Ruan receives CALA Distinguished Service Award

Lian Ruan

Lian Ruan (MS '90, PhD '11) has been selected as the recipient for the 2019 Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) Distinguished Service Award. According to the announcement from CALA, "Dr. Ruan has been dedicated to Chinese-American librarianship throughout her career. She has committed to the growth and integrity of CALA as a strong ethnic professional association through her outstanding leadership [as Vice-President, President, and Executive Director], passionate activism, and professional involvement."

She will receive the Distinguished Service Award at the CALA Awards Reception during the 2019 ALA Annual Conference next month in Washington, DC.

Ruan joined the University of Illinois in 1999, becoming the head librarian of the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI). Beginning in 2005, she has led the IFSI Chinese Librarians Scholarly Exchange Program which has trained more than 340 librarians from all over China.  Ruan has been recognized both nationally and internationally for her commitment to excellence in the profession; recent honors include the 2017 Illinois Academic Librarian of the year Award and the 2016 CALA President Recognition Award.

Ruan earned her MS and PhD in library and information science from Illinois, MA in African history from UCLA, and bachelor's degree in world history from Peking University in China.

Research Areas:
Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Knox recognized for public engagement

Associate Professor Emily Knox has been selected as the recipient of the Campus Excellence in Public Engagement Emerging Award. She will be honored on May 28 at a special event hosted by the Office of Public Engagement. 

Emily Knox

Schneider selected as 2024-2025 Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellow

Associate Professor Jodi Schneider has been selected as a 2024-2025 fellow of the Harvard Radcliffe Institute, an institute of Harvard University that fosters interdisciplinary research across the humanities, sciences, social sciences, arts, and professions.

Jodi Schneider

Fab Lab Engagement Team wins campus award

The Champaign-Urbana (CU) Community Fab Lab Engagement Team has been selected as the recipient of the Campus Excellence in Public Engagement Team Award. The team will be honored on May 28 at a special event hosted by the Office of Public Engagement.

Spectrum Scholar Spotlight: Alyssa Brown

Seventeen iSchool master's students have been named 2023-2024 Spectrum Scholars by the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services. This "Spectrum Scholar Spotlight" series highlights the School's scholars. MSLIS student Alyssa Brown earned her BA in environmental studies from Middlebury College.

Alyssa Brown

Mullally to deliver iSchool Convocation address

Alumna M. Katherine (Katy) Mullally (MSLIS '04) will deliver the 2024 iSchool Convocation address. The event will be held on Sunday, May 12, at 1:30 p.m. at the Activities and Recreation Center. The ceremony will be broadcast live online so that students, families, and friends can watch if they are unable to attend in person.

Katy Mullally