We asked several of our graduating doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences during their time at the UNC School of Information and Library Science (SILS).
Doctor of Philosophy in Information and Library Sciences (PhD)
Elliott Hauser
PhD ’20, MSIS ’12
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
I first came to UNC for a master’s in 2010, before which I was living in San Francisco. Later, I took some time off from study to start and grow Trinket with co-founder Brian Marks. Today, Trinket serves as an educational coding platform for hundreds of thousands of users around the world.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
For me, the many benefits of studying at SILS have come from participating in the community of doctoral students, faculty, and staff. The Organization Reading Group (orgorgorgorgorg.org) has been a particularly engaging forum for intellectual engagement. Weekly discussions with Melanie Feinberg, Neal Thomas, Ryan Shaw, Patrick Golden, Colin Post, and many others were a social and intellectual highlight of my doctoral study.
Can you briefly describe the focus of your dissertation?
My dissertation tries to understand how we use information systems to be certain of things. I develop a way of analyzing the production of certainty in information systems and apply it to the various systems that help us keep track of time. Future work will extend this into algorithms, AI, and other new kinds of systems that we use to keep track of the world. Our understanding of the nature of the knowledge we gain from information systems of all kinds has been far outstripped by their ubiquitous use. My work aims to help us orient ourselves and make more deliberate design and policy choices in this increasingly mediated world.
How do you become interested in that subject?
I've always thought it was somewhat strange how it was possible to know things from information systems. Stephanie Haas supported an initial investigation in this direction during my master’s study. It was during this time that I encountered Patrick Wilson's Second Hand Knowledge, which approaches this question of how we know things from information in terms of its implications for libraries. It was also during this time I first encountered Geof Bowker's Memory Practices in the Sciences, which considered this question in regards to the sciences, and became major influence my dissertation. Geof ended up agreeing to be an external member of my committee, which has been a wonderful experience and a great honor.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
I'll be joining the faculty at the University of Texas at Austin's School of Information. It's bittersweet to be leaving UNC and North Carolina, but I've recognized much of what I've come to love about UNC at the UT Austin iSchool, including a collegial culture, a world-class faculty, and an instinct for engaged scholarship. The iSchool there is involved in several exciting campus-wide initiatives and I'm excited and humbled by the opportunity to join another of the world's top public universities.
Like many who've finished dissertations I see the phenomenon I'm studying all around us, and am investigating extending my work to the compilation and publication of things like Covid infection and death rates in the short term. Medium and long-term, I'm interested in unifying my theoretical interests with the hands-on technical aspects of building information systems, supported by a deepening of my teaching practice and a growing cohort of doctoral students.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
Completing a doctorate requires a lot of solitary work but is far from a solitary endeavor. Support from my committee, fellow doctoral students, my friends and family, and communities of practice like CSST have been critical to my success. My advisor Ryan has been a patient and insightful interlocutor as I've developed my ideas and wrangled them into their current form. Most of all, I'd like to thank my wife Erin for her years of encouragement, support, and hard work that have made this achievement possible.
Finally, I'd like to remember the late Evelyn Daniel. I'm sure that all who knew her have fond memories of her wit, deep intelligence, and contagious smile. I too remember our many interactions fondly and with gratitude. Evelyn, you'll be dearly missed.
Colin Post
PhD ’20, Master’s in Art History ’20
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
Before come to SILS, I was living in Missoula, Montana, where I completed my Master of Fine Arts in Poetry. I saw the need for information professionals to work with creative communities to archive and document their works and activities, and so I decided to pursue research in this area at SILS.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
As a doctoral student, I've greatly appreciated my experiences teaching classes and working on exciting research projects with faculty members. This mix of teaching and research experiences has prepared me as I begin my career as a tenure-track professor.
Can you briefly describe the focus of your dissertation?
My dissertation investigates how artists engaged with digital technologies (including virtual reality, augmented reality, and creative coding) approach the ongoing care of their artworks and related archival materials. As these artworks are dependent on rapidly changing technologies, they face preservation risks long before entering into cultural heritage institutions. My dissertation describes the new techniques and skills that artists learn to take care of these dynamic artworks in their personal archives.
How do you become interested in that subject?
