Artist, writer, zinester, crafter, student, mother—Ann Chiu is many things. She balances her eclectic interests with the help of the supportive GSLIS community and like-minded people in Portland, Oregon. Why did you decide to pursue an LIS degree? About four years ago, I found myself working part time as a waitress at an assisted living housing facility, and part time as a barista at a local…

After completing bachelor's and master's degrees in China, Jinlong Guo came to the United States to earn his doctoral degree at GSLIS. Despite his knowledge and expertise in the field, he continues to  be impressed by the interdisciplinarity and potential of research in LIS. Why did you decide to pursue an LIS doctoral degree? My path to the LIS doctoral degree seems very straightforward…

Before beginning his studies at GSLIS, Jarrett Dapier already had several years of experience working at the Evanston Public Library (EPL), where he developed and implemented creative programs to engage teens in reading and self-expression. Last summer, while in his role at EPL, he worked with the Dajae Coleman Foundation to implement programming centered around How Long Will I Cry?, a history of…

As a GSLIS master’s student, Heidi Uphoff appreciated the opportunity to complete her degree while working in Chicago. Now she is earning her Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Digital Libraries while working at the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Research Library in New Mexico. Why did you decide to pursue the CAS in Digital Libraries? I decided to apply toward the end of my master’s…

[image1-right]Courtney Busscher came to GSLIS to pursue an interdisciplinary degree that would complement her broad interests—including literature, psychology, and languages—and prepare her for work in a fast-paced environment. As a data management intern, Foreign Language and Area Studies fellow, and president of the Special Libraries Association student group, she's making the most of her last…

With a background in the humanities, master's student Elizabeth Surbeck was anxious about using technology and studying information science when she arrived at GSLIS. Now she's about to complete her degree with a specialization in socio-technical data analytics, co-leads the Champaign-Urbana Python Users Group, and is ready to pursue a career as a data analyst. Why did you decide to pursue an…

[image1-right]Jerrod Moore is passionate about connecting information and people. He is applying his corporate experience, which includes work as a strategic resource intern at State Farm, and his coursework in community informatics toward his goals of becoming a library director and increasing diversity in the information professions. As a Mix IT Up! scholar, he focuses on issues of youth…

Looking for new ways to engage in intellectual exploration and create practical applications that solve socio-technical issues, Kirstin Phelps found that GSLIS could provide both the challenges and support she was hoping for in a degree program. Phelps is a first-year PhD student with a background in communications and education. Why did you decide to pursue an LIS degree? When I started…

[image1-right]To help accomplish her goal of becoming a law librarian, LEEP student Lindsey Carpino, JD, balances teaching law courses to paralegal students, working as a reference associate at a law school, and taking GSLIS courses.Why did you decide to pursue an LIS degree?I wanted to pursue an LIS degree because I developed an interest in becoming a law librarian while I worked as a reference…

[image1-right]With a background in history and initially inspired by an interest in archives and special collections, Christina John decided to pursue a master’s degree at GSLIS. She now plans to apply her research and LIS skills to a career in the corporate or nonprofit sector.Why did you decide to pursue an LIS degree?I decided to pursue an LIS degree when I was an undergrad at DePaul…

[image1-right]GSLIS master’s student Yan Liu has demonstrated time and again that she is dedicated to pursuing a career in librarianship and willing to put in the extra effort required to stand out from the crowd. Since moving from her home in Beijing to the United States to study library and information science at GSLIS, Liu’s dedication has garnered well-deserved attention and praise.…

[image1-right]As outreach coordinator for The Center for Children’s Books (CCB), Tad Andracki can tell you about upcoming events at the CCB or volunteer opportunities through the CCB’s various community partners. As a reviewer for The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (BCCB), he can tell you all about the latest plot twist in the most popular young adult book series. And as a…

[image1-right]LEEP student Christina Nhek was recently named the recipient of two scholarships, the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association or APALA Scholarship and the California Library Association or CLA Scholarship for Minority Students in Memory of Edna Yelland. Nhek, the daughter of Cambodian refugees, is currently pursuing a master’s degree and certificate in special…

[image1-right]When master’s student Kinyetta Nance started working at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as an intern in high school, she thought it would be a way to explore interests in engineering. Instead, it revealed her desire to be at the intersection of people, technology, and information, paths that meet squarely in the field of library and information science. While she studied…

On the south side of Chicago, Sandra Aya Enimil was arguing with one her seatmates on the bus when someone told her she’d make a good lawyer. She was seven years old at the time. “I didn’t know exactly what the word meant, so I asked my mother what a lawyer was, and she told me it is somebody who helps other people,” Enimil, a current GSLIS student and LAMP scholar, recalls. “I became…