Master's Alumni Profiles
Please note: All content was accurate at the time of publication, but may not reflect the most current achievements of these alumni.
Title: Business & Systems Integration Analyst
Employer: Accenture Federal Services
Degree: MSIS
Graduation Year: 2015
Jourdan Walls came to the University of Pittsburgh after obtaining a BS in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2012. During her time in the School of Information Sciences, Jourdan served as a Commonwealth Scholar, which is an assistantship that promotes community and diversity in the school and recruits prospective students. She also was the president for the school's Diversity Student Organization (DSO) and the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) Student Chapter. Her favorite memories at SIS were the times where she was able to help and interact with students, including facilitating SIS forums, professional workshops, and social events.
Being heavily involved at SIS has molded Jourdan's career interests in technology, advising, and diversity and inclusion. In summer 2015, Jourdan became involved in the iSchool Inclusion Institute (i3), an undergraduate research and leadership development program for underrepresented populations hosted at SIS, as a Lead Program Mentor. Jourdan currently works as a technology analyst in Washington, D.C. for Accenture Federal Services, where she worked as a functional test analyst intern in 2014. Jourdan is also a proud technical professional member of the National Society of Black Engineers.
Title: Diversity Liaison Librarian
Employer: University of Pittsburgh Library System
Degree: MLIS
Graduation Year: 2015
University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences (SIS) graduate Dominique Luster, who is now the Diversity Liaison Librarian at the University of Pittsburgh’s Library System and teaches in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Freshmen Programs, was highlighted in the summer 2015 issue of the Archivists and Archives of Color Roundtable newsletter.
While in the MLIS program at SIS, Luster was a member of the school’s Diversity Student Organization and the Carnegie Mellon/PITT Black Graduate Student Union, which is a student of color dinner series.
Currently Luster is working to establish a library liaison program for at-risk students. She is an active member of the Pittsburgh Urban League Young Professionals as well as a member of the SAA, ALA, and the ACRL, where she participates in multiple sub-groups and committees.
When asked what most excites her about archives, Luster said, “exploring new and innovative ways to increase the discoverability of primary source materials both within singular intuitions and externally between larger consortiums.”
Title: Vice President of IBM North America Channel Transformation (Retired)
Employer: IBM
Degree: MSIS
Graduation Year: 1981
Leona Mitchell is the Vice President of IBM North America Channel Transformation. In this role, she is focused on helping NA Business Partners prepare for the future, enabling them to deliver higher valued solutions and explore new areas of growth. She has over thirty years of technical and sales experience at IBM and 13 years of Executive Sales Leadership experience. During her career, Leona has earned formal recognition for both her sales as well as her technical achievements.
Leona started her career as a Systems Engineer in the IBM branch office in Pittsburgh in 1982. During her tenure at IBM she has been a Systems Engineer, Client Rep, Systems Engineering Manager, Sales Manager, Business Unit Executive and Vice President of Sales. She expanded her sales leadership responsibilities in 2010 and took on the role of World Wide Project Executive for Sales Eminence, one of IBM’s three key strategic initiatives. In this role, she led the global transformation efforts focused on building world class sales talent, advancing the pipeline of leaders, and strengthening the culture of performance. She also has led the development and deployment of several key IBM organizational changes in sales coverage and operational infrastructure. In addition, Leona has led multiple advisory councils and executive steering committees in support of business process improvements.
Leona has a BA and MS Degree in Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh. During her undergraduate studies she performed a one year internship at L'Universite de Haute Bretagne in Rennes, France. Leona has served on several occasions as a guest lecturer for the University of Pittsburgh. She is an active member of the School of Information Sciences Board of Visitors and also the Industry Advisory Council. She is bilingual: Greek and English. Leona is actively involved in the community in multiple charitable activities and is an active counselor and sponsor of her local church youth group.
Title: Supervisor, National Security Computer Intrusion Squad
Employer: Federal Bureau of Investigation
Degree: MSIS
Graduation Year: 1998
Chris Geary has been a Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) since August 1999. Geary is currently assigned to the Pittsburgh Division for the last three years and supervises the National Security Computer Intrusion Squad.
