Meet the Team
2025-2026
News Editor | 2023 – present
Christine Herman
Christine Herman is an independent audio editor and health journalist. She got her start in public radio at Illinois Public Media in 2015 as a founding producer for The 21st show and went on to become a reporter for IPM News, and later, the managing editor of Side Effects Public Media based at WFYI in Indianapolis. Herman serves on the board of the Association of Health Care Journalists, received the 2023 Media Award from Mental Health America and is a 2018-19 Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellow. She got her Ph.D. in chemistry and M.S. in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Associate Professor | 2025 – present
Stretch Ledford
An associate professor of journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Professor Ledford specializes in transmedia journalism and immersive, cross-cultural pedagogy. With a career spanning 40+ years and more than 55 countries, Ledford has produced and supervised award-winning stories using audio, photographs, and video. He directs the Illinois Partnership for African Women’s Health Narratives, fostering global collaborations in documentary, VR, and cross-cultural collaborative storytelling. Ledford has received numerous teaching awards, including the 2020 Illinois Student Government Teaching Excellence Award and the 2014 Associated Press Media Editors Innovator of the Year for College Students.
Reporter | 2023 – present
Elissa Eaton
Elissa Eaton is a senior journalism student from Naperville, Illinois. She joined Illinois Student Newsroom in 2023, and focuses on stories about science and Illinois legislation. Outside of the newsroom, Eaton is a reporter for UI-7 live and has recently joined the women’s rugby team. She also loves to watch movies, run and go out to eat with friends. Eaton is excited to see where her journalism major will take her after her time at U of I.
Student Editor | 2024 – present
Adelyn Mui
Adelyn Mui is a senior journalism major from Lisle, IL. She joined the Illinois Student Newsroom in 2024. Outside of the newsroom, Mui co-hosts and produces WILL-Call for Illinois Public Media. She is also a university tour guide and a member of No Comment, an all-gender a cappella group. Mui is excited about exploring everything that the world of journalism has to offer.
Reporter | 2024 – present
A. Oishii Basu
A. Oishii Basu is a student reporter with Illinois Public Media, and is involved with other on-campus publications such as WPGU 107.1 FM. Her work has been seen in the Daily Illini, Montage Undergraduate Literary Journal and the Collective Magazine. Her work focuses on the eclectic, unpretentious local arts scene of Champaign-Urbana. Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, she is a senior studying journalism, minoring in Asian American Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign.
Reporter | 2025 – present
Jenny Lin
Jenny Lin is a senior studying Journalism with a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies from Fuzhou, China. She joined the Illinois Public Media newsroom in 2025 summer through a partnership investigative program with the Invisible Institute, where she will focus on reporting policing topics in the Champaign-Urbana area. She is also a program facilitator at I-Connect and assists with academic projects in Gender and Women’s Studies. Before joining IPM, she contributed to The Daily Illini and CU-CitizenAccess as a student journalist. Outside of reporting, Jenny enjoys visual arts and indie music, you can often find her developing film in the darkroom..
Student Editor | 2025 – present
Sam Rink
Sam Rink is a junior journalism major from Tolono, IL. They joined the Illinois Student Newsroom in 2025, and they follow stories involving environmental science and LGBTQ+ issues. Outside of the newsroom, Rink is the senior photographer for The Daily Illini and Illio Yearbook, and they are constantly pursuing new projects in all forms of media. Rink is passionate about bringing accessible news to underserved communities.
Reporter | 2025 – present
Piotr Fedczuk
Piotr Fedczuk is a senior journalism major from Chicago, IL. They rejoined the Illinois Student Newsroom in 2025, where they focus on stories following police accountability. Outside of the newsroom, Fedczuk is an investigative reporter for CU-CitizenAccess, reporting on marginalized groups and creating data visuals. After graduation, Fedczuk wants to keep exploring the intersection of journalism and computer science..
Reporter | 2025 – present
Giuliana Means
Giuliana Means is a freshman journalism major from the Bay Area in California. She joined Illinois Student Newsroom in the spring of 2025. Outside of IPM, she is the Assistant Program Director at WPGU 107.1 and features reporter for the Daily Illini where she is perusing music journalism. In her free time, she can be found at a live music event or reading. Means is excited to see where the journalism world will take her in the future!
Reporter | 2024 – present
Diana Zhang
Diana Zhang is a sophomore majoring in journalism with minor in public relations from Shanghai, China. She joined Illinois Student Newsroom in 2024. Outside of the newsroom, she is a photojournalist for the Daily Illini. In her free time, she enjoys watching films and sleeping. She loves drinking bubble tea.
