Student Interns and Assistants

Please note that some information is not current

Elizabeth Beller is a graduate student at Pratt Institute’s school of Library and Information Science. In possession of a B.A. in East Asian Studies and Urban Studies and an M.A. in East Asian Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, Elizabeth began pursuing her degree in Library Science in the fall of 2010. While not specifically enrolled in the archivist track at Pratt Institute, Elizabeth enjoys working with large collections of materials needing order and organization whether they are digital or physical. She has experience working with large collections of images at both Danny Clinch Photography and the Granger Collection. Currently Elizabeth is employed part time by Poets House in Battery Park City as a cataloger. Elizabeth has lived in Brooklyn for much of her life with stints in Japan and California. She enjoys biking, reading and watching Dr. Who.

Alex Black is a graduate student at Simmons College, where he is in his second year of the M.S. program in Library and Information Science, concentrating in Archives Management. Before beginning at Simmons, Alex earned his Ph.D. in English at Cornell University and, before that, his B.A. in English at the University of California, Berkeley. He has worked or interned at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Antiquarian Society, and the Smithsonian Institution. When not taking the train in to or out of Manhattan–and even when he is–Alex enjoys reading literature from the 1850s, listening to music from the 1970s, and amateurishly following professional football.

Carolyn Bratnober is a Master of Arts student at Union Theological Seminary, pursuing an interdisciplinary degree in Ethics and Biblical Studies with a focus on theist and non-theistic traditions in dialogue. Focal topics include LGBT*QIA issues and disability studies. She is working part-time in the Burke Library while pursuing her studies, and also works part-time as a real-time transcriber for deaf and hard-of-hearing students at colleges around the city. She holds a Master of Information & Library Science degree from the Pratt Institute and an undergraduate degree in Religious Studies from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Born in New York, she is ever nostalgic about the Pacific Northwest and Midwest where she spent most of her life. When she isn’t studying religion and politics, she plays in an all-women softball league in Brooklyn, and enjoys listening to podcasts, riding her bike, and drawing/reading graphic novels and comics.

Erin Campbell is in her first year of a non-ordination track Masters of Divinity at Union Theological Seminary, focusing on Feminist and Womanist Theology with an interest in interreligious connections. She has a BA in Studio Art from Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina where she was born and raised. She has studied Tibetan Buddhism since 2002 and ended up at Union after a slip during a full-immersion Baptism made her consider the question “What about Seminary?” She loves taking long walks to explore the city, cuddling with her tiny yorkie-poo and giant maine coon, and finding great vegan eats. She is passionate about loving others, seeing the world, listening to people’s stories, making conscious decisions for the good of everyone in her everyday life, and fighting for people’s and animals’ rights.

Sarah Davis is in her first year at Pratt Institute, working on her masters in Library and Information Science, as well as a degree in Jewish-Christian Relations at Seton Hall University. She is originally from Virginia, and graduated from the University of Virginia with a double-major in Religious Studies and American Politics. She has resided in New York City for nearly a decade, and when not working at Burke she is reading, running, eating, and spending time with her friends.

Emily DeTar is a third year M. Div. student at Union Theological Seminary, who is moving through the ordination process of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Her focus is Systematic Theology, while she carries interest in preaching and social justice work. She loves to dance, loves to wear skirts, and has a real interest in the kinds of conversations and wealth of knowledge that can be shared by theists and atheists alike.

Crystal L. Hall is a PhD candidate in New Testament at Union Theological Seminary. She is also a graduate of the Master of Divinity (’12) program at Union. Her academic interests include research in the Pauline corpus and apocalyptic literature; poverty and wealth in the Roman imperial economy; liberationist hermeneutics; and bringing biblical interpretation into conversation with contemporary social movements. Committed to building bridges among the academe, the church and the grassroots toward organizing the movement to end poverty, Crystal works with organizations such as United Workers in Baltimore to develop Bible study curricula. Her internship at the Burke Library was made possible through the Columbia University Graduate Internship in Primary Resources. When not working at the library Crystal enjoys cooking with friends and long walks in the woods.

Juanita James is currently completing her M.S. in Library and Information Science at the Palmer School at Long Island University, CW Post.  She holds a B.A. in Government and Politics with a minor in Paralegal Studies and two A.A. in Liberal Arts and Occupational Studies in Business concentration.  In addition to her internship at Burke, she has worked for the past 14 years as a full-time Library Associate for the Brooklyn Public Library.  She was born and still resides in Brooklyn, New York and favorite hobbies are reading; watching movies; and spending time with her family and friends.

Margaret Kaczorowski is a graduate student at Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. She is completing her Masters in Library Science degree, working toward a Certificate in Archives and Preservation of Cultural Materials.She received a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication at NYU. This is Margaret’s first internship during graduate school. Margaret also volunteers at the Special Collections Department at Rosenthal Library at Queens College uploading Finding Aids into Archivist Toolkit. In her spare time, Margaret volunteers at the Merchants House Museum in Lower Manhattan, and enjoys visiting museums, attending concerts, playing the flute, and spending time with family and friends.

