LIRT 2022 Presenters
Heather F. Adair, Sam Houston State University
Heather F. Adiar has 25+ years in K-20 education as a Texas teacher and professor, school and academic librarian, district and campus instructional technology specialist, instructional coach and librarian, and workshop presenter. She is currently the Instruction Librarian at Sam Houston State University, supporting the library’s instructional role in promoting information literacy campus-wide. She supports multiple academic subjects and is the Children’s Literature Librarian. Her research interests include active learning, cyber citizenship, educational leadership, and information literacy.
Lorely Ambriz
Lorely Ambriz started as a library work study at El Paso Community College in 1995 and in January 2014 she started as a full-time tenured track faculty librarian for and since November 2017 she is the Head Librarian of a dual mission academic and public library— for the Northwest Campus Library and the Jenna Welch Community Library, a branch of the El Paso Public Library. Simultaneously, before becoming full-time she worked for almost 10 years (2005–2014) as the Alliances Development and Knowledge Management Specialist for the Pan American Health Organization/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) US–Mexico Border Office. In 2007, Lorely was profiled in the special “Movers & Shakers” edition of Library Journal. In 2017, she was recognized as the Librarian of the Year by the Border Regional Library Association (BRLA). Since 2017, she serves as an OCLC Americas Regional Council (ARC) Delegate and on the ARC Executive Committee as Secretary.
Ann Agee, San Jose State University
Ann Agee is the Faculty Director of Collections & Scholarly Communication at San Jose State University in California. Her research interests include collection management and information literacy instruction, in-person and online.
Jennifer Batson, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Jennifer Batson has been teaching information literacy classes for six years. In addition to her MLS from Texas Woman’s University, she has a BS in Education and an MA in Humanities. Professional development classes in areas such as active learning, backward design, and the Information Literacy Framework inform her search for new and better ways to engage students with information literacy.
Alessia Cavazos, University of Texas at Arlington
Alessia Cavazos is the Undergraduate Success Librarian at the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries, and specializes in working with freshmen, sophomore, and transfer students to help them become accustomed to university life. Her subject areas are English, University Studies, and Linguistics.
Ashley B. Crane, Sam Houston State University
Ashley B. Crane is an Assistant Professor and Research & Instruction Librarian at Sam Houston State University, where she works to instill life-long information literacy and library research skills in pre-service and in-service educators. She began her career as a K12 educator and has worked with learners of all ages throughout her experience in school, public, and academic libraries. An ISTE Certified Educator, Ashley’s research interests include effective information literacy instruction and active learning. She is the past Chair of the TLA Library Instruction Round Table.
Margaret Dawson, Texas A&M University - Central Texas
Margaret Dawson has spent 21 years working in academic and joint-use libraries. She has a Master of Arts in English and a Master of Library Science from Texas Woman’s University. From 2014 to 2021, she worked at Texas A&M University-Central Texas in Killeen, Texas as an Outreach and Instruction Librarian, and has developed programs for university students, their children, and the general public. She has presented and published on the topics of instruction and outreach.
Dr. Melissa A. Esmacher, El Paso Community College
Dr. Melissa A. Esmacher is an associate professor of History at El Paso Community College. She holds a M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Hawai’i and a B.A. from Texas A&M University. Her research interests include World War II home front, race and violence, and popular culture. Her goal in the classroom is to empower students through critical thinking skills to become lifelong learners and educated consumers of information. She has worked with Ms. Ambriz on embedded librarianship since Fall 2015. Current research interests in this area include examining equity in access to information, especially amongst first-generation college students.
Jessica Fitzpatrick, Katy ISD
Jessica Fitzpatrick is a high school librarian in Houston and is in her tenth year of education. She holds a Bachelor of Science in education from the University of Houston and a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of North Texas. She is a 2022 Library Journal Mover & Shaker, 2022 LIRT Project of the Year, 2022 TLA MVP, an AASL Inspire Special Event Grant recipient, 2022 YALSA's MAE Award for Best Literature Program for Teens, the 2022 TLA Branding Award Winner for Reading Program, the 2020 TLA Branding Award Winner for Community Engagement, YALS article contributor, and on the TAYSHAS Reading Committee. She enjoys running, reading, and spending time with her two daughters and husband. You can follow her on Instagram at @librarian_fitz and on Twitter at @librarianfitz .
