Teaching + learning : Library Fellows

2024-25 Fellows

Kati Khov (she/they) is a senior studying Urban Studies focusing on affordable housing and community building. With a passion for creative arts, Kati hopes to inspire others and remind them that with the right resources anyone can create anything.

Madison Lee (she/her) is a sophomore studying Cognitive Science and human-centered design. Growing up with a passion for the visual arts, she developed an interest in UI/UX and physical product design. She hopes to create a collaborative community within the Makerspace where innovation and hands-on learning thrive.

Willow Beyer (he/him) is a sophomore studying Environmental Science with a minor in Food Systems. He grew up on the rural northern coast of California and hopes to contribute to the Makerspace as a place where students can learn new skills and share their creative passions with others.  

Ava Gessl (she/her) is a senior studying Chemistry with an interest in organic chemistry. She loves fiber and paper arts, and she has a particular interest in sewing costumes and making cards. Ava is excited to continue at the Makerspace for her third year and is looking forward to continuing to interact with the crafting community at Berkeley. 
 

2023-24 Fellows

Ava Gessl (she/her) is a junior studying chemistry. She is from Pennsylvania, and grew up loving science and art. At the Makerspace, she wants to teach students about sewing and other ways to be creative in the arts, no matter their major or previous experience.

Sofia Hernandez (she/her) is a senior studying Comparative Literature with a minor in Digital Humanities. As a continuing fellow, she hopes to continue connecting other undergraduate students to research-related resources to bridge a sense of belonging and inclusion within an academic community. 

Sydney Hardister (she/her) is a senior studying cognitive science with an emphasis on product design. Growing up surrounded by art, she developed a passion for inclusive and equitable design. She strives to foster a sense of community and belonging among her peers, through the collective magic of creating.

Timothy Kim (he/him) is a senior studying microbiology and public health, entering as a second year library fellow. He is passionate about education and is excited to guide students through the research process and help them learn more about their interests.

Avery Klauke (she/her) is a senior studying statistics and economics. As a continuing fellow, she is hoping to teach undergraduate students about the research process and inspire others to get connected with the libraries on campus.

Adelaide Phillips (she/her) is a senior studying architecture with a minor in sustainable design. She was born and raised in New York, and in the future hopes to work internationally to design sustainable, affordable, and equitable housing. Through the Makerspace Library Fellowship, Adelaide hopes to inspire and communicate with her peers through design.

2022-23 Fellows

Claire Chu
Claire (she/her) is a third-year student studying business administration. As a Makerspace Fellow, Claire’s excited about gaining design skills through technologies that will enrich learning experiences. In her free time, she loves to cook, watch sports, and go outdoors.

Lily Garcia 
Lily (she/her) is a senior studying English. As a Research Fellow, Lily is excited to help her peers navigate the research process and learn more about the field of librarianship. When not on campus, you can find Lily working as a park guide at Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site.

Ava Gessl
Ava (she/her) is a second year studying chemistry. She hopes to encourage her peers’ creativity in the Makerspace to pursue fun and interesting projects both in conjunction and separate from classes. In her free time, Ava enjoys sewing, embroidering, watching horror movies, and spending time outside. 

Sydney Hardister
Sydney (she/her) is a third-year student studying cognitive science with an interest in UX design. As a Makerspace Fellow she’s looking forward to expanding her design knowledge and contributing to more equitable design. Outside of school, Sydney loves to dance, read, and paint. 

Sofia Hernandez
Sofia (she/her) is a junior studying both comparative literature and Spanish. As a continuing Research Fellow, she looks forward to continuing learning about the Library’s resources and sharing her passion for libraries and all they have to offer. Outside the fellowship and the classroom, she enjoys drawing and reading books outdoors. 

Timothy Kim
Timothy (he/him) is a third year studying microbiology and public health. He is interested in education and academic literacy, and as a Research Fellow he hopes to make Library services more accessible to students. In his free time Timothy enjoys outdoor activities and learning new recipes. 

Avery Klauke
Avery (she/her) is a third year studying statistics and economics. She is hoping to teach her peers that the Library is for everyone, regardless of background, major, or interest. As a Research Fellow, Avery is hoping to increase student involvement and help students utilize many of the resources we provide.

Adelaide Phillips
Adelaide (she/her) is a third year studying architecture with a minor in sustainable design. She was born and raised in New York, and in the future hopes to design sustainable, affordable, and equitable housing. Through the Makerspace Library Fellowship, Adelaide hopes to inspire and communicate with her peers through design. 