I'm also an artist who works with digital technologies, and I realized that these were pressing concerns among my friends and peers.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
In the fall, I will be starting a new position as an Assistant Professor in Library and Information Science at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. I'm excited to deepen my relationships with the arts communities in North Carolina, as I plan to advance programs for libraries, archives, and museums across the state to work with artists in a variety of ways.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
There are so many people who have supported me in successfully completing my PhD. Among my friends and family, I need to thank my wife, Rachel Finkelstein, my friend and fellow SILS doctoral student, Patrick Golden, and above all my parents, Keith and Rachel Post. I'd love to recognize all of the fantastic faculty and staff at SILS, and especially my dissertation committee: Cal Lee (chair), Denise Anthony, Amelia Gibson, Cary Levine (Art History), and Ryan Shaw.
Emily Roscoe
PhD ’20
BA in Political Science ’08, MPA ’12, MSLS ’12, JD ’15
Can you briefly describe the focus of your dissertation?
In my study, I looked into legal liability risks for collecting institutions. I analyzed 6,500+ dockets to learn about the types of lawsuits collecting institutions have faced. I also reviewed U.S.-based ALA-accredited LIS graduate programs for how their curricula incorporate law and legal issues. I identified some differences in the legal topics emphasized in the classroom and scholarly literature and the legal topics arising in lawsuits with collecting institutions as parties. Some of the topics frequently covered in graduate curricula and in relevant literature are not claims that appear often in legal dockets and vice versa. These results can help inform practitioners and educators about the wide range of legal issues relevant to collecting institutions.
How did you become interested in that subject?
My interest in this subject came from working at the intersection of fields – information, law, and government administration. Working at the UNC Law Library provided more insight into how library administrators must address risks for their institutions, and I wondered what risks and legal topics are important to consider. I believe strongly in research that also has a practical side, so I am happy to have conducted this doctoral research.
What was it like to defend your dissertation virtually? What adjustments did you have to make, etc?
My dissertation defense via ZOOM was seamless, especially considering the timing. I had just returned from Poland where I lectured to University librarians. My flight was the last out of the country before borders were closed, so I was worried that I may have to defend my dissertation while overseas without my preparation materials!
My committee made adjustments for the defense and made the experience personal, rigorous, and meaningful. Of course, we would have had a different experience face-to-face, but I feel nothing other than blessed to have these five mentors for this dissertation portion of my doctoral studies.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
I am hoping to remain working at the intersection mentioned above. These disciplines are vibrant and the questions complex and interesting. Additionally, I have enjoyed teaching at SILS and would love to continue in the classroom.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
I am appreciative for my committee: Dr. Cal Lee (chair), Dr. Helen Tibbo, Dr. Denise Anthony, Law Library Director Anne Klinefelter, and Regional Library Director Brian Manning. I am also thankful to SILS for support during my studies.
Megan Threats
PhD ’20
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
Philadelphia. I was working as the Public Services and Reference Librarian at the AIDS Library of Philadelphia FIGHT.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
I've enjoyed teaching undergraduate and master's students at SILS. The students at SILS are brilliant. Building relationships with alums of the PhD program at SILS has been valuable. They have always been willing and eager to offer advice and guidance. My email is always open to SILS students, and I hope to offer the same guidance and resources that were given to me. My favorite classes were without a doubt the 'baby docs' seminar taught by Barbara Wildemuth, and the advanced research methods course taught by Diane Kelly. Both professors really helped me find my voice.
Can you briefly describe the focus of your dissertation?
My dissertation explored how and why young, Black gay and bisexual men living in the state of North Carolina access and interact with HIV/AIDS-related information. It also examined factors that motivate or deter the utilization of HIV prevention, treatment, and care services.
How do you become interested in that subject?
Experiences in my professional career and personal life.
What was it like to defend your dissertation virtually? What adjustments did you have to make, etc?
It was great! There were lots of folks who were able to attend my defense virtually who would not have been able to otherwise. My wi-fi was a bit spotty, so I did lose internet connectivity at one point. All-in-all, I was happy to get lots of support from the SILS community.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
In the fall, I will be joining the Rutgers University School of Communication and Information as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the department of Library and Information Science. This summer, I will be joining the Yale School of Public Health as a Visiting REIDS Fellow at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS. Next year, I will be starting a faculty development program for early career researchers at the Social Intervention Group at Columbia University.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
I'd like to thank my excellent advisor, Dr. Amelia Gibson. I came to SILS to work under her, and it has proved to be the right decision many times over. She is an amazing mentor, educator, and scholar.
