The LIS Advisory Board provides strategic insight and expert guidance as part of the department's systematic efforts to continuously develop and improve our M.S.L.I.S. program. The membership of the Board includes representatives from each of our constituency groups – alumni, students, adjuncts, employers, and full-time faculty – and reflects our diverse and ever-evolving community.

Board Charge

The overarching purpose of the Advisory Board is to:

  • Provide the Department of LIbrary and Information Science with input on the current and future needs of the library and information science profession to ensure the department is responsive to the continually evolving needs of the profession.
  • Identify opportunities for the department to meet the current and future needs of the profession through its for-credit, non-credit, and extracurricular offerings.
  • Recommend new initiatives, degree offerings or programs to continually improve, refresh, expand, or enhance the program and its educational quality.
  • Engage in long-term strategic planning by providing input and advice to library and information science representatives related to its strategic planning initiatives.
  • Provide advice, as appropriate, to the department regarding key administrative areas, most notably enrollment, funding, and technology resources and support.
  • Understand the history of library and information science at The Catholic University of America and advise the department on its efforts to advance its mission and the mission of the University.
  • Advocate, as appropriate, for the program and its students and faculty in a public capacity.
  • Serve as a representative and liaison between the department and the constituency groups its individual Board members represent.
  • Recommend approaches for engaging and involving the department's internal and external constituents to realize the department's goals and strengthen relationships with the field and within its community.

Board Recruitment

Interested in being considered for a seat on the LIS Advisory Board? If so, please email us two short paragraphs on you and what you'd bring to the board, and also attach your résumé.

Board Members

  • Sue Yeon Syn, Associate Professor and Chair of the LIS Department
  • Nicholas Alexander Brown, Assistant Cheif of the Music Division, Library of Congress
  • Steve Connaghan, University Librarian, CUA Libraries
  • Veronica Hart, current CUA LIS student
  • Trevor Riley, Head, Public Services, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Sharad Shah, Collection Management Librarian, the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives 
  • Julia Taylor, Assistant Director of the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress
  • Barry Trott, Adult Services Consultant, Library Development and Networking Division Library of Virginia
  • Helen (Meg) Tulloch, Director of the Center for Library Service at US Government Accountability Office
  • Maria Thurber, Reference Librarian, Library of Congress