Meet iSchool Students

Samantha Ginsburg joined the MA in Library and Information Science program after working as a paralegal and court staff member in Tucson for five years. As a Law Library Fellow, she is gaining hands-on experience in all aspects of academic law librarianship.

Jasmine Adelberg, who is from Higganum, Connecticut, is active in Girls Who Code, enjoys creating ceramics in studio and appreciates that the iSchool provides not only technical expertise but also a deeper understanding of the societal impact of information and technology.

Elijah Parent will graduate from the BS in Game Design and Development with minors in music and computer science in 2025. In this profile, he discusses his passion for sound design in games, the need to find the right community when first joining college, the success of the UArizona Esports program and more.

Vivian Huynh, a first-generation student from Casper, Wyoming, is passionate about data science’s societal impact. As someone who changed her major after coming to UArizona, she believes the iSchool experience holds profound significance because “it represents a journey of discovery, growth and transformation towards a bright future.”

Camila Becerril, an online student from Ogden, Utah who recently graduated from the iSchool’s Master of Arts in Library and Information Science program, shares her perspective on being a first-generation student, the essential nature of library socialism, the collaborative spirit of the UArizona MLIS program and more.

Dylan Maldonado, who is originally from Tucson and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in philosophy from UArizona before pursuing an MA in Philosophy in Boston, is an online MA in Library and Information Science student interested in photography archival studies.

Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Kapua Ioane earned her BS in Information Science (Emphasis in Interactive and Immersive Technologies) and BA in Computer Science in December 2023. A first-generation student whose focus is increasing accessibility in technology, she is the School of Information Fall 2023 Outstanding Senior.

First-generation student Bryan Armstrong moved to Tucson from Cambodia, where he served in the Peace Corps, to earn his MA in Library and Information Science. A recipient of the iSchool Outstanding Graduate award, he is a participant in the Knowledge River Scholars Program.

Emily Rocha, a Master of Arts in Library and Information Science and Archival Studies Graduate Certificate online student, is originally from the Northern Neck, Virginia. She earned her MLIS to switch careers, and recently began work with the National Park Service as an archivist.

The journey from Chicago to Tucson, and ultimately to the UArizona iSchool, is a narrative of transformation, resilience and academic exploration for Bachelor of Science in Information Science graduates Chase and Reid Pomerich.

Jacquie Kuru, who joined the iSchool's MS in Data Science program after graduating from the BS in Information Science in 2023, is originally from Gilbert, Arizona. She came to UArizona to study medicine, but found her passion for information science after taking an iSchool social media course.

Ankit Pal, who graduates this December from the iSchool's MS in Data Studies program, came to Tucson after working for large technology companies in India and Japan. Originally from Karnal, Haryana, India, this semester he is participating in the UArizona Data Science Institute's Roots for Resilience research program.

Salena Torres Ashton joined the iSchool PhD in Information program, where she'll also earn the MS in Data Science, after a diverse career as a historian and math teacher. A first-generation student, her research focuses on causal inference, machine learning and knowledge representation.