Chair – Kay Lee
Hello, all! I’m in my second year as a special session student in the MLIS program. I’m not following any pathway suggested by iSchool, but I am more interested in the non-traditional LIS classes and professions. I became more interested in pursuing knowledge management and technology during the height of COVID-19, after becoming aware of the disconnect people were experiencing while working in human social services. I first joined SJSU ASIS&T as a general member and now I’ve recently taken on the role of Chair. I have ideas to help make this student chapter fun for all of us. Some of my pastimes include spending the day at Disneyland, doing urban hikes while exploring cities, and trying out new restaurants.
Vice Chair – 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 partner and I moved up to the Seattle area and 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 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!
Webmaster – Chris Reynolds
Hi all! My name is Christine Reynolds, but I go by Chris. This is my fourth semester in the MLIS program and I’m excited to be joining the ASIS&T student chapter team! I received my undergrad degree in studio art from UC Santa Cruz, where I worked a lot with digital media, animation, and games. Before that, I worked as a pastry cook for 5 years in a high-volume kitchen. So far learning and exploring the opportunities in the Library and Information Science realm has been really fulfilling. My current interests are in understanding data service needs and methods used in research.
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.