Ken Burhanna, Chair (Kent State)

The Diversity Committee is pleased to award the annual ALAO Diversity Scholarship for 2009-2010 to Joshua Alvarez. Joshua recently graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Religious Studies and will be beginning his MLIS coursework this fall through Kent State University Columbus Program. His scholarship includes $1,500 towards tuition, complimentary registration for the ALAO annual conference in October and a year of mentoring with a selected ALAO member.

The Committee was impressed with the overall quality of this year’s applicant pool, but Joshua’s record of strong academic achievement and his demonstrated commitment to diversity helped his application stand out. His impressive academic record includes numerous appearances on the Dean’s list and several scholarships. He also studied abroad in Greece during spring 2008. While Joshua is only starting his library education, he already has library-related experience. He worked as a library assistant at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and served as an intern for the Ohio Historical Society.

Congratulations to Joshua Alvarez! The Committee is confident he will be a strong leader and advocate for diversity and inclusion in academic libraries.