Current Committees & Task Forces
-
DEI Committee Members
Adi Flory, Chair
Catherine Davenport, Vice Chair
Kay Ming Cadena
Christine Park
Kerstin Leistner
Julia Mizutani
Sylvia Yanes
Travis Eastham
Nicole Belbin
Rebecca Dent
Ashley Matthews
Olivia Schlinck Smith, Board LiaisonCharge
Train, educate, and provide resources to enhance RIPS’ committees’ awareness and incorporation of DEI principles into the committees’ regular work.
-
GRANTS COMMITTEE Committee Members
Margaret (Meg) Butler, Chair
Kathleen Darvil, Vice-Chair
Josh Freeman
Stefanie Skogen
Dan Brackmann
Tamara Rogers
Kathleen Darvil
Rebecca Chapman
Rebecca Valentine
Shannon Kemen
Matt Cooper
Jenny Ham
Theresa Tarves, Board LiaisonCHARGE
Solicit grant applications and award nominations, evaluate submissions, and recommend selected recipients to the Board.
-
LEGAL RESEARCH TEACH-IN Committee Members
Jessa Feiler, Chair
B. Austin Waters, Vice-Chair
Mariangeli Lugo-Zayas
Loreen Ann Peritz
Shannon Kemen
Kerstin Leistner
Chris Galanos
Melissa Strickland
Michael Whitlow
Ashley Matthews
Alisha Hennen
Emily Donnellan, Board LiaisonCHARGE
Solicit content and administer the creation, marketing, and distribution of Legal Research Teach-In Kits (compiled legal research instructional materials) annually.
-
MENTORSHIP AND OUTREACH COMMITTEE Committee Members
Alyson Drake, Chair
Emma MacGuidwin, Vice-Chair
Nicole Belbin
Stephanie Farne
Shawn Friend
Aimee Self Pittman
Katie Hanschke
Kristina Martinez
Brittany Strojny
Rebecca Dent
Rebecca Plevel
Julia Mizutani, Board LiaisonCharge
Develop and support the professional growth of RIPS members. Work to recruit RIPS members, facilitate mentoring relationships, connect members with RIPS resources, and support members from all types of law libraries.
-
NOMINATIONS Committee Members
Amy Taylor, Chair
Kristin Brandt, Vice-Chair
Kathleen Darvil
Genesis M. Agosto
Taryn Marks
Jessica Almeida
Kristen Moore
Kerri-Ann Rowe
Sandy Li
Sara Gras, Board LiaisonCharge
Duties are outlined by the RIPS-SIS Bylaws.
-
PATRON SERVICES Committee Members
AnnaKatherine Wherren, Chair
Emma Kearney, Vice-Chair
Dajiang Nie
Katharine Haldeman
Kathleen Agno
Melissa Kalinen
Christina Jurusik
Joy Hovestadt
Jessica Panella
Jenny Ham
Kimberly Bernard
Kristen Moore
Theresa Tarves, Board LiaisonCHARGE
Develop tools, publications, webinars and programs that are of use to librarians, library staff, and other information professionals who provide direct services to patrons.
-
PROGRAM Committee Members
Emily Donnellan, Chair
Taryn Marks
Alissa Black-Dorward
Shawn Friend
Christina Jurusik
Jessica Almeida
Kerri-Ann Rowe
Sara Archibald
Julie Tedjeske Crane
Karen Skinner
Susan Azyndar
Emily Donnellan, Board LiaisonCHARGE
Review and recommend programs to the ³ÉÈËÊÓÆµAMPC for RIPS sponsorship. Support members proposing Annual Meeting programs or posters by providing feedback, fostering collaboration, and promoting inclusive participation in the proposal process.
-
PUBLIC RELATIONS Committee Members
Nicole Downing, Chair
Sara Denbo, Vice-Chair
Mariangeli Lugo-Zayas
Margaret (Meg) Butler
Andrew Wisniewsky
Katie Hanschke
Brittany Morris
Jeff B. Woodmansee
Matt Timko
Olivia Schlinck Smith, Board LiaisonCHARGE
Promote the work and achievements of RIPS-SIS and its members. Coordinate RIPS-SIS visibility at the ³ÉÈËÊÓÆµAnnual Meeting through activities like organizing tabling at CONELL, designing Exhibit Hall displays, and managing promotional giveaways.
-
RESEARCH SKILLS & INSTRUCTION Committee Members
Lori Corso, Chair
Ashley Arrington, Vice-Chair
Emily Lindsay
Jamie Marie Aschenbach
Danielle Dascher
Keith Klein
Miriam Murphy
Jessa Feiler
Jasmine Plott
Kristin Brandt
Bailey Eagin
Leslie Ashbrook
Andrew Martineau
Julia Mizutani, Board LiaisonCHARGE
Develop and share knowledge, tools, and best practices for research skills and instruction by creating resources and organizing roundtables, conference programming, and virtual events.
-
RIPS Blog Committee Members
- Jennifer Chapman, Editor-in-Chief
- Christine Park, Assistant Editor
2025 – 2026 New Contributors
- Brian Cassidy
- Benjamin Fincher
- Stephanie Grace
- Sandy Li
- Jasmine N. Plott
- Tamara L. Rogers
2025 – 2026 Returning Contributors
- Joy Hollerbach
- Joshua Levine
- Nick Norton
- Paul Reirmaier
- Frank Young
-
Scholarship Committee Members
Matthew Neely, Chair
Sam Williams, Vice-Chair
Paul D. Callister
Tarica LaBossiere
Mitch Silverman
John Scherrer
Karen Glover
Josh Freeman
Heather Agnew
Charles Perkins
Joshua Levine
Sam Williams
Laura Dixon-Caldwell
Judy Davis
Heather Joy, Board LiaisonCharge
Encourage and promote the scholarship of RIPS members. Provide resources for publication opportunities, facilitate collaboration on scholarly projects among members from all library types, and assist in publicizing member works.
-
RIPS Teach-in Kit Taskforce Taskforce Members
Ashley Ahlbrand, Chair
Rebecca Fordon
Olivia Smith Schlinck
Chelsey McKimmy
EO: Annalee Hickman Pierson
Jessa Feiler
Julie Tedjeske Crane

