Interns

Eric Reed (he/him) is a second-year graduate student at the University of Arizona, who is pursuing a master’s in library and information science as well as certificate in Archival Studies. He is interested in utilizing his skills and knowledge to empower communities through preserving their histories and ensuring that it is made accessible to the […]

Riqué “Rich” Duhamell Escobedo is a second-year graduate student completing their M.A. in Library and Information Science (MLIS) through the School of Information at the University of Arizona. Academic interests in indigenous data sovereignty and inclusive makerspaces have led them to also pursue certificates in digital curation and archival studies. Their areas of focus in […]

Jose Robles is a graduate student from Santa Cruz whose studies have been focused on archival research and digitization. This lifelong resident of Santa Cruz county is making the transition from working in criminal defense litigation to library and information sciences as a way to continue helping marginalized communities and preserving their histories. Jose has […]

Jules Baldino is an MLIS graduate student at the University of Arizona, focusing on archival studies. Their work largely focuses on bringing hidden and suppressed histories to the public in ways that aren’t typically conducted by the field, such as community participatory exhibits and exhibits at atypical locations. Their work at AQA has involved organizing […]

Hana Lipke is an MLIS graduate student at the University of Arizona. Her scholarly interests include book and paper conservation, database infrastructures, and experiential technologies. As a FOCAS intern, Hana has assisted the Dunbar Pavilion with exhibit design and archival processing. She enjoys approaching these tasks in new and creative ways, utilizing her skills in […]

Olivia is a MLIS graduate student at The University of Arizona, College of Information focused on historic preservation, critical archival studies, and community archives. Born and raised in Tucson, Olivia is dedicated to preserving, documenting and highlighting hidden narratives and histories. As a FOCAS Intern working at The Dunbar Pavilion, Olivia has been assisting with […]

Nicole Hayes is an MLIS graduate student at the University of Arizona. Their area of study primarily concerns archives and public librarianship with an emphasis on disability, social justice, and critical archival practice. Their approach to preservation aims to decentralize dominant narratives and challenge linear notions of time rooted in western neoliberal ideals of progress. […]

Melissa Berry is an MLIS graduate student at the University of Arizona’s iSchool. Her scholarship has been focused on counter-hegemonic action, cultural resilience, and how to build communal power. In her capacity as a FOCAS intern, Melissa has been assisting MAHHM with their Tucsonense Oral History Project, compiling stories from elders to help keep their […]

Kelli Luck is a recent graduate of the MLIS program at the UofA. She specializes in historical research and children’s literature. She works with local children in a midtown elementary school and aims to bring a more multicultural and diverse approach to the library. She recognizes that many children are not largely represented in literature […]

Jesus Villalobos is a researcher and archivist earning a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory at the University of Arizona. They are a Knowledge River Scholar and hold a Master of Arts in Library and Information Science from the same institution. Jesus’s research examines cultural memory […]

Priscilla P. Avitia (she/her) is a second-year MLIS student specializing in Archives Studies. She has a BA in History from California State University, Dominguez Hills, where she focused on Mexican-American and BIPOC women and how they are (mis)represented in Western scholarly work. She is interested in continuing this research during her time at UCLA and how […]

Blair Black is an MLIS student at UCLA and a native Angeleno with a passion for preserving underrepresented stories. With a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology, Blair brings an ear for cultural soundscapes and an eye for detail, whether it’s curating audiovisual materials or decoding metadata (a skill she swears is more thrilling than it sounds). By day, Blair works on digitizing materials […]

Ana Elizabeth Lara (she/they) is a second-year unDACAmented MLIS student specializing in Informatics and Media Archival Studies. She is from Acajutla, El Salvador, but also calls South Central Los Angeles home. Ana is an organizer and finance chair of the Undocumented Student Network in California and co-chairs Improving Dreams, Equity, and Access (IDEAS) at UCLA. Her […]

Riona Tsai (she/they) is a 2nd year MLIS student at UCLA specializing in archives. She has previously graduated with degrees in Media & Cultural Studies and History from UC Riverside, Her background and interests are in public history and community archives. Riona is an intern at the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, where she has […]

Sam Stroud (she/they) is a second year MLIS student specializing in archival studies. They are interested in queer and trans community archives. Sam is currently an intern at the June L. Mazer Lesbian archives.

Iori Khuhro (she/they) is pursuing a Dual Master of Archival Studies and Library and Information Studies at the University of British Columbia. She is working with the South Asian Canadian Digital Archive (SACDA) to catalogue and digitize a fonds of 20,000+ photographs, promoting South Asian Canadian heritage, joy, and normalcy. She also works as a […]

Rohini Singh (she/her) is an archivist and social development practitioner with experience across grassroots and arts-based organisations. She has an interest in South Asian history, community-centered recordkeeping practices, digital preservation and audio-visual archiving, and wants to work towards making archives more accessible, empathetic and inclusive. She holds a B.A. (Honors) degree in Economics from the […]

Lauren Wong (she/her) is a Vancouver-based information professional with a focus on digital libraries, archives, and community-driven projects. She holds a BA (Hons) in Translation, an MA in Japanese Studies, and recently completed her Master of Library and Information Studies at UBC. Lauren has gained diverse experience working in libraries and archives across Canada, including […]

