Alumni and Friends

Alumni

Nearly every year, the School of Information has recognized members of in the Library and Information Science community with events such as the Jean Key Gates Distinguished Alumni Award and the Alice G. Smith Lecture.

The School of Information through the years has seen the graduation of over 3,000 students from its Master's program, since its inception in 1974. Graduates have gone on to succeed in a wide variety of interesting positions in all parts of the United States and abroad. Some graduates of note:

Matt Etzel (2023) is a Program Coordinator at Collier County Public Library.

Ian Rohr (2023) graduated from the MS in Intelligence Studies program and is a Media Aggregate Program (MAP) Manager. He is now a PhD candidate at Catholic University and recently published an article titled “Backlink Analysis Tools: A Nontraditional Resource for Intelligence Practitioners.”

Sydney Schermerhorn (2023) graduated from the MLIS program and worked as a marketing and communication GA, wherein she helped develop the School of Information Newsletter. She is now a Librarian at Destin Public LIbrary.

Aaron Drake (2022) is a Branch Supervisor at Island Branch Library in the Manatee County Public Library System.

Lori Johnson (2022) works as a librarian for the University of Florida Library since 2023.

Alexis Long (2022) is an Adult Services Associate at the Cape Girardeau Public Library in Missouri. She has a long history of working in publishing, teaching, and librarianship, with a focus on archiving.

Lisa (Feldmesser) Seymour (2022) is a Librarian and Associate Professor at Palm Beach State College, Lake Worth Campus.

Heather Ward (2022) is an Analyst/Planner for USF's Global and National Security Insitute (GNSI) who plans and strategizes for conferences, events, and activities. During her time in the MLIS program, she worked as a GA for Dr. Jim Andrews on his papers.

Janet Chan (2021) is a Research and Education Librarian at USF Health Libraries. 

Ehsan Moghadam (2021) is a librarian for the Edward G. Miner Library at the University of Rochester in New York. He works with orthopaedics, neurology, and emergency medicine, providing information-based services on literature search, systemic review, citation management, data visualization & bibliometric anaylsis, and guidance on data management & sharing (DMS).

Amy Parrott (2021) is the Supervisory Librarian for Morale, Welfar, & Recreation (MWR) at the Naval Air Station Pensacola (NASP).

Leslie Walbolt (2021) is a Librarian Branch Manager at Clearwater Beach Library.

Brittany Baum (2020) is a PhD candidate at Florida State Univeristy studying the role information professionals play in addressing adolescent mental health needs, particularly librarians, by studying the information behavior of teens. While working on her MLIS at USF, Brittany held a graduate assistant position, a research assistant position, was the President of ASIS&T, and was inducted into Beta Phi Mu. She also taught Information Literacy as an instructor. She recently co-authored a paper published in PLQ titled Bridging the service gap: Branch managers talk about social workers in public libraries

Michelle Zimmerman (2020) is a School LIbrary Media Specialist at Woonsocket Education Department in Massachusetts. She earned a graduate certificate in School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist at USF.

Luis Aponte (2019) is an Information Services Librarian for Fairfax County Public Library.

Paul Bazile (2019) is a Library Director at City of North Miami.

Melinda Berg (2019) is a Cataloging & Metadata Librarian at the University of South Florida.

Eric Dominicis (2019) is the Miami Dade College Director, Learning Resources.

Adam Eric Berkowitz (2018) was an active member of the School of Information's SOLIS student group, held a graduate teaching position at USF, and was inducted into Beta Phi Mu during his time as an MLIS graduate student. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Communication & Information Sciences at the University of Alabama.

Robert Fernandez (2017) is an Assistant Professor and a Collection Development/Archives Librarian at Prince George's Community College. 

Matt Phan (2017) is a Librarian at the U.S. Department of Commerce. 

James Clark (2016) is an Archivist & Public Service Librarian at Cape Fear Community College.