2021-22 Fellows

Margaret Asperheim
Margaret is a senior studying Linguistics, particularly the fields of pragmatics and cognitive linguistics. She has held a range of library and museum positions at UC Berkeley and other local institutions like the Lawrence Hall of Science and the Lindsay Wildlife Center. As a Library Fellow, Margaret is excited to creatively expand research resources and promote underused library services. 

Katherine Chen
Katherine Y. Chen (she/her) is a third year studying Rhetoric and Public Policy. As a returning library fellow, she is excited to build upon the foundations and knowledge learned and work on projects that will reach undergraduates at Cal. Outside of academia she enjoys reading, listening to groovy music, and just enjoying her time at Cal.

Chloe Chu
Chloe is a fourth-year majoring in Public Health and minoring in Data Science. As a returning Fellow this year, she is looking forward to working on consulting projects with the Making team and expanding her experience with user-centered design. Outside of class, she enjoys exploring good eats (especially Asian food), taking scenic walks, and hanging out with friends in her Christian fellowship. 

Maura Adela Cruz
Maura (she/her) is a second-year English and Conservation Resource Studies double major. She is interested in the intersection between the law, community organizing, and environmental justice. As an Indigenous student, Maura is looking forward to learning more as a Library fellow and contributing to more equitable access to library resources for historically excluded groups at Cal.

Sofia Hernandez
Sofia is a Chicanx sophomore majoring in Comparative Literature with a focus on Spanish lit. and culture! Born and raised in San Diego, she hopes to become involved with her new community here in the Bay Area. As a Library Fellow, she hopes to share her passion for research and libraries with other students!

Alysa Liu
Alysa Liu (she/her) is a second-year majoring in cognitive science and computer science and is interested in user experience design, especially in the context of digital literacy and web development. She is serving as the Chief Communications Officer of Invention Corps of Berkeley, a human-centered design club focused on social impact in the realms of health, poverty, and the environment. Through the library fellowship, she hopes to use design to encourage people from marginalized communities to take advantage of the resources in the Makerspace and empower them to become creators.

Christina Park
Christina Park is a third year studying Chemistry. She is eager to collaborate on enhancing Berkeley library services and their potential for student engagement through the Undergraduate Library Fellowship. She enjoys playing the violin in her free time, and she is a member of the UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra.

Jessica Wang
Jessica Wang (she/her) is a second-year student intending to major in Molecular and Cell Biology and pursue the Berkeley Certificate in Design Innovation. She is interested in learning how inclusive user-centered design can be used to make library resources more accessible and utilized to foster a community space for people of all disciplines and backgrounds to collaborate. At Cal, she is also involved in the Daily Californian, Basic Needs Center, and TASA and she enjoys discovering new music, trying new food, and biking in her free time.

2020-21 Fellows

Keziah Aurin
Keziah (pronounced /KEE-zhuh/) is in her third year studying Social Welfare and Art History. She currently serves as the Outreach Coordinator for Pilipinx Academic Student Services (PASS) and as a Programming Intern for Asian Pacific American Student Development (APASD). Keziah is passionate about making resources and opportunities equitable, especially for minority groups. She hopes to extend this passion with her Library Fellowship by finding ways to support researchers of minority backgrounds!

Katherine Chen
Katherine (she/her) is a second year Rhetoric major intending to double in Linguistics and minor in Public Policy. She previously worked at the Oral History Center of the Bancroft Library. She is looking forward to learning more about all the services the library has to offer, and helping others learn more too!.

Chloe Chu
Chloe is a third-year studying Public Health and Data Science. She is interested in the intersection of public health, technology, and data, and is currently working in collaboration with the School of Public Health and Wallace Center for Maternal and Child Health as an infodemiology researcher. As a Library Fellow, she is excited to learn about library research and implement the principles of design thinking, and contribute to the redesign of Moffitt Library. In her free time, she enjoys jamming on guitar, cooking, chill-playing sports, watching documentaries, and relaxing near the ocean.

Natalie Chu
Natalie is 2nd year Architecture major with an intended minor in Global Poverty and Practice. She is current Chief Health Officer of Invention Corps Berkeley, a human-centered design club that focuses on social impact and pro-bono partnerships. Natalie’s academic interest lie at the intersection of design, policy, community organizing, and human rights. She hopes through the fellowship to continue ensuring an inclusive space within the campus libraries for collaboration and innovation.

Zhané Garlington
Zhané is a fourth-year student in the Film and Media Studies department.

Tara Madhav
Tara is a senior majoring in Political Science and History. She is currently writing a senior thesis on the history of school desegregation in East Palo Alto, California and has a broader interest in 20th century legal history (American and beyond). She also works at the Commonwealth Club of California. In her free time, Tara enjoys reading fiction, watching movies and spending time with friends (when that is possible). Tara looks forward to working on expanding access to library resources, even in these difficult times.

