Lydia Allen

Lydia Allen has been working as a conference organizer for nearly a decade, most recently coordinating the tri-annual gatherings for the Academic Perspectives conferences at Oxford University. Over the course of her career in conference organization, she has gained extensive expertise in event planning, coordination, and facilitation. She is deeply motivated by the exchange of ideas and considers open discussion essential to a healthy society.

Lydia holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Political Science from the University of Johannesburg, where she focused on political socialization. She additionally holds a master's degree in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership from the University of Illinois.

Lydia has lived in Urbana for the past twenty years but has also called Princeton, NJ, Montreal, Canada, and Johannesburg, South Africa home. When she is not working, she can be found cycling across the prairie, walking at the UIUC Arboretum, gardening, or reading.