Josette (Barbara) Kubicki (2016) is a Reference & Instruction Librarian - Liason Librarian for Education & Pyschological Sciences at Augusta University.

Roxanna Palmer (2015) is a Librarian for Hillsborough Community College.

Alexandra Curran (2013) was selected to be a resident for the National Digital Stewardship Residency Program, run by Harvard University, for 2015-2016. She will be working with the MIT project.

Kimberly Nordon-Parks (2013) is a Librarian I at Pasco County Library.

RoseMary Hedberg (2012) is a National Library of Medicine (NLM) Associate Fellow at Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University.

William Harris (2011) is a Principal Librarian at Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library and supervises for the Florida History & Genealogy Library at John F. Germany Public Library. He is also the historian for the USF LIS Alumni Society.

Alicia Long (2011) is a Library Specialist, Access Services & Outreach at the State College of Florida in Manatee-Sarasota. She was a 2009 Spectrum Scholar and 2012 ALA Emerging Leader, and often teaches a course on Multicultural Literature at the University of South Florida, School of Information, as an adjunct instructor and visiting instructor.

Angie Drobnic Holan (2010) is the editor of PolitiFact. She was a member of the PolitiFact team that won the Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the 2008 election. She has been with the Tampa Bay Times since 2005 and previously worked at newspapers in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and New Mexico.

Jenny Hodges (2009) is a Senior Librarian Hillsborough County Public Library System and also is head of youth services for New Tampa Regional Library.

Jessica Zario (2009) is the Director of Library Sales & Outreach at ByWater Solutions.

Courtney Crummett (2006) is a Biosciences Librarian at MIT Libraries. National Library of Medicine Associate Fellow, 2006-2008.

Glenda Phipps (2003) is the Chairperson of Communication, Arts & Philosophy at Miami Dade College.

Roy Balleste (2002) is the Law Library Director and Professor of Law at Stetson University School of Law.

Nancy Fredericks (2001) is an acting Libraries Director at Pasco County Library Cooperative and an adjunct at the School of Information.

Mika Slaughter Nelson (2001) is the Library Director at St. Petersburg Library System. Mika was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society (2001) and Beta Phi Mu International Library & Information Studies Honor Society (2003). Mika Slaughter Nelson was the 2015 recipient of the USF SI Jean Key Gates Distinguished Alumni Award and currently serves on the USF SI MLIS Advisory Council. She gave the Alice G. Smith Lecture in 2022 for the School of Information titled "Modern Marvels: Mining Gems to Manifest Dreams."

Celia C. Pérez (2001) is an author and her first book, The First Rule of Punk, was a 2018 Pura Belpré Award Honor Book, a 2018 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards honor book, a winner of the 2018 Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award, a Junior Library Guild selection, and was included in several best of the year lists. Her second book for young readers, Strange Birds, was published by Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers in September 2019.

Ethan J. Allen (2000) is the Director at John D. MacArthur Campus at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Libraries.

Lauren Christos (2000) is a FIU University Reference and Research Librarian. 2009-2010 Chair of the American Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT).

Carrie Hurst (2000) is a Senior Librarian and branch manager of the Robert W. Saunders Public Library in Hillsborough County, Florida. Carrie was inducted into the International Chapter of the Beta Phi Mu Honor Society in 2010.

Phyllis Gorshe (1999) is the Director of the Dunedin Public Library in Pinellas County, Florida. She is the 2020-2021 Vice-President and President-Elect of the Florida Library Association. Phyllis is also an active member of the community as a member of various civic organizations including the Dunedin Council of Organizations, Secretary: 2015-Present, the Garrison Jones School Advisory Committee, Community Liaison: 2014-Present, and the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, Education Committee Member: 2014-Present. 

Larry Treadwell IV (1999) is the Director at of the Fayetteville State University (NC).

Todd Chavez (1998) is Dean of the USF Libraries and serves on the USF SI Advisory Board. He gave the Alice G. Smith Lecture in 2023 at the School of Information's 50th Anniversary Event for the MLIS program.