Hanako Ishizuka-Gunderson (she/her) has been in the library field for over a decade. Working in various libraries at different capacities, she has finally returned to pursue her master’s degree in library and information science from Dominican University after a 10-year hiatus from academia. Juggling motherhood and a full-time position at the University of California Irvine’s […]

Anthony “TJ” Moaton is a Master of Library and Information Science candidate at Dominican University, with a concentration in Archives and Cultural Heritage. Prior to Dominican, TJ was a journalist for an NPR-affiliate station in Connecticut, studied clowning and experimental theatre in Philadelphia through the Pig Iron School of Advanced Performance Training, and worked for […]

Edith Méndez (she/her/hers) is a community archivist, artist, and educator dedicated to preserving Mexican and Chicane cultural heritage. Her work focuses on traditional Mexican art forms, decolonizing archival practices, and amplifying community voices through oral history. She has conducted bilingual oral histories in her family’s hometown of Copándaro de Galeana, Michoacán, as part of an […]

Kaylee Morlan (they/she) is a public historian and archivist based in Chicago, Illinois. They hold a B.A. in History from the University of Minnesota and an M.A. in Public History from Loyola University Chicago and are currently pursuing an MLIS from Dominican University. Her practice centers on accessibility in libraries, archives, and museums. As a […]

Alyssa Brown is an MSLIS student currently completing her final semester at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. As a BMRC FOCAS intern, she conducts post-processing of oral history interviews at the National Public Housing Museum. Her interest in community archives intersects with an academic and professional background in climate and environmental work. In her free […]

Blanca Vásquez-Hurley, an emerging archivist received her MSLIS from Chicago State University with a concentration in archives. In addition, she holds a BA from Northeastern Illinois University in Latino/a/x and Latin American Studies. Originally, from the Southwest her interests include social justice work through activism, reparative human-first approaches to archiving, Afro-diaspora in Latin America, community […]

Gabrielle Banks (she/her) is an emerging archivist from Chicago’s South Side, most interested in preserving and amplifying Black history through community-centered archival practices. She is currently completing her Masters of Library and Information Science with a specialization in archives and records management. Her experience spans digital and physical collections, metadata creation, and reference services at […]

Cheryl Muhammad is in the final semester of her MLIS program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and currently works in library services and records management within a government agency. With an extensive background in data management, community-focused roles, and operational administration, she specializes in records preservation and analysis to maintain the accuracy and integrity […]

Micaela Duran (she/her) is a current graduate student in the University of Washington’s Master of Library and Information Science program. She holds a BA in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Anthropology from Colby College, where she developed a critical understanding of power, identity-making, and collective memory. Her previous experience in equity-based archival work led […]

Micah Fender is pursuing their Master’s in Library and Information Sciences at the University of Washington. Previously they have studied Creative Writing, Gender, Sexuality and Race, and Theatre at Pacific Lutheran University. Currently, they are working with the Community Archives Center at the Tacoma Public Library, where they are working to curate a collection of […]

My name is Mary Sprague (she/they) and I am pursuing an MLIS degree at the University of Washington. For my FOCAS internship, I am working with OutHistory, a public history website that shares and produces information on LGBTQ histories. Outside of the internship, I work as an Online Learning & Engagement Specialist in the UW […]

Luming Zhang holds an MLIS degree from the University of Washington’s Information School, specializing in digital humanities, archival management, and museum studies. She also holds an MA in East Asian Studies from Duke University. Luming’s work bridges cultural heritage and technology, with a focus on ethical metadata standards and minority and community archives.

Amal Ahmed is an audiovisual archivist and writer currently enrolled at Queens College (CUNY) in the Library Media Specialist program. She is a graduate of the Moving Image Archiving and Preservation program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Amal’s research explores the migratory realities of displaced film collections, particularly in North Africa, the Middle […]

Andrew Firestone is currently completing his final semester in the Graduate School of Library & Information Studies at Queens College (CUNY), pursuing a Master’s Degree with a Certificate in Archives and Preservation of Cultural Materials. After completing his undergraduate degree in American Studies, he continued pursuing archival research, gaining experience working as a freelance research […]

Megan Delsey is an aspiring archivist and librarian currently enrolled at Queens College (CUNY). She is interested in applying postcolonial and critical archival practices to support a global network of archives that support historically underrepresented histories. She is particularly drawn to community archives as sites of collective memory that challenge hegemonic, power-driven historical narratives. Meg […]

Moskoula Harisiadis is a writer, educator, and aspiring archivist. Her writing appears in Where We Live: The 2010 Girls Write Now Anthology; (R)evolution: The 2016 Girls Write Now Anthology; and ArLiJo. She has taught LGBTQ+ literature and history, as well as Creative Writing. She is currently pursuing her MLIS degree at Queens College, and is […]

Shauna Fitzgerald is an aspiring archivist from Brooklyn, NY, currently pursuing an MLIS at CUNY Queens College. She has worked with a variety of collections, including those at Weeksville Heritage Center and the Woodman Family Foundation, gaining experience in archival preservation and arrangement. She is currently an intern at WFMU, the freeform radio station based […]