The Initiative for Minority Excellence (IME) at The Graduate School has been my saving grace. I'd like to recognize the staff at IME, Kathy, Yesenia, and Maria, who provide top-notch resources and support to students at the university.
Editorial note: Megan Threats received multiple awards and honors during her time at SILS, including the Clarivate Analytical/MLA Doctoral Fellowship, Chancellor’s Doctoral Candidacy Award, International P.E.O. Scholar Award, and Beta Phi Mu Eugene Garfield Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. In April, she was profiled in a Forbes magazine story about soon-to-be doctoral graduates thriving in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yinglong Zhang
PhD ’20
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
Before coming to UNC, I lived in Austin for two years and got my MSIS degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
What were a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
The faculty of SILS is very supportive and they always do their best to help students succeed.
Can you briefly describe the focus of your dissertation?
Through my dissertation research, I seek to understand how people use search engines along with other digital resources (e.g., videos, social media, images, and social Q&A) to support creative processes in their everyday creative work.
How do you become interested in that subject?
I’m interested in this subject because I believe creativity is an essential part of people’s daily life and works. Particularly, considering the popularity of search engines (such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, Baidu, etc.), I realize that search engines could be one of the best existing platforms for supporting people’s everyday creativity.
What are you doing now, and what are your long-term plans?
I’m a quantitative user experience researcher at Google. One of my long-term plans is to conducting research to explore and understand how technologies can better support collaboration in people’s daily work.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
Of course, Rob Capra. Without his support, guidance, mentorship, and encouragement, I would not be able to achieve my career goals.
Master of Science in Information Science (MSIS)
Cami Goray
MSIS ’20
BSIS ’18, BA in History ’18
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
I am from Raleigh, North Carolina. I studied at Carolina for my undergraduate degree.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
This past semester I teamed up with another SILS student, Yuanye Ma, to investigate how students conceptualize their information science identity through a series of interviews with students. iSchools have been rapidly evolving, negotiating their legacies as library science programs with the growing demand for new programs like data science. We thought it was worthwhile to examine students’ motivations and values.
Additionally, I took Dr. Capra’s Usability Testing and Evaluation class as a senior and the following year applied what I learned to conduct usability studies for an interlibrary catalog during a field experience at Duke University Libraries. That experience will be valuable, as I hope to instruct a class on usability testing at Michigan.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
This fall, I will be doctoral student at the University of Michigan’s School of Information. Down the line, I plan to become a user experience researcher manager.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
I want to thank all of the professors who saw potential in me. I have enjoyed my discussions with Dr. Bergquist. He showed me the world of UX and has been a reliable mentor for the past four years. Dr. Jarrahi has treated me as a colleague since Day One and taught me the value of resilience. Dr. Hemminger has been very supportive and has always been willing to hear research ideas.
Sam Mandani
MSIS ’20
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
I was living and teaching in Durham, NC, as a public high school English teacher for four years before coming to SILS.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
I have several experiences as a SILS! Being a CALA and working as a research assistant at the Undergraduate Library has given me tremendous insight into the kind steward I would like to be for the libraries and the kind of colleague I would like to be for others. I’ve also appreciated being part of the Library Association at UNC-CH (LAUNCCH) and being the SILS student representative because I got to integrate a lot of my strengths as a force of good and change for the libraries. It’s also been rewarding to have been part of the Future Leaders in User Experience (FLUX) and Flourish student groups because those were spaces that allowed me to explore my interests as a student.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
Despite the various hiring pauses and freezes that’s sweeping the nation at this time, I’m focusing my efforts in finding a library position as a reference/instruction or student success/student engagement librarian that I think would integrate a lot of my experiences and strengths and desire!
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
I have so many people to thank! Dayna Durbin for being such a great supervisor and role model. Suchi Mohanty, the UL and MRC staff for being such great people to work with! Doug Diesenhaus and Monica Figueroa for being great CALA directors, the various UNC Library staff that I’ve gotten to know and work with over these two years. I also want to thank Dr. Casey Rawson and Dr. Maggie Melo for being such caring and compassionate professors. I also want to thank the CALA peeps and my SILS friends and peers for helping make these two long years worth it. Finally, I want to thank my partner, Fannie, and my family for their continued support.