Geary’s previous assignments include six years assigned to the FBI Cyber Division as a supervisor detailed to Carnegie Mellon University’s CERT Coordination Center; the Boston Division Cyber Crime Squad; and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Montreal, Canada representing the FBI in Project COLT (Center of Operations Linked to Telemarketing Fraud) investigating telemarketing fraud organizations targeting senior United States’ citizens.
Geary received his undergraduate degree in accounting from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Science in Information Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Information Sciences.
Title: Manager, Retail Fuels Marketing – Americas
Employer: ExxonMobil
Degree: MSIS
Graduation Year: 1985
Debra received her BS in Child Development/Child Care and Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in 1983 and a MS in Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh in 1985. She received her International Business Management diploma from Georgetown University in 2013.
Debra joined Exxon in 1985, initially working in Information Systems before she transitioned to Fuels Marketing five years later. She held various positions as a Systems Analyst, Corporate Planner, Financial Analyst, Project Leader and managed various operational segments of the Retail Fuels business.
In January 2000, Debra was named the Americas Product Optimization Manager for the ExxonMobil Refining and Supply Company responsible for western hemisphere product optimization. In September 2001, she was appointed the Midwest Business Unit Manager in the ExxonMobil Fuels Marketing Company responsible for the Dealer and Distributor classes of trade. In August 2003, she was named Caribbean Fuels Marketing Manager and Vice President of ExxonMobil Inter-Americas, Inc. responsible for providing functional guidance to the Retail, Industrial & Wholesales and Terminal Operations business segments. In August 2006, Debra returned to the US business and was assigned the Regional Sales Manager for the Industrial & Wholesale business. In June 2009, Debra was named the Global Retail Brand Manager for ExxonMobil’s Fuels & Lubricants Company, responsible for building brand value through marketing communications for the Esso, Exxon and Mobil brands. Effective September 2013, Debra was appointed Manager, Retail Fuels Marketing – Americas responsible for market strategy development, program development and implementation for Loyalty, Card Payment Offers, as well as integrated marketing communications for TV, Radio, Digital, and on site advertising.
Regardless of where Debra has lived, she has found a way to be actively involved in the community. Debra is an active mentor with several protégés inside and outside of work. She served as an Advisor for the Miami-Dade United Way Community Investment Committee and Family Impact Council and was appointed a Trustee of the Miami-Dade United Way. She was active with their Women's Leadership organization. Debra served as a Board Member for the Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida. Debra was the recipient of the 2007 Trumpet Award – High Heels in High Places Award. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Urban League, The AdCouncil and Girls, Incorporated. Debra is a lifetime member of the National Black MBA Association, The Urban League and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and The Links, Incorporated. In April 2013, Debra was the recipient of the Howard University John H Johnson School of Communications’ Global Visionary Leadership Award.
Debra attends Fairfax Community Church and in her spare time, she enjoys visiting new countries, trekking various mountainous regions (reached the highest peak of Kilimanjaro in December 2013), attending tennis tournaments, DMB concerts and listening to books. Debra was the School’s 2012 Commencement speaker and has generously established the “Barbara E. King Scholarship Award” to benefit iSchool students. She is single and resides in Alexandria, Virginia with her Egyptian Mau cat appropriately named Pharaoh. Soon, she and Pharaoh will be transferring to Houston, where Debra will remain with ExxonMobil.
Title: Associate Librarian
Employer: Penn State Abington College
Degree: MLIS
Graduation Year: 2005
Alexia Hudson-Ward is a tenured Associate Librarian at Penn State Abington College with responsibilities in reference, instruction, and emerging technology implementation. She is the recipient of several professional honors, among them, ‘New Librarian of the Year’ (2007) by the Pennsylvania Library Association, being named an “Emerging Leader” by the American Library Association (2007), and being highlighted as a ‘Mover and Shaker’ (2008) by Library Journal.
Alexia’s work has appeared in several publications including The Oxford Encyclopedia of African-American History, Reference Services Review, College and Research Libraries News Reference Reborn: Breathing New Life Into Public Services Librarianship, Preserving Local Writers, Genealogy, Photographs, Newspapers, and Related Materials, and Workplace Culture in Academic Libraries: The Early 21st Century. Her article "Measuring the impact of cultural diversity on desired mobile reference services" (published in Reference Services Review in 2010) was highlighted by the Reference and User Services Association as one of the top reference studies of that year.
