Presenter Bios

Adrianna Martinez
Adrianna Martinez is a Research & Education Librarian at SUNY New Paltz. She has a background in digital humanities, critical pedagogy, and humanities research methodology.

Alan Witt
Alan Witt is a Research Instruction Librarian at SUNY Geneseo, liaising with the departments of History, Political Science, and Business. He also assists community members with the Small Business Development Center and runs the Research Instruction internship program. His research focuses on experiential learning and organizational behavior in libraries.

Alessandra Otero Ramos
Alessandra Otero Ramos is a research instruction librarian and liaison librarian to Arts and Humanities at SUNY Geneseo. Alessandra is currently the co-chair of the library’s IDEA committee. She possesses a MIS from the University of Puerto Rico and a BA in Art History from the same university system.

Alex Dinndorf
Alex Dinndorf is a senior at Hunter College researching the history of the FANY. He is a member of the DSA and the Hunter Students for Socialist Revolution, where he sits elected as secretary. In May, he spoke at the Slavery and Education Symposium, hosted by Cooper Union.

Amanda Lowe
Amanda Lowe is the Outreach and Marketing Librarian at the University at Albany. She has an MLS from the University at Buffalo and a BS in English from SUNY Oneonta. Her research focuses on library marketing and outreach with a concentration on social media, reference services, and library programming.

Amanda McCormick
Amanda McCormick is a member of the Science and Engineering Library Services team at the University at Buffalo, where she serves as the Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Physics Librarian. She holds an MLS and a JD from the University at Buffalo, as well as a BS degree in Biology from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Amanda M. Shepp
Amanda M. Shepp currently serves as the Coordinator of Special Collections & Archives of SUNY Fredonia’s Daniel A. Reed Library. When she’s not elbow-deep in materials from a bygone era, Mandi can be found experimenting in the kitchen and enjoying life with her husband, Chris, and enormous Norwegian Forest Cat, Kujira.

Annie Tummino
Annie Tummino is Head of Special Collections and Archives at Queens College, CUNY. Previously, she was the Archivist at SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx, and served as a Project Archivist on several grant funded projects in the New York City area. She received her MLIS and Archives Certificate from Queens College in 2010.

Becky Leathersich
Becky Leathersich is a research instruction librarian and liaison to the School of Education and department of psychology at SUNY Geneseo. She possesses a MLIS in School Media from Syracuse University and a BA in Communication from SUNY Geneseo.

Brandon K. West
Brandon K. West is the Head of Research Instruction Services and liaison to Anthropology and Sociology at the SUNY Geneseo’s Milne Library. His research interests include examining the intersections of information literacy and online learning, applying instructional design principles to enhance student learning, and addressing LGBTQ+ issues in libraries. He has published two edited volumes with ACRL Publications: Creative Instructional Design: Practical Applications for Librarians and Reflections on Practitioner Research: A Practical Guide for Information Professionals.

Camille Chesley
Camille Chesley is Reference Librarian and Subject Librarian for Journalism at the University at Albany Libraries. She received her MSLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her BA in East Asian Studies from Oberlin College. Her research interests include gamification in libraries, assessment, critical librarianship, and equity, diversity, and inclusion in LIS.

Cara Janowsky
Cara Janowsky is an Associate Library at the New York State Library, currently overseeing both the Reference Services Unit and the Circulation/Stack Services Unit. She has 30 years of Reference desk experience at the State Library where a quarter of the questions received are legal-related.

Carli Spina
Carli Spina is an Associate Professor and the Head of Research and Instructional Services at the FIT Library. She co-chairs the SUNY Library Accessibility Cohort.

Carolyn Klotzbach-Russell
Carolyn Klotzbach-Russell is the Social Sciences & Government Information Librarian, serving as the liaison to The School of Management as well as the departments of Economics, Political Science and Sociology. Prior to joining UB Libraries, she served as a prospect research analyst and spent several years in the marketing field.