Carolyn Klaasen is a PhD student in Hebrew Bible at Union Theological Seminary as well as a graduate of Union’s Master of Arts (’13) program. Her academic interests include biblical narratives, gender, and violence, with a particular focus on biblical portrayals of women who commit violence. In addition to studying and working as a Teaching Fellow at Union, Carolyn is also an Orientation Coordination and a member of the Academic Affairs Committee. Carolyn is a board member of Kolot Chayeinu, a progressive Jewish congregation, and a member of Jewish Voice for Peace. When not studying at her favorite Brooklyn coffee shops, Carolyn bakes chocolate chip cookies and a delicious Nutella challah. Carolyn worked in the Burke Archives on the Roger Shinn collection and also was a student curator in the #LoveInAction project, a library initiative to get students working with the special collections.

Leanora Lange is currently completing her M.S. in Library and Information Science at the Pratt Institute with a focus on academic libraries and archives. She holds a B.A. in German and Theater from Baldwin-Wallace College and an M.A. in Germanic Languages and Literatures from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In addition to interning at the Burke Library Archives, she has reference and instruction experience from the Gottesman Libraries at Columbia University’s Teachers College and assists Prof. Cristina Pattuelli with knowledge organization research and the Linked Jazz project, which utilizes linked data technology to enhance the discoverability of cultural heritage materials held in archives. Outside of libraries and archives, Lea enjoys baking and reading novels on the subway.

Rossy Mendez is a graduate student at Pratt Institute. She is completing her Masters in Library and Information Science with a specialty in Archives. She holds a B.A in Art History and an M.A in Visual Studies from the University at Buffalo. In addition to her internship at Burke, she works part time in the archives department of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. When she is not working with records or stressing over ambitious school projects she enjoys exploring New York City restaurants, museums and landmarks with random people as well as traveling to as many countries as she can.

Amy E. Meverden is a Ph.D. student at Union Theological Seminary in the biblical studies department focusing on intertextuality in the Old and New Testaments. She has a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Theology in Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Literature from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Master of Arts from the Draper School of Humanities and Social Thought at New York University. Amy is a seasoned Teaching Fellow and works with Union Seminary students as the Writing Consultant at the Burke Library. When she’s not busy collecting Master’s degrees, she enjoys vegan baking, spending time with her French Bulldog, and general, good-natured shenanigans.

Bree Midavaine is a graduate student at Pratt Institute.  She is enrolled in their Dual Masters Degree Program, which combines a Library and Information Science degree with a History of Art degree.  Before entering graduate school Bree spent ten years as a paraprofessional librarian not only in the public library sector, but also as a school media specialist.  Her graduate work is focused on special collections librarianship, specifically art or rare book librarianship. In addition to interning at Burke Theological Library Archives, she utilized her skill in organization and bibliographic control at the Frick Art Reference Library, Poets House and as Dr. Cristina Pattuelli’s Graduate Assistant.  She attended Rare Book School at the University of Virginia this past July to learn about Descriptive Bibliography from one of the best rare book teaching collections in the nation.  When not filling her brain to capacity and using most of her energy for internships, work and school, Bree relaxes with her kids through cooking, baking, playing various video games, reading and hanging out.

Olivia Minick is a Master’s of the Arts graduate student at Union Theological Seminary. Her anticipated degree is in Systematic Theology, with a specific focus in Black Liberation Theology and Womanist Theology. She is also a member of the on-campus group Black Women’s Caucus. After her graduation in May 2014, Olivia looks forward to doing non-profit work for under-served communities and taking on Ph.D work. Outside of her work and school schedule, Olivia enjoys volunteering in the nearby NY area, catching up on series on Netflix, hanging out with friends, reading for pleasure, and most of all, she is an eclectic music-lover.

Jazmin Mooney is a first year graduate student at Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. She completed her B.A. in English concentrating on British Literature. Jazmin is pursuing her graduate degree and simultaneously working toward a Certificate in Archives and Preservation of Cultural Materials. She previously completed an internship at the Guggenheim Museum Library and Archives where she contributed to various finding aids including the personal papers of Peggy Guggenheim and the Guggenheim Museum Press Releases, 1952 – 2008. In her rare spare time, Jazmin enjoys classic and foreign films and continues her pursuit of someday making the perfect meatball and spaghetti dinner.

Katherine Palm is in her second semester at the Pratt Institute of Library and Information Science where she anticipates earning an MSLIS with an advanced certificate in archives in May 2016. In addition to her studies and internship at the Burke, Katherine works part-time in the New York Public Library’s Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, where she enjoys helping provide access across the division’s large holdings of maps, atlases, and related books to researchers and visitors, as well as the daily opportunities to learn something new about a time and space in history.

