Spectrum Scholar Spotlight: Alyssa Brown

Alyssa Brown

Seventeen iSchool master's students have been named 2023-2024 Spectrum Scholars by the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services. This "Spectrum Scholar Spotlight" series highlights the School's scholars. MSLIS student Alyssa Brown earned her BA in environmental studies from Middlebury College.

Why did you decide to pursue an LIS degree? 

After working as a litigation assistant at an environmental nonprofit for a few years, I decided to shift my career path towards LIS to better accommodate my personal skillset and build a career through the lens of community care.

Why did you choose the iSchool at Illinois?

I'm from St. Louis, so in addition to the great MSLIS program at Illinois, being close to home was a huge factor in my decision. I also appreciated how the iSchool offered students the opportunity to gain hands-on, professional experience, like my graduate assistantship in the University Library’s Conservation Lab. 

What particular LIS topics interest you the most? 

I'm interested in the role that memory institutions play in preserving our history, especially as it relates to climate change. I am also passionate about individuals' life stories and how they can enrich and contextualize our understanding of historical events. 

What do you do outside of class?

In my free time, I enjoy birding, playing ultimate frisbee, reading, and spending quality time with friends. 

What does being a Spectrum Scholar mean to you?

I appreciate the ALA's support of diverse LIS students through the Spectrum Scholarship because ultimately it serves all users of information centers to have professionals that come from a variety of backgrounds. I'm happy to be part of a cohort of thoughtful students with unique stories and experiences to share. I hope that the work my peers and I do will lead to a shift in the structures of libraries and information centers to better accommodate not only diverse users but also diverse staff.

What career plans or goals do you have?

By the end of the program, I hope to be able to call myself an archivist and oral historian. This summer, I'll be interning with the Archives of American Art's Oral History Program in Washington, DC, where I'm excited to develop my oral history management skills. 

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Wang group to present at BigData 2024

Members of Associate Professor Dong Wang's research group, the Social Sensing and Intelligence Lab, will present their research at the 2024 IEEE International Conference on Big Data (BigData 2024), which will be held from December 15-18 in Washington, D.C. BigData 2024 is the premier venue to present and discuss progress in research, development, standards, and applications of topics in artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data analytics.

Dong Wang

Book co-edited by Sayuno wins national award in Philippines

A book edited by Postdoctoral Research Associate Cheeno Marlo Sayuno and Eugene Evasco has received a National Book Award from the Republic of the Philippines. The award, sponsored by the National Book Development Board and the Manila Critics Circle, is an annual prize that honors the most outstanding titles written, designed, and published in the Philippines. 

Cheeno Sayuno

Walters learns history of ATO through archives assistantship

When MSLIS student Deborah Walters was offered a graduate assistantship to work in the Alpha Tau Omega Archives, she viewed it as a "unique opportunity to have a hands-on independent experience in archives" that she couldn't pass up. Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) is a social fraternity that was founded at the Virginia Military Institute in 1865. Its archives are among the national fraternity collections housed at the Student Life and Culture Archives at the University of Illinois.

Deborah Walters

Antwi grateful for Balz Scholarship

MSLIS student Victora Antwi is grateful for the financial support that she has received through the Balz Endowment Fund. An international student from the Mampong-Nsuta in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, Antwi earned her bachelor’s degree in information studies in 2020 from the University of Ghana. 

Victoria Antwi

Illinois researchers examine teens’ use of generative AI, safety concerns

Teenagers use generative artificial intelligence for many purposes, including emotional support and social interactions. A study by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers found that parents have little understanding of GAI, how their children use it and its potential risks, and that GAI platforms offer insufficient protection to ensure children’s safety.

Yang Wang