Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

As an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Chris Panumpabi had never heard of the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. Now, he has attended more scientific talks at the institute than most people. Since he started as IGB’s Conference and Events AV Specialist in April 2025, Panumpabi has kept countless seminars, conferences, and other events running smoothly.

“More often than not, the content will go over my head,” he said. “But after sitting back here for a while, it has become digestible to the point to where I can understand it . . . I think I know enough about microscopy now to impress somebody who doesn't work in IGB.”

Panumpabi first gained experience in audiovisuals when young; his parents put him in charge of AV at the events they organized to give back to the community. Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Panumpabi’s family immigrated to Champaign-Urbana when he was a child. Soon after, they founded a non-profit that eventually helped over 300 other families immigrate and settle in central Illinois.

“My dad threw me behind a mixer and was like, ‘figure it out’. It was honestly pretty fun, and so that's where I started. Then it just kind of like stuck around through my entire life,” Panumpabi said. “We had a little band that me and a group of the kids started and that also helped me keep getting better at AV because I'm the one setting it up. I'm the one connecting all the microphones.”

He continued to hone his skills when he was an undergraduate student at Illinois. As Panumpabi pursued his bachelor’s degree in community health, he worked as an AV tech at the Illini Union throughout his four years in school. But while this was a great side gig as an undergrad—with cool opportunities as lead tech to meet performers like Lil Yachty and Alicia Key’s backup singers—Panumpabi was set on pursuing a career in public health.

In 2019, this became a reality when he joined the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District after graduation. But, just months later, the Covid-19 pandemic response began. From contact tracing to delivering supplies to building filters, Panumpabi found himself working 14 hour days to support the local community.

“Honestly, it feels like a fever dream. It was really rewarding because you feel like you're making an impact. But it was exhausting,” Panumpabi said. Coming from a large family with four sisters and a brother, he leaned on his sisters during this busy time. “Thankfully, I got to work with my twin sister and my little sister because public health just needed as much help as possible. So they made the days go by a little quicker.”

Although he never expected to practice AV in a professional capacity, Panumpabi’s intense work schedule during the pandemic, combined with dwindling public health funding and positions, led him to revisit what was once just a hobby. On top of taking an AV role at the I Hotel and Conference Center, Panumpabi and his friends built a studio from the ground up that catered to local artists.

“It started off as music, and then it became like a collective where you could do anything: cinematography, photography, fashion. It was it was really like a home base for a lot of people who wanted to show their art to the world.”

Though music is one of Panumpabi’s main interests—along with watching sports, going to the gym, and cooking the perfect steak—he decided to leave the studio, which has since relocated to Chicago, to his colleagues. He then joined IGB’s Computer and Network Resource Group as Conference and Events AV Specialist and hasn’t looked back.

“The public health side of my career definitely pushed me a little bit towards the job because I think science is really, really cool,” Panumpabi said. As an avid science fiction fan, he also felt like the research being done at IGB felt like something out of a book or movie. “The way that I see people come with their brilliant ideas and go through the whole scientific process from start to finish, I'm glad that I can be around that.”

Whether taking in the science from the back of a seminar, helping a speaker to properly use a microphone, or keeping all the AV technology up to date, Panumpabi enjoys playing his part in helping IGB stay true to its motto “Where science meets society.”

“When you want to present something, you have to remember to present heavy science in a way that is palpable and tangible to society. And I'm glad to be a part of that workflow here,” Panumpabi said. “This place is one of one. It reminds me of playing with my football team. Everybody knows their roles, everybody shows up, and we have each other's backs.”