Caterina Reed
Caterina Reed is the Instructional Support Associate for Content Acquisitions and Services at Stony Brook University Libraries. She holds an MS in Information and Library Science and an MA in English. Her interests include cultural humility, DEIBA (diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, accessibility), and mentorship & professional development for paraprofessionals and early career librarians.

Chaeyeon Kim
Chaeyeon Kim is the Digital Initiatives Archivist at Upstate Medical University. She manages the lifecycle of born-digital and digitized university records and personal papers and establishs and implements policies and procedures for describing and providing access to these materials in accord with best practices and professional standards. She also provides input into the management of the web archiving program including designing workflows.

Chris Hulsman
Chris Hulsman is the Electronic & Educational Resources Librarian at SUNY Buffalo State. He holds a Master’s in Library Science from the University at Buffalo. He enjoys teaching and working with students. His academic interests are in English literature and history. During his leisure time he enjoys hiking, music, and sports.

Chrissy O’Grady
Chrissy O’Grady is a Research & Education Librarian and Library Instruction Program Coordinator at SUNY New Paltz. Chrissy has a background in special collections, archives, and digitization.

Christina Hilburger

Christina Hilburger is the Research and Information Literacy Services Librarian at the State University of New York at Fredonia. She earned her Master of Information Studies from McGill University in 2019. Prior to that, she earned a B.A. in Humanities (East Asian Languages and Culture) from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to reference and instruction, she also assists with Fredonia’s OER efforts. Christina serves as Fredonia’s SUNYLA delegate.

Christina Swendsrud
Christina Swendsrud is the Research Services Librarian History & Archives at Le Moyne College, formerly the Access Services Librarian at Utica University. She holds M.S. degrees in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Data Science from Utica College, and a B.A. from Le Moyne College. Her areas of interest include data, library science, and open content.

Christine (Mi-Seon) Kim
Christine (Mi-Seon) Kim is science librarian, co-coordinator of information literacy, and associate professor at Queensborough Community College (CUNY). She received an MLS in Library Science and an MA in Urban Studies at Queens College. Her areas of interest include Assessment of Information Literacy, ACRL Framework, IL in STEM, Academic Integrity.

Claire Ehrlich
Claire Ehrlich is the Reference and Instruction Librarian at Mohawk Valley Community College, where she works to make research less mysterious to students. She lives with her loving family and mostly-indifferent cat in Jamesville, NY.

Claire Payne
Claire Payne is the Web Services and Data Librarian at Stony Brook University. She holds an MS in Information Science and an MA in Art History, both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her interests include accessibility, content strategy, and visual culture.

Claire Pitcairn
Claire Virginia Pitcairn is the Graduate Assistant Intern at Brockport Downtown. Her background is in English Literature, Spanish Language, and Education studies, and holds an MLIS from Syracuse University. She has used this degree in both public and academic libraries by currently representing the Drake Library at Downtown, as well as by volunteering her time at Maplewood Community Library designing and running programs to help immigrants and refugees in Rochester acquire English.

Colleen Lougen
Colleen Lougen is a Serials and e-Resources librarian at SUNY New Paltz’s Sojourner Truth Library. Her research interests include analyzing e-resources data, accessibility, and viewpoint diversity in higher education.

Dana Laird
Dana Laird is the Technical Services Librarian at SUNY Brockport. She manages electronic resources and serials as well as Interlibrary Loan and currently leads the library’s Student Engagement Committee. Dana earned her MLS from the University at Buffalo.

Danielle Apfelbaum
Danielle Apfelbaum is a Senior Assistant Librarian at Farmingdale State College, where she serves as the Scholarly Communication Librarian. In her role as SCL, she assists FSC community members in navigating the complexities of open-access publishing, open educational resources, and copyright considerations in face-to-face and virtual classrooms. She is completing her coursework in the Curriculum, Instruction, & Science of Learning PhD program at the University at Buffalo, SUNY. Her current research interests include studying the teaching experiences of SCLs as they pertain to designing, delivering, and evaluating instructional programming for organizational colleagues in the area of copyright and open licensing.

