Fellows Profiles
The NC State University Libraries Fellows Program develops academic library leaders of the future, giving new librarians the opportunity to build their knowledge and expertise in a home department and to play a leadership role in an initiative of strategic importance for the Libraries. Fellows are appointed for a three-year term as members of the Libraries faculty. Since its inception in 1999, the program has attracted many highly talented graduates from universities throughout North America.
2025-2028 Libraries Fellows
Shira Greer joined the Special Collections Research Center, with her initiative, “Constructing a First Year Experience in Information Literacy” in Learning Spaces & Services. Greer is the Cyma Rubin Fellow for 2025-26. Cyma Rubin, past president of the Friends of the Libraries and holder of an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from NC State, is an award-winning producer of musicals, documentaries and exhibitions, whose endowment helps support recruitment and professional development for the named Fellow. Greer was previously an Archival Intern for the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Research in Black Culture and History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), where she sorted, arranged and described materials related to the history of the Center; collaborated with the Director and University Archives & Records Management staff on collections strategy and developed archival workflows and documentation. She also served as a Graduate Research Assistant for the Southern Historical Collection at UNC-CH, engaging in reparative archival description practices, community engagement, and user testing for the library’s On These Grounds database; processing the Community-Driven Archives collection for the library’s institutional repository and providing reference services. Her previous experience includes working with the Network of the National Library of Medicine as part of her participation in the National Center for Data Services Internship Program; as a History Site Assistant at the Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House and as a Archival Intern, Teaching Assistant, a Summer Fellow for the Race and Racism Project, all at the University of Richmond. Greer was selected as a 2023 Carolina Academic Library Associate at UNC-CH and a 2023 American Library Association Spectrum Scholar. Greer received the Master of Science in Library Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from the University of Richmond.
Laquanda M. Fields joined Learning Spaces & Services, and her initiative, “Critical Understanding and use of Artificial Intelligence” in Collections & Research Engagement. Fields is the Henry McDonald Tate Fellow for 2025-26. Established by Hope Tate, former President of the Friends of the Libraries, this memorial endowment serves as a tribute to her late husband, who was a graduate of NC State in Computer Science, and helps support the Libraries Fellows Program. Fields served as a Library Media Specialist at the Rochester (NY) City School District’s Loretta Johnson Middle School, where she collaborated with teachers to integrate information literacy, VR and other technologies into curricula; launched an extracurricular esports club and participated in the school district’s first AI Teacher Innovators cohort. Fields has served as Vice President of Governance and Nominating Chair of the Junior League of Rochester, a Director of Community Engagement for the Rochester Imagination Library and as a Council Member of the Play Makers Leadership Council. Her previous experience includes working as a Library Media Specialist for the Dr. Charles T. Lunsford School #19, during which her library was awarded the School Library of the Year by the Rochester Regional Library Council. She has also served as an Administrative Assistant to the Vice Provost and Dean and as a Student Projects and Employment Manager, both at the University of Rochester River Campus Libraries, and as a Community Leader for Home Leasing, LLC. Fields was selected as a 2021 American Library Association Spectrum Scholar and a 2020 Association of Research Libraries Kaleidoscope Scholar. Fields received the Master of Science in Library Science from the University at Buffalo, and the Bachelor of Science in Journalism & Broadcasting from the State University of New York Brockport, along with an Associate of Science in Liberal Arts from Monroe Community College.
2024-2027 Libraries Fellow
Katya Mueller joined the Open Knowledge Center, with her initiative, “Maturing the Libraries' Data Management Planning Service” in the Research Facilitation Service. Mueller is the Henry McDonald Tate Fellow for 2024-2025. Established by Hope Tate, former president of the Friends of the Libraries Board, this memorial endowment helps support the Libraries Fellows Program and serves as a tribute to her late husband, who was a graduate of NC State in Computer Science. Mueller was previously the Wilhelm Library Leadership Faculty Assistant in the School of Information Studies (iSchool) at Syracuse University. There, she collaborated with an iSchool faculty member on scholarly activities, including conducting research, co-writing a scholarly article, and developing publication proposals for scholarly journals and conferences. Mueller’s previous experience also includes working with the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies as part of her participation in the National Center for Data Services Data Internship Program, and a Collections & Exhibits Curatorial Internship at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. A 2023-2024 American Library Association Spectrum Scholar, Mueller received the Master of Library and Information Science from Syracuse University and the Bachelor of Arts in Classical Civilizations of Greece and Rome from the University of Rochester.
Former Fellows