MENTORING STUDENTS
Updated April 2021
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Because SLIS attracts graduates from many other academic fields (and offers its own dual Master’s degree programs with History, Political Science, and Anthropology), many of its students show interest in completing original research. In fact, the MLIS program at The University of Southern Mississippi is one of few accredited library and information science programs in the United States whose degree requirements include the design, proposal and completion of an original research project in its degree requirements. Many SLIS graduates have published original research in peer-reviewed or professional journals or have presented their research at academic and professional conferences.
I became a Faculty Affiliate of the Center for Undergraduate Research in 2013. From 2015 to 2021, I taught the MLIS program’s research methods course, LIS 668. This experience has allowed me to assist students with navigating the IRB process and pursue scholarly communication opportunities for their work.
I thoroughly enjoy helping students develop research ideas and shape their final research reports. I have regularly served as a second reader for many MLIS research projects, which students complete as part the program’s capstone course (LIS 695). To date, I have served as a reader for nearly 90 MLIS capstone projects, dozens of archives certificate capstone projects, and many British Studies (LIS 587) projects. I have mentored several of these to publication. Many more of these students have presented their work as research posters or as papers at local, regional, national and even international scholarly venues.
WORKING WITH STUDENTS
From 2013 to 2015 I served as a Faculty Advisor to the University of Southern Mississippi's Library and Information Science Student Association (LISSA) and until 2017 I served as Faculty Advisor to the Southern Miss Student Archivists (SMSA), a student group that promotes archival education by providing members with opportunities to discuss archival issues and engage in professional and service activities. Membership to both groups is free and open to all students, alumni, faculty and staff of the university who have an interest in archives and special collections.
In October of 2015, to celebrate both Archives Month and the 50th anniversary of the Master of Library Science program at SLIS, SMSA teamed with LISSA and organized two on-campus displays commemorating the history of LIS education at Southern Miss. The first display was featured in the Student Union until mid-October and the second, located on the second floor of Cook Library, will remain on display indefinitely. (Many thanks to Karen Rowell, Myra Miller, and the McCain Archives for their assistance with locating information, archival photographs, and artifacts for the displays.)
