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: Chelsey Abbott
Chelsey began her MLIS in fall 2023 after a lifetime of wanting to be a librarian. With a BA in Ethnic Studies from CSU East Bay, she is deeply passionate about diversity and looks forward to using her knowledge to support underrepresented communities in libraries. Currently, her interests lie with academic libraries and museum archives, though she has no firm plans for future paths. When not studying, you can find her hiking, baking, or playing with her youngest sibling, usually with a book in her hand. She loves exploring nature and travels to various state and national parks as often as possible. Her tentative graduation date is spring 2026 and though pursuing a PhD is tempting, she is more than a little frightened by the prospect so no plans have been made so far.
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: Sydney Hamamoto
(Sydney) Aiko Hamamoto (she/they) has a background in history, English literature, and technology studies. They are currently pursuing a master’s in Library and Information Science where they are cultivating their interest in the liberatory potential of information spaces and community-centered archival practices. In between work and school, they enjoy dabbling in different art mediums, studying herbalism, and consuming pop culture.
Assistant Programming Director: 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.
Second Assistant Programming Director: Vacant
Interested in this position? View the job description here.
Communications Director: Caitlin Sheil
Caitlin (she/her) started the MLIS program in the Spring of 2023. She was born and raised in Cool, California and currently resides in Pasadena, California. After receiving her BA in Cinema/Television Arts with an emphasis in Sound Design, Caitlin worked as a foley artist and sound editor. Her passion for audio has steered her towards audio archival. In her free time Caitlin enjoys reading, playing with her cat Leap, crafting, and listening to Depeche Mode. Caitlin is a huge dinosaur fanatic and is always looking for a fellow Di-Know It All to chat with. By joining the SLASC, Caitlin is hoping to make new friends and build a strong network foundation.
Assistant Communications Director: Vacant
Interested in this position? View the job description here.
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: Adina Vega
Adina (she/her) is an MLIS student residing in southern Colorado, attending the program on a full-ride scholarship. She received her BS in Marketing and Advertising from Colorado State University-Pueblo in 2007. Her professional background is in nonprofit marketing; however, she is most proud of her volunteer work with organizations like NAMI, Sierra Club, and her local library district, where she has volunteered for over three years. She had an epiphany after attending a volunteer appreciation dinner and was encouraged to apply to library school. She works with the community relations team, special collections, and the Friends of the Library used bookstore, where she gets to smell old books all day. She plans to graduate in 2025, work at her main library branch, and eventually work in special or academic librarianship. She is a passionate advocate for mental health accessibility and affordability. She enjoys reading and collecting underground adult graphic novels, CrossFit, listening to indie music, needle felting, and thrifting.
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
current SLASC role as 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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