SLASC Executive Committee
President: Laura Dowell
Laura (she/her) is from Long Beach, CA and started the MLIS program in Spring 2021. She has a BA in Child Development and Family Studies from CSULB, and is very excited about this career shift. Laura found her path to the MLIS program through her passion for creative writing. She hopes to use this degree to amplify and support underrepresented populations while persevering and archiving research. When she is not at school, you can find Laura writing with her cats, spending time in nature or watching Studio Ghibli.
Vice President: Jenn Hunter
Jenn Hunter (she/her) is a highly motivated and versatile individual with a passion for making a difference. She is currently pursuing her Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) at San José State University while also working as an intern at a local public library. She has a Bachelor of Arts in interdisciplinary studies with emphasis in communication, French, and marketing from the University of Arizona. This unique combination of skills gives her a strong foundation in the humanities, languages, and business. In her free time, Jenn enjoys hiking in the redwoods, attending live music events, and exploring new art installations. She is also an avid traveler and has visited 27 countries worldwide. She is excited to use her skills and experience to make a positive impact here at SLASC.
Secretary: Kristina Bellas
Kristina is from Danville, CA and has begun her MLIS degree in spring of 2024. She graduated from CU Boulder in the spring of 2015 with a BA in Sociology with an emphasis in criminology. She is very excited about pursuing her MLIS degree and is interested in the organization of information retrieval systems and archival work. She dreams of one day working in a museum or on a special collection at an academic library. When not studying, she teaches yoga classes and loves taking pilates reformer classes. She also enjoys trying new recipes in the kitchen with family, and friends.
Assistant Secretary: Catherine Moore
Cathy (she/her) is a full-time student from Mountain View, CA, and started the MLIS program in January 2023. She has a BA in English and History from Williams College and a JD from Stanford Law School. Cathy spent many years as a patent litigator before pivoting to run an education non-profit, and is excited by this latest career shift and the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a librarian. Cathy is particularly drawn to academic libraries, but is considering special librarianship as well. In her spare time, Cathy enjoys traveling with her husband and two kids, spending time with her dog and cat, exploring local hiking trails, and reading mystery and thriller novels.
Archivist: Stephen Kelley
I am a full time MLIS student who started in January 2022. I previously attended Grand Canyon State University for my BA in history with an emphasis in public history. I have also volunteered with the digital archives center of the Smithsonian Museum online, and as a curator’s assistant at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center in 2021. I moved back to my home state of California in 2021 after living in Arizona for the past 15 years. Whenever I have free time I enjoy exercising, playing basketball and baseball (baseball being my favorite sport), and watching movies.
Assistant Archivist: Taylor Galvan
Taylor (she/her) is currently pursuing her MLIS degree with a concentration in Archives & Preservation and plans to graduate in the Spring of 2026. She earned her BA in Fine & Studio Arts from the University of Texas at San Antonio and has professional experience in public art, programming, and education. She
currently volunteers with both the Smithsonian and Library of Congress digital transcription centers and will soon reside in one of the most historic cities in America, Philadelphia. As the child of a former librarian, she has always dreamed of one day working in the Library and Information Sciences field. With her professional and academic knowledge, along with a passion for history and art, she aspires to someday work with special collections in an archival, museum, or academic library setting. During her spare time, she enjoys exploring various art mediums, reading (Lit Fic being her current favorite), hiking, and hanging out with her long-time partner, two goofy black cats, and small scruffy dog.
Programming Director: Caitlin Sheil
Caitlin Sheil (she/her) began the MLIS program at San Jose State University in Spring 2023. Originally from Cool, California, she now resides in Pasadena, California. Caitlin holds a BA in Cinema/Television Arts with an emphasis in Sound Design and previously worked as a foley artist and sound editor. Her background in audio sparked a passion for audio archival and preservation, which aligns with her current academic and professional pursuits. Caitlin recently completed an internship with the Assets and Archives team at Legendary Entertainment, where she photographed and cataloged production assets, such as costumes, props, and scripts. She has also interned at the American Film Institute (AFI) Archive, where she organized sound manuals and created a finding aid. These experiences have strengthened her skills in archival processing and asset management, and she plans to pursue a career in archival science, with a particular focus on media collections and audio preservation.
In her free time, Caitlin enjoys reading, crafting, playing with her cat Leap, and listening to Depeche Mode. A lifelong dinosaur enthusiast, she’s always excited to connect with fellow Di-Know It Alls. Through the SLASC, Caitlin hopes to build lasting connections and expand her professional network.
