Sept. 19, 2011
Catholic University's School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) has named Rose Asuquo and Trevor Riley recipients of the 2011-2012 Howard and Mathilde Rovelstad Scholarship.
The late Mathilde Rovelstad and her husband Howard endowed the scholarship. Mathilde was a professor of library and information science at Catholic University for 30 years. The scholarships are awarded to students with financial need, a high grade point average, a demonstrated commitment to library and information science, and demonstrated potential to contribute successfully after graduation.
"Dr. Rovelstad combined intellect and virtue in her endeavor as a Catholic intellectual," says Ingrid Hsieh-Yee, acting dean of SLIS. "She not only imparted knowledge to her students but also guided them to develop into better people. The Rovelstad Scholarship reflects her love for the Church, the University, and the students. This year's Rovelstad Scholars, Rose Asuquo and Trevor Riley, have the intellectual abilities and service commitment cherished by Dr. Rovelstad. The gift of Dr. Rovelstad and her husband enables SLIS to prepare leaders who will contribute to a more just and humane society."
Riley is interested in the potential application of embedded librarianship - librarians integrating themselves into the user community to understand user needs and provide the best information service possible - as well as in developing programs that "integrate coursework and learning" into libraries. He works as an embedded librarian with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He received a bachelor's degree in history and Russian from the University of Arizona.
Asuquo has worked at the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, a service of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., for the last two years. She received a bachelor's degree in computer science from Cross River State University of Technology in Nigeria, her native country. Her long-term goal is to open a library for people who are blind or have other disabilities in southern Nigeria.
The Rovelstads established the scholarship with the largest gift ever given to SLIS. Each scholarship provides tuition support for up to six graduate courses.