2026-2027 Board of Directors

Daniel initially joined the Cabinet as an At-Large Member in 2021 and served as Secretary from 2022-2025.

Hometown: Bushnell, Illinois

Location: Evanston, Illinois

Education:

Boston University, BA (Physics)

Boston University, BM (Composition & Music Theory)

Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, MM (Composition & Music Theory Pedagogy)

Northwestern University, PhD (Music Theory & Cognition), in progress

Currently: PhD Student at Northwestern University

Fun Fact: I now own almost 4000 books!

Website: www.collectedcollins.com

Following graduation from IMSA, he remained connected with students and alumni through campus visits and an online presence on IMSA’s text-based servers (imsasun, titan). As IMSA matured and engaged with growing numbers of alumni, Brian was a consistent presence during annual Alumni Day activities. He was elected the IMSA Alumni Association’s ninth president, serving three terms from 2017 to 2023.

If you can't find him, he's probably collecting passport stamps (while they still exist), experiences, adventures, um... catching flights (not feelings?), living his best life, and sometimes being a little ridiculous.

Hometown: Hillside, Illinois

Location: Champaign, Illinois

Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, BS Computer Science

Currently: Manager of Visitor Services and Events, Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, Urbana, Illinois

Fun Fact:

You can see him on screen for a total of about 13 seconds in the 2026 film "Five Month Trial".  You can also hear his laugh shortly after the 31-minute mark of SNL's 3rd episode of Season 35.

Website: instagram.com/uhyeahwhatever

I'm excited to continue my involvement at IMSA. I greatly enjoyed my time at IMSA, and want to both stay connected and give back where I can. I'm also excited for my class's 25 reunion in the summer of 2027. I currently live in Hyde Park, am active in our local parks, and volunteer with a local food pantry project. I work as a Principal Development Engineer for Fiber Optics at Panduit in Tinley Park, where I've just celebrated my 20th anniversary. 

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Education: Illinois Institute of Technology, BS Mechanical Engineering 

Currently:

Design Engineer Principal, Panduit Corp. I design new products and improve existing products related to fiber optic infrastructure. 

Fun Fact: I love riding trains

Attending IMSA was a formative experience for me and I am very grateful that I had the opportunity. I want to support the Academy's mission. I value my connections with other IMSA alumni highly, and I volunteer with the IAA to help maintain our alumni community.

Hometown: Bolingbrook, Illinois

Location: Honolulu, Hawaii

Education: Western Governors University, Bachelors of Science (data management)

Currently: Senior Data Engineer at Paylocity

Fun Fact: Most of my travel is to attend gaming conventions. 

My IMSA experience was very formative and joining the IAA Board of Directors felt like the perfect way to give back. I’d love to help foster a vibrant, connected alumni community.

Hometown: Elgin, Illinois

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Education:

Illinois Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Biochemistry

Illinois Institute of Technology, Master of Industrial Engineering

Currently: Sr Quality Reliability Engineer at Panduit Corp.

Fun Fact: I've been vegetarian since high school.

I'm involved with the IMSA Alumni Association to give back and help current and former IMSA students!

Hometown: Germantown Hills, Illinois

Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota

Education:

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, BS (Electrical Engineering)

Georgia Institute of Tech, MS (Computer Science)

Northwestern Unviersity, MBA

Currently: Senior Manager of Decision Science at Best Buy

Fun Fact: I used to have a thriving Mountain Dew selling buinsess out of my IMSA dorm room!

I work as a tax account and business consultant in Chicago, and I joined IAA as a way to give back to IMSA and my fellow alumni!

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Education:

London Business School, MBA

University of Illinois - Urbana/Champaign, MS (Aerospace Engineering)

University of Illinois - Urbana/Champaign, BS (Engineering Mechanics)

Currently: Management Consultant

Fun Fact:

I co-founded a non-profit providing free tax preparation service for low-income Chicagoans (with another IMSA Alum who didn't overlap with my student years).

I'm a happily married Christian mom of 2 teenagers.  I am passionate about square dancing.  I joined IAA because I love IMSA and want to get more involved again.

Hometown: Lemont, Illinois

Location: Rockford, Illinois

Education:

University of Akron, Bachelor of Science (Mechanical Engineering)

Northern Illinois University, Master of Science ((ISYE - Engineering Management)

Currently: Working on something.

Fun Fact:

We had a square dance in the Old Cafeteria when I attended IMSA.  I still love square dancing and have danced in 30 states and 2 other countries.  

I got roped into IAA duties as election chairperson in 2019, several people wrote me in, and I'm still here.

Hometown: Polo, Illinois

Location: Naperville, Illinois

Education:

North Central College, BA in broadcast communication, 2007

College of DuPage, AS with meteorology focus, 2022

Currently:

Computing Services Specialist at Fermilab, supporting storage of hundreds of petabytes of data for high-energy physics (including CERN's Large Hadron Collider)

Fun Fact: I have been to all 50 states and have driven 52% of the US interstate highway system.

Website: tmesser.com