Joseph Rodriguez
Joseph is a fourth-year studying Political Science and Philosophy, specializing in political theory and the history of political thought. He currently serves as Lead Writing Tutor for Residential Life and is a McNair Scholar. As a Library Fellow, he is interested in exploring how libraries are depositors of knowledge, and the implications of that for the university, particularly as it concerns its mission.

2019-20 Fellows

Andy Chen
Andy is a Bioengineering and Mathematics major with an interest in neuroscience and education. He has previously served as an Undergraduate Student Instructor for the math department, and he is excited to continue exploring his passion for teaching and learning. As a Library Fellow, Andy is looking forward to creating Library Guides that focus on data science education; he hopes to promote ethical data use in an increasingly datafied society.

Project: Human Contexts and Ethics of Data Research Guide

Gabby Collins
Gabby (she / her / hers) is a third year student in the Department of Psychology, with particular interest in LGBTQ+ issues and intersectional psychology. She is working as a fellow on creating a series of workshops related to mental health / wellness and bridging the gap between research institutions and community mental health issues. In her free time, she can be found enjoying time with her siblings in Gamma Rho Lambda, weightlifting, watching YouTube, or petting any cat or dog who lets her get too close.

Project: Mental Health Accessibility and Psychology in Practice

Yassin Nacer
Yassin is in my last year at UC Berkeley studying History with a focus on Modern European Intellectual history. Yassin transferred from San Diego Miramar College in 2018. After graduating he hopes to use the experiences he has had from his time as a Library Fellow to pursue a graduate degree in Library and Information Science.

Project: Philosophy Research and Writing

Stephanie Reyna
Stephanie is a fourth year double majoring in Anthropology and English. She currently works at the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology and serves as the Vice President for the English Undergraduate Association where she previously served as part of the Academic Outreach branch. Through the library fellowship, Stephanie is working on creating an academic writing guide for the English undergraduate community that will be accessible to all.

Project: English Undergraduate Association’s Style Guides: MLA, Chicago, APA

Violet Sinnarkar 
Violet is a fourth-year Data Science major with a concentration in City & Regional Planning. She previously worked for the UC Berkeley Center for Community Innovation and the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Commission analyzing information on public transit services and parking. Currently, she works for the Division of Data Sciences overseeing student organizations. Through the library fellowship program, she hopes to make cloud computing services more accessible to undergraduates.

Austin Wangyu
Austin is a third-year intended Computer Science student. He currently leads the VR division of the B.Makerspace and is happy to make virtual reality as accessible as possible to anyone interested. As a budding game developer and ever-growing musician, he has found support and community at Berkeley and looks forward to helping others in his areas of experience.

2018-19 Fellows

Alicia Auduong (Makerspace Fellow)
Alicia is a 4th year bioengineer with a focus in medical devices. When she’s not engineering her way to better health, she’s in the makerspace tinkering, or at work at the Fung Institute.

Melissa Foote (Library Research Fellow)
Melissa is a senior in the History of Art department. As the Library Research Fellow she will focus on creating research workshops which will introduce undergraduates to and teach them how to use research related resources on campus such as archives and special collections.

Carlos Ortega (Data Peer Advising Fellow)
Carlos is a third-year Cognitive Science major with an interest in Data Science. During his free time, he can be found working on CalTV or searching endlessly for the perfect dataset. He enjoys working with other students as a Tutor for Data 8 and looks forward to working with other students in applying data science methods to their research.

Gaby Ostrove (Media Fellow)
Gaby is a junior pursuing a major in Theater and Performance Studies and a minor in Jewish Studies. When she isn’t working in the Media Resources Center or laughing in public at podcasts, she can probably be found eating a bagel at Berkeley Hillel, where she’s the Jewish Education Chair of the Berkeley Hillel Student Board. As a library fellow, Gaby plans to create an academic guide for instructors to teach Tony Kushner’s Angels in America and to help Bay Area theaters expand their audience outreach initiatives.

Sannidhi Shukla (Digital Humanities Fellow)
Sanni is a fourth year studying Environmental Economics and Policy and Comparative Literature. She is very interested in the intersection of arts/culture and urbanism, specifically sustainable urban development, and explores it as an arts writer at the East Bay Express and in her work as a digital humanities fellow. She enjoys working with UC Berkeley students as a writing tutor at the Student Learning Center and is excited to continue to do so in the libraries.

Violet Sinnarkar (Data Peer Advising Fellow)
Violet is a third-year Data Science major with a concentration in City & Regional Planning. She previously worked for the UC Berkeley Center for Community Innovation and the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Commission analyzing information on public transit services and parking. Currently, she works for the Division of Data Sciences overseeing student organizations. Through the library fellowship program, she hopes to make cloud computing services more accessible to undergraduates.

