News: Alumni

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Alumni News

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iSchool Alumna Wins 2021 Gail Schlachter Memorial Research Grant
Award's Connections to iSchool Make It 'Especially Meaningful'

Dr. Rachel Ivy Clarke

Dr. Rachel Ivy Clarke, an alumna of the Master of Library and Information Science program at the San José State University School of Information, was recently awarded the Gail Schlachter Memorial Research Grant for her project “The Role of Repertoire in Library Reference Interactions.” The $5,000 grant provides support to “an individual or collaborative group conducting research into reference or user services whose research projects aim to better understand or answer key questions related to connecting people to resources, information services, and collections.”

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iSchool Alumni Score Coveted Seats on CLA Board of Directors
2020 CLA Election Results

Four alumni of the San José State University School of Information were elected to seats on the California Library Association Board of Directors in the 2020 CLA election, held on November 2, 2020. Mark Fink, Dolly Goyal, Yolande Wilburn, and Beatriz Preciado will take office this month, and will be honored at the annual CLA membership meeting being held virtually on November 16, 2020.

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Two Alumni Awarded 2020 REFORMA Dia Mini-Grants for Library Programs that Celebrate Latino Culture

San José State University School of Information is pleased to announce that two alumni were awarded REFORMA Día Mini-Grants to support new or existing Día programs that celebrate Latino culture. David Lopez and Gina Rosabal were among the five winners of REFORMA Día Mini-Grants, who were selected based on original submissions that demonstrated their creativity, level of community involvement, and showcase of Latinx literature and culture.

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Two iSchool Alumni Honored with Awards for Stellar Professional Achievements

Jon Luc Christensen

The Special Libraries Association recently recognized 11 members with awards, two of whom earned their Master of Library and Information Science degree from the School of Information at San José State University. The SLA is a nonprofit global organization for innovative information professionals and their strategic partners in business, government, academic, and other “specialized” settings.

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iSchool Alumna and Faculty Member Named 2020 Library Journal Movers and Shakers

Anna Avalos

The highly anticipated annual roster of Movers and Shakers in the information profession published by Library Journal is out, and two of them have ties to the San José State University School of Information. Anna Avalos, a 2007 alumna of the Master of Library and Information Science program, and Maggie Murphy, a faculty member, are among the distinguished group of award winners that has grown to nearly 1,000 since its launch in 2002.

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Dr. Niloufar Sarraf Receives QUT Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award, Advancing Developments in NeuroInformation Science

Dr. Nilo Sarraf

Dr. Niloufar Sarraf, the 15th student to graduate from the San José State University-Queensland University of Technology Gateway PhD program, received the QUT Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award for her dissertation, “Mapping the Neural Activities and Affective Dimensions of the ISP Model: Correlates in the Search for Exploration, Formulation, and Collection Stage.” This prestigious award was given in recognition of Sarraf’s outstanding contribution and standard of excellence demonstrated in higher degree research practice.

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iSchool Students and Alumni Showcase Community Impact at 2019 CLA Poster Session
Poster Session Builds Presentation Skills, Confidence and Network

Image from Hayden Birkett's poster

The San José State University School of Information sponsored its fourth community poster session featuring alumni and student presenters during the California Library Association’s annual conference, held in October 2019. A gallery of the poster presentations from the CLA session and past sessions highlights the important work iSchool alumni and students are doing in their communities.

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SJSU Alumna Wins ALA’s I Love My Librarian Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Librarianship
Congratulations to Maria Papanastassiou!

Maria Papanastassiou

San José State University alumna Maria Papanastassiou, who completed her Master of Library and Information Science degree in 2013, is the latest SJSU Spartan to win the I Love My Librarian Award, conferred annually by the American Library Association. The Kids’ World Assistant Manager at Arlington Heights (Ill.) Memorial Library, Papanastassiou was one of 10 winners announced on December 10, 2019, which included three academic, three public, and four school librarians.

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iSchool Alumnae and Student Sweep CLA 2019 Election

Jayanti Addleman

The California Library Association Board of Directors will be Spartan strong with San José State University alumnae and a student winning seats in the 2019 CLA elections that were held on October 4, 2019. Jayanti Addleman, Brandy Buenafe, Jeanette Contreras, and Mayra Fuentes will take office on Saturday, October 26, 2019, and be honored at the annual CLA conference in Pasadena.

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School of Information Researchers Recognized with Literati Awards for Outstanding Research Papers

Emerald Publishing’s 26th Annual Literati Awards recognized articles authored by two San José State University professors and one alumna: Michelle Chen, associate professor at the School of Information; Patricia Franks, professor at the School of Information; and Emily Coyne, graduate of the School of Information’s Master of Library and Information Science program.

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Alumni, Students Present at Third iSchool Community Poster Session during ALA Conference

Tameca Beckett

The San José State University School of Information sponsored a community poster session featuring alumni and student speakers during the American Library Association’s annual conference held in June 2019. The poster session was the first time many of participants presented at a conference.