Kimberly M. Gay, Prairie View A&M University
Kimberly M. Gay is the Head of Reference and Information Services, Academic Reference and Instruction Librarian II at the John B. Coleman Library of Prairie View A&M University. Gay was recently appointed to the executive board of directors for the Beta Phi Mu International Library and Information Studies Honor Society 2020-2023. Bachelors of Science Degree in Mass Communication Magna Cum Laude and Master's of Science Degree in Library Science and Information Studies, Suma Cum Laude from Texas Woman’s University. She has more than 15 years of academic library experience. She is a member of the following roundtables: LIRT, RISRT, BCRT, EDI, ITRT, SMART.
Sarah J. Hammill, Florida International University
Sarah J. Hammill is the Business & Online Learning Librarian at the Florida International University Libraries. Her research interests include information-seeking behavior, usability, online learning, and mindful and meditation activities. She is devoted to library advocacy and enjoys coordinating library outreach events.
Amanda Hunt, New Braunfels ISD
Amanda Hunt, aka TheNextGenLibrarian, is a 6th-8th middle school librarian in New Braunfels ISD. She’s been a librarian for twelve years at both elementary and secondary campuses. She is the current chair for the Mavericks Graphic Novel Reading List Committee for TLA. She is also the current chair for TxASL Talks Editorial Board and TxASL Councilor. She was a TLA TxASL Media and Visual Presence (MVP) Honoree for 2021 and the Branding Iron Award 2022 Winner for Digital Only Communications in a School Library. Amanda has certifications in multiple #edtech tools and is a voracious reader. Visit her linktree: http://bit.ly/biolinkthenextgenlibrarian and follow her on social media @thenextgenlibrarian
Amanda Izenstark, University of Rhode Island
Amanda Izenstark is Professor, Reference & Instructional Design Librarian, University of Rhode Island. She teaches information literacy sessions and credit-bearing courses, and has taught for URI's Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. Her research interests include information literacy, educational technology, and academic librarianship.
Holly Jackson, Mansfield University
Holly Jackson is the Student Success Librarian at Mansfield University. Along with her library responsibilities, she also likes to teach English composition, first year seminar, and honors courses as her schedule allows. She is currently the Integrated Department Chair for Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield Universities. Her research primarily deals with library collaborations, student employees in library collaborations, gamification in the classroom, and academic librarianship.
Dianna L. Kim, Sam Houston State University
Dianna Kim is an Assistant Professor and Research and Instruction Librarian at Sam Houston State University where she specializes in Criminal Justice, Criminology, Security Studies, and Victim Studies. Dianna earned a BS in Political Science at Illinois State University, an MLS from the University of North Texas, and a JD from William Mitchell College of Law. Dianna’s research interests include active and reflective inquiry-based library instruction methods and the development of learning tools to assist students in obtaining information literacy, research, and writing skills. She currently serves as the Director-at-Large for the Texas Chapter of the Special Libraries Association.
Dr. Monica Loas, Aldine ISD
Dr. Monica Loas, currently an Information Literacy Specialist, has experience as a Special Education teacher, Instructional Technology Specialist, testing coordinator, and skills specialist. Dr. Loas received her Master of Education in Administration at Sam Houston State University and Special Education at Texas Tech University, focusing on Educational Diagnostician. Dr. Loas recently completed the Professional Leadership - Social Education/Social Justice doctoral program at the University of Houston. Her current passions are promoting diversity in literature to her students, enhancing the school library's space to be accessible, and including a makerspace to grow creativity.
Nichole Novak, Illinois Institute of Technology
Nichole Novak is the Head of Reference and Instruction Services for the Paul V. Galvin Library at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Nichole and her team provide reference and instruction services to a diverse community of online and on-campus users at a STEM university.
Stephanie Galvan Russell, Pflugerville ISD
Stephanie Galvan Russell is a middle school librarian in Austin, Tx. She serves as Past-Chair on the Texas Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List Committee and is a member of the TxLA Intellectual Freedom Committee, Media Virtual Presence Committee, and was the 2018 YART Young Adult Reading Incentive and TASL Media Virtual Presence Honorary Award Winner for her blog, The Lispy Librarian. Her mission is to serve her community by sharing her passion for learning and love of literacy with all students
Michelle Shea, Texas A&M University - Central Texas
Michelle Shea, MLS, M.Ed., is an Education Librarian at Texas A&M University-Central Texas. She creates presentations and tutorials for course integration, collaborates with faculty on committees, and promotes student-centered services. Her passion is instruction, curriculum planning, and campus outreach.
Kelly Williams, Texas A&M University - Central Texas
Kelly Williams has a Master of Science in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University-Central Texas and a Master of Science in Library Science from the University of North Texas. She’s spent most of her library career working in the technical services departments of academic libraries but recently made a change to reference and instruction. She is currently a Reference and Instruction librarian at Texas A&M University-Central Texas.