Austin Wangyu (Makerspace Fellow)
Austin is a second-year intended Computer Science student. He currently leads the VR division of the B.Makerspace and is happy to make virtual reality as accessible as possible to anyone interested. As a budding game developer and ever-growing musician, he has found support and community at Berkeley and looks forward to helping others in his areas of experience.

Yujing Wu (GIS Fellow)
Yujing is a GIS enthusiast majoring in Environmental Sciences and minoring in Geospatial Information Science & Technology. She enjoys making fun maps and has interests in cartography, historical maps, and web mapping. She is currently working on ecological niche modeling in Essig Museum using tools including ArcGIS, python, and MaxEnt.

Spring 2018 Fellows

Alicia Auduong (Makerspace Fellow)
Alicia is a 3rd year bioengineer with a focus in medical devices. When she’s not engineering her way to better health, she’s in the makerspace tinkering, or at work at the Fung Institute.

Areas of support: Maps & GIS, Web design, Multimedia, Library research, Data visualization, Python/R

Caitlin Cozine (Library Research Fellow)
Caitlin is a second-year history major. She volunteered in her local library during high school and has relied on UC Berkeley’s wealth of library resources for her classes in the past two years. Additionally, she is a researcher for the Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program and an associate editor for Troika, UC Berkeley’s Undergraduate Journal in Slavic, Eastern European and Eurasian Studies. Caitlin looks forward to providing research support to fellow library users and can be contacted at caitlincozine@berkeley.edu.

Areas of support: Library Research, Asking a Research Question, Finding Sources, Using Sources

Davienne Gabriel (Digital Humanities Fellow)
Davienne Gabriel is a second-year transfer student and a senior in the History of Art Department. With an interdisciplinary background in programming and art practice, her area of focus is Digital Art History with an emphasis on conservation and research. Her Digital Humanities fellowship research endeavors to create data visualizations of the metadata on stolen artwork recorded in the FBI’s National Stolen Art File.

Areas of support: Maps & GIS, Text mining (computational text analysis), Web design, Multimedia, Library research, Data visualization, AR/VR, Unity.

Ariel Langer (Data Science Fellow)
Ariel Langer is a first year hoping to study Computer Science or Physics. During high school she was an intern at Caltech, where she assisted a researcher by writing computer programs to analyze astronomy data. Currently, she works as a distribution analyst for the Daily Californian, where she analyzes data related to the distribution of the newspaper. In the Library Fellows program she is using Uber ride data to create an educational guide for students looking to analyze data themselves. Ariel looks forward to helping other students apply concepts in data science to their field of research.

Areas of support: Python, Data Visualization, Statistical Analysis, Library Research

Ross Mattheis (Data Science Fellow)
Ross studies Applied Math at Berkeley and will enroll in an Economics PhD program in the Fall. He is broadly interested in the causes of economic inequality and social mobility. This interest has led him to study contexts from the nineteenth century America West to the cotton spinning regions of England during the Industrial Revolution. Outside of research, he enjoys working with other students through the Student Learning Center, Data Peer Consulting, and peer advising with the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarships. Through the Library Fellows program, he is using formatted Optical Character Recognition (fOCR) to digitize historical data on parliamentary election results, social welfare spending, and crime statistics in the mid-nineteenth century England.   

Areas of support: Maps & GIS, Statistical Analysis, Machine Learning

Niki Panditi (Makerspace Fellow)
Areas of support: Data visualization, Makerspace optimization

Kristina Smelser (Library Research Fellow)
Kristina Smelser is an undeclared first year hoping to study Public Health and Environmental Economics and Policy. She’s also a health educator for Peer Health Exchange and is especially interested in movements against human trafficking. She’s excited to help students navigate the library research system and its many great resources.

Areas of support: Library Research, Asking a Research Question, Finding Sources, Using Sources

Gabriella Wellons (Digital Humanities Fellow)
Gabriella Wellons is a senior in the History of Art Department. As a recipient of the Haas Scholars Program, her research involved the close examination of mural wall paintings and incised “graffiti” from the Moche culture of ancient Peru (ca. 250-850 CE). During her summer travel to north coastal Peru, she created a graphic record of graffiti at the Huacas de Moche complex located within the Moche Valley. For her Digital Humanities Fellowship project, she is using her corpus of data to visualize graffiti proportions and pictographic themes and motifs.

Areas of support: Maps & GIS, Text mining (computational text analysis), Web design, Multimedia, Library research, Data visualization, Python/R, Architectural Rendering and Modeling, Photogrammetry.

Blog

Read blog entries about the fellowship program.