SILS student Meghan Gaherty (MSLS) has been named a 2010 IREX Fellow.
The International Research & Exchanges Board, or IREX, "is an international nonprofit organization providing leadership and innovative programs to improve the quality of education, strengthen independent media, and foster pluralistic civil society development," according to its Web site.
As part of her IREX fellowship experience, Gaherty will spend three months working in Washington, D.C., followed by a two week stint in Romania. During her time there, Gaherty will be conducting research on the design, implementation and evaluation of several projects sponsored by "Biblionet, a five-year program that aims to help Romanian libraries better serve their communities through a country-wide system of public internet access in libraries."
"I'm looking forward to the opportunity to apply what I've learned here at SILS to Romanian libraries, and I'm grateful for all of the support from the SILS faculty," said Gaherty.
"I am delighted that Meghan was selected to participate in this distinguished program," said Dr. Sanda Hughes-Hassel, SILS associate professor. "Through her work with IREX, Meghan will be helping to develop library programs and services that will enable Romanians to learn, create and engage with each other and the world. Being selected as an International Librarianship Fellow is clearly an honor for Meghan and for SILS."
Prior to her time at SILS, Gaherty received a M.Ed. in Social Foundations of Education from the University of Virginia and a B.A. in Anthropology and Secondary Education from American University. She also spent a year teaching in Timisoara, Romania on a Fulbright grant. Her studies at UNC are focused on youth services and international development.
