Admissions Staff Directory

Please feel free to contact us by phone or email.

Contact one of our Admissions Staff:

Our admissions staff are dedicated to helping incoming students navigate the admissions process. We have counselors for incoming freshmen, as well as a dedicated counselor for transfer students and international students.

Click on a name to see more information:

Aaron Boettcher

You can call me:

Coach B, Aaron

Hometown:

McHenry, IL

Alma Maters:

BA Finance, Millikin University, 2003

MBA University of Illinois at Springfield, 2005

Advice for College Students: 

Enjoy it!!! This is your chance in life to get 4 years to really discover where you want to take you passions, interests, and goals in life. There are so many things you will discover about who you are and what is important to you. There is a reason you worked so hard in high school because college is a ton of fun!!!

Best Thing About Springfield:

Diversity. There are so many different types of people and so many things to do.

Favorite Place on Campus:

The old Student Life Gym, or Assembly Closet as we used to call it when I coached basketball, since that is where I met my wife!

About Aaron:

Huge Green Bay Packers and St. Louis Cardinals Fan, played college baseball and coached college basketball, and my biggest weaknesses are spelling and art of any kind.

Anna Bradford

You Can Call me: 

Anna

Hometown:

Woodstock, IL

Alma Mater:

BA Linguistics, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 2009

Advice for College Students:

Befriend an international student – explore the globe, a friend at a time! And take advantage of the Study Abroad opportunities.

Best Thing About Springfield:

I enjoy downtown Springfield. The Abraham Lincoln sites and the Dana Thomas house are excellent. I definitely recommend going to the Farmer’s Market as well!

Favorite Place on Campus:

Campus Lake is a relaxing and peaceful spot to refresh.

About Anna:

I lived in Japan for 5 1/2 years teaching English as a Second Language, and I enjoy to travel/explore whenever I can. I love to swap travel stories, hearing food recommendations, and speaking about traditional handicrafts!

Leigh Brannan

.

You Can Call Me:

Leigh

Hometown:

Jacksonville, IL

Alma Mater:

BA English, Philosophy, and Religion, MacMurray College, 2004

Advice for College Students:

Go to class and sit in the front row!

Best Thing About Springfield:

UIS!

Favorite Place on Campus:

The Shakespeare Garden

About Leigh:

I was a gymnast for a long time and was a competitive diver in college, I read around 60 books a year, and I love to workout.

Jillian Helmer-Briggs

You Can Call Me:

Jill, Jillian

Hometown:

Cary, IL

Alma Maters:

BA Journalism, Columbia College Chicago, 2002

MA Communication, Western Illinois University, 2005

Advice for College Students:

Get involved so you get the most out of your college experience.

Favorite Thing About Springfield:

I love Springfield because there are lots of things to do–shopping, restaurants, festivals–and it’s small enough where it’s not hectic and congested like in a big city.

Favorite Place on Campus:

The UIS Pond

About Jillian:

I love Harry Potter, I like to crochet in my spare time, and I have pet sugar gliders.

Kathryn Kleeman

You Can Call Me:

Kathryn

My hometown:

Terre Haute, IN

Alma Maters:

BS Business Management, Indiana State, 1997

MPA University of Illinois Springfield, 2005

Advice for College Students:

Get involved in clubs and organizations. You’ll learn a lot and make great connections.

Best Thing About Springfield:

Easy to get around but lots of amenities of a larger city

Favorite Place on Campus:

The Student Union patio

About Kathryn:

I like a cappela (specifically Straight No Chaser); I have traveled to China; like road trips.

Carly Leffel

You Can Call Me:

Carly

Hometown:

Naperville, IL

Alma Mater:

BA Communication, University of Illinois Springfield, 2017

Advice for College Students:

Get involved in as many clubs and organizations as you can.

Best Thing About Springfield:

Horseshoes!

Favorite Place on Campus:

The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC)

About Carly:

I played volleyball for 10 years and in college, I love to read, and I love to cook.

Andrew Nicol

You Can Call Me:

Andrew

Hometown: 

Pana, IL

Alma Mater:

BA Communication, University of Illinois Springfield, 2012

Advice for College Students:

Get involved, try new things, and take advantage of the resources available to you while in college.

Best Thing About Springfield:

Springfield has a diverse offering of activities, while still having the accessibility of a small town.

Favorite Place on Campus:

Definitely TRAC. I spent a lot of time playing intramurals during my time at UIS.

About Andrew:

Playing Pokémon Go. I was on Wheel of Fortune. I enjoy going to concerts and have a very eclectic music selection.

Miranda Swope

You Can Call Me:

Miranda

Hometown:

Edinburg, IL

Alma Mater:

BA Communication, University of Illinois Springfield, 2018

Advice for College Students:

I highly encourage you to attend the Involvement Expo during Welcome Week. This is a perfect opportunity to check out all the unique ways to get involved on campus. Trust me, being active on campus is a great way to get the most out of your college experience.

Best Thing About Springfield:

There is so much to do! For being a smaller city, it’s super easy to find fun activities on the weekends. I promise Springfield has more than just historical sites (even though some of them are pretty neat). I highly recommend checking out the Illinois Times website to find out about different events happening around town!

Favorite Place on Campus:

We have such a beautiful campus here at UIS, so it is difficult for me to pick just one spot. With that being said, I really enjoy walking around campus to admire all our university has to offer.

About Miranda:

I transferred to UIS after attending my first two years at a local community college. I am a huge Ellen fan and right before I started as an Admissions Counselor, I got to go to a taping of her show. I was on the bass fishing team in high school.