Assistant Programming Director: Justin Gaynor
Justin Gaynor (He/Him) is embarking on a second career as a medical librarian after spending twelve years in various Research & Development roles within the Medical Device industry. He earned his PhD in Materials Science from Virginia Tech, and also has degrees or accreditations from the University of Florida, the University of Bonn (Germany) and Harvard Business School. He has worked extensively in intellectual property, but in his first semesters of San Jose State University’s MLIS program is learning that he has a long way to go before he can consider himself a librarian. Outside of work and study, his primary interests are reading for fun, walking his dogs and getting whipped in pickleball by his wife and her friends. He expects to graduate in Fall 2025.
Second Assistant Programming Director: Shannon Brockhurst
Shannon Brockhurst is currently pursuing her Master’s in Library and Information Science at SJSU, which she began in Spring 2023. With a passion for cultural heritage preservation and safeguarding she is thoroughly enjoying her time at SJSU and is excited to be a part of SJSU’s SLASC. Shannon holds a BA in History, focusing on global race and cultural issues, with a minor in Slavic Studies from the University of Victoria. After graduating, she received her TEFL certification from the University of Toronto and moved to South Korea to work as a teacher. Originally from Vancouver Island, Canada, Shannon now divides her time between BC and Utah, USA, where she lives with her husband. When not focusing on her studies, she can typically be found curled up with a book, crafting something or planning her next adventure.
Communications Director: Vacant
Interested in this position? View the job description here.
Assistant Communications Director: Jess Hallie
Jess is a full-time student from Los Angeles County, California who began the MLIS program in the Fall of 2023. She has a degree in English concentrated in Creative Writing and Children’s Literature, and a degree in International Studies concentrated in Italian, Classical Latin, and World Literature. Her library and information science interests lie in reference and information services, archival records description and access, and information organization/metadata librarianship. When not worrying about her studies she enjoys reading fantasy and mystery novels, creative writing, playing the piano, gardening, and playing video games with friends. She also volunteers with the Prison Library Support Network (PLSN) providing reference services for incarcerated individuals throughout the country.
Membership Director: Vanessa Sztym
Vanessa (she/her) is a settler and lives and works in Treaty 6 Territory in Alberta, Canada, traditional home to the Cree, Denesuliné, Nakota Sioux, Saulteaux, Métis and many others. She began her MLIS program in Fall 2023 and is planning to graduate in spring 2026. She obtained her BA in History, with a minor in Japanese language and literature, from the University of Alberta. After a few years working in Japan, Vanessa returned to Canada and obtained a Library and Information Technology diploma from MacEwan University. After obtaining her LIT diploma Vanessa spent approximately six years working in public libraries before transitioning to work in a legislative library, where she works full-time as a library technician. In her free time Vanessa volunteers at a local history museum, dances with a local ensemble, and knits, tats, cross-stitches, and makes lace.
Assistant Membership Director: Rosie Ribeira
Rosie (She/Her) is from the San Francisco Bay Area and started the MLIS program in Fall 2024. She has a BA in English and an MFA in Creative Writing from BYU. After her MFA, she taught composition and creative writing courses as an adjunct professor. She then joined the tech world as a marketing and technical writer for software and start-up companies. Her eclectic background has led her to pursue a library career with an interest in academic and special librarianship to aggregate her experience as a professor, researcher, and writer. Rosie is an avid tea drinker, crafter, and fangirl. In her spare time, you will most likely find her watching a TV show with subtitles on, going on a walk, doing a face mask, exploring new eateries, or experimenting in the kitchen.
Second Assistant Membership Director: Sabine Asanger
Sabine (she/her) is originally from a small town near Munich, Germany and now lives in Chatsworth near Los Angeles, CA. She holds a BS and MA in Film, TV and New Media from San Diego State University. For the last decade she has been working in the Property Department for various shows. Since Spring 2024, Sabine has been part of the MLIS program, and hopes to graduate by Spring 2026. Her love for researching props functionality, history and aesthetics; as well as organizing and cataloging props has led her on a journey towards archives or special librarianship. In her spare time, she likes to visit all types of museums, explore nature, and hang out with her 3 guinea pigs.
Social Media Director: Erin Robinson
Erin (she/her/hers) began the MLIS program in Spring 2021 and is following the Digital Curation pathway while working towards the Digital Assets Management certificate. She lives in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles with her husband, two children, and lots of pets. She currently volunteers at the Sherman Grinberg Film Library in Chatsworth, CA. She has a BA in Liberal Studies from Cal State Long Beach, and her other academic pursuits are Archival Studies, Art History, Studio Art, Museum Studies, and French. Her family stewards a Little Free Library and a Free Little Art Gallery in their front yard.
