Keith M. Cottam
In Memoriam of Keith M. Cottam
Former Dean of UW Libraries
Keith M. Cottam of Casper passed away on April 9 at the age of 82. Keith served as
director of various academic libraries, including the Casper College Goodstein Library.
He served as Dean of the University of Wyoming Libraries for 18 years and was President
of the Wyoming Library Association in 1998-1999. Memorial contributions can be made to the University of Wyoming Libraries, the Casper
College Foundation, the National Historic Trails Center, and the Platte River Trails
Trust.
Full obituary
Matt Sprinkle
In Memoriam of Matt Sprinkle
Library Specialist
Matthew D. Sprinkle passed away on Dec. 26, 2002, due to complications of Parkinson's
disease. Matt was a Library Specialist working with electronic resources from 2001
to Nov. 2022. Matt graduated from Laramie High School in 1982. He received a BA in Music in 1986,
an MA in Music Theory & Composition in 1992, and an MS in Library Science in 2008.
He worked for the University of Wyoming for 37 years.
Full obituary
Nelia Koontz
Nelia Koontz
Collection Management Librarian
Nelia Koontz joined UW Libraries as the Collection Management Librarian in January.
In December, she earned a Master of Information Sciences from the University of Tennessee,
Knoxville. She previously worked as a graduate research assistant in Assessment Programs
and Collection Strategy at UTK’s Hodges Library and as a research assistant for Black
in Appalachia, a community archives based in her hometown of Whitesburg, Tennessee.
Outside of work, she enjoys playing drums and guitar, skating, learning new languages,
and watching martial arts movies.
Additionally, Nelia was recently awarded a LEADING (LIS Education And Data Science Integrated Network Group) Fellowship from Drexel University's Metadata Research Center. She will be working with Montana
State University to research on "Recognizing Bias in Collection Metrics: Analyzing
Institutional Scholarship and Grant Networks to Inform Collection Development Decisions."
Congratulations, Nelia!
Sierra Pandy
Sierra Pandy
Scholarly Communications and Open Publishing Librarian
Changing tracks from a public librarian in Indiana to the Scholarship and Open Publishing
Librarian, Sierra got their Masters of Library and Information Science from snowy
St. Catherine University in Minnesota. Their position is dedicated to improving and
furthering the University’s repository, open access resources, and facilitating copyright
and digital scholarship knowledge amongst students and staff alike. When not spending
time outside of work taking long walks with their dog, Sierra creates illustration
and reads far too many children’s books for their age.
Shannon Smith
Shannon Smith
Student Success Librarian
Shannon Smith joined UW Libraries as Student Success Librarian in March. She was a
SPARC Open Education Leadership Fellow from 2020-2021 and previously served as Open
Educational Resources Librarian at Boise State University Albertsons Library and Scholarly
Communication Librarian at Utah State University Libraries. Shannon’s work empowers
students and instructors to engage in learning experiences beyond the classroom. She
believes building communities is integral to student success and lifelong learning.
Originally from Wyoming, Shannon is excited to give back to the community that fostered
her own educational journey. Outside of work, she finds joy in the Rocky Mountain
landscapes she calls home and can often be found sharing sunset pictures or creating
humorous embroidery for her friends.
Jennifer Kirk
Jennifer Kirk
Marketing & Communications Specialist
Jennifer Kirk, the UW Libraries marketing and communication specialist, is the recipient
of the University of Wyoming Libraries Outstanding Staff Award for her contributions in 2022.
The Outstanding Staff Award, funded by the McMurry-Spieles Excellence Fund, honors
a UW Libraries staff member who has “demonstrated exceptional service to UW Libraries
and made significant contributions to the university and/or the community.” Recipients
of this award are chosen by a committee of their peers.
Kirk has worked for UW Libraries’ since December 2018 and at UW since June 2013. She
oversees all Libraries’ marketing and communication efforts, including promoting programs,
writing news releases, social media and website management.
2023 Staff Years of Service Award
2023 Staff Years of Service Award
Staff Senate annually recognizes years of service of classified staff in increments
of years. This spring, UW Libraries had several employees who were recognized that
we would like to highlight:
Erin Miller - 5 Years of Service
Susan Schulz - 10 Years of Service
Deisy Vaske - 15 Years of Service
Dee Salo - 40 Years of Service
Congratulations and thank you to all our staff members who were recognized this year!
