Abass Ahmed, PhD Student, College of Computing and Informatics, Drexel University
LEADING Site: UC San Diego Library

Abass Oladele Ahmed is a first year PhD student at the College of Computing and Informatics, Drexel University. He majors in information science and his research interests focus on Information literacy skills of first generational college students and its implications in the information privilege theoretical framework.

I am hyped to join the 2023 LEADING Fellowship as it would afford me the opportunity to work with amazing scholars and professionals in the field of data science and library science. This fellowship will also help me understand more about the democratization of data through data science and how that can create an equitable access to data especially among underserved population.

Danielle Boccelli, PhD Student, College of Computing and Informatics, Drexel University
LEADING Site: University of New Mexico College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences

Danielle is currently a doctoral student in information science at Drexel University; her research focuses on the application of computational methods to texts (as a source of data about which inferences can be made) toward the robust scientific evaluation of texts. Prior to starting her doctoral studies, Danielle worked as a data scientist and as a research editor, experiences which greatly inform her approach to research and to science communication. Danielle holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Drexel University and a master’s degree in analytics from the Georgia Institute of Technology. In her free time, Danielle writes poetry and reads everything.

Averi Cole, Research Assistant, University of Kentucky
LEADING Site: UC San Diego Library

Averi Cole will receive her MSLS with a concentration in Academic Libraries in May 2023. She graduated from Tennessee Tech University in May 2021 with a BS in Agribusiness Management. Her research in graduate school has focused on virtual storytimes and diverse resources within public libraries. Her other research interests include intellectual property and freedom and information literacy. Averi is excited to network with others and learn more about the intersection of library and data science during her time as a LEADING fellow.

Laura Dozal, PhD Student, University of Arizona
LEADING Site: University of Rochester Libraries

Laura is a PhD Candidate at the University of Arizona’s School of Information. Her interests lie in computational social science, and her research consists of topics in information behavior and visual analysis through Network Analysis, Machine Learning, and Data Mining. She is excited to be a LEADING fellow to learn from her peers and support open science and knowledge sharing.

Marissa Friedman, Digital Project Archivist, University of California, Berkeley
LEADING Site: AI-Collaboratory, University of Maryland iSchool

Marissa Friedman is a Digital Project Archivist at the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley. She received her MA in History (2017) from the University of California, Riverside, and her MLIS (2020) from San Jose State University. Her interests include Collections as Data, metadata and reparative description, and critical digital librarianship. Marissa is excited to gain more hands-on knowledge of data science fundamentals from participating in the LEADING program, and use these skills to help expand computational access to digital special collections in her future work.

Sam Hansen, Mathematics & Statistics Librarian, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
LEADING Site: Drexel University’s Office of Research and Innovation

Sam Hansen is the Mathematics & Statistics librarian  at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Their research focus is on the aging dynamics of citations and mathematical communications. Sam received their MLIS from University of Wisconsin, Madison and a MS in mathematics from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. They are excited to develop a community of fellow library focused data scientists, not to mention learning amazing things, as a LEADING fellow.

Jackson Huang, Digital Collections and Content Ingest Coordinator, University of Michigan
LEADING Site: Research Organization Registry

Jackson Huang is a library technologist at the intersections of structural politics and technological infrastructure. Their research focuses on the impact of metadata translation and digital aggregation on cultural heritage and archival materials online. They are currently the digital collections and content ingest coordinator at the University of Michigan, where they also earned their MSI. The LEADING fellowship provides an exciting opportunity to deepen their understanding of data science in a large-scale, academic metadata context.

Mason Jones, PhD Student, University of Maryland
LEADING Site: Kislak Center for Special Collections, University of Penn Libraries

Mason Jones is a second-year Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland’s iSchool and holds an MLIS degree from the University of Alabama. Their work is primarily focused on improving the accessibility of archival metadata for special collections materials and digital collections. Mason is excited to be join the LEADING Fellowship program to further develop data science skills and connect with others working at the intersection of data science and cultural heritage.

kYmberly Keeton, PhD Candidate, University of North Texas
LEADING Site: Loretta C. Duckworth Scholars Studio, Temple University Libraries

kYmberly Keeton is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Information Studies, Interdisciplinary program at the University of North Texas. She is an art librarian, archivist, and autoethnographer. Keeton received an MLS from the UNT and her Bachelor’s in English Creative-Writing with a minor in African American Studies from the University of Houston. Today, Keeton is the Chief Library Curator and Founder of ART | library deco an online African American virtual art library, gallery, and repository.

I am so excited to be a 2023 LEADING FELLOW to learn from the best and walk away with a new skill set I can emulate in Black Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums. Learn more about Keeton’s doctoral work here: www.BGLAM.blog

Nelia Koontz, Collections Management Librarian, University of Wyoming
LEADING Site: Montana State University Library

Nelia Koontz is the Collections Management Librarian at the University of Wyoming. She received an M.S. in Information Sciences and a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Tennessee. She is interested in collection strategies, inherent biases in collection metrics, and the library’s impact on language change. She is excited to participate as a LEADING fellow and for the opportunity to strengthen her data science and research skills.