Alexia has served in a variety of leadership roles in several entities and organizations including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Penn State University Libraries, the American Library Association, Girls, Inc. of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, The Junior League of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Library Association, and The Links, Inc. She is currently a member of the National Executive Board of the American Library Association (term ending 2015) and the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania Library Association (term ending 2013).
Prior to her transition into academia, Alexia worked in various roles in the business sector. She is a former award-winning entertainment journalist, radio promotions director, and former media consultant for luminaries such as the late C. Dolores Tucker and former Vice President Al Gore. She also served a six year stint with The Coca-Cola Company as both a local and regional customer marketing manager.
In July 2011, Alexia was invited to participate in the first Presidential Twitter Town Hall/Tweet Up meeting at The White House with President Barack Obama. She blogged about her White House experience and social media lessons learned for Library Journal.
Alexia received a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and African American Studies from Temple University. She is a PhD candidate in Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions program at Simmons College.
Title: Interim University Librarian
Employer: American University
Degree: MLS
Graduation Year: 1971
Nancy Davenport has held multiple leadership positions during her career. She has served as the Library of Congress’ Associate Director of the Congressional Research Service, Chief of the Rare Books and Special Collections Division, as well as the Director of Acquisitions at this premiere information institution.
Since leaving there, she has been the President of the Council on Library and Information Resources, the Director of Library Services for the District of Columbia, and is now the Interim University Librarian at American University. She also teaches in the graduate program at the University of Maryland’s iSchool. Ms. Davenport is an advisor to the Fetzer Institute and has recently completed her term as a Presidential Appointee at the National Archives, National Historical Publications, and Records Commission.
Title: Librarian
Employer: Ridley High School
Degree: MLIS
Graduation Year: 2004
Ms. Pickett earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia in 1995 with a dual major in English and Anthropology and a minor in Spanish. After living in Wyoming and Texas for several years, she then attended the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Information Sciences, where she earned a Master of Library and Information Science degree in 2004. She has since completed a Master of Arts degree in English at West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
Since 2005, she has served as the Librarian at Ridley High School in Folsom, Pennsylvania. Ms. Pickett is dedicated to promoting appealing, high-quality literature for teenagers through book talks, programs, and author visits. She offers students opportunities to develop research skills, produces content for the library’s Web site and blog, and teaches a graduate-level course for Ridley teachers. Her efforts have been recognized through a $5,000 Youth Literacy Grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to promote the Pennsylvania Young Readers’ Choice Award program.
Title: Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Executive Director of the Health Sciences and Human Services Library
Employer: University of Maryland, Baltimore
Degree: MLS
Graduation Year: 1982
M.J. Tooey currently serves as the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Executive Director of the Health Sciences and Human Services Library at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She is also the Director of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine’s Southeastern/Atlantic Regional Medical Library Service. She received her MLS from the University of Pittsburgh in 1982 and her Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Clarion State University (formerly Clarion State College), Clarion, PA, in 1976.
Tooey has worked in both hospital and university medical library settings. She has worked at the University of Maryland Health Sciences and Human Services Library since 1986 where she has held a number of positions. From 1999 until December of 2003 she served as the Deputy Director of the HS/HSL while simultaneously having administrative responsibility for the computing and technology services department. Prior to that appointment, she was the Associate Director for External Services and Development while serving for seven years as the Project Manager for the (then) new Health Sciences and Human Services Library at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, which opened in 1998.
Tooey served as president of the Medical Library Association from 2005-2006. During her presidential year, she was most proud of her work in supporting hospital librarians via the Vital Pathways Project; emergency response for Hurricane Katrina victims; initiating the redesign of MLANET; and her involvement with the Librarians Without Borders Task Force. She has also served on MLA’s Board of Directors, as Chair of Chapter Council, and as the Chair of the 2004 National Program Committee for the MLA Annual Meeting held in May 2004 in Washington, DC. Working with Pew Internet & American Life Project, she chaired the MLA Task Force in 2001 that worked with Pew on its initial health questions. She has chaired the Public Services Section and the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the MLA. In 1997, she received the MLA Estelle Brodman Award for Academic Medical Librarian of the Year. She served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Libraries and Information Services in 1991.