Mariesha McAdoo
MSIS ’20
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
Prior to SILS, I served as a College Advisor in Sampson County, North Carolina, with the Duke University chapter of the National College Advising Corps.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
I loved meeting so many people while supporting the IT Help Desk and helping to create an organization for students of color in SILS. I also enjoyed watching Future Leaders in User Experience grow as an executive board member and applying what I learned in my courses through work with the Community Equity, Data & Information (CEDI) Lab.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
Even amidst these uncertain times, I am excited about the future! I look forward to finding a position that allows me to continue working with data and design before applying to doctoral programs in the next few years.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
I would first like to thank God and my family! I am also so grateful for the tremendous guidance I received from my supervisors, Brian Nussbaum and Aaron Brubaker, as well as from my incredible advisor, Dr. Amelia Gibson. Huge thank you to the CEDI Lab team, the CaTAs, and all of the friends, peers, professors, and SILS staff members that helped shape this part of my educational journey!
Todd Smith Jr.
MSIS ’20
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
I was living in Massachusetts. I worked as a Technical Writer.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
I found that discussions about information ethics impacted me the most. I've listened to discussions about access to information that changed the way I view human rights.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
I plan to pursue a career as a UX Researcher. Eventually, I hope to engage in UX Writing.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
I'd like to thank my partner, Mark, for all of his support.
Karina Soni
MSIS ’20
BA in Journalism and Mass Communications, Public Policy ’13
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
Before attending SILS, I was living in Durham, North Carolina, and working for UNC's School of Medicine. I was a social/clinical research specialist creating digital health interventions for LGBTQ youth.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
I would say that the most valuable experience during my time in SILS would be working alongside classmates and faculty members who inspired me to think critically about the power of librarianship and the radical availability of information.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
Immediately, I'd like to survive. I think that we're graduating during a time that is absolutely unprecedented. There are no new jobs. Not many places are looking for librarians when libraries are closed. I am going to do all I can to pay my rent, bills and other expenses without putting my life at risk. Outside of that, I hope to relax, watch Star Trek and also do what I can for people who are at high risk for contracting COVID-19, particularly those who are currently incarcerated. Long-term, I hope to find a position in an academic library doing outreach and engagement work.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
So many people inspired, pushed and supported me to get this degree. I feel absolutely grateful for their guidance, mentorship and patience! I'd like to thank my master's paper advisor Dr. Amelia Gibson for honestly being a brilliant SILS faculty member who inspired me and gave me the confidence to conduct research. I'd also like to thank my supervisor at University Libraries, Emily Jack (MSLS '07). Emily has been an amazing mentor to me, and her thoughtfulness around outreach work in academic libraries has broadened my horizons around what libraries are capable of. I'd also like to thank the entire University Libraries Communication team for being by far the best group of people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Additionally, I'd like to say thank you to Research and Instruction Librarian Aaron Smithers for his continuous guidance around my career trajectory within librarianship. I also would have never pursued this career path in the first place without the support and friendship of Ethan Clauset (MSLS '09). He has been a mentor to me in many areas of my life. I'd also like to thank NC Research and Instruction Librarian Sarah Carrier (MSIS '08) for her guidance, friendship and honesty throughout my time at SILS. Also a big thank you to the people who held me down with their friendship and camaraderie throughout these past two years, especially: Mariesha McAdoo, Meredith Kite, Dan Hockstein, and Macy Ferguson. And to my family of Nicole Campbell, Blanche Brown, Katie O'Neill, Nathan Taylor, Grant Bisher, the members of Hot Boy study hall, and to every single one of my friends who called me and checked up on me during my time in this program. Y'all mean so much to me. And I'd also like to say thank you to my mom.
Anusha Suresh
MSIS ’20
BSIS ’18
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
I came to Carolina for college. I started out as a pre-med bio major, and as many of you have heard before, that crashed and burned. So about a year in I found SILS, and the rest is pretty much history. Started as a minor, then the major, and stuck around for the master's.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
Honestly, picking one of a few is very difficult. SILS gave me a community, people to speak to in hallways, faculty and staff to connect with on both personal and professional levels. It really was like a home for me. Professionally, I got to work as Project Manager for RATOM last year and I got to teach 60 students in 161 this year. Every opportunity or experience I've had at SILS has been an unexpected, but welcome challenge. Because of that, I've been able to make connections I know are going to last a lifetime.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
I'm hoping to start working in the next couple of months and open a new chapter! I hope that one day with the skills I picked up at SILS and as a young professional, that I can work in nonprofit or education to continue to tie a data driven lens to giving back to the community.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
I'm very proud to say that this list is a mile long! So hopefully this includes everyone: The faculty who were patient and encouraged me to learn something over getting the right results. The journey and the skills and self reflection have taught me more about solving a problem than anything else. The staff, who were always there to lend a listening ear, or to answer my millions of questions (and get me into classes), or to just talk to on a friday afternoon. My friends who supported me and who I could casually bump into in the hallway. My mentors, whose support comes in subtle ways whether it be a mi-morning walk or who explain how computers work as they put them together. And my family, for their love and support, but especially their patience as this chapter comes to a close.
