School of Library and Information Science Faculty and Staff

A Library and Information Science faculty member working with a student

In the Simmons School of Library and Information Science you'll have direct and frequent access to faculty who know your name, understand your aspirations and dedicate themselves to advancing the information field.

Our Faculty and Staff


Meet the Dean

Sanda Erdelez

Sanda Erdelez

Dean, School of Library and Information Science

Full-time Faculty

Naresh Agarwal photo

Naresh Agarwal

Professor and Director of Information Science & Tech Concentration

Rhiannon Bettivia headshot

Rhiannon Bettivia

Assistant Professor

Peter Botticelli photo

Peter Botticelli

Associate Professor and Director, Cultural Heritage Informatics Concentration

Donia Conn photo

Donia Conn

Associate Professor of Practice

Heather Hole photo

Heather Hole

Professor, disciplines of Museum Studies and Art History

Lisa Hussey photo

Lisa Hussey

Professor and Director of Self-directed Concentration

Daniel Joudrey photo

Daniel Joudrey

Professor and Director of Libraries and Librarianship Concentration

Melanie Kimball photo

Melanie Kimball

Associate Professor and Director, School Library Teacher Concentration

Zona Kostic

Assistant Professor

Adam Kriesberg Profile Photo

Adam Kriesberg

Assistant Professor and Co-Director of Dual Degree MS LIS-Archives and MA History Program

Arianna Lechan

Arianna Lechan

Assistant Professor of Practice and Manager of School Library Teacher Field Experiences

Mollie Metevier

Mollie Metevier

Assistant Professor of Practice and Manager of Field Experience

Kyong Eun Oh photo

Kyong Eun Oh

Associate Professor and Director PhD Program

Amy Pattee photo

Amy Pattee

Professor

Eric Poulin photo

Eric Poulin

Assistant Professor of Practice and Coordinator, SLIS West

Laura Saunders photo

Laura Saunders

Professor and Associate Dean of SLIS

Don Simmons

Don Simmons

Assistant Professor

Rebecca Davis photo

Rebecca Stallworth

Assistant Professor

Katherine Wisser photo

Katherine Wisser

Associate Professor and Masters Program Director, Director Archives Concentration, and Director of Archives Certificate Program

Headshot of Mei Zhang

Mei Zhang

Assistant Professor

Staff

Kelsey Chaplain

Administrative Assistant to the SLIS Dean and Faculty Support

Lindsey Clarke

Senior Assistant Director of Graduate Admission Operations

Kendra Giannini

SLIS Student Services Center Manager

Emma Hayden

SLIS Graduate Student Advisor

Khari Linton

Assistant Director of Operations in SLIS

Martin Mehrling

Technology Manager, SLIS

Joel Velez

Slate Administrator/Enrollment Systems Manager

SLIS Faculty in the News

A hand holding a glowing globe with the letters AI in the center

SLIS Professor Explains the Technological Shift to AI

Simmons School of Library and Information Science is leading efforts to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy into the curriculum. Assistant Professor Don Simmons offered a virtual webinar covering the basics of AI and how it is shaping how we work and learn.


A lightpost with a Simmons University banner attached.

Two Simmons Faculty Members Receive North Star Fellowships

Samuel Odom from the School of Social Work and Don Simmons from the School of Library and Information Science, have been named fellows by the North Star Collective Faculty Fellowship, which is designed to promote supportive community and racial healing for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) faculty members across New England.


Interior of the Boston Public Library, McKim Building, 2019. Photograph by Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and Creative Commons.

Dean of SLIS Discusses Public Libraries in The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe featured commentary from Sanda Erdelez, Dean of Simmons‘ School of Library and Information Science, on the remarkable resilience of public libraries, particularly those in New England.


A collage of three new faculty members in the Simmons School of Library and Information Science

Simmons University’s School of Library and Information Science Welcomes Three New Faculty Members

Simmons University’s School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) welcomes three new faculty members this Fall, with expertise in archives management, school librarianship, and public librarianship for children and teens.


A section of the Voynich Manuscript

SLIS Adjunct Interviewed in The Atlantic as a “prominent medievalist”

School of Library and Information Science Adjunct Lisa Fagin Davis was interviewed in The Atlantic for her work interpreting the 500-year-old Voynich Manuscript.


The logo for the Association for Library and Information Science Edcation

SLIS Professor Wins LIS Education Award

Professor and Associate Dean of SLIS Laura Saunders has been selected the 2024 Winner of the Award for Professional Contribution to Library and Information Science Education granted annually by the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE).


The Reading Room at McKim Building, Boston Public Library

SLIS Professor Shares How Public Libraries Support Community Discussion

Professor Laura Saunders was quoted in the Singapore edition of The Straits Times, sharing how public libraries in the U.S. are assisting in building community during politically polarizing times.


A colorful circular graphic representing digital storage

SLIS Professor to Receive Information Science and Technology Service Award

The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) recently announced that Simmons Library and Information Science Professor Naresh Agarwal is the recipient of the 2024 Watson Davis Award for Service. This award “recognizes an individual member of the Association who...