adapted from a PEO press release

GSLIS doctoral student and CDI Research Assistant Kirstin Phelps has been selected by the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) to receive one of ninety Scholar Awards given in the United States and Canada. PEO Scholar Award winners are a select group of women chosen for their high level of academic achievement and potential to positively impact society.

Phelps will receive a merit-based award of $15,000 to support her doctoral studies. She was sponsored by the Champaign, Illinois, chapter of PEO and recommended by members of the GSLIS and CDI faculty.

Her research interests involve the role of collective leadership in shaping how interorganizational groups work together to accomplish shared goals. Her research considers three main areas: leadership, groups, and information communication technology. In addition to her research assistant role at CDI, Phelps is project manager for the Digital Innovation and Leadership Program (DILP) grant .

Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, Phelps was an assistant director at the Illinois Leadership Center at the University of Illinois. In this role, she taught undergraduate courses on leadership, developed formal training programs for leadership skill development, and facilitated student, faculty, and staff workshops on leadership competencies. Phelps is a double graduate of Illinois, where she studied agricultural communication and advertising as an undergraduate and earned a master’s degree in agricultural education.