Quiballo selected for I Love My Librarian Award

Ted Quiballo

Ted Quiballo (MSLIS '17) has been selected for a 2024 I Love My Librarian Award. Honorees were selected for their outstanding public service accomplishments.

From the MakerLab at Northwestern University, Instructional Technologies Librarian Ted Quiballo helps mold opportunities for vulnerable populations while building a mentorship model with students and interns.

As part of a summer program facilitated by World Relief Chicago—a Christian humanitarian resettlement organization—he introduces refugee and asylum-seeking youth to new technologies and STEM skills in the university's makerspace. While guiding the program within the MakerLab, Quiballo also trains student workers and local high school interns to lead activities such as video production and 3D printing, as well as face unforeseen obstacles. 

"In moments of chaos and confusion, Ted's calm and collected demeanor proved to be a source of strength for the entire team," one nominator wrote.

Quiballo also supports the university's prison education program, NPEP, which provides a high-quality liberal arts education to incarcerated students in Illinois. One of the first to volunteer at the program's inception, he has worked with dozens of incarcerated students to provide research support, information literacy instruction, and other resources. He has even gone beyond the call of duty to assist one now-formerly incarcerated student with purchasing a car.

"Ted is a true treasure, and his presence has enriched the lives of everyone he has touched," one nominator wrote. "His ability to uplift, inspire, and make a difference in the lives of those around him is truly exceptional."

Quiballo was selected from nearly 1,400 nominations from library users nationwide for the 2024 award. As part of his award, he will receive a $5,000 cash prize as well as complimentary registration and a travel stipend to attend ALA's LibLearnX event in Baltimore.

The I Love My Librarian Award is sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, with additional support from the New York Public Library, and is administered by the American Library Association. Since 2008, library users have shared more than 24,000 nominations detailing how librarians have gone above and beyond to promote literacy, expand access to technology, and support diversity and inclusion in their communities.

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Mattson receives ISTE Making It Happen Award

Adjunct Lecturer Kristen Mattson has received the 2024 International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Making It Happen Award. The award honors educators and leaders who demonstrate outstanding commitment, leadership, courage, and persistence in improving digital learning opportunities for students.

Kristen Mattson

Bonn elected president-elect of ASIS&T

Maria Bonn, associate professor and director of the MSLIS and CAS programs, has been elected president-elect of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T). She will begin her one-year term immediately following the ASIS&T Annual Meeting, which will be held from October 25-29 in Calgary, Canada, and will assume the presidency in fall 2025.

2022 Maria Bonn

Zhao selected as 2024 Beckman Institute Undergraduate Fellow

Zifan Zhao, who is pursuing dual degrees in information sciences + data science and psychology with a concentration in cognitive neuroscience, has been selected as a 2024 Beckman Institute Undergraduate Fellow. The program provides undergraduate students with a $3,000 award to pursue interdisciplinary research at the Beckman Institute during the summer. 

Zifan Zhao

New grant to increase financial literacy among older adults

PhD student Abhinav Choudhry has received a 2024-2026 Institute for Information Literacy at Purdue research award for his project, "Gamified Finance Simulator for Older Adults: A Financial Literacy and Vulnerability Intervention." The $4,000 award is intended for research that enables people to navigate and contribute to today's information environment. Associate Professor Rachel Adler and PhD student Kyrie Zhixuan Zhou will serve as co-principal investigators on the project, which aims to create a gamified simulation of digital banking. 

Abhinav Choudhry

Get to know Hiromi Morikawa, executive officer and chief information officer

Hiromi Morikawa (CAS '12), executive officer and chief information officer at Nishimoto Co., Ltd., enjoys helping her teams grow and succeed. She was recently named a 2024 Consumer Goods Technology Visionary, which recognizes a select cohort of consumer goods executives who embody positive change in their organizations and inspire through their leadership.

Hiromi Morikawa