Department of Library and Information Studies

Kris Brown

My name is Kris. I am a 2008 graduate of Peace College. My major was anthropology with a concentration in biological anthropology. I’ve completed research off and on throughout undergrad, more specifically my research on lemur behavior at Duke University. I’ve also worked for six months at the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology and Research Center. I’ve worked in the library of Peace College my entire undergraduate program. I’ve also worked in the public library after I’ve graduated from college for about a year before I was accepted into the program.

I hope this program will allow me to become well rounded in the profession so I can have experience with all the varied forms of librarianship. With the scholarship, I believe the internship and networking opportunities will help accomplish these goals in my career. My ultimate goal is to become an academic librarian at a university and work in archives and research because it ties directly into my anthropology background.

Tammy Graham

I am a transfer student from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. In 2004, I received an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice. Also in 2004, I was accepted into graduate level classes. I received a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies in 2007. After graduate school I began my current job teaching computers applications at Cape Fear Community College. While transferring from UNCW to UNCG, I was taking graduate level classes in Environmental Science.

A professor by the name of Samuel Murrell received information about ACE Scholars and asked me to fill out the application and see what happens. I did and was accepted at UNCG and received the scholarship also. Now that I have received this educational benefit, I plan to complete this second master’s degree in Library Science, and afterwards, study for a PhD in history. My plan is to become a professor in African American History.

Joan Hill

I am currently a new graduate student in the MLIS program. My educational journey began in 2007 when I enrolled in the Visions Program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Through the Visions program, I was allowed to take graduate courses in Library and Information Science without being admitted to the graduate program. In the Visions program, I completed nine hours of courses and maintained a 3.9 GPA. I believe that taking classes through the Visions program gave me the confidence I needed to formally apply for admissions to the MLIS program. I plan to continue working in academic librarianship upon graduation from the program.

I received my undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Political Science and Sociology, B.A. I have nearly a decade of experience working in the library profession.

I got my first library job as a high school student. I worked as a Library Assistant I at the Public Library. As an undergraduate student on the campus of UNC-Charlotte, I worked as a Library Aide in the Architectural Resource Center (ARC). After college, I gained employment at NC A&T State University as a University Library Technician at F.D. Bluford Library.

The “diversity movement” is a great time to join the profession. It is fertile ground to become a leader in a movement that encourages minorities to become members of such a rewarding profession. As a leader in the profession, I will be committed to identifying ways to eliminate oppressive practices through the recruitment and hiring of diverse individuals, promote inclusion of differences, and encourage the empowerment of all library customers, both internal and external. I will dedicate time to research effective mentoring programs and successful approaches to minority retention.

Deborah Kallina

I was born in Lubbock, Texas. Known as the “Hub City,” Lubbock is the educational, economic, and medical care hub for the region. It is home to Texas Tech University. Lubbock can also boast as being the birthplace for several outstanding musicians: rock and roll legend, Buddy Holly and Dixie Chicks lead singer, Natalie Maines. Right up the road is the town of Littlefield, where Waylon Jennings was born.

When I graduated from high school, I attended Austin College, a small liberal arts college located in Sherman, Texas. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History and a Master of Arts with a secondary teaching certificate. Through the years, I have worked as a legislative assistant in state government, a high school history teacher, a computer salesperson, and a legal secretary/paralegal. I have also been a lifetime community volunteer, working in homeless shelters, food banks, intercity school reading programs, and voter registration drives. When I complete the MLIS degree in May 2011, I will pursue a career in academic libraries as a subject specialist. I want to be a contributing member of a profession that respects and promotes diversity, learning, creativity, and society’s potential for positive change.

Alesha Lackey

This is my first semester in the MLIS program. I am currently enrolled in LIS 600 and 615 in the Charlotte cohort. I earned my B.A. in mass communications at Winston-Salem State Univiersity and worked at my alma matter in the Department of English and Foreign Languages in the Language Lab for a few years following graduation.

