Get to know Lynn Yarmey (MS '11), lead data curator

Yarmey_Lynn_2.jpgAs a GSLIS student specializing in data curation, Lynn Yarmey completed an internship at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. The position led to a job offer following her graduation, and today Yarmey holds leadership roles on multiple research projects. She will talk more about her experiences as a student and professional during the Data Curation Alumni Panel event on April 22.

Where do you work and what is your role?

I am lead data curator at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colorado and a member of the NSIDC Informatics Team. I am a co-investigator on the NSF-funded Advanced Cooperative Arctic Data and Information Service (ACADIS) project and agile product owner for the metadata brokering Arctic Data Explorer project.

What do you like best about your job?

I love the diversity of work I do on a day-to-day basis!  I could be writing proposals, editing web text, working with my development team on metadata brokering challenges, managing project budgets, planning with the Informatics Team on big picture placement issues, coordinating with our internal and external partners, researching metadata mapping issues, and supervising my curator team, among other tasks.

How did GSLIS, and specifically the Specialization in Data Curation, help you get to where you are today?

Through the GSLIS Data Curation Education Program, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to be a data curator intern at NSIDC. Not two years later, I was hired on full time at the center. I am grateful for the LIS fundamentals, perspective, connections, and friends I carry with me from my time at GSLIS.

What advice would you like to share with GSLIS students?

For anyone looking to join the research data community, I would highly recommend getting as much face time with domain groups and even hands-on domain research experience as possible. Try attending domain group talks, going to science conferences, and my favorite, volunteering for field or lab work. You will quickly start to hear the diverging ways different groups understand, talk about, and represent their data and their science. Understanding these diverse perspectives is an important part of data work, from metadata creation and standards to preservation system development.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

To be honest, I haven't had all that much spare time lately!  When I do get some time away, I like going for walks with my husband and dogs around our new neighborhood, playing board games with friends, and traveling.

What’s next for you?

I just accepted a seat on the SciDataCon2014 International Scientific Programme Committee for the November conference in New Delhi, an exciting opportunity. Generally, my fingers are crossed that a few of my current proposals will be funded and I will soon complete my transition from staff to principal investigator. Wish me luck!

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Get to know Wendy Edwards, senior software engineer

Outside of her work as senior software engineer, Wendy Edwards (MSLIS '09) is active in the areas of security and data science through her involvement in Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS); SANS Institute's Women's Cyber Academy; and NASA's Datanauts program and Space Apps Challenge hackathon. Edwards was a two-time champion in the Target Cyber Defense Challenge, earning scholarships to attend the WiCyS annual conference. In addition to her MSLIS, she holds an MS in computer science from the University of Illinois Springfield.

Wendy Edwards

Ochs and Fiedler featured in "Can’t Shelve This" podcast

School Librarian Licensure Coordinator Lauren Ochs and recent graduate Hannah Fiedler (MSLIS '24) are featured in episode six of "Can’t Shelve This," a podcast produced by Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS) in collaboration with Illinois Heartland Library System (IHLS). 

Lauren Ochs

Get to know Payal Narvekar, CRM analyst

Even as a customer relationship management (CRM) analyst, Payal Narvekar (MSIM ’23) still finds herself referring to her class notes on Python when she needs inspiration. When not building dashboards or reports, Narvekar is most likely building Lego sets.

Payal Narvekar headshot

Get to know Terence Frank Njekeu, senior operation strategy analyst

An internship with Discover Financial Services led to a full-time position at the company for Terence Frank Njekeu (BSIS '22). He enjoys helping provide solutions for his company’s analytics needs in his role as senior operation strategy analyst.

Terence Frank Njekeu

Get to know Shuyi Liu, faculty librarian in health sciences

Through her work at California State University, Fresno (Fresno State), Shuyi Liu (MSLIS ’19, CAS ’23) aims to bridge gaps in health literacy, especially for underserved populations. She recently developed an innovative health informatics course with Medical Library Association certification.

Shuyi Liu headshot