Rebecca Graves and Kimberly Moeller served on the MU Task Force on Artificial Intelligence in the Learning Environment. MU Faculty Council on University Policy awarded this task force the group category of its Shared Governance Award.

Comments from the nomination include: The Task Force’s efforts to make sure faculty and staff have a seat at the table (and a head seat at that) in the development of AI-related policies and training modules exemplify this award’s dedication to inclusive and participatory governance. I am inclined to nominate this group for the Shared Governance Group Award not just because they formed in the spirit of shared governance, met, did careful research, and wrote a detailed report, but because their work was received by administration and has resulted in actual policy implementation.

In the spirit of shared governance, this award will be presented at the Spring 2025 General Faculty Meeting, Wednesday, April 2nd, at 3:30 pm at the Missouri State Historical Society.

Rebecca Graves will receive an honorary alumni award at the School of Nursing’s award ceremony on April 25, 2025.

Since 1966 the Sinclair School of Nursing has recognized outstanding alumni for their achievements in nursing. On Friday,
Rebecca S. Graves serves as the educational services librarian at the J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library at MU, where she has profoundly impacted the Sinclair School of Nursing through her dedication to research, education and student success. A leader in library instruction, evidence-based medicine and systematic reviews, she empowers nursing and other health care students through expert research support and innovative teaching.

Congratulations, Rebecca!

“Paula Roper named MLA Outstanding Professional Librarian”
Show Me Mizzou, November 6, 2024

Dr. Paula Roper was named Outstanding Professional Librarian at the 2024 Missouri Library Association Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. First awarded in 2017, the Outstanding Professional Librarian Award recognizes a librarian with an MLS or MLIS degree who has made a significant contribution to the improvement and advancement of library and information services. Nominees must have at least five years post- MLS/MLIS work in the library profession.

Dr. Paula Roper has worked for University of Missouri Libraries for nearly 40 years, beginning her career at Ellis Library as part of the inaugural MU postgraduate “Intern-Scholar Program” in 1986. During her time at Ellis, Dr. Roper has worked closely with the MU School of Education and the Black Studies Department to aid both students and faculty, from the early days of online catalogs to the current challenges of navigating AI software. She has also advocated for the Library’s involvement across campus, including large, public events like Black History Month programming and National History Day. Her experience, knowledge, and drive is valued by both her library colleagues and the faculty at her liaison departments. As one of her colleagues puts it, Dr. Roper “encourag[es] and valu[es] her less experienced colleagues, spurring us to get out of our academic comfort zone, and embrace the power we have, as architects of ‘extracurricular curriculum’.”

Amanda Sprochi received a CORE Presidential Citation for her work as chair of the the Committee on Cataloging: Description and Access. The Cataloging Description and Access Committee is critical to the library profession, but over these last years has suffered from a vacuum in leadership. This year Amanda jumped in to serve as chair without much notice and was able to lead this committee back to strength. The Core Board is grateful for her leadership.