C&UA Elections 2024

Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect Nominees (1 candidate)

Alphabetical Order

Nick Richbell

Head of Special Collections and Archives, Clemson University

Bio

Dr. Nick Richbell recently received his PhD in History from the University of Waterloo. His area of research is the history of Spiritualism, and his doctoral dissertation is a biographical history about Maurice Barbanell and Silver Birch. Nick is currently the Head of Special Collections and Archives at Clemson University in South Carolina. Prior to moving to South Carolina, Nick led the Special Collections and Archives department at the University of Waterloo Library in Ontario, Canada. Nick was the last corporate archivist at the Canadian Pacific Railway in Montreal. He also worked at the McGill University Archives and the McGill University Health Centre. Nick holds an MLIS degree from McGill University.

Statement of Interest

I am a staunch believer that archivists should spend time giving back to the profession in a volunteer capacity. This important work helps to keep the profession moving forward, allows for ideas to be exchanged across organizations, and affords the volunteer opportunities for professional and personal growth. I have volunteered in many roles since my student days. I was the vice president of the Association of Canadian Archivists’ student chapter at McGill University; outreach committee member at the ACA; and membership development committee member responsible for the mentorship program. I served as director without portfolio for the Archives Association of Ontario (AAO) and was the AAO’s 2018 conference co-chair and program chair. I have volunteered as a mentor within the ACA and am currently a mentor in the Society of American Archivists (SAA) program. I am eager to continue my volunteer work with the SAA within the American context and this vice chair role is a wonderful opportunity to continue the great work that has been, and continues, to be done by past and current members.

Steering Committee (4 candidates)

Alphabetical Order

John Bence

University Archivist, University of Pennsylvania

Bio

John Bence is the University Archivist at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA where he leads the University Archives & Records Center. Prior to beginning his current role in August of 2023, John was the University Archivist at Emory University in Atlanta, GA for over a decade. John has served a number of roles within SAA including: steering committee member on the Web Archiving Section; committee member and later chair of the Standards Committee; member of the Host Committee for the 2017 annual meeting in Atlanta; current member of the Program Committee for the 2024 annual meeting in Chicago. John holds an MA in Archives & Public History from NYU and a BA from Kenyon College.

Statement of Interest

I am keenly interested in encouraging conversations about the future of college and university archives and assisting the section in continuing to provide meaningful resources for members. I hope to help drive dialogue and collaborations that advance the ability of institutional archival repositories to respond to changing information landscapes at our schools.

Ruth Cody

University Archivist, Virginia Commonwealth University

Bio

Hi, I am Ruth Cody, University Archivist at Virginia Commonwealth University. I have worked in archives for over 15 years. In my current role as University Archivist, I serve on several committees, including the Commemorations and Monuments Committee, where we grapple with the complicated history of the University and Virginia and its representation on campus. I am working on locating and promoting records that speak to the cultural history of VCU, Richmond, Virginia, and higher education, especially in regard to diversity and inclusion. Most recently, I have been addressing issues of collecting in moments of political unrest while balancing collecting versus creating records and being sensitive to both students and the administration. I spent over 10 years at the State Archives of North Carolina in several roles, including Digital Access Branch Head, where I managed our online digital collection; Head of the Community Building Team, where I worked to find ways to reach underserved groups; Head of Imaging Unit where I managed our extensive microfilm program, and Government Records where I handled transfers, donations, processing and reference for our institutional records. Prior to that, I worked at Duke University's Technical Services Department, processing and outreach for its Special Collections. I have an MA of Public History focused on archives and information management and a BA in History from North Carolina State University. I have taken continuing studies in Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and have certifications in Digital Curation from Library Juice Academy and Cultural Competency from the Society of American Archivists.

Statement of Interest

I am interested in serving on the Steering Committee because I have particular interests in University Archives, including transparency and balancing the complications of ethical and legal restrictions with access, addressing the challenges in collecting relevant records of the student experience in efficient, meaningful, and sensitive ways; and developing practices to find and provide access to inclusive records that represent the entire spectrum of the University body. I know many institutions are facing the same issues of backlogs, inefficient or nonexistent records management practices, and managing digital records while trying to provide meaningful access, collect relevant materials, and advocate for their archive. I think my experience and interests would be a beneficial addition to the Steering Committee, and I look forward to contributing to this group.

Jennifer Gathings Eidson

Collection Strategies Archivist, University of Maryland

Bio

Jen Gathings is the Collection Strategies Archivist at University of Maryland in College Park, MD.  She holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from University of Pittsburgh.  At University of Maryland she manages the accessioning program, and also plays a key role in planning relocation or processing for collections that consist of multiple legacy accessions, are large in size, and complex in nature.  Her 13 years in academic archives includes the major relocation of 20,000+ linear feet of the George Meany Memorial Archive to the University of Maryland.  Jen trains, mentors, and supervises student assistants who are mainly graduate students to accession, inventory, process, and create records in ArchivesSpace.   Her work also supports reparative description and DEI initiatives as demonstrated in her lead role in planning and implementing symposiums in 2023 and 2024 for The 1856 Project’s research as part of the Universities Studying Slavery.  For the last three years, she was also heavily involved with a Hidden Collections CLIR grant which partnered with Georgia State University to digitize over 100,000 pages of content from the AFL-CIO Civil Rights Department.  Jen is currently advising on a large processing project of the Lawrence J. Hogan, Sr. papers in support of the “Living Democracy Initiative” Symposium planned for Fall 2024, which will focus in part on the Congressional Watergate Investigation in 1974.  From 2019-2022, Jen stewarded the creation of a new standing committee, the Staff Mentoring Committee, in the Library Assembly of University of Maryland, serving as Chair for two 1-year terms.  Her past involvement with SAA was as a member of the Labor Archives Roundtable, and the Oral History Section (2007-2013), where she served on the Steering Committee, as the Newsletter Editor and Web Liaison, the Vice Chair, and lastly as Chair.  She is a member of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) and was recently elected to serve as the next Maryland Caucus Representative.

Statement of Interest

I would love to be considered for a position in the College & University Archives Section to contribute to and learn from the work of the section.  After several years away from SAA, I look forward to becoming more involved again!   Since returning to in-person work after the pandemic, I’ve noticed that workloads have been increasing.  Perhaps this is because of pending work that could not be completed remotely, and new initiatives hatching along with the usual steady stream of donations.  It would be great to share ideas for managing the pace of work now upon us through our connections in the section, in terms of managing expectations of all stakeholders.  This year my department is initiating a major revision of our processing manual this year and I plan to consult all the available SAA resources available, as well as the knowledge base of the section membership.  If elected, I also see my participation with the section as an opportunity to provide mentorship for new archivists based on my two decades of experience, as well as continue the valuable work of the section.

Mary Katherine Kerns

Assistant Certified Archivist, Nicholls State University Archives and Special Collections

Bio

My name is Mary Katherine Kearns, and I work as an Assistant Certified Archivist at Nicholls State University Archives and Special Collections. I have a Master's in Library and Information Science with a certificate in Archival Studies and a dual emphasis in cultural heritage.

Statement of Interest

Working as an archivist in a university repository, I aim to use my skills and experiences to expand the network of fellow archivists in academic settings. I'm interested in learning from other archivists about how they engage with students and improve outreach with patrons. I'm looking forward to exchanging ideas and collaborating with other archivists to enhance resources for College and University Archives.