The GSLIS Library School Alumni Association (LSAA) has announced the
recipients of its annual awards. The recipients were recognized on June 30,
2013, at the GSLIS reception held at the annual meeting of the ALA in Chicago.
Katrina Stierholz (MS ’93) has been awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Each year this award is given to an alum who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of library and information science. Over the past ten years, Stierholz has worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, where she currently serves as the institution’s assistant vice president. During her tenure, she has engineered strategic change to the delivery of economic education information, expanded the collections of the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) and the Federal Reserve Archival System for Economic Research (FRASER), and has led the economic education function of the entire bank.
Maurice York (MS ’03) has been awarded the Leadership Award, which is given to an alum who has graduated in the past ten years and who has shown leadership in the field of library and information science. York specializes in technology trends, IT strategy and infrastructure, and the integration of technology into learning space design. He is currently the head of IT at North Carolina State University Libraries, where he developed the Technology Sandbox, a large space in the D.H. Hill Library that encourages technological collaboration and creativity. By bringing innovative computing to campus—from interactive SMART Boards to Perceptive Pixel technology, Microsoft Surfaces, and gesture-based gaming—the Technology Sandbox allows students to test the limits in the creation and use of digital media and large-scale display. York was named a 2013 Library Journal Mover & Shaker.
Jill Gengler (MS ’99) has been awarded the Distinguished Service Award, which is given to a friend of GSLIS (including faculty, staff, alumni, and non-alumni) who has served LSAA or GSLIS in an exceptional way. Gengler joined GSLIS as a graduate student sixteen years ago, and since then has held progressively more responsible positions in support of users of instructional technology. She has been instrumental in the growth and development of the LEEP program and is currently the manager of the Help Desk, where she supports all GSLIS online and on-campus students, faculty, and staff. Gengler is deeply committed to developing a strong sense of community both within the School and with our alumni, using this connection as a foundation for the development of user-friendly technologies and customer service.
Brigitta Denning (MS ’13) is the recipient of the LSAA Student Award, which is given to recognize a student who “caught the spirit” of the library and information science profession while employed in a library setting and so chose to enter the master’s program. This student must have a strong commitment to return to a professional position in a library setting and help others “catch the spirit.” Working as a library aide in three elementary school libraries, Denning decided to pursue her M.S. and school library certification. Georgeann Burch, program coordinator for the K-12 program, said Denning “will empower students to become skillful researchers, critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, and ethical users of information. Just as important, though, is her ability to advocate for school libraries, which she does with creativity, energy, and passion.”