About Us
Meet the Innovation Grove Team
Learn more about the wonderful people who are making Innovation Grove such an immersive and engaging experience. A big thank you to all of our guest instructors and speakers who are sharing their immense expertise with us!
Loretta Sutkus, PhD
F8 Studio LLC Founder
Dr. Sutkus is the program designer, director and main instructor of Innovation Grove. She is a firm believer that learning should be hands-on, interactive and engaging.
Dr. Sutkus earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from UIUC in May 2025, was a research assistant for a chronic pain laboratory at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, earned her B.S. in Psychology from Illinois Institute of Technology and served as a summer camp counselor and instructor for 5+ years.
Isabella Condotta, PhD
UIUC Assistant Professor in Animal Sciences
Dr. Condotta received a PhD in Agricultural Systems Engineering from ESALQ and is currently an assistant professor where she uses machine learning to improve animal well-being and environmental sustainability on farms.
Jonathan Cerna, PhD
UIUC Assistant Professor in Kinesiology
Dr. Cerna received a PhD in Neuroscience from UIUC and is currently an assistant professor where he explores the cognitive, emotional, and motor benefits of Tai Chi, yoga, and meditation on using EEG and fMRI, with a focus on older adults.
Aaron Anderson, PhD
Assistant Director of the Beckman Imaging Center, UIUC
Dr. Anderson has been the assistant director for the Beckman Imaging Center for 5 years. He received a PhD in theoretical and applied mechanics from UIUC and has spent his research career developing new neuroimaging methods.
Alex Kirkov, MS
Onsite Operations Manager of ARCPoint Labs in Washington DC
Alex received his MS in Biology from George Mason University. He has been part of ARCpoint Labs for 5 years, a diagnostic testing provider in Washington DC that offers DNA & drug testing as well as wellness programs.
Zimu Li, MS
UIUC Neuroscience PhD Research Assistant
Zimu is a current neuroscience PhD student in the UIUC piglet nutrition and cognition lab, that investigates the communication between the digestive system and the brain, and how brain connectivity is affected during early development.
Linas Sutkus, MS
Senior System Administrator for Illinois Insitute of Technology
Mr. Sutkus received his Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT, where he currently serves as a senior IT systems administrator. He has volunteered with scouting groups and camps periodically across several decades.
Arnav Kaushik, BS
UIUC Neuroscience PhD Research Assistant in Dr. Adrienne Antonson's Lab
Arnav is a current neuroscience PhD student in Dr. Antonson's developmental neuroimmunology lab, that investigates how inflammation during pregnancy can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders.
The Origins of Innovation Grove
So how did this all begin?
A chance meeting at a
UIUC event
Led to an invitation to an
ID8Lab Showcase event
Leading to the eventual
partnership of ID8Lab
and F8 Studio LLC
Driven by a common desire to revamp the education system, this partnership was
grounded in the same principles and mission: to make learning innovative, engaging and
most importantly fun!
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) can be found in:
BUT these professions are rarely introduced in STEM focused education. Why not expand these concepts into all of these fields?
With ID8's large network in the Champaign area and F8 Studio's
creative vision, Innovation Grove was born.
Learn a Bit More about these Entities
Dr. Chen and Dr. Yao are the founders of ID8 Lab Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting local innovators that inspire social change through regular community networking and ideation events.
To learn more about the founders and the mission of ID8 follow the link below.
https://www.id8lab.us/
Dr. Sutkus is the founder of F8 Studio LLC, a recently established startup focused on creating cognitively beneficial games for kids.
Grounded in neuroscience, the games are designed to be fun and tailored for various developmental levels.