She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL). Tooey also serves on the Board of Trustees for Lyrasis, the nation’s largest regional non-profit membership organization serving libraries. Additionally, she serves on the library advisory committees for FASEB and formerly served on the library advisory board for the New England Journal of Medicine. She is active in the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions Council of Library Directors as a member of the executive committee.
At the University of Maryland, Baltimore, Tooey serves on the Interprofessional Education Committee; the Education subcommittee of the campus strategic planning initiative; the IT Steering Committee; the Work-life Balance Committee, the Workforce Development Committee; and several other task forces. She has also served as adjunct faculty for the University of Maryland, College Park, where she team-taught the health sciences librarianship course. Tooey is the author or co-author of over 70 chapters, articles, posters, or presentations.
Title: Manager of the Knowledge Resource Center (Retired)
Employer: U.S. Steel Research and Technology Center
Degree: MLS
Graduation Year: 1969
Angela R. Pollis retired from the position of Manager of the Knowledge Resource Center at the U.S. Steel Research and Technology Center, where she was responsible for maintaining the Corporation’s scientific and engineering information. In this role, she designed and implemented a computerized database of internal USS documentation. The center provided computerized searching of technical, business, and patent information. She was the recipient of a USS Individual Achievement Award for document retrieval in a significant litigation involving a U.S. Steel specific steel product.
Angela received her B.S. in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University, and her M.S. in Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a member of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) and has served as Board Director and on various committees, Professional Development Chair, Career Guidance, and Student Recruitment Chair. She received the “Hall of Fame” Award at the SLA International Conference for her contributions to the field of Information Science. Recently, she received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Pittsburgh Chapter of SLA for an exemplary career in librarianship.
For many years, she has been a Visiting Lecturer and Adjunct Professor teaching courses in Library Management and Business Resources. In her role of Field Placement Advisor, she was recognized for her involvement in mentoring students and new professionals.
Title: Professor and Presidential Chair in Information Studies
Employer: UCLA
Degree: MLIS
Graduation Year: 1974
Christine Borgman continues to achieve international eminence in the field of information science. As Professor and Presidential Chair in Information Studies at UCLA, she is the author of more than 180 publications in the fields of information studies, computer science, and communication. Both of her sole-authored monographs, Scholarship in the Digital Age: Information, Infrastructure, and the Internet (MIT Press, 2007) and From Gutenberg to the Global Information Infrastructure: Access to Information in a Networked World (MIT Press, 2000), have won the Best Information Science book of the year award from the American Society for Information Science and Technology. She is a lead investigator for the Center for Embedded Networked Systems (CENS), a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center, where she conducts data practices research. She chaired the Task Force on Cyberlearning for the NSF, whose report was released in July 2008.
Borgman is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the US National Academies’ Board on Research Data and Information. Borgman has a PhD in Communication from Stanford University, earned an MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh, and a BA in Mathematics from Michigan State University.
Title: Executive in Residence
Employer: Sewickley Oak Capital
Degree: BSIS, MST
Graduation Year: 1990, 1991
Thomas Reinsel has maintained a leadership position as a strategist and visionary in the IT management industry since 1992. Reinsel is currently an executive in residence at Sewickley Oak Capital focusing on strategy and growth advisement for early stage technology companies. From July 1997 through May 2007, Reinsel founded, grew, and organically sold a $30MM technology consulting firm (Pepperweed) that achieved the number one position with Hewlett-Packard as a software and consulting partner in North America.
From January 1992 through July 1997, Reinsel worked for Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis. During that time, he held various analyst roles and team leader positions focusing on process alignment and IT infrastructure management decisions. It was here that he discovered the gap in the industry for quality professionals needed in IT management consulting. Additionally, Reinsel was a founding member of the HP worldwide users group in 1993 and actively hosted software user conferences annually.
Reinsel graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1991 with a BS in Information Systems and Software Development coupled with a MS in Data Telecommunications.