Assistant Social Media Director: Tori Robertson
Tori (she/her) lives in the Los Angeles area of California with her husband and their dog Finn. She started the MLIS program at SJSU in Fall 2023 after receiving her BA in English Literature with a minor in Women’s Studies from CSUDH last May. Tori decided to pursue her MLIS degree because of her interest in preserving libraries across the nation, and hopes to eventually work in a special library in Southern California. Her hobbies include hand embroidery, reading, and playing video games.
Second Assistant Social Media Director: Paula Dauguet
Paula lives in San Jose, California and received her BA in Communication Studies with a minor in Spanish in Spring 2019 from San Jose State University. She enrolled in the MLIS program in Spring 2023 and is currently in the process of figuring out what pathway she wants to take (heavily leaning on emerging technologies!) She has been working as a part-time Page for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library at San Jose State for the last year and has recently transitioned from Access Services to the Youth department. Ideally, she would love to graduate in December 2025 and is currently on track to achieve that goal. In her spare time, she enjoys watching soccer, spending time with her cat, hiking/walks in the park, and reading.
Blog Director: Genevieve Hammang
Genevieve (she/her) began the MLIS program in spring of 2024. Since receiving her bachelor’s in linguistics from UC Santa Cruz, she has been working as a writer and editor for an eclectic range of industries, including health care marketing, immigration law, and indie fiction publishers. She is interested in both the community service aspect of public librarianship and niche offerings of special
librarianship, particularly the archiving of genre fiction and sharing of visual entertainment media online. She plans to graduate by the summer of 2025.
Assistant Blog Editor: Michelle Sosa
Michelle (she/her) began the MLIS program in Spring of 2023. Throughout her undergraduate years in UC Irvine, she was exposed to academic librarianship by her library supervisor and became inspired to dive into the field. Upon graduating from UC Irvine with a BA in English, she began saving money for the MLIS program and has finally achieved that goal. Michelle currently resides in Long Beach, California where she volunteers as a literacy tutor for Long Beach Public Library and serves as an intern for Long Beach City College. Juggling the MLIS program while working full time makes Michelle a busy bee but in her spare time, she enjoys exercising, reading (a huge bookworm), practicing her mandarin, listening to podcasts, socializing with friends, and/or watching films.
Second Assistant Blog Editor: Genevieve Hammang
Genevieve (she/her) began the MLIS program in spring of 2024. Since receiving her bachelor’s in linguistics from UC Santa Cruz, she has been working as a writer and editor for an eclectic range of industries, including health care marketing, immigration law, and indie fiction publishers. She is interested in both the community service aspect of public librarianship and niche offerings of special
librarianship, particularly the archiving of genre fiction and sharing of visual entertainment media online. She plans to graduate by the summer of 2025.
Webmaster: Dana Ellwood
Dana began her MLIS journey at SJSU in January 2022. She earned a BA in Sociology from St. Francis College and a Master in Public Administration degree from CUNY Baruch College. She has spent most of her career in federal government, interning at New York’s U.S. Attorney’s Office and working as a case manager at a federal circuit court. Combining her interest in research and background in the legal field, she recently transitioned to an assistant librarian role in the court’s law library. Throughout her MLIS coursework, she has also gained interest in digital asset management as well as information retrieval and organization, and is thus working towards earning SJSU’s advanced certificate in this area as well. When she is not juggling work and school, you can find her cooking new recipes, gardening (way too giant) zucchini and other vegetables, and working on her fitness at OrangeTheory.
Assistant Webmaster: Claire Molsberry
Claire began San José State University’s MLIS program in the Spring of
2024. She is happy to be exploring her love of design and programming
by following the program’s web programming pathway and through her
role in SLASC as the Assistant Webmaster. She studied English
Writing and Hispanic Studies as an undergraduate and was drawn to
librarianship as a profession because she loves to learn things in
general and values how libraries make learning resources more accessible. She has a special interest in music libraries. She enjoys studying languages, listening to music, and playing the tin whistle.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Norman Mooradian
Norman Mooradian has had a multifaceted career working as an information professional and as an academic focusing on digital ethics. He received his Ph.D. and M.A. in Philosophy from the Ohio State University. He also completed graduate courses in Legal Studies at the University of Illinois and attained the CIPP/US Information Privacy Professional Certification from the IAPP. Dr. Mooradian has published articles in areas such as information ethics, business ethics, information privacy, enterprise content management (ecm), knowledge management, and virtual reality, and he is the author of Ethics for Records and Information Management (2018, ALA). His research and teaching interests connect concepts from applied ethics, epistemology and ontology to the information sciences.
For more information about Dr. Mooradian, see his SJSU iSchool Faculty Profile.
Associate Advisor: Vacant
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