April 09, 2012
Students to receive Jeanne Simon scholarships
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A special presentation and reception this week will honor the recipients of the 2012 Jeanne Hurley Simon Memorial Library Endowment scholarships at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
The presentation is set for 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, in the third floor rotunda of Morris Library. Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon will award three $800 scholarships bearing the name of her late mother, a former state legislator, author, lawyer and adjunct professor who at the time of her death in February 2000 was chair of the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science by presidential appointment.
Media Advisory
Reporters, photographers and news crews are welcome to attend the presentation of the 2012 Jeanne Hurley Simon Endowment scholarships at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, in the Morris Library third floor rotunda.
Morris Library administers the endowment, created to celebrate the life and longstanding commitment to libraries and education of Jeanne Hurley Simon, wife of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon. The endowment provides up to three scholarships each year to Morris Library student employees and the goal is fostering the development of ethnic, racial, cultural and gender diversity. The recipients aren’t necessarily pursuing library careers but the awards recognize them for their exemplary service, commitment and involvement with libraries.
This year’s recipients are Lyndsey Hanson, Hillary Huber and a third recipient who asks to remain anonymous.
Hanson, of Kasson, Minn., is the daughter of Scott and Jeannie Hanson. She is a junior majoring in sociology and plans to continue her education after graduation at the University of Illinois library school, concentrating in business librarianship or possibly law librarianship.
An employee of Morris Library since summer 2011, Hanson is “a dependable member of our staff,” wrote Paul Porter, library specialist, in nominating her for the award.
“In her home state of Minnesota, Lyndsey has a close friend whose education in library science first sparked Lyndsey’s interest in the field. Her enthusiasm grew after completing Introduction to College Research in the spring of 2011. Shortly thereafter she pursued her employment with us in Illinois, allowing her the opportunity to gain first-hand experience with library work,” Porter wrote.
Huber, of Helotes, Texas, is the daughter of Judy and Greg Huber. She’s a doctoral student in anthropology with specialties in physical anthropology and primatology and studies the relationship between diet and behavior in monkeys. She anticipates completing her degree in May 2014 and plans to work for a zoo, biomedical research facility or university with the ultimate goal of improving the care of primates in captivity.
Huber said she is also considering completing a master’s degree in library or information science and said although always of interest to her, working at Morris Library has made the option even more attractive.
“When Hillary started working as a graduate assistant at the Morris Library Information Desk, she mentioned to me that she had considered pursuing her master’s in library science before deciding to enroll in her PhD program in anthropology. I thought then, and continue to think, that her interest in library science shines through in the excellent reference work she does at the Information Desk,” wrote Amber Burtis, librarian, in nominating Huber for the award.
“While ultimately, Hillary may or may not decide to become a librarian, I believe that she will continue to be involved with libraries. This is evidenced by her work as a teaching assistant in the Department of Anthropology where she actively promotes the library to her students. I know she dedicates substantial class time to teaching library skills to students and even has them do a library scavenger hunt so that they learn first-hand about the resources the library offers. Hillary is also currently collaborating with Cassie Wagner, web services librarian at Morris Library, on a research study analyzing citations of the journal ‘Medical Hypotheses.’ They plan to publish this research, which will contribute to the current debate over the utility of scholarly work published outside the traditional peer-review system,” Burtis added.
A reception with light refreshments will follow the awards presentation.