Darren Sweeper
Darren Sweeper is the Head of Government Documents and Research Services Librarian at Montclair State University’s Harry A. Sprague Library. Darren is interested in data literacy, scholarly communications, and lifelong learning. He received his BS in Criminal Justice and Sociology, MA in Political Science and MLIS from Rutgers University.

Elin O’Hara-Gonya
Elin O’Hara-Gonya is the Library Director at SUNY Plattsburgh. She is an adjunct lecturer in the Social Work and Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs. She received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Librarianship in 2015. She holds a M.S. in Library Science and a M.S. in Mental Health Counseling.

Emily Kilcer
Emily Kilcer is the Scholarly Communication Librarian at the University at Albany where she works to educate, support, and connect open efforts on campus.

Fabio Montella
Fabio Montella is an Academic Librarian and a History Professor at Suffolk County Community College. He is an Open SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador for Excellence and holds master’s degrees from Long Island University, Stony Brook University and SUNY Empire State College. His current research focuses on Long Island baseball and its connections to the era of segregated professional baseball.

Fannie Ouyang
Fannie Ouyang is the Visual & Interdisciplinary Arts Librarian at Colby College. A lot of her work revolves around the field of book arts, specifically artists’ books and zines. Some of her professional interests include: morale and psychological safety in libraries, education outside of the classroom, and creating interdisciplinary spaces for artmaking.

Fatoma Rad
Fatoma Rad is the Collection Development Librarian at Farmingdale State College. She oversees the Library Liaison Program as well as the Collection Development Committee and manages the Library’s social media accounts. Prior to Farmingdale State College, she was the Special Projects Librarian at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Medical Library. She earned her MS LIS from Pratt Institute and her MA HEA from Stony Brook University.

Heather F. Ball
Heather F. Ball the Critical Pedagogy Librarian for Student Success at St. John’s University, as well as an Assistant Professor. She holds an MLS with a dual certificate in Preservation and Archives from Queens College, as well as an MLitt (University of Glasgow) and Bachelor’s (NYU) in Medieval Studies. She is also currently a doctoral student in Information Science at the University at Buffalo, SUNY. Her research interests and publications span inclusive and equitable practices in information literacy instruction, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, assessment measures, digitization and encoding of historical manuscripts, Geoffrey of Monmouth, and twelfth-century Britain.

Heather Parks
Heather Parks has been the Head of Preservation and Conservation for almost 5 years at Binghamton University. Originally from Virginia, Heather was trained at Camberwell College of Arts in Book Conservation and hopes to create a similar program in the US.

Jamia Williams
Jamia Williams is a Health Sciences Librarian at SUNY Brockport’s Drake Memorial Library. She serves as the liaison to the following academic programs, African & African-American Studies, Biology, Health Science/Healthcare Studies, Public Health, Health Education, McNair Program, Athletic Training, and Nursing.

Jamie Saragossi
Jamie Saragossi is the Head of the Health Sciences Library at Stony Brook University. She received her MLS in 2009 and has worked in health science libraries since. She joined Stony Brook in 2015. She has developed research interests in the academic libraries supporting interdisciplinary research and best practices in health sciences librarianship.

Jane Kessler
Jane Kessler is Director of Collections at the University at Albany Libraries. She holds a BS in Business & Economics from Lehigh University, an MBA from Rutgers University, and an MLS from the University at Albany.

Jason (Jay) Barone
Jason (Jay) Barone is the Technology Services Coordinator at the Western New York Library Resources Council (WNYLRC). A nearly fifteen year veteran of public libraries, Jason now assists librarians and library workers by offering trainings, building webpages, and overseeing the transfer of digital content to statewide portals.

