Claudia Berger (Individual Presenter)
Claudia Berger is the Digital Humanities Librarian at Sarah Lawrence College and a Visiting Assistant Professor at Pratt’s School of Information. Their research centers around new approaches to digital humanities research, like physical data visualizations and digital environmental humanities. She also serves as an Editor of dh+lib, working on the biweekly dh+lib Review and editing special issues, and as the Deputy Secretary of the Association for Computers and the Humanities (ACH).
Morgan Bond (Individual Presenter)
Morgan Bond is the Electronic Resources and Systems Librarian at SUNY Oswego, she’s also the Library’s subject liaison for Art, Sustainability, and Physics. Morgan is an avid gardener and enjoys a wide variety of outdoor activities
Tierney Gleason (Lightning Talk Speaker)
Tierney Gleason is the Reference & Digital Humanities Librarian at Fordham University in the Bronx. She works at the intersection of reference, instruction, and digital humanities She earned an MS in Library and Information Science from Long Island University and an MA in Irish and Irish American Studies from New York University concurrently through the NYU-LIU Dual Degree Mentoring Program
Sagal Hassan (Panel Participant)
Sagal Hassan is a student at Queens College, CUNY pursuing a master’s degree in library science with an interest in art and design librarianship, as well as cataloging systems and metadata. She has an undergraduate degree in graphic design from Virginia Commonwealth University with a minor in art history. Sagal was a participant in the inaugural year of the Fridays in May: Queer BIPOC Peer-Networking Program.
Mee-Len Hom (Lightning Talk Speaker)
Mee-Len Hom has been an instructional/reference librarian at CUNY’s Hunter College and is the liaison to the Asian American Studies Program and Asian History. She holds two M.A. degrees from CUNY/Baruch College, in Higher Education Administration and an M.L.S. from CUNY/Queens College Library School. Current research interests are Asian American Issues and student activism.
Kelly Karst (Individual Presenter)
Kelly Karst (she/her) is the User Experience and Emerging Technology Librarian at CUNY Brooklyn College. With a diverse background in psychology, art history, and film studies, she delves into various topics reflecting her experiences and academic pursuits. Her work centers on enhancing the student/library experience in higher education, focusing on engagement and ease of use. With roots in Panamá, Kelly’s personal research interests are in Latin American and Caribbean studies which is the current focus of her studies for an M.A. in Digital Humanities at the CUNY Graduate Center
Gina Levitan (Lightning Talk Speaker)
Gina Levitan (she/her) is a Reference and Instruction Librarian at CUNY Hunter College, and her research interests include critical pedagogy and library instruction, library outreach, and community engagement. She was a 2023 NYCOpen Data Fellow, where she was able to apply open data and information literacy in her work.
Sam Mandani (Panel Participant)
Sam Mandani is the Online Instruction Librarian at New York University. She is the member-at-large for ACRL-NY and was a participant in the inaugural year of the Fridays in May: Queer BIPOC Peer-Networking Program. Her current career and research interests focus on the following: slow librarianship as a functional lens, the intersection of critical and inclusive instruction and access and user experience of technology and digital tools, and responsible and empowering technology use. For fun, she likes to fangirl about an assortment of stuff.
Traci Mark (Panel Moderator)
Traci Mark is a co-curator of Fridays in May and the Program Manager for Equity, Archives & Media Preservation at METRO. She was previously the media archivist at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library in Harlem. Traci specializes in archiving and preservation of analog media, black history and providing programming that focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Traci graduated from Ryerson University with an MA in Film Preservation and Collections Management and from York University with an Honors BA in Cinema and Media Studies. She is a native of Toronto, ON
Stefany Merkelbach (Panel Participant)
Stefany Merkelbach is a MLIS student at Pratt Institute and Library Fellow at Bard Graduate Center. Her research interests include rare books and special collections, alternative media and community generated media in the information space like films and zines, as well as the transient nature of information in the digital age. Her library practice is grounded in service to underrepresented or isolated communities with a special attention given to prison or homeless library initiatives. Stefany was a participant in the inaugural year of the Fridays in May: Queer BIPOC Peer-Networking Program.
Melina Moe (Lightning Talk Speaker)
Melina Moe’s recent written work focuses on the history of media, including the advent of postcards in the late 19th century, the history of American publishing, and Toni Morrison’s work as an editor. She recently curated an exhibition entitled Social Climates, which re-examined archives in the context of the environmental humanities. Currently on view at Columbia is an exhibition exploring the enduring appeal of Coney Island pairing early 20th-century archival images with contemporary photography taken by Columbia MFA students.
Dorian Onifer (Lightning Talk Speaker)
Dorian Onifer (he/him) is a Research Services Librarian and liaison to the Sociology department at CUNY’s Hunter College. He holds an MSLIS and Advanced Certificate in Archives from Pratt Institute and a JD from CUNY School of Law. Drawing on an eclectic background in public and special libraries and archives, his current research interests include critical pedagogy and teaching with place-based primary sources.
Samantha (Walsh) Slattery (Lightning Talk Speaker)
Samantha Slattery (Walsh) (she/her) is a Research Services Librarian at CUNY Hunter College. Before coming to CUNY, she worked in medical libraries. Her scholarly interests include supporting learners throughout their research process, and library services provision.
Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz (Panel Moderator)
Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz is an Assistant Curator and Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning, and Engagement at NYU Libraries. Shawn teaches Reference and Instruction at Pratt School of Information, and is co-coordinator for the ACRL-NY Mentorship program. She co-leads Special Interests Groups (SIGs) for METRO and ALISE, co-coordinates the Critical Pedagogy Symposium, and is co-curator for the Fridays in May: Queer BIPOC Peer Networking Program for information science early professionals and students. She co-edited Grabbing Tea: Queer Conversations in Identity and Libraries, and Grabbing Tea: Queer Conversations in Archives and Practice (2024). Her writing can be found on http://shawntasmithcruz.com.
Zachary Vickery (Individual Presenter)
Zachary Vickery is the University Archivist Librarian and co-chair of the Library Sustainability Committee at SUNY Oswego Penfield Library. Originally from New Hampshire, Zachary earned a Master’s in Library and Information Science from Louisiana State University and recently became a Certified Archivist. Prior to joining SUNY Oswego in 2020, Zachary was at The Library of Virginia as a Senior Reference Librarian. His interests within the profession include sustainability, student employment in libraries, and primary source literacy. This is his first time attending an ACRL/NY Symposium.
Alan Witt (Individual Presenter)
Alan Witt is a Research Instruction Librarian at SUNY Geneseo and holds an MLIS, an MBA, and an MA in History. He liaises with the departments of History and Business, assists community members in partnership with the Small Business Development Center, and runs the Research Instruction internship program at Milne. His research focuses on experiential learning, and melding business principles and theories with library work. He has recently been researching Generative Artificial Intelligence and its utility for scholarship, as well as how to effectively teach about LLMs in a classroom setting. Alan is also a union activist with the Geneseo chapter of United University Professions.