Claudia Lutz

Assistant Director of Outreach
cclutz@illinois.edu

Lutz manages the outreach group at the IGB, overseeing the development and implementation of a variety of genomics-related events and programs for campus and community members. Her special interest is forms of public engagement that highlight the ubiquity and joy of science in accessible ways.

Prior to her current role, Lutz completed a PhD Neuroscience Program at Illinois studying genomics and learning in the honey bee. She then worked in the IGB communications group for almost 7 years as a science writer before transitioning to lead the outreach group.

Dan Urban

Regional Outreach Program Manager
djurban2@illinois.edu

Urban received his PhD in Ecology, Ethology, and Evolution from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and continues to work as an evolutionary developmental biologist on novel adaptations in bats. He strives to make science interesting and accessible for everyone. He especially enjoys it when students encounter an “Aha moment” where a fun fact or new concept suddenly clicks.

Corinne Campbell

Outreach & Education Coordinator
cannava2@illinois.edu

Campbell works to bring science to the public through accessible and meaningful experiences with community members and scientists. She has a background in neuroscience, having received her Bachelor’s degree and PhD from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Campbell is excited about creating events and activities for individuals of all ages to engage with science.

Sarah Choi

Outreach K-12 Program Manager
schoi44@illinois.edu

Choi coordinates events to bring engaging science experiences to the community, regardless of age. With over a decade of teaching experience in elementary school, she uses her training to create exciting and in-depth programs for the community. She strives to spark curiosity and excitement for scientific concepts with the goal of making science accessible to all.

Julia Pollack

Creative Program Manager
jpollac2@illinois.edu

Pollack uses art as a vehicle to teach the community about science. She is interested in outreach activities that invite the public to ask more questions about the science and scientists at the IGB. She also creates and curates the IGB's Art of Science collection, which focuses on the connections between art and science.

Danny Ryerson

Outreach Activities Coordinator
ryerson1@illinois.edu

Ryerson’s PhD research focused on how hormonal signals in the liver change after eating. He enjoys finding ways to make scientific topics exciting and interesting to everyone, regardless of their background. Ryerson relishes discussing science with community members as he finds the experience incredibly rewarding and believes that the questions people ask are truly insightful.