Class Notes

Manas Godha (BSIS '24), growth and strategy consultant for Advaiya, writes, "My time at the iSchool was amazing, especially being part of the first batch of BSIS. I was part of the Academic Support Center as the head tutor and had so many opportunities to learn and grow!"

Katie Higley (MSLIS '25) began a new position as an instruction and reference sharing librarian at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota at the Winona Campus.

Colton Keiser (BSIS '24) is an IT Auditor and Python developer at a consulting firm, working with clients on IT compliance while developing tools using Python, Azure, and LangChain.

Chloe Miller (MSLIS '25) accepted the role of research and instruction librarian at McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois. She began her new position in October 2025.

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.

Abigail Sewall (MSLIS '20) has worked in public libraries in the Denver metro area, since graduating. She has specialized in library outreach, primarily working on bookmobiles, and is grateful for her iSchool education and the valuable experience she received in her graduate assistantship roles.

Peeya Thacker (MSIM ’25) has joined COUNTRY Financial as a product owner, where she works on an internal insurance issuing tool, enhancing efficiency and equipping insurance representatives with the resources they need to better serve clients and streamline operations across the organization.

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.

After 28 years of service at Portland State University Library, Kimberly Willson-St. Clair (MSLIS '21) was awarded the rank of professor emerita.

Emily Bradshaw (MSLIS '17) was featured in the Illinois Library Association (ILA) Member Spotlight on August 25, 2025.

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.

Sam Helmick (MSLIS '12), community and access services coordinator at Iowa City (IA) Public Library, was inaugurated ALA President for 2025-2026. 

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

Sarah Lindenbaum (MSLIS '13) recently started her new job as associate director of donor research at Dickinson College.

Ryan A. Ross (MSLIS '10) won a 2025 Folio: Eddie Award for "Best Profile," for his Illinois Alumni magazine story about the U. of I.'s wheelchair racing coach, Adam Bleakney. The Folio: Eddie Award is one of the most prestigious honors in the magazine publishing industry, recognizing excellence in editorial content.

Joel Spencer (MSLIS '10) has served as an adult services librarian at The Urbana Free Library since 2011. 
 

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.

Liz Svoboda (MSLIS '12) was named the Michigan Academic Librarian of the Year in 2025 by the Michigan Academic Library Association and will be honored at the Michigan Library Awards ceremony in October.
 

Kelli Trei (MSLIS '12), Biosciences Librarian at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has been appointed as the Transition Director through July 2026 for the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL), the world’s largest open access digital library dedicated to biodiversity literature.

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

Mitch Barber (MSLIS '08) recently accepted a position as librarian for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Mitch wrote, "My journey back to librarianship was a 14-year one and I am pleased to be back in the library saddle."

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. 

Rob DeLand (MSLIS '08) retired from his position as head librarian and archivist at Ruppel Library at the VanderCook College of Music in July 2025. In his message to the iSchool, Deland noted having many fond memories of Linda Smith, Leigh Estabrook, Scott Schwartz, John Wagstaff (Music Library), and many others in the School who helped prepare him for his career.

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

Jennie Mills (MSLIS '00) was featured in the Illinois Library Association (ILA) Member Spotlight on September 15, 2025.

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.

Jon Mark Bolthouse (MSLIS '99) recently started his new job as director of the North Suburban Library District near Rockford, Illinois. 

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." 

Tom Kmetz (MSLIS '97) retired in September 2025 as coordinator of instructional and research services at Camden-Carroll Library at Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky.

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.
 

Melissa Wong (MSLIS '94) was featured as the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Member of the Week for the week of September 29, 2025.

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

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.

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

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

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