidad Católica de Chile, Instituto Iberoamericano Universidad de Salamanca, Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals, and a Fulbright Scholar in the United States.

Maureen E. Marshall is the Deputy Director of the Illinois Global Institute where she leads efforts to build student experiences within IGI, supports IGI operations, leads IGI programming, and builds IGI connections. Prior to taking on this position she was the Associate Director at the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center (REEEC). Maureen is also a Research Associate Affiliate in Anthropology and an Associate Director of Project ArAGATS. Her research focuses on the bioarchaeology and lived experiences of early complex polities and empires in the South Caucasus and Eurasia.

Katrina Chester is the Assistant Director of IGI and oversees all aspects of the Institute's operations. Prior to coming on board, she served as the Grants and Contracts Specialist at Illinois International. In this position, she served as the primary contact in support of proposal writing, grant administration, and required reporting for IIP Centers and Programs. Before joining IIP, Katrina served as the Outreach/Program Coordinator for the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center (REEEC). She holds an M.S. in Education from Indiana University and a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Illinois.

Terri Gitler is the IGI Communications Coordinator and a member of the LAS Communications and Marketing team. Prior to taking on this position, Terri worked for over ten years for the Center for African Studies and the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and has extensive experience in the field of publishing. She holds a B.A. and M.A. in British and American Literature from UIUC.

Allyson Magno is the Grants and Fellowships Coordinator for IGI. She completed her bachelor’s in Speech and Hearing Science at the University of Illinois and then her master’s in Speech Pathology at the University of Iowa. Before joining IGI, she worked in the public schools providing speech and language therapy services to students in grades pre-K to 12. Allyson manages and coordinates federal grants and gifts, including those associated with the U.S. Department of Education's National Resource Center (NRC) grant administration and Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) undergraduate scholarship and graduate fellowship programs. She works with the IGI Centers & Programs, various departments, colleges, administration offices, and funding groups to ensure effective and efficient management of funds.

Sarah Pierson is an Office Support Specialist for the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center (REEEC) and The Program in Arms Control and Domestic & International Securities (ACDIS). Prior to her IGI position, Sarah was an Executive Chef having spent over twenty years in various aspects throughout the food service industry. She is an alum, from the college of ACES – Food Science and Human Nutrition Program. Desiring a career shift that would afford her a new work-life balance, she was glad to assume her administrative role. Sarah is glad to work near the quad, see all the changes that have happened to campus over the years, and looks forward to trying new campus restaurants (and some of her old favorites, of course!)

Oksana Popova joined IGI in 2022 and is an Office Support Specialist for the European Union Center and Women & Gender in Global Perspectives.

Rosa Pullen is an Office Support Specialist for the Center for Global Studies (CGS) and the Center for East Asian & Pacific Studies (CEAPS). She assists with center events, programs, and business needs. Her interests include Korean language and culture and music composition. Currently, Rosa is currently working towards a BA in Elementary Education. 

Sam Ham is an Office Support Specialist for the Center for African Studies and the Center for South Asian & Middle Eastern Studies. In his spare time, Sam likes to play basketball at the ARC and travel to visit family and friends.

Nicki Vega is an Office Support Specialist for the Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies and the Illinois Global Institute. She is the youngest of four, currently in school for finance. Previous to her career at the U of I, she worked in the medical field in the cardio vascular intensive care unit at Carle. She has two cats, loves animals, and is excited to be part of this amazing team!

Joshua Williams is the Accounting and Operations Associate for the IGI.

Piyali Banerjee is an Accounting Officer at IGI. She has a background and training in accounts management and auditing, as well as experience in business operations. Before joining IGI, she held various roles, including Account Manager, Articled Assistant, and Tax Consultant, in Canada and India. Outside of work, Piyali enjoys dancing to her favorite beats and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, revealing her foodie personality. Currently, she is pursuing her MSM at Gies College of Business.

Rebecca is the inaugural Illinois Scholars at Risk Program Coordinator. Prior to moving to Champaign, she served as a Digital Learning Subject Matter Expert and Learning Delivery Specialist with the Yale School of Management's Executive Education team. Her projects included coordinating sustainability training for engineers across the U.S. and Europe, managing a global women’s entrepreneurial summit, and launching Exec Ed's flagship podcast, Long Life Learning. Before that, Rebecca spent seven years teaching in Shanghai, Brussels, and Connecticut. She holds an M.A. in English from the University of Virginia and a B.A. in English from St. Olaf College.