Jennifer Jeffery
Jennifer Jeffery is the Access and Reference Services and Distance Education Outreach librarian at SUNY Potsdam. She is an aspiring Electronic Resources Librarian with interests in Open Access and Open Educational Resources.

Jody Resko
Dr. Jody Resko is an Assistant Professor of Education & Psychology in the Social Sciences department at QCC. She received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the Graduate School & University Center-CUNY. Her current research examines negative beliefs regarding math (i.e., math anxiety) and self-efficacy for teaching math in pre-service elementary teachers. In addition to teaching, she is actively involved in Undergraduate Research. She is a faculty mentor for CUNY Research Scholars Program and she is the co-advisor for both the Psychology Club and the Alpha Sigma Gamma Chapter of the Kappa Delta Pi International Education Honor Society.”

Jocelyn Ireland
Jocelyn Ireland has been the Instructional Design Librarian at Mohawk Valley Community College since 2016. She is the SUNYLA president for the 2021-2022 term and was the 2020 annual conference chair. She lives in Clinton, NY with her husband, two children, and a pit bull affectionately nicknamed Grump Face Gray Beard.

Joe Riggie
Joe Riggie is the Head of Information Management at Buffalo State College where he manages library systems, resource sharing, and library acquisitions. He holds a Master’s in Library Science from the University at Buffalo. His research interests include applications of virtual reality technologies in library management. In his spare time, he reads science fiction, plays Minecraft with his kids, and laments his terrible fantasy football team.

Joshua Beatty
Joshua Beatty has been an Instruction and Reference Librarian at SUNY Plattsburgh since 2010. In addition, he maintains the library’s patron-facing web properties including the library website, LibGuides, and institutional repository.

Karen Ramsden
Karen Ramsden, Research and Projects Specialist at Sprague Library, serves as coordinator to Montclair State University Digital Commons, the University’s institutional repository, and lead administrator for STEM platform, Research with Montclair. Karen earned an MA in Social Research Methods and Analysis from Montclair State, and an MPA from Kean University.

Kathryn Machin
Kathryn Machin is the Electronic Resources and Serials Librarian at Greenley Library at Farmingdale State College. In addition to this role, she provides reference services and teaches Information Literacy classes to the FSC community. Kathryn received her Masters of Library Sciences from Queens College and her Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies at Stony Brook University.

Keri Thomas-Whiteside
Keri Thomas-Whiteside, MLS, is a College Librarian and Chair at SUNY Erie Community College, North Campus. Her role within the library is acquisitions, assessment, and the role of mental health related to the college experience. Keri is the Chair of the SUNY Libraries DEI Collection Development subgroup and is in the process of obtaining the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Certificate from the SUNY Center for Professional Development.

Ken Fujiuchi
Ken Fujiuchi is the Head of Research and Instruction, and Emerging Technology Librarian at the E. H. Butler Library, SUNY Buffalo State College. Ken holds a Master’s in Library Science from the University at Buffalo. His research interests include information literacy, extended reality, social media, linked data, and other emerging technologies.

Kevin Adams
Kevin Adams is the Information Literacy Librarian at Alfred University. He is an active member of the libraries’ Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression working group, and his research interests focus on critical librarianship.

Kimberly Mullins
Kimberly Mullins is a Research and Instruction Librarian at Adelphi University where she serves as a subject specialist in the social sciences and first-year experience programs. Her research focuses on instructional design librarianship and library assessment.

Kim Plassche
Kim Plassche is Map Librarian and liaison to the Geography department at the University at Buffalo (UB). Kim holds a BS in Environmental Science and an MLS, both awarded by UB. Off the clock, Kim is keeping up with her husband, energetic toddler, hyper puppy and two lazy cats.

