Class Notes

Lena Bohman (MSLIS '20), senior data management and research impact librarian at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra University and Northwell Health, is quoted in the Center for Open Science blog post "Libraries and Open Science: Overlaps and Gaps with the Research Community" (November 18, 2025).

Tristan Draper (MSLIS '21) received the 2026 ACRL College Libraries Section (CLS) Innovation in College Libraries Award. 

Xochitl Quiroz (MSLIS '23) and Gail Murray (MSLIS '15) served on the bargaining committee for the first collective bargaining agreement of the newly-formed Smith College Libraries Workers Union, part of OPEIU Local 153. SCLWU voted to unionize on April 9, 2024 (Library Workers Day!) and ratified their first CBA on November 11, 2025.

Caelin Ross (MSLIS '20) was recently appointed as the Humanities Librarian at the University of Chicago Library. Her role includes supporting Music, Theatre and Performance Studies. She previously served as the Performing Arts Librarian and Curator of the Theatre for Youth and Community Collection at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.

Mary Schiavone (MSLIS '23) received the 2026 ACRL College Libraries Section (CLS) Innovation in College Libraries Award. 

Joshua Short (MSLIS '24) was appointed to the Illinois State Library Advisory Committee (ISLAC) by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias on December 1, 2025.

Alex Towers (MSLIS '21) was featured in the Illinois Library Association's Member Spotlight for the week of October 27, 2025.

Kaitlyn Weger (MSLIS '24) has been elected to a two-year term (2025-2027) as Member-at-Large on the Network of Illinois Learning Resources in Community Colleges (NILRC) Board.

Aren Yoon (BSIS '24) has joined Apple’s Learning & Development team as a project manager.

Sara Benson (MSLIS '17) has been awarded a Fulbright Specialist Grant. This summer, she will spend time in Bulgaria studying text and data mining exceptions.

Lauren Chambers (MSLIS '12) was featured in the Illinois Library Association Member Spotlight on November 24, 2025.

Chris D'Arpa (PhD '17) was recently promoted to associate professor with tenure in the School of Information Sciences at Wayne State University.

EvaAnne Johnson (MSLIS '18) has been selected as Chair to the Illinois State Archives Advisory Board/Illinois Historical Records Advisory Board.

Samantha LeGrand (MSLIS '15) received the 2026 ACRL Instruction Section (IS) Innovation Award. 

Thomas Padilla (MSLIS '13), an internationally sought-after voice on responsible uses of technology that advance research and learning, has been appointed as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries Associate Dean for Research and Learning, effective January 5.

Ryan A. Ross (MSLIS '10) took over as editor-in-chief of Illinois Alumni magazine in April 2025, after serving on its editorial staff since 2020. He continues to oversee the university's heritage museum, the Richmond Family Welcome Gallery at Alice Campbell Alumni Center.

Emily Schaub (MSLIS '16) began her new position as executive director of the Freeport (IL) Public Library in February. 

Yasmeen Shorish (MSLIS '11), associate dean for research & scholarly communications at James Madison University, has been elected ACRL vice-president/president-elect. She will become president-elect in July 2026 and assume the presidency in July 2027 for a one-year term.

Cassidy Steinke (MSLIS '15) has been appointed as the new Library Director of the Limestone Township Library District in Kankakee, Illinois, beginning November 17, 2025.

Jamie Wittenberg (MSLIS '15) has been appointed dean of libraries at Loyola University Chicago, effective January 1, 2026.

Heather Moulaison-Sandy (MSLIS '02) became the Editor-in-Chief of Cataloging & Classification Quarterly on January 1, 2026.

After 38 years working at libraries in Southern Illinois, Loretta Broomfield (MSLIS '02) retired in November as the director of Marion Carnegie Library.

Kim Christiansen Sigle (MSLIS '09) has accepted an ALA appointment as a director on the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY), a nonprofit organization devoted to building bridges of international understanding through children’s and young adult books. Her appointment begins in January. 

Eric Edwards (MSLIS '06), interlibrary loan librarian at Illinois State Library, has been elected to the ACRL Board of Directors as director-at-large.

Eric Edwards (MSLIS '06) received the Health Science Librarians of Illinois President’s Award, in recognition of significant service to the organization.

Leah Gregory (MSLIS '04) is the new director of membership and outreach at Illinois Heartland Library System.

James R. Jacobs (MSLIS '02) has received the Margaret T. Lane/Virginia F. Saunders Memorial Research Award. He was recognized for Preserving Government Information: Past, Present, and Future, which he co-authored with James A. Jacobs.

Morris Levy (MSLIS '00) has joined the Center for Research Libraries as a metadata initiatives program officer. 

