Mark Wykoff

My first big project as a FOIA officer was three concurrent records requests that overlapped with one another. Once compiled, it spanned 1,100 pages and seven years of records. It was a massive project, but very gratifying and the moment that I knew this job was a great place for me.

I began working at the Office of the State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor in August 2026. My title is SAFE-T Act Administrative Assistant, but I also serve as the Agency’s FOIA Officer. I spend part of my time tracking bills related to the Pretrial Fairness Act and criminal justice reform, and part of it handling records requests. Before this, I worked at the Illinois State Bar Association, and before then interned with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. Both of those stops involved heavy legislative tracking, so I have been observing the Illinois legislative process for quite a while now.

I earned both of my degrees in political science from UIS, my BA in 2024 and my MA in 2026. My master’s thesis focused on how executive officials framed the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and how that correlates with the events currently unfolding in the Middle East. Throughout that process, I spent many hours combing through speeches focusing heavily on word choice, something that has stuck with me in my young career. Now when I read a bill, I take notice of the wording immediately.

I would not have gotten through either of my capstone projects without Dr. Matthew Geras and Dr. Isabel Skinner. Their advice on both my undergraduate and graduate projects assisted me in finding the right direction when my ideas were only a rough sketch. I am so thankful for the time that they devoted to me.

If I had any advice to current UIS students, it would be to take advantage of being in Springfield. The Capitol is right here, and many jobs in state government begin with an internship. When I started at UIS, I had no idea what a FOIA officer was, so definitely stay open to things that you are not yet familiar with