Title: Director
Employer: Penn Hills Library
Degree: MLIS
Graduation Year: 1965
Edward Mandell has over forty years of experience working to promote public libraries as community centers. From 1965 to 1992, Mandell acted as Branch Manager and Director in community libraries in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. In 1992, he returned to his native Pittsburgh as Director of the Penn Hills Library. During his 15 years as Director, he worked tirelessly to promote, construct, and grow the Library. He established the Penn Hills Library Foundation to raise funds for the construction of a new building. As an active member of the community, he consulted with city planners and board members to obtain the land and funds to begin construction. On October 1, 2006, the William A. Anderson Library of Penn Hills opened. Soon thereafter, the Library received the 2007 Award of Excellence by the Associated Builders and Contractors. Mandell is a member of the American Library Association, Pennsylvania Library Association, and is a founding member of the Allegheny County Library Association.
Mandell graduated from Slippery Rock University in 1958 with his BS in Education. He obtained his MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh in 1965, and his MA in History from the University of Dayton in 1971.
Title: Software Engineer
Employer: McKesson
Degree: MSIS
Graduation Year: 2014
In January 2015, Artem began a new career as a Software Engineer at McKesson, a position which he secured prior to graduating in December.
To find a graduate program in information science, Artem looked at top schools and then investigated their programs. Artem recalls being “very attracted to the MSIS program at the iSchool from the beginning because of its breadth and the option to select a general course of study rather than a specialization.” Although his undergraduate degree from Tula State University in Russia is in Materials Science, Artem has always been interested in information science and technology and has been programming since a very early age.
Artem credits his experience with programming for allowing him to make the most of his courses and advises students considering an MSIS “to acquire some basic knowledge of web standards and an understanding of an object-based programming language like Java before entering the program.” This prerequisite knowledge will help students who might be interested in a few of his favorite courses including Interactive System Design (INFSCI 2470).
Another course that Artem considers key to his current success was Information Systems Analysis (INFSCI 2510). When he enrolled in the course it was taught by adjunct Brian Lawson – an employee of McKesson. During this course Artem remembers Lawson giving students several examples of real-world problems that companies like McKesson face. Hearing about McKesson in class inspired Artem to first pursue an internship with them and ultimately his new career.
Of his experience as a student at the iSchool, Artem says, “I’m really glad I got into Pitt and this school in particular. I would tell anyone it’s a great choice and I really had a perfect experience. Even though it was challenging at times, you learn a lot.” He’s grateful for the opportunities and support he received from working with program chair Peter Brusilovsky and the chance to live in Pittsburgh which is “the city he loves living in the most.”
Title: Medical and Consumer Health Librarian
Employer: Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Family Resource Center Library
Degree: MLIS, CAS
Graduation year: 2001, 2011
Carolyn Biglow provides reference services as the Medical and Consumer Health Librarian at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. In this position, she performs literature and information searches for hospital staff, patients, and families. Carolyn serves as a resource for relevant, accurate, and unbiased medical information that supports Children’s mission of providing patient and family-centered care. She is also responsible for collection development of both the Medical and Consumer Health collections in the library, teaching evidence-based medicine, supporting the information needs of non-medical staff, and outreach to pediatric patients in Children’s community clinics and offices. Carolyn is a library and health sciences professional with 25 years of experience in providing reference services to patrons of public, private, special, academic, and hospital libraries.
Since 1990, Carolyn has worked in libraries as a cataloger, telephone reference assistant, and medical librarian. She worked as a reference librarian at the University of Pittsburgh’s Health Sciences Library for two years, and as the assistant librarian at the CDC’s NIOSH library in the South Hills for five years. Carolyn has been active in local chapters of the Medical Library Association (MLA) and Special Libraries Association (SLA), serving as the treasurer for the SLA Pittsburgh chapter for four years. Carolyn has also participated in the Mid Atlantic Chapter of MLA’s Professional Development and Hospitality Committees. She has also provided reviews of consumer health books for the Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) and selected pediatric books for Doody’s Core Titles, a collection development tool for health sciences libraries.
Carolyn has a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Chatham University and both a Masters in Library and Information Science (MLIS) and a Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Health Sciences Librarianship from the University of Pittsburgh.
Title: Director, Digital Strategy; Project Coordinator
Employer: Enwhorl, Inc.; Survivorship Program, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC
Degree: MSIS
Graduation year: 1985
Noelle has worked in the Information Technology field since she was hired by IBM in 1985, right after graduation. She has spent her career working with companies from startups of one or two employees to large companies like IBM and Highmark. Her area of expertise is information architecture, user experience, technical and marketing communications and training for non-technical users.
