Palmer, Medina Receive 2024-2025 Undergraduate Research Award
The University Libraries were pleased to present two prizes for the 2024-2025 Undergraduate Library Research Award. The committee selected chosen Melody Palmer’s project “Librarian Responses to Challenges to Books with Queer Content" for their clear passion and thorough research efforts on the timely subject of challenges to books with queer content. The group also recognized Angelica Medina’s project “Below to Beyond Human: Social Death to Ego Birth During The Black Psychedelic Experience” for the unique and thoughtful nature of their project about the Black psychedelic experience. Introduced in 2020, this award recognizes undergraduate students who have demonstrated excellence and innovation as part of an original course-related research project that utilizes library resources.
Melody Palmer (left) and Dr. Rajani Bhatia (right)
Award Winners Recognized at Showcase
The third annual UAlbany Showcase took place across the Uptown Campus on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. In addition to hosting events in the Minerva Room and the Science Library Atrium, the University Libraries used the occasion to present three outstanding student employees with awards.
"At Showcase, the campus recognizes the outstanding contributions of our student body to the community through their research, their creative endeavors, and their applied and experiential learning," said Dean of University Libraries Carey Hatch. "In a similar way, we recognize the outstanding contributions of our student workforce to the community."
Dean Hatch presented the following awards:
- Alice Hastings Murphy Scholarship: Maggie Zehr (Special Collections and Archives)
- Student Service Excellence Award: Wania Hermanstyne (Access Services), Clancey Staldine (Access Service)
We congratulate the award winners and thank all of our dedicated student employees!
Maggie Zehr (second from left)
Wania Hermanstyne
Clancey Staldine
Internship Cohort Gets Hands-On Experience in Data Services, Education Curriculum
The University Libraries supervised two internship projects in the spring semester. Library interns are traditionally graduate students in the MSIS program, completing specific projects in a particular unit. In addition to their project work, interns participate in familiarization tours across major library areas to give them a well-rounded view of an academic library.
Pranathi Priya Karra completed her internship in Data Services, with Angela Hackstadt serving as the project mentor. Her project focused on the user experience of the Data Services' webpage, conducting user testing, developing prototypes, and conducting research.
Tugba Gundogmus served as the Education, Children, and Young Adult Collection Copy Cataloging intern. Tugba worked under the supervision of Wendy West and Adrienne Emery. The primary responsibilities of this internship involved assisting with the organization and ingestion of education, children, and young adult materials; performing copy cataloging as well as processing tasks; and
editing bibliographic, holdings, and item records in the catalog.
Congratulations, graduates!
The University Libraries celebrate all UAlbany graduates, but we want to extend a special congratulations to the students involved with the Libraries:
- Xavier Sacta Abad (BS in Digital Forensics)
- Jodee Arnold (BA in Political Science)
- Kaianna Bond (BA in Criminal Justice and Psychology)
- Calista Corson (BA in English and East Asian Studies)
- Caroline Curcio (BA in Fine Arts)
- Demetria Desir (BA in Psychology)
- Tugba Gundogmus (MS in Information Science)
- Madi Jachim (BA in Psychology)
- Tejaswi Kata (MS in Data Science)
- Melody Palmer (BA in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies)
- Naomi Pugliese (BA in Linguistics)
- Layaan Roufai (BA in History)
- Meghan Slaff (MA in English, MS in Information Science)
"Keep pushing boundaries, keep leading, keep learning, and keep in touch," said Dean of Libraries Carey Hatch. "The Libraries are always here for you, in person or online.”
Graduates celebrating during the 2025 commencement ceremony