Biography

Sarah is the Head of Student Success and Engagement at the University Libraries, University of Massachusetts Amherst. She received her Masters of Library and Information Science from the University of Rhode Island in 2007, and is a current Ph.D. candidate in the Educational Policy and Leadership program with a concentration in higher education, at the College of Education, UMass Amherst. She has been a leader in the development of assessment and implementation plans for the Learning Commons and Digital Media Lab spaces at UMass Amherst.

Sarah has presented at numerous conferences regionally, nationally and internationally on the topics of student learning spaces, shared technology support models, creative digital pedagogy, and open education resources. Her publications have a strong focus on the relevance and necessity of collaborative relationships for learner support in higher education. Her research interests include the intersection of student engagement and success with open education, experiential and problem-based learning, organizational change models and the innovation cycle in higher education policy development. In all avenues of applied research, she is deeply committed to ensuring accessibility and inclusiveness for all resources, services and collections offered by libraries. Personally identifying as a kinesthetic/tactile learner, she has a particular passion for active and playfully creative pedagogies.