People News

Shannon Smith joined UW Libraries as Student Success Librarian in March. She was a SPARC Open Education Leadership Fellow from 2020-2021 and previously served as Open Educational Resources Librarian at Boise State University Albertsons Library and Scholarly Communication Librarian at Utah State University Libraries. Shannon’s work empowers students and instructors to engage in learning experiences beyond the classroom. She believes building communities is integral to student success and lifelong learning. Originally from Wyoming, Shannon is excited to give back to the community that fostered her own educational journey. Outside of work, she finds joy in the Rocky Mountain landscapes she calls home and can often be found sharing sunset pictures or creating humorous embroidery for her friends.

Sierra Pandy has joined the University of Wyoming Libraries. Changing tracks from a public librarian in Indiana to the Scholarship and Open Publishing Librarian, Sierra got their Masters of Library and Information Science from snowy St. Catherine University in Minnesota. Their position is dedicated to improving and furthering the University’s repository, open access resources, and facilitating copyright and digital scholarship knowledge among students and staff alike. When not spending time outside of work taking long walks with their dog, Sierra creates illustration and reads far too many children’s books for their age.

Jennifer Kirk, University of Wyoming Libraries marketing and communications specialist, is the recipient of the UW Libraries Outstanding Staff Award for her contributions in 2022. Jennifer has worked for UW Libraries since December 2018, and she has been at UW since June 2013. She oversees all of UW Libraries’ marketing and communications efforts, including promoting programs, writing news releases and managing the libraries’ social media accounts and websites. She contributed to the success of last year’s “Conversations on Collecting Yellowstone” conference by providing marketing and communications support for the four-day event. UW Libraries and the Montana State University (MSU) Library co-hosted the conference at MSU in Bozeman, Montana. Kirk’s clear communication and willingness to assist anyone with anything have made her an asset to UW Libraries and all of its partners. Colleagues say Kirk is a skilled collaborator and respectful to everyone. She is passionate about equity and inclusion, and she has supported many events and committees, including the UW Libraries Diversity Council.