University Libraries Scholars
University Libraries Scholars are selected each year in the spring. Awardees are recognized for their scholarly achievements at UNC's Distinguished Scholars Ceremony, held each spring in the University Center. They also serve as Banner Bearer for Convocation in the summer, and for Graduate and Undergraduate Commencements in the fall and the following spring.
Current University Libraries Scholar
Maggie Shawcross has been named the 2024 University Libraries Scholar for the extensive, timely, and relevant research she completed in 2023. Maggie published on a national survey and presented at four national and one regional conferences. The selection committee noted that "her scholarship is directed towards a variety of audiences that reach further than traditional academic librarians and embrace BIPOC populations, health and medical librarians, and information science graduate students."
Past University Library Scholars
2023
Stephanie Wiegand was named the 2023 University Libraries Scholar. The selection committee recognized Associate Professor Wiegand for a research article on faculty perceptions of predatory publishing and for a national presentation on an online dissertation preparation program. Stephanie was awarded two grants totaling $73,356 to support the advancement of open educational resources (OER) on our campus.
2022
Darren Ilett was recognized as the 2022 University Libraries Scholar for his research article on the role of libraries in the academic lives of first-generation students. Darren also gave multiple national presentations on topics including support for underrepresented students, reflective teaching, and library outreach approaches.
2021
Jen Mayer was recognized for her work as a researcher, publishing an article in College & Research Libraries, as well as securing two grants, totaling over $60,000, to forward UNC’s open educational resources (OER) work.
2020
Laura Uglean Jackson was recognized for her edited volume, Reappraisal and Deaccessioning in Archives and Special Collections, which represents a significant contribution to the archives field. It is the first monograph dedicated to the subject of reappraisal and deaccessioning and addresses an important topic that is often overlooked or underappreciated in archives literature.