Noelle currently works for two companies, allowing her to stay current in technology and pursue her passion for non-profits.
Noelle works with a small boutique creative technology firm, Enwhorl, where she uses her skills in marketing and design to create engaging brands, generate a buzz on social media and design websites and apps that are appealing and easy to navigate. Each day, she helps clients who rely on her expertise in technology and marketing to help them gain a competitive edge. Enwhorl specializes in small to medium companies, but has many large clients as well who rely on their consulting arm to help them build large technology solutions.
Noelle's second job fulfills her dream of working with survivors of pediatric cancer to help them successfully transition to a cancer-free world. The survivor program at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC follow patients who are five years off treatment until they are able to leave the hospital and work with their own primary care doctors. These young adults need to be monitored closely for side effects of their treatment for cancer - radiation, surgery and chemotherapy - to ensure that they remain healthy as they age. Noelle uses her skills in web design, PR, marketing communications, project management and event planning every day in this job.
In addition to working full time, Noelle is the mother of four, ranging in age from 15 to 27. She is also on several non-profit boards and volunteers her time with several non-profits in the Pittsburgh area. Her hobbies include walking her dog, Max, reading, power watching PBS series and traveling. She is married to David, who has worked for 35 years for the Pittsburgh software firm, Ansys. They live in the town where they grew up, Mt. Lebanon, although they look forward to retirement in a few years to a warmer location!
Noelle feels that the education she received at the iSchool has prepared her for the many challenges she faces each day.
Title: Application Developer
Employer: Highmark Health Solutions
Degree: MSIS
Graduation year: 2014
Dibya completed his Bachelor of Engineering degree in India and came to the United States to pursue a Masters in Information Science. While at the iSchool, he worked in multiple positions throughout the campus, but enjoyed working with the iSchool’s Student Services team the most. Along with work, he loved taking courses at the Masters level and some of his favorite ones included Web Technology and Standards, E-Business and Information Systems Design.
Prior to joining the iSchool, Dibya worked in India as a Software Engineer developing and maintaining web applications built for Content Management Solutions - Documentum and FirstDoc. His area of expertise has always been Java and Oracle. While studying in the MSIS program, he secured an internship with FedEx Services in Pittsburgh where he developed a dashboard application for tracking the status of the applications being monitored by the Transportation Management System group. He enjoyed the experience of learning new frameworks - Spring and ICEFaces. In parallel, he worked on designing a Sharepoint site that is today being used by FedEx Ground for providing a collaboration platform between the IT teams. Upon, his graduation from the MSIS program, Dibya was hired by Highmark for an Application Developer role for their billing system. Dibya now works as a programmer, providing solutions in JPA, EJB, JSF and other such technologies.
Dibya likes traveling and exploring new places. As soon as he came to the United States, he took his wife for a vacation to some exotic places in Florida that included the Florida Keys and West Palm Beach, along with Miami.
Quote: "I would recommend the MSIS program at Pitt's iSchool to all aspiring programmers and software developers, as well as people seeking to be IT leads in the industry. Most importantly, the iSchool has some wonderful and highly qualified professors who architect our path to success in the IT indistry. To go with them, the student services team has some wonderful people who help the students with their concerns. I loved being at the iSchool and hope that I could continue this relationship over the years to come."
Title: Senior Information Architect and Systems Librarian
Employer: Zepheira, LLC
Degree: MLS
Graduation year: 1990
Victoria Mueller provides data expertise as the Senior Information Architect and Systems Librarian for Zepheira. In this position, she helps shape the direction for exposing, sharing, and creating new ways of discovering and visualizing the digital material of archives and online resources. Victoria is a library and information science professional with 23 years experience in designing, implementing, and promoting large-scale data systems for libraries and archives. She has worked extensively with institutions and corporate organizations to implement solutions at all levels of management.
Since 1995, Victoria has worked on putting library services on the Web including pioneering access to the first online web-based library systems. As a senior product manager at the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC, Inc), she worked with developers and content providers to design and implement distributed reference systems that utilized both NISO and emerging web standards. She led many archive and image data integration projects and is an expert in related standards such as EAD, Dublin Core, MARC, Meta Object Description Schema (MODS), and Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard (METS).
