August 2021 at a Glance

• Graduate Student Orientation
• Meet your new GSAC Officers!
• Join GSAC’s new social initiative, Community Circles
• iSchool “Flat Flashes” social media campaign
• Check out the new iSchool Book Exchange on Facebook

Greetings from the GSAC President

As fall semester approaches, I hope you are all soaking up the final weeks of summer. I’ve enjoyed reconnecting with family, including my newest niece. It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve as GSAC President over the past year. I look forward to passing the torch to Taylor Fields later this month. (Get to know Taylor and other 2021-2022 GSAC officers below). I will continue to be involved and hope you will, too! It’s a fantastic way to meet other people at the iSchool. Even if you only have a few minutes to spare, I invite you to stop by our virtual Meet and Greet on Aug. 18th or our general meeting on Aug. 31st to say hello. We look forward to meeting you soon.

Lauren Zollinger
President, iSchool Graduate Student Advisory Council

New to KSU?

Information about the Fall 2021 Graduate Student Orientation (GSO) is now available! Click here to explore schedules, breakout sessions, general information and resources related to being a new graduate student at Kent State University.

• Career and Internships
• Professional Development and Educational Resources
• Professional Organizations
• Upcoming Events

GSAC has created a Facebook Group in which current iSchool students will be able to sell or exchange their textbooks with other iSchool students. In order to join the group, you must be enrolled in the iSchool. Those wishing to join the group must adhere to the group guidelines as posted on the Facebook Page. Take a look and join in on helping your fellow classmates!

Calendar of Upcoming Events

The Special Libraries Association (SLA) invites information professionals to come together from August 3rd-13th, 2021 for a virtual interactive experience to benefit from the ideas, insights, and connections that SLA provides. 

For more information and to register, go here.

In this session, participants will learn about metadata standards and best practices. Presenter Kristen Newby (Ohio History Connection) will define what fields to use, what information to include, and how it should be formatted.

This session will also cover the importance of consistent metadata, especially when considering sharing your collections through tools like the Digital Public Library of America. 

The event will be held on Tuesday, August 10th, 2021 from 2:30-4PM EST. For more information, please go here.  When registering, select Kent State – iSchool as the organization. (Registration is free for iSchool students).

New and current iSchool students are invited to join us for an informal, virtual happy hour on Wednesday, August 18th at 8pm EST (via Zoom). Grab a beverage and stop by to meet classmates and trade tips on navigating the iSchool experience. We look forward to seeing you!

For the Zoom link, please contact Natalie Groff (ngroff3@kent.edu), VP of Student Outreach.

The iSchool Graduate Student Advisory Council (GSAC) will meet via Zoom on Tuesday, August 31st at 8pm EST to hold elections for the fall and discuss ongoing plans, events and projects.  All current and incoming iSchool students are invited to attend. Hope you’ll join us to meet other students and learn about opportunities to get involved. Please email Lauren Zollinger at lzolling@kent.edu for the link to the meeting.

Meet the New GSAC Officers

Taylor Fields, President

My name is Taylor Fields and I’m entering my second year at the iSchool. I’m in the MLIS program with interests in academic libraries and user experience. I have a BS in neuroscience from Indiana University and an MS in neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin. I currently live in Chicago and work as a research analyst for a higher education non-profit. In my spare time, I like playing music, cards and board games, and spending time outside (as often as Chicago weather allows).

I’ve loved connecting with students and faculty through GSAC over the past year and am so excited to help other students do the same and continue building a connected iSchool community. 

Lauren Zollinger, Vice President of Communications

My name is Lauren Zollinger. I am entering my final year of the LIS program, with an interest in public libraries, health literacy/outreach and user experience. I have an undergraduate degree in journalism from Northwestern University and currently work for a Chicago-based company that develops corporate information solutions for healthcare clients.

I believe the secret to a fulfilling life is forming meaningful connections with other people, continually working on a better version of yourself, and contributing to something bigger than yourself. GSAC is a wonderful platform for all three. I am excited to serve in this role and hope to establish new channels of communication to help students feel more connected to each other and the program. In my free time, I enjoy volunteering for hospice and other local nonprofits, hiking, listening to live music and spending time with my husband and two daughters in North Canton, Ohio. I look forward to getting to know all of you better and hearing your ideas on ways we can leverage GSAC to improve the iSchool experience.

Natalie Groff, Vice President of Student Outreach

My name is Natalie Groff and I am in my second year in the LIS program. While my primary interest is in the public library, I am open to exploring other possibilities! My undergraduate degree is in English/Creative Writing from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. I live in Virginia Beach, Virginia with my husband and our three sons. In my elusive free time I am a freelance writer and proofreader and enjoy reading and singing, much to the annoyance of my children.

Tess Kienzle, Student Representative Officer

My name is Tess Kienzle and I’m in my final semester in the LIS program. My studies focus on youth engagement, with a particular interest in teen programming at public libraries. I earned my BA in English Literature from Ohio State University in 2019. I currently work for Columbus Metropolitan Libraries in youth services.

I’m thrilled to be a member of GSAC this year. Serving as a Student Representative Officer gives me the opportunity to be more involved with the iSchool student community and advocate for the student body; I can’t wait to see what we accomplish both as a group and as a school this year! In my free-time, I enjoy hiking, rollerskating, and baking. I live in Columbus, OH with my basset hound, Arlo.

Secretary [position open]

The position of secretary is currently open. If you are interested in serving in this role, please nominate yourself by August 25th. For more information, please reach out to Taylor Fields or Lauren Zollinger. We’d love to talk with you!

Jessica Black, UXD Representative

My name is Jessica Black and I am in my second and final year of the User Experience Design (UXD) program. I have a particular interest in how user experience principles can be applied to the health care field. I believe there is a need for UX professionals to focus on solving design problems that threaten the safety of patients and health care providers. I am very passionate about my UXD coursework and I am proud to represent the interests of UXD students within GSAC.

I have a B.A. in Mass Communication with a concentration in digital advertising from Louisiana State University. I’m from Slidell, Louisiana, and live for crawfish season. When I have free time, you can find me meditating, journaling, listening to music, or spending time with friends and family.

About GSAC