Jama Schwegman she/her

Public Safety Dispatcher

• Phone: 309-749-7000
• Email: jamaschwegman@augustana.edu
• Office: Sorensen Hall

Specializations: Public Safety

Zachary Draves is the program director for sexual violence prevention and education under a grant from the Department of Justice.

Drave works with others from across campus to coordinate and enhance Augustana’s response to sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. 

He will develop and lead a Coordinated Community Response Team of campus and community stakeholders to focus on prevention efforts.

Craig Weeks

Police Officer

• Phone: 309-794-7711
• Email: craigweeks@augustana.edu
• Office: Sorensen Hall

Specializations: Public Safety

Lisa Adner

Clinic Coordinator, Roseman Center for Speech, Language, and Hearing

• Phone: 309-794-7350
• Email: lisaadner@augustana.edu
• Office: Roseman Center for Speech, Language, and Hearing, Brodahl Hall

Lisa Adner eagerly returned to Rock Island after a career in Chicago because she always knew this was where she wanted her family to be raised. Luckily, her husband, Scott, agreed.

They enjoyed putting their geology background to good use exploring a large number of national parks as well as interesting sites overseas. And now, as parents of two active teenagers, they happily spend most of their time at band concerts, volleyball tournaments, and horse shows while their kids pursue their own passions. In the moments between activities, Lisa enjoys collecting quilting fabric and supplies, trying out the latest kitchen gadgets, and spending time with friends and extended family.

Jill McNeil

Assistant Director of Admissions, Chicago Region

• Phone: 630-470-5988
• Email: jillmcneil@augustana.edu

Schedule a meeting with Jill

Hometown: New Lenox, Ill.

Current town: Bartlett, Ill.

College attended: Augustana College

Major(s): Psychology and Communication Studies

What do you most love to tell prospective students about Augustana?

Just how beautiful our campus is and how welcoming and friendly our community is! In addition to our students feeling at home on our highly active and engaged campus, there are so many amazing opportunities for students to get involved in outside of the classroom. One unique opportunity that makes it possible for students to carry out their passion is through Augie Choice, which is $2,000 that is available to students to participate in a qualifying hands-on learning experience of their choice: internship, research, or study abroad. You will leave Augustana with lifelong memories AND all the right credentials to build your resume on to be successful after college.

Why did you decide to work in this field and/or at Augustana? 

I have worked in admissions since 2016 and I love being able to assist students with the college search, because while it’s an exciting time, it can certainly be daunting. There’s nothing better than being able to help a student find their fit. And now that I get to help them find their way to Augie, a place I called home for four years, it’s a dream come true! I wholeheartedly believe that Augie is an incredible place to grow and find yourself and so I’m truly honored to get to work for my alma mater and give back to a place that did so much for me.

What’s great about the Quad Cities?

As someone from the Chicagoland area, when I arrived to Augie as a freshman, it didn’t take long to realize that there are still so many opportunities and resources in the Quad Cities for students. I think that being a smaller urban area plays to the strengths of the Quad Cities because there is more of a close-knit community aspect to the QCA.

There are many reputable companies and organizations, big and small, for students to have internship opportunities. There are also so many fun and exciting things to do in the Quad Cities as well — catch a River Bandits games, walk the Mississippi River front, check out all of the local theatre/arts shows, cheer on the community or participate in the Quad Cities Marathon or Bix! And of course, experience all the delicious food. My favorite thing to learn was that the Quad Cities cuts their pizza in their own unique way.

What advice do you have for students who are searching for the right college? 

Start by figuring out what it is YOU want in your college experience. With that being said, it’s OK to be all over the place when you start the process because you will begin to figure out what it is you want and what you don’t want. Make sure to also do your research to see if a school offers your “must haves” to set you up for success.

A great way to begin to understand what it is you are looking for is to VISIT! There’s no greater feeling than stepping foot on a campus and knowing that you can see yourself calling it home for the next four years! (It sounds corny, but it’s a real experience for some students – when you know, you know.)

Territories: DuPage, Will, Kendall and southwest Cook counties

Specializations: Admissions

Brooke Randazzo

Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science

• Phone: 309-794-7260
• Email: brookerandazzo@augustana.edu
• Office: Olin 221

Dr. Brooke Randazzo is excited to be returning to Augustana as a faculty member. She studies mathematical group theory (essentially, the formal study of symmetries) by using tools from linear algebra (e.g., matrices) and number theory (e.g., prime numbers). In addition to research in pure mathematics, she is also interested in how mathematicians and students think about mathematics. 

This includes the metaphors they use to talk about high level math, the connections they make across the curriculum, and their processes for writing mathematical definitions.

In her free time, she enjoys watching television, doing puzzles and playing board games with her husband.

Melinda Pupillo

Campus Chaplain and Director of Spiritual Development

• Phone: 309-794-7478
• Email: melindapupillo@augustana.edu
• Office: Bahls CLC

Rev. Melinda Pupillo has served at Augustana since January 2021. She has also served as pastor of Holden Village, a remote Lutheran Christian retreat center in Washington’s Cascade Mountains, where she supported a religiously diverse and non-religious community.

Before arriving in Washington, she spent 13 years in La Crosse, Wis., serving primarily as associate pastor, in a large congregation for 11 years. She also worked in Wisconsin as a program and retreat coordinator for the Franciscan Spirituality Center.

She has experience working abroad in South and Central America, where she has lived and also led groups of young people in cultural learning. 

Rev. Pupillo coordinates religious and spiritual life on campus and supervises the worship planning team and student leadership team. She works beside counselors and others within the student life team, with a particular focus on the spiritual health and growth of Augustana students.

She also acts as one of the college’s primary liaisons with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Northern Illinois Synod, and advises the President’s Cabinet in matters of institutional values and mission.

Specializations: Campus Ministries, Campus Cupboard

Evan Sammons ’20

Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving

• Phone: 309-794-7575
• Email: evansammons@augustana.edu
• Office: Sorensen Hall

Evan Sammons joined the Office of Advancement in 2020, seven months after graduating from Augustana with a bachelor's degree in communication studies and instrumental performance (saxophone). After graduating from Augustana, he worked as a campaign associate at United Way of the Quad Cities, and then in marketing at Central Bank in Geneseo, Ill.

In his current role, he coordinates Friends of Music, a membership-based club created to support Augustana's student-musicians; advises the GOLD Council, a group of graduates of the last decade who work to cultivate relationships with fellow alumni on behalf of the college; and leads the student philanthropy program. 

Specializations: Advancement

Tyler Vens

Associate Director of Financial Aid

• Phone: 309-794-7680
• Email: tylervens@augustana.edu
• Office: Seminary Hall 102A

Schedule a meeting with Tyler

Specializations: Financial aid