Reporter | 2025 – present
Layli Nazarova
Layli Nazarova is a senior in journalism, with a minor in political science from Moscow, Russia. She joined the Illinois Student Newsroom in 2025, but has been publishing her work since 2024. Her audio reporting on DEIA issues earned her Hearst Medallion, PMJA and SPJ awards. Outside of the newsroom, Nazarova is an anchor for UI7 Live at UI7 Newsroom. Also, she is a Vice President of SPJ UIUC, PR Committee Head for Kappa Alpha Pi Pre-Law and Government Fraternity, and Communications Lead at Mondelez International’s FutureLab. In her free time, Nazarova likes to sing and create social media content.
Reporter | 2026 – present
Jakia Hines
Jakia Hines is a senior journalism major specializing in sociology from Chicago, Illinois, whose reporting examines the intersections of people, culture and community. Outside of the newsroom, she serves as a copy editor at The Daily Illini and as an anchor and reporter for The Quad and Good Morning Illini. Hines is dedicated to continue expanding her work pursuing multimedia storytelling while exploring new projects across digital, audio and broadcast platforms.
Reporter | 2026 – present
Lyric Roy
Lyric Roy is a sophomore from Chicago, IL majoring in journalism with two minors in political science and art and design. Outside of the newsroom, she spends her time as a consultant with the Writers Workshop on campus, helping writers become more confident in their work. In her free time, Roy loves to knit, sew, cook, attend live music events and play with her kitten, Opal.
Reporter | 2026 – present
Fernanda Romero
Fernanda Romero is a sophomore journalism major from Wheeling, Illinois. She joined Illinois Student Newsroom in 2026. Outside of IPM, she is a reporter and assistant producer for UI7 Newsroom’s Spanish-language broadcast, En Vivo Contigo. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing piano and exploring new spots on campus with friends. Romero is excited to immerse herself further in journalism and multimedia storytelling.
Reporter | 2026 – present
Olivia Dvorak
Olivia Dvorak is a junior journalism major from Riverside, IL. She joined the Illinois Student Newsroom in 2026. Dvorak is also a senior arts and entertainment reporter for The Daily Illini, where she focuses on features and live music coverage. Outside of the newsroom, she enjoys discovering new music, going to concerts and rewatching her favorite shows. Dvorak is excited to explore new fields of reporting and grow as a journalist.
Reporter | 2026 – present
Knox Mynatt
Knox Mynatt is a sophomore journalism student from Urbana, Illinois. He joined the Illinois Student Newsroom in 2026. Mynatt is a transfer student from the University of Missouri. Outside of the newsroom, Mynatt photographs sports and concerts in the Champaign-Urbana community. You can often find him at a house show or walking around local parks enjoying nature.
Reporter | 2026 – present
Annisyn Krebs-Carr
Annisyn is a junior journalism student from Edwardsville, Illinois. She joined the Illinois Student Newsroom in 2026. Annisyn is also the Arts & Entertainment Editor for The Daily Illini and enjoys writing about all things entertainment related. Outside of the newsroom she is very passionate about animals and is currently working towards an animal sciences minor. Annisyn is looking forward to contributing to the Illinois Student Newsroom this year and further immersing herself in the journalism world.
Reporter | 2026 – present
Cooper O’Kelly
Cooper O’Kelly is a junior studying Journalism and English from Palatine, IL. He joined the Illinois Student Newsroom in 2026. Outside of the newsroom, he’s the Sports Director and Production Director at WPGU 107.1 FM, interns with ESPN 93.5 FM, is a beat reporter for SB Nation’s The Champaign Room and calls games for Big Ten Plus. In his free-time, you can often find O’Kelly spending time with his loved ones, cheering on his favorite sports teams or playing video games.
Student Newsroom alumni
Adrien Reetz (2025), Anna Koh (2025), Stephanie Orellana (2025), Brendan Gallian (2025), Brittany Prempin (2025), Kaitlyn Devitt (2025), Michael Sweeney (2025), Madison Holcomb (2025), Anulika Ochuba (2024), Farrah Anderson (2024), Nour Longi (2024), Piotr Fedczuk (2023), Jacqueline Barba (2022), Ariyelle Edwards (2022), Sydney Wood (2023), Owen Henderson (2023), Piper Pascarella (2023), Lillie Salas (2023), Mae Antar (2023), Hannah Lonergan (2022), Emily Richie (2022), Miranda Zanca (2022), Carolina Garibay (2022), Eunice Alpasan (2022), Eva Bein (2022), Neshmia Malik (2022), Zainab Qureshi (2022), Emilio Reyes (2022), Gwyn Skiles (2022), Vivian La (2021), Marissa Plescia (2021), Cesar Sanchez (2021), Mona Alrazzaq (2021), Haley Bickelhaupt (2021), Charrice Jones (2021), Sydney Justin Malone (2021), Olivia Vamos (2021), Gavin Good (2020), Tatiana Perry (2020)
Chris Evans | Founder and Executive Producer (2020-2023)