I am currently employed full-time as the Language Resource Center Coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I think that this program is a good fit for me as I enjoy helping others find information resources and enjoy discovering new approaches to learning.

Patricia Mack

I first would like to show my great appreciation for this opportunity to be an Ace Scholar. I know that it was a competitive pool of people and I am honored to be one of the chosen. My undergraduate degree is in English with a Mass Communications minor. I chose to become a librarian because I believe that next to teachers we are also important educators that can help further helps students that are willing to learn. While serving as a gateway to information for the students, I will also learn new things in the process.

As a librarian, my goal will be to connect with the students using fun and catchy ideas as well as new up and coming technology. In this profession I will be able to do the things I love: writing, being creative, and using technology.

Trae Middlebrooks

My full name is Willie Edward Middlebrooks III, but to my friends and family, I am simply Trae.

I was born and raised in High Point, North Carolina. After graduating from the Early College at Guilford, I received my undergraduate degree from Guilford College in psychology, with a minor in visual design. I obtained a Masters in Conflict Resolution from UNC Greensboro in the spring of 2009. While pursuing this degree, I also worked for the Conflict Resolution Department as their Graduate Assistant. I am currently working on my Masters in Library and Information Studies at UNC Greensboro. I am also a proud ACE (Academic and Cultural Enrichment) Scholar.

In my spare time, I like to travel to big cities, draw, dance and watch (according to Netflix) “Mind-bending Foreign language” films.

Leatha Miles-Edmonson

My name is Leatha Miles-Edmonson and I have always wanted to be a librarian.  It is the perfect career for a very proud nerd.   Almost everything I have done in my life has been in preparation to become a super-nerd, a librarian.  I volunteered and worked as a library assistant in the Thomas F. Holgate library at Bennett College for Women for the duration of my undergraduate experience.  I also volunteered at public libraries and worked as a research assistant.

When I met the previous UNCG LIS Department Chair at a graduate school fair, he did not have to do much to encourage me to apply.  In fact, when I met him I was a sophomore and it was much too early to apply, but I always had a sneaking suspicion that I would end up at UNCG even if I had to apply several times.

I had no idea that I would be awarded the ACE Scholarship back then, but I am thrilled because it is a dream come true. I am very excited about being an ACE Scholar and I know that I will be more than prepared for a career in LIS. 

Damion Miller

I am very pleased and excited about starting my career in the LIS field. I am also humbled and feel extremely privileged to have been selected to be a part of the inaugural ACE Scholars program and earn a Masters degree at one of the country’s most well respected LIS programs here at UNCG. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would be in such a position as I am currently in now. My journey to this point in my life has been a long and rewarding one.

I was informed about the Ace Scholars program by one of the four librarians at Pfeiffer University, all had attended UNCG for the LIS masters program. I applied and now with great fortune, here I am. During the next two years I intend to take full advantage of this program. I plan on soaking up as much information and wisdom as I can from my professors. Down the line I hope to be well established and respected in my field. I never thought in a million years that I would be in the position that I am in today to surpass that with a graduate degree. I will do my very best to represent and become an asset to the ACE Scholars, and UNCG LIS masters programs.

Martha Parker

Life for me is about pursuing goals and overcoming challenges, but in pursuing the MLIS at UNCG, my goals have, in a way, come full circle. Growing up in Mexico, I attended a four year program in elementary education and began teaching second and third grades at age nineteen. I enjoyed teaching those five years, even though the conditions were sometimes harsh and the pay was low.

After immigrating to the US and not being able to teach on my foreign licensure, I settled into retail. I started managing a small store with three employees but set for myself the goal of managing the largest store possible. Every three or four years I "promoted" myself to a larger store with bigger sales and larger staff. For a short Hispanic woman in an area of management dominated by tall white men in three piece suits, it was a real challenge. Retail is a numbers game and my numbers always had to be better. When I felt I needed more training, I juggled fifty hour work weeks with halftime school for eight years. In 2006, I received my BA in business administration from Queens University of Charlotte. The same year I was hired to manage a Target, with a work force of 250 and sales over $40 million, but my school experience opened my eyes to that fact that I was still passionate about education.