Cody (Yuxuan) Xu
MSIS ’20
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
I took a gap year after my undergrad from NYU. So before I came to Carolina, I was doing internships in Beijing, China.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
One of the valuable experiences that I encountered is the great atmosphere of the school. I was able to learn not only from our professors but also from my peers. I was able to participate in various activities and projects. For instance, the department has the resources for career related activities so that we could prepare ourselves. And for a basketball fan like myself, there is no better place than the Dean Smith Center.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
Although this is a tough time for recent graduate, I plan to start my career in a data related position. Life wise, I want to continue to explore more of worlds as there are so many things I haven’t experience so far. Aurora is definitely the next thing I want to see.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
I’d like to thank my family and my girlfriend who support me throughout my study at Carolina. Also, I want to thank my advisor, Professor Jaime Arguello, for his guidance of my master’s paper.
Ruiting Yang
MSIS & MPA ’20
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina? China; I was an undergraduate student.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
Being exposed to various interesting data projects.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
To be a data analyst.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
Dr. Yue Wang, Dr. Jaime Arguello, Dr. David Gotz, Dr. Rob Capra, Ms. Lara Bailey.
Master of Science in Library Science
Katie Kehoe
MSLS ’20
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
Before I came to SILS, I was teaching English at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I very much enjoyed teaching and working with college students, but I knew I needed a change and SILS offered me an opportunity to deepen my leadership skills through working with the Community Workshop Series. I am so glad that I came to SILS and had this chance.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
I loved working public librarians through the Community Workshop Series. I got a chance to help them serve their patrons and to talk to them about what it is like to work with the public. I also learned a lot from Sandra Hughes-Hassell's Youth and Technology. I appreciated how she grounded theory to practice in that course, and I know I will take some of the work I did in that class to a future job.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
Immediately, I am searching for a job and taking time to work on a book of poems (I hold an MFA in poetry). Long term, I have so many desires. I would love to be a poet-librarian, publishing my work as writer and serving my community as an information professional. Specifically, I see myself in a public library as an adult services librarian.
I would also like to continue to advocate for digital inclusion for all.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
I am grateful for Dr. Brian Sturm's mentorship at SILS, and for the CWS volunteers who made much of the program's work possible. Most of all, I'm thankful for my family, who's support helped me balance life and graduate school.
Editorial note: Katie Kehoe received the 2020 Outstanding Service to the School Award for her work with CWS. “Katie has revolutionized the student-run program with her leadership and teaching abilities,” said SILS Professor Brian Sturm. “She recruited an excellent set of student volunteers, offered them training in teaching techniques, mentored them in the classrooms, maintained the CWS website, designed web-based lesson plans open to the public, created evaluation tools to help her volunteers improve, and developed new partnerships with other organizations.”
Watch a short video about the importance of the CWS program featuring Katie Kehoe and recent volunteers.
Yuqiao Brigitte Cao
MSLS ’20
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
I was already in Durham, NC, seeking my first master’s degree in Liberal Studies at Duke University before I came to SILS.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
One of my most valuable learning experiences at SILS was going on the Prague Summer Seminar trip. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn about rare books, archives, and library cultures from hands-on experience while making friends with students and professionals in the field.
I also enjoyed being a part of student organizations. Through planning and participating in events, I had opportunities to explore how my knowledge, interests, and leadership skills can contribute to the field of library science.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
My future plan starts with a job as an archivist or a librarian in an academic environment as I am currently in my job search process. As a part of my long-term plan, I will continue to incorporate my passion for serving the diverse population and life-long learning into my career as a librarian.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
I want to give my special thanks to Dr. Megan Winget. Thank you for offering me tremendous support in learning, professional development, and beyond.
I also want to thank everyone in the Class of 2020 as it is the people at SILS that makes my experience valuable. Our interest in library and information science brought us together as we share great times in class and in life and support each other through this difficult time and in the future.