Noelle Leong, Reference Librarian, Laney College
LEADING Site: Smithsonian Libraries

Noelle is a Reference Librarian at Laney College where she provides student support and research assistance. Her primary interests include educational equity and access, critical librarianship, California coastal marine ecology, and postmodern literature. They are also a science educator, and former natural history collections professional with interests in specimen digitization repository organization, and research utilization of collections data. She is excited to join this year’s LEADING fellow cohort, and grow in her data science toolset for future collaboration in research and education access. They received their MLIS degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and their Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies and English Literature at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Tiffany Ly, Digital Services Library Associate, Ramsey County Library
LEADING Site: AI-Collaboratory, University of Maryland iSchool

Tiffany Ly is a Digital Services Library Associate at Ramsey County Library. She received her BA in International Studies and Japanese from Macalester College, and will be receiving her MLIS from St. Catherine University in May 2023. Her research interests include algorithmic bias, data use and information ethics, and the potential uses of digital humanities for advancing social justice. She is excited to join the LEADING program to explore the interdisciplinary work that can be done through the combination of data science and library and information science.

Amelia Mowry, Metadata & Discovery Services Librarian, Wayne State University, Detroit Michigan
LEADING Site: OCLC Research

Amelia Mowry is the Metadata & Discovery Services Librarian at Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan. She received her M.S.I.S. from the University of Michigan. She’s interested in metadata quality, discovery, and the new possibilities at the intersection of metadata and data science. She’s thrilled to be a part of the LEADING program, where she can explore these issues and connect with others interested in data science in libraries.

Hugh Paterson, PhD Student, University of North Texas
LEADING Site: Haverford College, Digital Humanities Department

Hugh Paterson III is a PhD student at the University of North Texas in Information Science. He’s worked in Digital Libraries projects which focus on the stewardship and discovery of language resources. His PhD work involves information extraction, classification, and language identification. He holds a Masters in Linguistics. Has worked with language speakers in Mexico and Nigeria. His undergraduate studies included German, Mandarin, Greek and pedagogy. He excited for the opportunity through LEADING to learn the LLOD toolchain and be a part of linked data applications in production.

Dana Reijerkerk, MSI, University of Michigan
LEADING Site: Loretta C. Duckworth Scholars Studio, Temple University Libraries

Dana Reijerkerk is a data analyst, data scientist, digital asset manager, taxonomist, video game designer, and writer in the cultural heritage and nonprofit sectors. She holds a Masters of Information (University of Michigan) and a degree in American Indian Studies (University of North Carolina at Pembroke). Her research and work explores sociotechnical issues in data with emphasis on the intersections and borders between technology and social power structures. Dana is honored to be a part of the LEADING program and hopes to explore connections between social justice, data science, and traditional library science domains.

Rose Reza, Archives Intern & Graduate Assistant, University of Arizona
LEADING Site: People’s Media Record, Movement Alliance Project

R. Rose Reza (she/they) is a MLIS Candidate (graduating May 2023) with the University of Arizona School of Information. She holds two M.A. degrees in History, one from the University of Arizona (2016, focus on Early Modern commodity studies in the Ottoman Empire) and the other from New Mexico State University (2009, focus on Middle Eastern diaspora communities in early-mid 20th century Latin America). Rose’s research interests are heavily tied to their positionality as a queer & transsexual Latinx-Arab femme of color, and cover metadata standards for queer and trans records/collections/archives; processing and preservation of both digital and paper-based archival material; divesting LAMs from law enforcement; and working with both community archives and institutional archives in order to ensure preservation, metadata, and community-access of the records/collections/archives of LGBTQ+ communities of color in the United States. Rose is honored to have been selected as a 2023 LEADING fellow, and is eagerly anticipating the augmentation of her data science capacities and of her professional network. 

Jade Snelling, Collections Archivist, Virginia Tech
LEADING Site: Kislak Center for Special Collections, University of Penn Libraries

Jade Snelling is the Collections Archivist for the International Archive of Women in Architecture at Virginia Tech’s University Libraries. She’s spent time doing specialized imaging work and creating metadata for digitized materials. She’s interested in exploring discovery enhancement by way of linked data and building sustainable data practices into workflows. She earned her M.S.I.S. from the University of Texas at Austin’s iSchool in December 2016. 

Ben Wang, PhD Student, University of Oklahoma
LEADING Site: University of Rochester Libraries

Ben Wang is a PhD student in Information Studies at the University of Oklahoma. As a graduate researcher with expertise in information retrieval, human-computer interaction, and machine learning, he has a deep interest in the intersection of information science and data science. Through the LEADING program, he aims to broaden his research perspectives and obtain professional training to become a computer and information scientist, enabling him to develop applications that benefit society.