INTERSECTIONS SPRING 2021
14
Features
Interest in education, data management leads Kearse to iSchool
M
S student Jeremy Kearse is a future educator and data manager. His career goals are to work both in the corporate world, “helping a business make smarter and more efficient decisions,” and as an adjunct professor in an MSI (Minority Serving Institution), working with students in STEM and LIS. Kearse, who earned his BS in computer science from Morehouse College, became interested in LIS after serving as a paraprofessional for a fourthgrade class through the UPS Community Scholars Program. “I was amazed at the impact that the librarians had on all ages and grade levels,” he said. “I knew that eventually I would want to work in an educational setting. Earning my MS/LIS is the perfect way to keep up with technology and still gain the knowledge needed to work as an educational professional.” At the iSchool, Kearse is a graduate assistant serving in data management and data processing roles. He has found the skills he learned in courses, such as Introduction to Data Science (IS 407) and Theory and Practice of Data Cleaning (IS 537), to be invaluable in his assistantship and internships. Outside of class, Kearse is a collections developer, working on a project with “one of his fellow Morehouse Men.” “We have embarked on a journey to create a digital exhibit and collections for our alma mater that would allow us to preserve our HBCU’s history,” he said. “I hope one day that this project will possibly be something similar to the MoorlandSpingarn Collection built by Dorothy Porter Wesley at Howard University in Washington, DC.” In addition, Kearse celebrated Black History Month with a special project to recognize the unsung heroes of literature and the field of librarianship. “My project’s items are bookmarks that have significant facts about different individuals from these various communities that people should be aware of,” said Kearse. “I plan to expand the project to include Women’s History Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, and many more.”
Leep student prepares children for responsible citizenry
F
or Julie Knutson, the online MS/LIS (Leep) program is “incredibly convenient,” allowing her to continue authoring children’s nonfiction while working toward her goal of becoming a school librarian. “My first job out of college was at Temple University’s Paley Library. After that experience, I kept returning to the idea of school librarianship. Really, the best I can describe it is as an unshakable drive to work in this space—with kids—to help them not just find books they love, but also to develop into discerning consumers of information, passionate researchers, and empowered makers,” said Knutson, who holds a master’s degree in education and art history from Rice University, master’s degree in political sociology from the London School of Economics & Political Science, and a bachelor’s degree in cultural studies from New York University. Knutson’s passion for global citizenship, world history, and human rights stems from her academic experiences and from her time as a classroom teacher. She is the author of several nonfiction series for children, including Nature’s Makers, Parallel Lives in History, and Changing Spaces. Her recent book, Global Citizenship: Engaging in the Politics of a Changing World, was released in September 2020. “The book touches on so many issues with which we are struggling as local, national, and global communities, from the pandemic to climate change, and from ethnoreligious violence to persistent gender wage gaps. Kids can’t afford not to pay attention to these concerns. Our world is so interconnected today and will become increasingly more so in the coming years,” she said. Knutson has been impressed by her experience as a Leep student. “I’ve been floored by the attentiveness of faculty and staff across the board, all of whom work in concert to really prepare students to enter librarianship as responsible and responsive professionals,” she said.
25 years of online excellence through Leep
T
his year marks the 25th anniversary of the iSchool’s popular MS/LIS Leep option, which is recognized for innovation, excellence, and value in online education. Leep offers a highly interactive online learning environment, allowing students to engage and collaborate with faculty and other students in real time.