Isabel Crevasse
MSLS ’20
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
Before I came to SILS, I was teaching English as a foreign language in a small town in northern Japan. Having grown up in Tennessee, I like to joke that I took the long way from my hometown to North Carolina (I exclusively make bad jokes, so you can see why I enjoy repeating this one as often as possible). The town I lived in was remote, snowy, and beautiful, and the people were, as people are, wonderful and varied in their own unique ways.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
Honestly, the most valuable things I will be taking away from my time at SILS are the people I've met and the friends I've made. In the face of many ups and downs, the relationships I've formed with faculty and students alike have brought me joy in good times and support in difficult ones. I will always be grateful to the many people I have come to respect and love.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
My future plans, immediate and long-term, are a mystery that I would very much like to uncover! Immediately, I suppose, I will continue to search and apply for library jobs and hope to hear back in the midst of all the chaos going on right now. In the long term, I would like to find myself living in a small coastal town keeping bees, gardening, and respectfully admiring the sea. Ideally, I will also have a thriving career as a librarian while I tend my garden and bees by the sea! The path there is currently unclear, but if there is one thing I confidently believe, it's that things always sort (and then un-sort and re-sort) themselves out with time. In the meantime, while the path forward remains stubbornly murky, I plan to read a lot of books and loosely recreate my favorite movies in The Sims, beginning with Anna Biller's The Love Witch.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
Too many to name! To start with, the many professors who challenged, encouraged, and supported me in my time here. If I ever made anything interesting or insightful in my time at SILS, it is only because of the professors who helped me shape the chaotic tangle of ideas in my brain into something coherent and academically worthwhile.
As for my friends and family, who have more or less carried my heart in their very hands these past two years--words are not enough, but I hope they can all feel my heart beaming gratitude at them as they continue to carry it into the uncertain future.
Phillip Thomas MacDonald
MSLS ’20
MA in Folklore ’15
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
Before coming to this program, I was working at Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge as their Administrative and Marketing Coordinator. Additionally, I was the Frank Clyde Brown Audio Preservation Intern at Duke University Libraries.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
I valued my experience in INLS 501(Information Resources and Services) with Professor Melo. My professional focus was very specific when I came into the program. I thought I only wanted to work in Archives and Special Collections. But this class exposed me to many other fascinating aspects of academic librarianship- Reference, Data Visualization, Makersspaces, etc. This experience opened my mind to other aspects of librarianship that I now can see as various careers.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
Graduating during a global pandemic is difficult. Luckily, I can continue to work at the Special Collection Resource Center at NC State University Libraries through the summer. I hope to work in the Triangle area and thanks to the program, I gained experience and knowledge in multiple areas- reference, makersspaces, and instruction.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
I want to thank my partner, Cara, for her incredible love and support throughout our relationship, but especially during this program. I could not have finished it or been as successful without her. Our cat, Tinker, for his steadfast ability to nap next to me while I worked on assignments at home. My parents, Connie and Brian, for allowing me to find my own path and their unwavering support along the way.
Lastly, I would like to thank Professor Melo. I found myself so incredibly lucky to be in her INLS 501 class in my first semester. Working with her through two other courses (INLS 690 and INLS 737) and my master's paper has been an amazing experience. She is everything a student wants in an advisor constant support, flexibility, a marvelous instructor, and also a great sense of humor. It was an honor to work with Professor Melo.
Bachelor of Science in Information Science (BSIS)
Elizabeth Bueche
(BSIS ’20, BA in Economics and Minor in Entrepreneurship ’20)
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
I’m from Waxhaw, North Carolina, and entered Carolina as an Economics major. I have always been interested in technology and I stumbled upon SILS one morning freshman year as I walked through the quad. That morning Manning Hall displayed big banners emphasizing and introducing me to the program. I enrolled in a SILS class the following semester and instantly knew I had found my major.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
SILS has allowed me to expand my horizons through valuable internships, a semester abroad, and classes applicable to real life. My management class with Dr. Haight, my systems analysis class with Professor Casden, and my capstone with Dr. Jarrahi are a few of my favorite classes that had great discussions and provided me with the necessary skills to thrive in the business world. SILS also allowed me to experience international perspectives in Information Science when I studied at the University of Sheffield.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
I will be starting my career at Bank of America as an Information Security Analyst focusing on cyber crime. I aspire to move into a strategy based management role leading a business unit, connecting my knowledge of business and global technology. I would also like to continue traveling abroad to experience and better understand different cultures.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
I have had a wonderful experience in SILS thanks to the great professors and support staff! Special thank you to Ms. Harris and Dr. Haight for always answering my questions and providing guidance.