Liz Muller (MSLIS '08) began a new position as curator of prints, photographs, and architectural collections at The New York Historical in January 2026.

Matthew Murrey (MSLIS '03) had his second book of poetry published on January 20, 2026. The book is Little Joy, and is published by Cornerstone Press (University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point).

Dennis Prieto (MSLIS '05) celebrated his 20th year of service to the Rutgers Law School by earning promotion to librarian 1. He has been active with the National Council of Bar Examiners in framing and promoting the Next Gen Bar Exam, and is currently working on updating a bilingual English/Spanish Law Dictionary.

Hallie Pritchett (MSLIS '06) began her new position as director of Ferris State University Libraries and Archives in April 2026.

Alec Sonsteby (MSLIS '05) was elected president of the Inter Faculty Organization (IFO), the union representing the 3,400 teaching faculty, librarians, coaches, and counselors at the seven Minnesota State universities, effective July 1, 2026.

In January 2026, the University of Illinois Press published Christopher Sweet's (MSLIS '03) first book, A History of Bicycling in Illinois: 160 Years of Booms and Busts.

C.J. Wong (MSLIS '00) is now an assistant professor and engineering & physical sciences librarian at the University of New Hampshire.

Laura L. Barnes (MSLIS '93) concluded her 34-year career at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center and retired in December 2025. Post-retirement plans include continuing the Environmental News Bits blog, working with librarians to foster sustainability in their communities, traveling with her husband, and making a dent in her enormous To Read pile.

Elizabeth Dupuis (MSLIS '92) will be retiring in January 2026 as the senior associate university librarian for educational initiatives, user services and strategic projects and director of the Doe, Moffitt and Subject Specialty Libraries at the University of California, Berkeley. She wrote, "I have been at Berkeley 23 years and was at the University of Texas at Austin for 9 years before that. I definitely 'lived in interesting times' and had a great career. Thanks to the iSchool for the education and degree that made it possible." 

After 34 years of service, Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe (MSLIS '94) will be retiring from the University of Illinois at the end of May and beginning a new chapter—launching her own consultancy focused on working with publishers and libraries.
 

Jian Qin (PhD '96) has been awarded emerita status upon her retirement from Syracuse University.

Myron Schirer-Suter (MSLIS '94) of Beverly, Massachusetts, is retiring as director of library services at Gordon College at the end of the spring semester.

Scott V. Dermont (MSLIS '90) retired from his job at the State Library of Iowa at the end of 2024. Scott worked at the State Library from 2008 to 2024 as a library consultant, managing several programs. Before that, Scott worked as a librarian at the Ames Public Library, Ames, Iowa, from 1990 to 2008.
 

Molly Horio (MSLIS '89) passed away on November 12, 2025.

Curt McKay (MSLIS '88) was selected as an Honorary Grand Marshal for the 2025 Rockford (IL) Area Pride Parade. 

Bonnie (Ferguson) Parr (MSLIS '84) has retired after 40 satisfying years as Historical Documents Conservator for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (formerly Illinois State Historical Library). She was active with the CARLI Preservation Committee, enjoyed mentoring students interested in conservation, and taught workshops on conservation and preservation topics.

Mike Rogalla (MSLIS '89) retired in November 2025 from his position as the children's services manager at the Champaign Public Library.  Across thirty-six years as a children's librarian, he had the honor to serve on several youth media award committees to include Notable Children's Books, Sibert, YALSA Award for Excellence on Nonfiction, Scott O'Dell, and Newbery.

Kwasi Sarkodie-Mensah (PhD '88) retired from Boston College at the end of September 2025.

Judith Siess (MSLIS '82) passed away on January 20, 2026.

Nelson R. Beck (MSLS '76) published the book Protecting Your Retirement income: Four Techniques to Help Secure Your Retirement Income. 

Michele Finerty (MSLIS '72) passed away on March 17, 2026.

Victoria Cogswell Hahn (MSLIS '78) retired from Beloit Public Library, Wisconsin, in 2019 after 26 years as a librarian and department head. She continues her genealogy blog (2015) and her Stateline Genealogy Club (2012) as a business, researching and giving genealogy presentations in Illinois and Wisconsin on several topics.

Mary Beth Riedner (MSLIS '71) was awarded the 2025 RUSA Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award.

Gerald (Jerry) Specht (MSLIS '79) passed away on February 6, 2025.

Willis (Bill) Hubbard (MSLIS '63) passed away on September 15, 2025. During his career, he served as library director at Eureka College, Stephens College, Gettysburg College, and Warren Wilson College. 

Gene Rinkel (MSLIS '67) passed on December 12, 2025.