Like many non-traditional students who are already in the work force, pursuing another degree requires accepting a more limited involvement in the academic environment and a long stretched out path to the degree. The ACE scholarship will allow me to be more committed and more immersed in a program that will allow me to reach this goal of once again contributing in an education environment.

Ingrid Ruffin

In 1999 after two years at UNCG I decided to enlist in the United States Air Force. This afforded me the opportunity to live in South Carolina, Iceland, and Germany. During my time in the Air Force I deployed to many locations around the world professionally and traveled to many more personally. At the end of my first enlistment using the Montgomery G.I. Bill I was able to once again return to UNCG full time in order to complete my B.A. in English.

After graduation I joined the Air Force Reserves in which I now serve. In summer 2009 I completed my M.A. in English at UNCG and was then accepted into the MLIS program at UNCG. UNCG has always been like another home to me and I look forward to taking the next step in receiving not only another stellar educational opportunity but developing into a fine information services professional aka a librarian.

Melde Rutledge

I was born in Buffalo, NY, and raised in Winston-Salem, NC—currently residing in Greensboro.

Before entering the LIS program, I earned a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications (2001) at Winston-Salem State University, and a second bachelor’s in Graphic Communication Systems (2004) at NC A&T State University.

Originally, I aimed for a career in journalism. My initial venture into the field began at the Winston-Salem Journal and The Chronicle—both newspapers are located in Winston-Salem. Shortly following my graduation from NC A&T, I freelanced for ESP Magazine and later became a staff writer for the Carolina Peacemaker in 2005.

I switched careers in 2008 when I accepted the position of library instruction technical assistant in C.G. O’Kelly Library at my alma mater, WSSU. Among my several responsibilities, I maintain statistics, set up meeting rooms, proofread copy, and provide reference and technical assistance to students and staff. Beginning fall semester 2009, I will teach library instruction classes.

I hope to become an academic librarian at a college or university, and would like to work in the expertise of special collections. My dream job would be to work as an archivist or a continuity specialist for a comic book company such as DC or Marvel.

Ashanti White

Ashanti L. White is an acclaimed poet, author, photographer, and literary critic whose collections, Chasing Eden and Razor Blades Between My Teeth, were well received by audiences and critics. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and African American Studies with a minor in Philosophy. She also attained a Masters in Liberal Studies from UNCG. Her works have appeared in Timeless Voices, a poetry collection, Black Enterprise, and The Amistad among other publications. The recipient of the Mary J. Hooker Poetry Award, she has performed alongside Oprah Living Legend and Grammy winner, Nikki Giovanni, and Def Poet, J. Ivey and been a spotlight guest for CNN Radio.

Ashanti’s experience as a Library Assistant at Jackson Library and as Library Associate for Gwinnett County Public Library System in Georgia fused with her passion of literature; she began reviewing books for Library Journal, Callaloo, and DV8 Magazine. Her accomplishments lead to her current role as ACE Scholar at her alma mater. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue a PhD, continue fusing her love of libraries and literature, and attain a position at a Special Collections Library.

Jacquelyn White

I was born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the middle child of three. I grew up in a house were education was held in high regard. I developed a love of libraries at a young age and nurtured in all the way through college. I started my freshman year as a student worker at Jackson Library. Throughout the years I was able to work in many different departments with lots of awesome librarians. After switching my major my second year in college I started to think seriously about the field of Library and Information Studies. I graduated from University of North Carolina Greensboro in December of 2007 with a BA in History. I then went to work at a public library for a year before deciding to go back to school, and get a MLIS. I spend my free time between reading, writing and other creative avenues.

I hope to use the opportunity gifted by the ACE scholarship to gain an MLIS so that I can work in the archives field and be able to use my interest in history and technology to help our community advance in the future.