Carson Cy Cutright
BSIS ’20
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
I'm from Raleigh, NC, and am currently residing in Raleigh.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
I met my best friends through SILS. Aside from great classes and professors, the relationships I've made through the program will be the memories I carry with me.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
I am staying at UNC for one more year to complete my master's in accounting.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
Tiffany Harris- for being wonderful at her job and a key part of my happiness and success at SILS. She also dealt with numerous shenanigans from my friends and me. Ron Bergquist- he has been a mentor to me and I wish I could've shook his hand on graduation day.
Radhika Jagani
BSIS ’20, BA in Economics ’20
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
I am originally from Charlotte, NC. Prior to joining SILS, I was interested in Computer Science. However, when I found the Information Science Program at SILS, I knew this was the place for me.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
I found INLS 490 with Professor Hodges to be one of my favorite classes at SILS because it taught me so much about information security and fostered my interests in the subject. While the class was challenging, it pushed me to look at problems from a different perspective. I also enjoyed INLS 582 with Professor Mazur because my team had the opportunity to work with CDS and bring forth a real change in the Carolina community. SILS introduced to me to some of my best friends, who have all taught me so much and made my time at UNC unforgettable.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
After graduation, I will be joining EY in Charlotte as a Technical Advisory Staff in their National Practice. In the future, I would like to further my education with a master’s degree.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
I would like to thank Dr. Bergquist and Professor Joyce Ogburn for helping bring our idea to life.
I would also like to thank Professor Patrick Hodges for helping foster my interests in Information Security.
I also want to give Tiffany Harris a shout out because she always made sure that we were in the right classes and helped fix all of our scheduling issues.
Suvrat Jhamb
BSIS ’20, Computer Science and minor in Statistics and Analytics ’20
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
I am from Charlotte, NC and came to Carolina with an interest in Computer Science. However, I realized I wanted something to complement my studies, and SILS turned out to be the perfect fit.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
Meeting like-minded people and finding my best friends in the SILS program.
Working with Carolina Dining Services to improve seating at the dining hall as a Systems Analysis project in INLS582. Working with Dr. Bergquist and other students to design a new Financial Information Literacy class.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
In the immediate future, I will be working with Clarkston Consulting as an Associate Consultant. In the long term, I hope to further my studies in a graduate program and get my master’s degree.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
I’d like to thank Ronald Bergquist, Ryan Urquhart, Patrick Hodges, and Tiffany Harris for making SILS feel like a community, rather than just a learning environment.
Libby Soucaze
BSIS ’20, Minor in Chinese
Where were you living and what were you doing before you came to SILS/Carolina?
Prior to coming to Chapel Hill I was living in Asheville, North Carolina, I had just graduated from A.C. Reynolds High School (Go Rockets!) and was working a summer job at my neighbor's ice cream and chocolates shop downtown.
What have been a few of your most valuable experiences during your time as a SILS student?
One of the most valuable and memorable experiences I had at SILS was the moment I realized I had found my people. During one of my first ever INLS classes, I was making small talk with some peers and distinctly remember thinking to myself, "these people get it, they not only understand my love for things like an effectively developed spreadsheet, they share it." I consider myself incredibly lucky to have found my place at Carolina in the SILS program.
What are your future plans, immediate and long-term?
For the past year, I have been working for Apple as a technical support advisor, and I will continue working with them as I pursue a master's degree in Information Science at SILS this coming fall.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or recognize?
There are so many people I have to thank for my experiences as an undergraduate at SILS. There are a few people in particular that I would like to give thanks to: First, I want to thank Tiffany Harris for her quick email response time and unyielding determination to help me get the answers I'm looking for. She has been a lifesaver on more than one occasion! I want to give a shout out to Dr. Maggie Melo and Eric Chernoff, each of whom have opened my eyes to fields that I previously knew very little about. I want to thank Paul Jones for his impact on myself as a student and on the field at large. I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to be in one of his last classes at SILS. Last, and definitely not least, I owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Bergquist as he has been a formative figure in my pursuit of information science and my ever-evolving lens on information as a whole. I will forever treasure the education I received at SILS and I am thrilled to be returning in the fall!