Virginia Pastor is a graduate student at New York University, pursuing a Masters degree in Archives and Public History with a concentration in Archives. She has her B.A. in English and History from Rutgers University. She recently completed an internship at Rutgers University Special Collections and University Archives, where she processed the Mohegan Colony Association Collection as well as assisted Dr. Fernanda Perrone in several events sponsored by Rutgers Special Collections. Outside of school, Virginia enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, and playing with her dog. Eventually, she hopes to work as a processing archivist and is looking forward to learning all she can about the profession this summer at the Burke Library Archives.

Jessica Patterson is a graduate student at the Palmer School of Library and Information Science. She is receiving a degree in Library and Information Science with a specialization in Rare Books and Special Collections. She holds a B.A. in History and Secondary Education from Saint Joseph’s College. Jessica decided to pursue a M.S. in Library and Information Science after working in libraries for seven years. She has worked in both academic and public libraries, enjoying her experiences in both environments. Although Jessica does not have archival experience, she is excited to learn about the field as well as work with historical collections. Currently, Jessica is employed by the Callahan Library at Saint Joseph’s College as a Library Assistant. Outside of working in the library and attending classes, Jessica enjoys reading, ultimate Frisbee, and spending her time with good friends.

Cécile Queffélec studies Library Science at the ENSSIB (Lyon, France) to get the equivalent of a MLIS. She holds a BA in History (University of Paris 1, Panthéon Sorbonne) and a Master’s Degree in Musicology (University of Poitiers). She also graduated from the École Nationale des Chartes (Paris, France), a graduate school which concentrates on history, rare books, archives and special collections. Her main research interest is the place of women’s voices in church music played in Paris during the 18th century. She intends to look for a job in a French university library, but hopes to pursue a PhD at some point in the future. During her free time, she likes to discover unknown cities, eat good food with her friends, read novels and catch up on her favorite series.

Fatoma Rad is a graduate student at Pratt Institute pursuing her MLIS with an Advanced Certificate in Museum Librarianship. She has her B.A. in Comparative Humanities from SUNY Old Westbury. She recently interned at Lehman College as the Reference Intern in which she assisted the student with reference, research and homework help and also helped the library with their Research Guides. She is a Graduate Assistant at the Pratt Manhattan Library and the Pratt Manhattan Gallery. She loves volunteering at different organizations and giving back to the community. Outside from work and school, she enjoys spending time with family and friends. She enjoys travelling, photography and cooking.

Sara Schultz graduated with her Masters of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in May 2014. She worked in the Burke Library during the three years of her graduate school program– at the circulation desk, in the periodical collection, and in the archives. Sara is in the ordination process in the Lutheran church, and she enjoys playing saxophone, cooking, and biking.

Kristen Leigh Southworth is an indie-folk singer, songwriter, poet, visual artist, and humanities scholar currently at Union Theological Seminary while pursuing her M.Div. with a concentration in Theology and the Arts.  She writes articles on theopoetics, early Christian history, ecumenical theology, ecotheology, and the subject of evil.  Kristen received her B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2004, and spent the following six years performing music around the country, recording and producing three albums, and working in graphic design.Kristen’s more recent projects have included starting an ecumenical progressive Christian bookstore in Greensboro, NC, creating a contemplative arts studio, and painting a labyrinth on the roof of the seminary.  She is currently working on composing a folk opera.

Caitlin Stamm is in her second year at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she is working on her MS in Library and Information Science, with a specialization in Special Collections. She is particularly interested in working in rare books and theological librarianship. Before Illinois, she was an English major at Adelphi University on Long Island. She loves baking, reading, hunting for vintage clothes, and watching far too much on Netflix.

Rebecca Weintraub, a former English major at the University of Maryland, College Park, is in her last semester as a graduate student at Queens College where she is concurrently earning her MLIS and a Certificate in Archives and the Preservation of Cultural Heritage Materials. She hopes to find work some day soon (before she graduates would be ideal) as a processing archivist, but in the meantime has had many meaningful and interesting internships to prepare her for when that day comes. Non-academically speaking, Rebecca is an avid fan of Jane Austen, Shakespeare, and all things Tudor and Regency England. She looks forward to her semester here at Burke and to learning more about what it means to be an archivist!

Elizabeth Willse is entering her final semester as a graduate student at Pratt Institute’s school of Information and Library Science. While her studies have included digital librarianship, information policy, metadata, and research methods (and explorations of the interaction of social media with all of the above), working with archives is a new experience. She especially looks forward to learning about archival processing through projects and readings at Burke, as well as showcasing items from the Burke collection through social media. When not working on Burke Library projects, Elizabeth staffs the circulation desk at the Pratt Library, works as a part-time publicist for a business books publisher, and sometimes even finds time to read fiction, shop at a farmer’s market, or go blues dancing.

 

One thought on “Student Interns and Assistants

  1. I had no idea so many of my peers had written for the blog! How can students get plugged into the blog? Whether there is a sign up for a newsletter, an RSS feed, or an open call for regular submissions! I would love to write something about the two trips the biblical Hebrew class took to the library and include a Storify of the tweets I sent out.

    This is so cool!!

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