Elevate Team

Hi! My name is Rachel Hirsh. I am the Senior Director of Campus Life at Illinois Tech. Like you all, I am also currently a student at Illinois Tech. I am a Ph.D. Candidate studying technology and humanities. I have a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s in educational leadership. I am here to help answer any questions!

Contact me for: Adding a supplier to BuyIt, signing contracts, organization budget needs, large-scale event planning, getting involved in Campus Life monthly events, SGA advising, UB advising, general advising

BJ serves as Senior Director for Career Services. He has worked at Illinois Tech since 2007 in both enrollment management/recruiting roles and Career Services. In his current role, BJ manages the day-to-day activities of Career Services and assists in determining the strategic direction for the office to most effectively engage students, employers, and alumni to ensure that our students are successful in the first step of their career journey.  This also includes the management and development of the Elevate program and Illinois Tech’s Cooperative Education and Internship program.  BJ is a proud alumnus of the Illinois Tech’s Stuart School of Business, receiving his Master of Science in Marketing Analytics and Communication in 2014.  

Kaelen is the Manage of Elevate Initiatives in the Office of Campus. She started at Illinois Tech as an undergraduate admission counselor in February of 2018 and moved to the Office of Campus Life in November of 2021. As part of her Campus Life responsibilities, she assists with planning and implementing Campus Life events, oversees Union Board, Illinois Tech’s student programming board, and assists student organizations with event planning and other organization needs. As part of Elevate, she manages the Elevate portal that showcases experiences for students, assists with overseeing the Edge Award, and oversees the First-Year Elevate program.

Fun Fact: I have an Australian Cattle dog named Luna and am a huge Harry Potter fan.

Contact me for: FYE (First-Year Elevate), Elevate experiences on campus, event planning, event registration, Union Board Events, UB advising, general advising

Lisa L. Montgomery is the director for Elevate Experiential Partnerships. In this role, she strategically works to pair students with robust internships, externships, and research opportunities at companies and organizations that are university partners.  She also builds trusted relationships with companies that drive the universities diversity, business, and social goals, enhances brand reputation, and engage alumni.

Outside of work, Lisa has a nonprofit organization, Dreams & Beyond, that supports girls and women serving organizations through research, training, and coaching. She also advocates for literacy through her program, The Wild Formula Learning Network, by providing free books to youth and promoting sensory learning. Additionally, her Cultural Kitchen Club program has revealed the secrets of kitchens around the world!

Additional Titles

Professor of Biology and Biomedical Engineering
Associate Director of BioCAT

Education

B.Sc. (Hons) University of Stirling
Ph.D. University of Stirling

Research Interests

Professor Joseph Orgel is a British American Scientist based at the Illinois Institute of Technology with past and present appointments in Biology, Physics, and Biomedical Engineering and Applied Health Sciences at UIC as visiting faculty. His research interests are concerned with fundamental structural biochemistry problems that have direct links to the understanding and treatment of disease. Using unique techniques developed by Orgel, his group has been able to visualize the molecular organization of connective and neurological tissues to a resolution of less than one billionth of a meter. Joseph Orgel leads investigations of brain pathological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Traumatic Brain Injury in collaboration with the US Army and connective tissue conditions including heart disease and arthritis, at the National Institutes of Health Biotechnology Research Resource, BioCAT, as Associate Director. An awardee of the United States National Science Foundation’s CAREER award, he has been Biochemistry Section Editor of the Public Library of Science Journal, PloS ONE since 2008 and joined the board of directors of the National Museum of Health and Medicine (Chicago) in December of 2012.

Additional Titles

Director, Esports and Digital Arts
Director, Exelon Summer Institute

Education

Master of Science – Technical Communication and Information Design, Illinois Institute of Technology
Master of Arts – Instructional Design: Designing and Delivering Technical Training for Communities, DePaul University
Bachelor of Fine Arts – Dual Degrees: Graphic Design and Photography, Loyola University Chicago
Bachelor of Science – School of Management BS in Business Administration, Marketing Concentration, Boston University

Education: M.A. in International Education Management from Middlebury Institute of International Studies; B.A. in East Asian Studies & French from Hollins University

Global Know-How: Emmaline was able to study abroad in both Japan and France during her undergraduate studies. She enjoyed improving her language skills and experiencing other cultures. After earning her B.A., she spent 3 years living in Japan and teaching English and cross-cultural understanding to Japanese high school students. She has worked with international students in the U.S. as well as helping U.S. students study abroad. Conover is passionate about sharing her experiences and helping students reach their personal, academic, and career goals through international experiences.

Interests: Conover enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading fantasy books, watching movies, and knitting.