Melissa Schneider (1998) is the Executive Director of Winter Park Library. She served as the President of the ALA student chapter.

Laura Slavin (1998) is an Electronic Resources Libarian at the University of Alabama, Huntsville. During her time in the MLIS program, she served as the SOLIS president. She is now the President of the Southeastern Library Association.

Mike Dahn (1997) is SVP at Global Head of Westlaw Product Management.

Andrew S. Breidenbaugh (1996) is the director of the Tampa-Hillsborough library system. He has been principal librarian for the John F. Germany Public Library, chief librarian for the South Tampa region, manager of library technology and collections, and manager of library technology and collections for the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Libraries.

Byron Holdiman (1996) is a Genealogy Librarian at St. Tammany Parish Library in Madeville, Louisiana. In January 2024, he presented "Don't Forget the Librarian: An Essential Genealogical Research Tool" at Roots Tech.

Anne Leon (1994) is the Executive Director of Public Library Services at Alvin Sherman Library, Nova Southeastern University.

Todd Puccio (1994) is the Director of Technical Services at Health Professions Divisions Library, Nova Southeastern University.

Lisa Broadhead Lilyquist (1993) is the director at Lakeland Public Library.

Rose Bland (1992) is the Director of the Shimberg Health Sciences Library, University of South Florida. She serves on the USF SI Advisory Board.

Casey McPhee (1992) is the Director at Largo Public Library.

Lucía Martínez Gonzalez (1991) is the Library Director at City of North Miami, 2010-2011 and past president of REFORMA. She is the author of the award-winning bilingual books The Bossy Gallito, winner of the Pura Belpré Children's Literature Honor Medal and named one of New York Public Library's 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know; and Señor Cat's Romance and Other Favorite Stories from Latin America, an Americas Award Commended Title. Gonzalez was named the 1998 Jean Key Gates Distinguished Alumna by the University of South Florida School of Library and Information Science. Her new book, The Storyteller's Candle, is a bilingual picture book illustrated by Lulu Delacre, winner of the 2008 Pura Belpré Children's Literature Honor Medal.

Ardis Hanson (1990) is the Assistant Director for Research and Education at USF Health Libraries. Her research focus is on language and social interaction - how language is used in everyday practice to negociate claims and identities.

Jennifer Pratt (1990) is the Executive Director at Southeast Florida Library Information Network.

Dr. Barbara Stites (1988) holds the rank of University Librarian and serves as the Associate Dean, Library Services for Florida Gulf Coast University. Dr. Stites is also on the USF SI Advisory Board.

Cecelia Solomon (1987) 2009-2010 president of Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME,) the school media specialists’ association.

Susan Dillinger (1981) Director of New Port Richey Public Library. FLA proclaimed her Florida Librarian of the Year (2014).

Sonja Garcia (1977) was a former USF Library administrator and a former member of the USF Board of Trustees. She was the first African American woman on the 12-member board.

Anne Ellis (1975) was the first Librarian Relations Director at Thomson Reuters and the former Chair of the Private Law Libraries division.

Lydia Acosta was Vice President for Information Services and University Librarian Nova Southeastern University and was responsible for setting the strategic direction and managing the daily operations of the NSU library system, including the Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center on NSU’s main campus, a joint-use facility between the Broward County Board of County Commissioners and NSU. As the largest library facility in Florida, the Sherman Library is a national model for a successful public-private partnership. 

Samantha Hastings is Director of School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina for the state of Florida. She was elected as the Director for Region V in the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).

Shirley Kennedy was an internet pioneer and edited Best Bet Internet: Reference and Research When You Don't Have Time to Mess Around as well as the editor for InfoToday.com.

Dorothy M. Schirtzinger was the former library director at the Lee County Library System (LCLS). She was awarded Librarian of the Year in 1996.