Chair – Julia Roegiers
Hi my name is Julia and this is my second year as chair for the ASIS&T SJSU chapter. I am a Bay Area native and currently live in San Francisco. Living in the city has inspired my interest in technology and ASIS&T has been a great association to be a part of because of that. I appreciate ASIS&T because it supports my growth by giving me new perspectives on how information science can be used in our world. When joining the ASIS&T SJSU chapter you are able to make a stronger network with peers and with the larger association. By attending the many interesting programs provided by ASIS&T special interest groups and the monthly journals that come out I know that I will be a step ahead in education. By being a part of ASIS&T I can progress in my career by keeping up to date with the current news in Information Science. In my spare time I enjoy hiking, reading manga and making new recipes for my family and friends.
Vice Chair/Webmaster – Cathi Okamura
Hi! My name is Catherine, but I usually go by Cathi. I am originally from southern California, went to school in central California, and lived in the Bay Area when I started my career in engineering. My husband and I moved up to the Seattle area 4 years ago since apparently we’re establishing a pattern of moving north every few years! Jokes aside, we love it in Washington and aren’t planning to move anytime soon. Outside of school, my hobbies include trying new foods, hiking, and learning languages.
While my education and work experience are in civil engineering, I am passionate about library and information science and how information professionals can bridge the gaps in research and knowledge. ASIS&T’s values include knowledge sharing, lifelong learning, diversity and inclusion which are all extremely important values in my life. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about ASIS&T!
Secretary/Treasurer – Christine Nguyen
Hello, everyone! My name is Christine Nguyen. This is my very first semester in the MLIS program, and I am so excited to be here in the SJSU ASIS&T team as the Secretary/Treasurer! I decided to pursue both this position and the MLIS out of a love for digital archives, and I would love to break into the field of digital asset management as a career. Previously, I come from a background of Japanese and Linguistics as well, so I love to go down that rabbit hole in my free time. I’m located in the city of our university, San Jose, and received my Bachelor’s from SJSU as well, so feel free to reach out for anything. I also created our ASIS&T discord server this semester, so come in and let’s all have fun together this semester!
Programming Director/Social Media Coordinator – Kay Lee
Hello! This is my first time on the Executive Committee (EC) with ASIS&T SJSU chapter. I’ve taken on the role as Social Media Coordinator and Program Director partly because I’m pretty good at arranging and promoting fun events. I hail from the county of Los Angeles within California. I’m completing my 4th term as a Special Session student in the MLIS program and loving it because through the state college, I’m meeting/networking/befriending others worldwide also pursuing and expanding the scope of LIS. I first enrolled in the program because the Data Science pathway interested me. ASIS&T student chapter is a community hub unlike the other iSchool student group at SJSU because it focuses more on the science and technology aspect of librarianship. When I’m not as busy completing classwork, representing ASIS&T SJSU chapter, or working the day job, I enjoy spending the entire day at Disneyland, exploring my city by foot via urban hikes, and learning how to develop codes or something through good ol’ YouTube.
Faculty Advisor – Dr. Sandra Hirsh
Sandra Hirsh is a Professor and the former Director of the School of Library and Information Science at San José State University. After 10 years as the Director of the iSchool, Dr. Hirsh took a job as the associate dean for academics with the College of Professional and Global Education (CPGE) at San José State University. She served as the President of ASIS&T in 2015, starting her term as President-Elect in 2014. Prior to joining the School as Director, she worked in Silicon Valley for more than a decade at major technology companies: Hewlett Packard and Microsoft. As an industry user experience researcher, leader, and manager, she contributed to R&D research projects and influenced the user experience of web, mobile, and TV consumer products resulting in 5 U.S. patents. She was previously an assistant professor at the University of Arizona, and has taught courses for San José State University and the University of Washington. Dr. Hirsh’s research focuses on information-seeking behavior and understanding the information needs of a broad spectrum of users in the United States and around the world; this work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and has appeared in international conference proceedings.