Kristin Hart
Kristin Hart is University Dean of Libraries and Information Resources for CUNY. She ensures that all CUNY libraries deliver centralized library services and program management in support of CUNY’s mission. Her prior positions were the Chief Librarian/ Associate Dean at Queens College and the Library Director of SUNY Maritime College.

Leslie Ward
Leslie Ward is the Emerging Technologies and Digital Scholarship Librarian at Queensborough Community College, of the City University of New York. She received her MS in Library and Information Science from Simmons College and her MA in the History of Medicine from Oxford Brookes University. In her role at QCC, Leslie works to provide access to technology for teaching and learning, specializing in accessibility, open access, and copyright. Leslie has presented on open educational resources and online learning in community colleges as well as in her academic specialty, the intersection of mental illness and experience in the 19th century.

Lisa Rogers
Lisa Rogers is the Coordinator of Learning Commons Services & Instruction at Utica University. She holds an M.S. in Library and Information Science from Syracuse University and a B.A. from Hamilton College.

Logan Rath
Dr. Logan Rath is a newly graduated doctoral student at the University at Buffalo and a full-rank librarian at SUNY Brockport where he focuses on instruction with teacher candidates, social workers, and students in the departments of psychology, modern languages, and women and gender studies.

Madeline Ruggiero
Madeline Ruggiero is the Collection Development Librarian at Queensborough Community College, CUNY with a subject Master degree in Art History. My goal is to cultivate positive attitudes about learning by egaging students through active learning and providing them with strategies that will help them succeed is a key component of my classes.

Maria Planansky
Maria Planansky is the Collection Management Librarian at Alfred University. She is an active member of the libraries’ Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression working group, and her research interests focus on critical cataloging.

Marisa Gitto
Marisa Gitto is a Senior Reference Librarian at the New York State Library. She received her MLIS from Pratt Institute. Previously, Marisa was Director of Library Services at Maria College and the Curriculum Library Director at the College of Saint Rose where she helped future teachers obtain resources for lessons.

Mark Aaron Polger
Mark Aaron Polger is Associate Professor and Coordinator of Library Outreach at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York (CUNY). His responsibilities include promoting library services to targeted groups on campus, working with admissions and recruitment with library tours, new student orientation, and liaising with high schools and public library branches in the community. Polger’s research interests include library marketing and communications, faculty outreach, professional identity, and the faculty-librarian relationship. He has been working in libraries since 1992 and obtained his MLIS in 2000. He is originally from Montreal, Canada and moved to New York City in 2008.

Marlene R. Schiffman
Marlene Schiffman is a Judaica Cataloger at the Mendel Gottesman Library of Yeshiva University, Past-President of the New York Chapter of the Association of Jewish Libraries and representative to the Name Authority Hebraica Funnel of the Library of Congress.

Mary Kate Boyd-Byrnes
Mary Kate Boyd-Byrnes is a Reference and Instruction Librarian at Long Island University’s Post Campus. Her primary focus is on teaching, and her area of expertise is providing research instruction to first-year and nontraditional students. Her research interests include electronic resource evaluation and assessing college research readiness for first-year student populations.

Matthew R. Smith
Matt’s work is focused on re-centering the library in the college community both by providing the tools and services that integrate the library with every aspect of the research enterprise at ESF and as a people-centered facility. He focuses on helping people and not the many obstacles to doing so.

Max Thorn
Max Thorn is a librarian at Queens College (QC), CUNY, where he also earned his MLS degree. His academic interests revolve around information literacy, instruction, and archives. He was a graduate fellow in the QC Special Collections and Archives (SCA) in 2019, working with Annie Tummino and a history professor to bring pieces of SCA’s robust collection of materials from the Civil Rights Movement into a senior seminar on “America in the 1960s.”

Mechele Romanchock
Mechele Romanchock has worked in libraries for over 15 years including community college and university libraries as well as school and public libraries. Her library positions have included Children’s Librarian, Techincal Services staff, Public Services Librarian, and undergraduate student worker. Mechele is currently the Director of Libraries at Alfred University and the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University.