Victoria played a key role in the definition of the Bibliographic Framework Initiative (BIBFRAME) in Zepheira’s collaboration with The Library of Congress on the effort to transition from MARC 21. She is currently the co-chair of the ALA ACECTS MARC Formats Transition Interest Group that is raising awareness of the future of library standards and how they will enable library visibility on the web.
Victoria has a degree in Fine Arts from The Pennsylvania State University and a Masters in Library Science from the University of Pittsburgh.
Title: Director
Employer: Mt. Lebanon Public Library
Degree: BA, MLS
Graduation year: 1971, 1972
Cynthia Richey is the Director of Mt. Lebanon Public Library in Pittsburgh, PA, a position she has held since 1996. She served as Head of Children’s Services at Mt. Lebanon from 1983 to 1996. Previously she was the Children’s Librarian at Pleasant Hills Public Library and at the Squirrel Hill Branch of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
Cynthia has served as President of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, in 2004; on the ALSC Board of Directors, on numerous ALSC committees, including the Newbery and Caldecott Award committees. She chaired the Newbery Award committee for 2011. She also served on the Council of the American Library Association.
In 2007 Cynthia was appointed to the Pennsylvania Governor’s Advisory Council of Library Development and appointed Council Chair in 2009, a position she still holds. Cynthia served on Governor Tom Corbett’s Transition Team in 2010-2011, representing libraries on the Education Committee.
Cynthia served as President of the Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) in 1994. For PaLA she also served as Chair of the Youth Services Division, on the Executive Committee of the PaLA Board of Directors (1989-90), and as chair of several committees. In Allegheny County, PA, Cynthia served from 2005 – 2010 on the Board of Directors of the Allegheny County Library Association (ACLA), including two years as Vice President. She also served three years as Chair of the Librarians’ Advisory Council of ACLA.
In 2013 she was appointed to the Board of Visitors for the School of Information Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh.
Cynthia is a frequent speaker at workshops, seminars, and conferences throughout Pennsylvania and the United States and a spokesperson for libraries in print and broadcast media. She has written numerous articles and editorials about library services, policies, and practices, as well as several publications for the American Library Association .
Cynthia’s accomplishments have been recognized with several awards and honors. She was elected to Beta Phi Mu national library and information science honor society in 1972. In 2005 Cynthia received the Distinguished Service Award from the Pennsylvania Library Association. She received a 2006 New York Times Librarian Award, one of only twenty-five librarians selected nationally. She received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Information Sciences in 2007. Cynthia was named a 2012 Legacy Laureate by the University of Pittsburgh in recognition of her professional and personal accomplishments. She received the 2013 Distinguished Service Award from the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association. Cynthia was named an Honorary Life Member of the Pennsylvania PTA in 1993 for her work in bringing children, books, schools, and libraries together. In 2011 she was honored by Mt. Lebanon Village for her exceptional service to older adults in the community.
“The MLS program at Pitt’s then Graduate School of Library and Information Sciences prepared me well for my career. The coursework, independent studies, and field work provided me with a quality education. Margaret Hodges, Allen Kent, William Nasri, Kate Kolish, and Peggy Sullivan were among my wonderful professors and mentors, and I learned so much from them. I’m happy to have the opportunity to give back to the University’s iSchool through my service on the Board of Visitors.”
“I’m glad I made public library service my life’s work. I love being part of something that has transformative power. As a children’s librarian and a public library director, I’ve always had children’s services at the heart of my work. That’s where the wonder and passion for learning begin. That’s where we really make a difference.”
Title: Senior OSS Engineer
Employer: Objective Systems Integrators
Degree: MSIS
Graduation year: 1987
Edward earned a BA in Psychology from Duquesne University and a Masters in Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Science; he also completed a practicum at the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute. Edward focused on Robotics and landed his first post-grad job with Rockwell's Space Transportation Systems team in Houston, TX supporting NASA/JSC Automation and Robotics projects. Edward’s most interesting project that he worked on was the EVA-Retriever fully autonomous free-flying robot proof of concept. In his current position, Edward defines and develops a fault management operations support system for 4G network of the dominant wireless operator in the US.
Edward is a single father of a 16 year-old son. Edward’s interests include British motorcycles (he owns a 1972 Norton Commando 750), off-roading, pen and ink illustration, chorale singing, and planning a future move to his off-grid ranch property in Arizona.
