Harris Family Scholarship Fund for Social Work
The School of Social Work is pleased to announce the creation of the Harris Family Scholarship Fund for Social Work. Wendy (MS Library Science, 2002) and Chris took jobs at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1994, planning to stay “no more than three years,” and ultimately retired from the university in 2024.
The Illinois experience led Wendy and Chris to unexpected and remarkable careers, resulting in positions they did not even know existed when they first arrived. Wendy began as a field archaeologist before moving into roles at the Beckman Institute, the College of Education, and the Department of Mathematics. Her final and favorite position was with the School of Social Work, where she served as Associate Dean for Administration until her retirement. Chris began as a writer for one of the divisions of what became the Prairie Research Institute. He then moved to the College of Education before spending the latter half of his career in the campus Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing. Prior to his retirement, Chris served as the Chancellor’s speechwriter and Executive Communications Director.
Wendy’s and Chris’s roles briefly overlapped during their years in the College of Education, and it was there that they stopped seeing themselves as simply employees of the university and instead came to view themselves as members of the Illinois family. Their interactions with faculty, staff, and students helped them understand what has made the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign a world-changing institution for more than 150 years. Later, in Wendy’s final role at the School of Social Work, she once again had the opportunity to work alongside students, staff, and faculty who believed deeply that one of the most powerful forces for change is building a society in which every person has the support and opportunity to reach their full potential.
Wendy and Chris came to the university for jobs but found something much more: a community of people who gave them the opportunity to become part of one of the world’s great public universities. By creating the Harris Family Scholarship Fund for Social Work, as well as a companion scholarship at the College of Education, they hope to help strengthen that community connection with students, supporting their education and enabling them to realize their potential as part of the Illinois family.
If you would like to learn more about how you can make an impact through scholarships like this, please contact Nathan Goebel.