Megan Benson
Megan Benson is the Assistant Head of Instruction and Outreach at Binghamton University where she works to engage and inform the Binghamton community about information literacy and library services. She liaisons to First Year Experience and Writing courses, and the English Language Institute. She also teaches a two credit research skills class. Prior to becoming a librarian, Megan taught Western Civilizations I at Valencia College in Orlando, Florida.

Michael Crossfox
Michael Crossfox is the Academic Support Assistant at St. John’s University Division of Library and Information Science. He is a lifelong advocate for accessibility and inclusion.

Nanette Johnson
Nanette Johnson is the Access Services Librarian/Assistant Professor at NYC College of Technology, CUNY, working with her team to support student success. Prior to becoming an academic librarian she spent over a decade in corporate libraries. Her research interests include management, teamwork, and implicit bias.

Natalia Estrada
Natalia Estrada (she/they) is a Colombian-American academic librarian from the LA area. They’re also the Digital Scholarship Librarian at SUNY Buffalo. Her research interests include workplace culture and the credential question in academic libraries, the information seeking behavior of graduate students, and the first-gen undergraduate experience.

Nora (Wood) McKenzie
Nora (Wood) McKenzie joined Emory University’s Goizueta Business Library as a Business Librarian in January 2018. Prior to working at Emory University, she served as the Business Librarian at the University of South Florida. She earned an MLS from Indiana University and a BA in English/German from Hillsdale College.

Rebecca Chapman
Rebecca Chapman is a Senior Assistant Law Librarian at the University at Buffalo School of Law, SUNY in the Charles B. Sears Law Library. She is the Undergraduate Legal Education Liaison and the Indigenous Studies Liaison. Before coming to the University at Buffalo School of Law, Ms. Chapman practiced as an attorney in Indian Law for over sixteen years. Her practice focused on Native Rights, Land claims, Gaming and Employment Law, Sovereignty, and numerous other issues in Indian Country.

Robin Naughton
Dr. Robin Naughton is Assistant Professor, Web and Digital Services Librarian for Queens College Libraries. She is responsible for the library website and digital services. She is an experienced user-centered researcher and digital librarian, focused on human-computer interaction, specifically designing interactive systems that are useful, easy to use, and enjoyable.

Sam Mandani
Sam Mandani is the Online Instruction Librarian at New York University. Her current career and research focus is on the intersection of critical and inclusive instruction and access and user experience of technology and digital tools.

Samantha Dannick
Samantha Dannick is the Engineering & Scholarly Communication Librarian at Alfred University. She serves as the liaison librarian for the Inamori School of Engineering and OA policy lead. She also works on universal design for learning and is an active member of the AU Libraries anti-racism and anti-oppression working group.

Sean Loughran
Sean Loughran is a recent alumnus from SUNY New Paltz, graduating with a B.A. in History and English. He has a background in Social and Cultural American History and Literature and is a member of Sigma Tau Delta and Phi Alpha Theta.

Selina Sharmin
Selina Sharmin is the Youth and Family Services Librarian at Hartford Public Library, CT. She attended St. John’s University, earned MLIS in 2006 and earned her MLS from Queens College in 2009. She worked at Queens Public Library from 2000 to 2021 in various library positions. She served as Curator for the Ethnic Services Roundtable NYLA in 2019. She speaks Bengali, Hindi and Urdu!

Teddy Gyamfi
Teddy Gyamfi is the library Evening Access Service Manager at SUNY Geneseo. He attended Binghamton University and obtained his MLIS from the University of Southern California. Teddy curates the library’s course reserve collection, using the cloud-based library service platform Alma, and designs training programs for student workers.

Wendy Prince
Wendy Prince has been a member of the Drake Memorial Library team for ten years. As Evening Library Supervisor her interests include student employee training, instruction and event programming. Past events include speed dating with books and a classic comic con.