Library Employee News, October 2025
Published October 15, 2025
3 Minute Read
Awards & RecOGNITION
Janice Grover, Carol J. McMurry Librarian for Academic Excellence Librarian, was one of four recipients of the Honors College Outstanding Capstone Mentor Award this year. She was nominated by Alexander Oliver for mentoring his capstone project.
Andrea Hastings-Arrollo
Andrea Hastings-Arrollo, Library Specialist with Special Collections and master's student in history, was the recipient of the 2025 American Heritage Center (AHC) Award for Graduate Student Research for her paper analyzing the controversial 1889 murder trial of Florence Maybrick.
Paula Martin & Sammy Peter
Paula Martin, Senior Associate Dean of UW Libraries, and Sammy (Samantha) Peter, Chair of Research & Outreach Services, co-edited Navigating Disability in the Academic Library Workplace, published by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) in 2025. The book explores accessibility, inclusion, and disability representation within academic library environments.
Deisy Vaske, Manager of Collection Acquisitions, was nominated for and accepted to the Academic Management Institute (AMI) Leadership Program. The program is part of the Colorado/Wyoming Network for Women Leaders in Higher Education and AMI is tailored to advancing women's leadership in higher education.
New Hires & Appointments
Paula Martin
Paula Martin was appointed to the Senior Associate Dean role in September. Martin joined the University of Wyoming Libraries faculty in 2020 as the Assistant Dean of User Services. Before coming to UW, she served as the Director of Holman Library at McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois, and has worked in reference, instruction, circulation, and electronic resources management. As Associate Dean, Paula manages all operational activities of UW Libraries, coordinates the efforts of its three major divisions, and oversees the appointment and promotion of library faculty.
Jamie Markus was appointed to Associate Dean of Collections in September. Jamie oversees the management of more than 10 million digital, electronic, and physical items and all depository, repository, and subscription resources; a robust library acquisitions program; and a variety of collaborative collection and resource sharing partnerships. Prior to joining UW Libraries, Jamie worked at the Wyoming State Library for over 18 years, the last seven as State Librarian. He is a past president of the Western Council of State Libraries and Wyoming Library Association and has served on numerous statewide and national governing and advisory boards.
Kendra Cowley joined UW Libraries as the Graduate Research & Engagement Librarian. She holds a dual Master’s of Library & Information Science, and a Master’s of Arts in Digital Humanities from the University of Alberta. Before joining UW Libraries, Kendra was a public librarian at the Toronto Public Library where she worked on programs with incarcerated patrons, housing co-ops, and harm reduction advocates. Her research work includes publications on resistance within women’s prisons, settler colonial soundscapes, and queer history. Kendra loves heavy music, scheming, chocolate, and swimming in every and all bodies of water.
Patricia is the Instructional Design Librarian at the University of Wyoming. In this role, they serve as the primary liaison to the Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning, UW Online, and UW Casper. They also support accessibility initiatives across library resources and services, and act as the liaison for the programs in Disability Studies, Communication Disorders, Sociology, and Criminal Justice. Patricia's current research interests include disability in academic libraries, accessibility, teaching and instructional design, and visual culture. Outside of work, they enjoy hiking, discovering new neighborhoods and coffee shops, and giving their cat its best life!
Jennifer Markus joined the University of Wyoming Libraries as the Undergraduate Research Librarian. Prior to joining UW, Jennifer served as a Faculty Librarian at Laramie County Community College and, before that, worked as a high school librarian here in Wyoming. Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys traveling with her family, reading, and relaxing with her cuddly cat.
