In this series, meet members of the University of Illinois’ Research Development Community. Wendy Bartlo is assistant director for strategic initiatives and research relations in the College of Applied Health Sciences.
1. What does your day-to-day look like?
Every day is a mix of activities and looks a little different for me. I do a lot of different tasks to support
the research mission of AHS. Some days I am working on organizing events or seminars for faculty or research symposia. Other days, I am working with teams to develop Investment for Growth proposals, meeting with colleagues from across campus to connect our faculty with partners and resources, meeting with community partners about potential projects and programs, or meeting with college leadership for strategic planning. I track research metrics and draft reports for college leadership. I also run an internship program for undergraduates and guest lecture in AHS classes.
2. What do you enjoy about your current position?
I feel very connected to the AHS mission to improve quality of life for people across the lifespan. I really enjoy that I get to work on a lot of different projects and with a lot of interesting people.
3. What was your path to your current role on campus?
My academic background is in anthropology. I started my career in museums as an educator at the Chucalissa Museum at the University of Memphis. After graduating with a M.A. in applied anthropology, I took a job with a team of social scientists at General Motors R & D. One of the projects I worked on there was a program evaluation of health and wellness programs for retirees, which sparked an interest in gerontology. I returned to graduate school to do a Ph.D. in anthropology and a predoctoral fellowship at the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University in Detroit. My dissertation was about older adults and placemaking in Detroit neighborhoods. After my family relocated to Champaign-Urbana, I joined the Center on Health, Aging, and Disability where I have worked since 2016.
4. Are there particular experiences or mentors who shaped your career?
I’ve had a lot of wonderful mentors throughout my career who were generous with their time and had a lot of patience for me. My master’s advisor Dan Swan helped me develop as a professional and taught me how to write a cover letter for a job. My first boss out of my master’s program, Elizabeth Briody, was a technical fellow at General Motors R & D. She taught me so much about doing ethnographic research and being brave in the field. The faculty in the Anthropology Department and the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, who helped nurture my curiosity and critical thinking skills. When I first came to Illinois, my now-friend Kathy Partlow from the ACES Office of Research took me under her wing and introduced me to the term “research development.”
5. What are your interests and hobbies? Tell us a little bit about yourself outside of your position!
I love to spend time with my family and dog. I am also an avid reader of fiction and every year I have a goal to read at least 52 books.