Photo Courtesy of Dr. Ryan Cain

Beginning August 2018, I began work as an assistant professor in the School of Information Studies (SOIS) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. My general research interests include neurodiversity, disability, accessibility, social media, cyberbullying/traditional bullying, empathy, librarianship, libraries, and making. I began a Post Doctoral Fellowship in the Department of Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences at Utah State University (ITLS) in August 2016 that introduced me to what makerspaces and making can look like in public and school libraries, especially by engaging with young (12-18 age range) makers.

I received my PhD in Information Science from the School of Information at Florida State University in the Spring of 2016. Before I began the PhD program, I worked as public librarian at a small, rural library system in Southwest Georgia.

A native of Southwest Georgia, I grew up in a very small, rural town that nobody usually has heard of. I usually reference its distance from Atlanta (~3 hours southwest) to give some idea of where my hometown can be found. I received my BA in anthropology and history from the University of Georgia in 2006. In 2008, I completed my MLIS at FSU with a concentration in children and youth services. After working as a public librarian for 4 years, I decided to return to FSU and pursue a PhD in Information Science. Somewhere along the line, I completed my SLIS (Specialist in Library and Information Studies) with a focus on leadership and management. And, finally, my PhD. I’m not entirely sure how all this happened, but here we are! It’s been a wild, curious, and unpredictable journey.

In my free time, I’m an avid reader of a little bit of everything (Southern Gothic, social and culturally geared non-fiction, mental health focused memoirs, poetry, YA Lit, and oddball sci-fi). Outside of books, I’m an eclectic music nerd (Jason Isbell, the Cramps, Wanda Jackson, the Mountain Goats ❤ ), craft beer fan, iced coffee all year around supporter, lover of (almost) anything pickled, and a fitness fanatic who really needs to start training for my sixth marathon. You can usually find me in the gym, on a run, in a local MKE coffee shop, or at a brewery.

P.S. There’s even more information about me on my UWM SOIS faculty page.