Celebrating the 2025 MLA Grant and Fellowship Recipients
MLA Annual Conference Grants support health sciences librarians in attending MLA’s annual conference, fostering professional development, networking, and knowledge sharing across the field. This year’s recipients represent a diverse group of dedicated professionals committed to advancing medical librarianship through innovation, collaboration, and service.
The Ysabel Bertolucci MLA Annual Conference Grant was awarded to Jordon Ford, whose application demonstrated a strong commitment to professional growth and community engagement. Ford’s participation in MLA ’25 provided valuable opportunities to connect with peers, explore emerging trends in health sciences librarianship, and bring new insights back to her institution. The grant honors the legacy of Ysabel Bertolucci, a long-time leader in MLA known for her mentorship and advocacy for professional development.
The EBSCO/MLA Annual Conference Grant was awarded to four outstanding recipients: Maria Walker, Heather Canfield, Brynne Campbell Rice, and Nicole Shelawala. Each recipient brought a unique perspective and set of experiences to the conference. These librarians are actively engaged in supporting clinical care, research, and education through their work in hospital and academic settings. Their participation in MLA ’25 will help them stay current with best practices, expand their professional networks, and contribute to the advancement of evidence-based health information services.
These grants reflect MLA’s ongoing commitment to support the professional development of its members and ensure that librarians from all backgrounds have access to the resources and opportunities needed to thrive. Congratulations to all five recipients for their achievements and dedication to the field of health sciences librarianship.
MLA ’25 Conference Assistance Grants
To support MLA members through times of transition or difficulty, 13 additional travel grants were awarded to help members attend MLA ’25 in-person, funded by an existing MLA endowment. Additionally, six vConference grants were also awarded. Both grants, over $16,000 of support, are part of an expanded initiative that increased the number of conference support grants. In recognition of the sensitive nature of financial hardship, recipient names will not be publicly shared. These grants are a benefit of MLA membership and were intended to ensure that the unexpected financial and institutional barriers of 2025 did not prevent members from participating in the annual conference and engaging with the broader health sciences library community.
Naomi C. Broering Latinx Heritage Grant
Ruby Nugent, Biomedical Research Librarian at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Naomi C. Broering Latinx Heritage Grant. Nugent will use the grant to support her in-person attendance at the REFORMA VIII National Conference in Long Beach, California. Her participation in this premier event for library services to Latinos and Spanish-speaking communities reflects her ongoing commitment to advancing Latinx representation in medical librarianship.
Nugent’s scholarship and service have consistently focused on equity, inclusive language, and the visibility of Latinx professionals in the field. At the upcoming REFORMA conference, she will co-present a session encouraging attendees to publish scholarship based on their work with Spanish-speaking communities, with the goal of expanding the presence of Latinx librarians in medical and health sciences libraries.
Nugent’s current role and active involvement in REFORMA’s National Research Committee position her to bring valuable insights back to her institution and the broader MLA community. Her attendance at the conference will not only support her professional development but also contribute to the advancement of culturally responsive medical information services. Her work exemplifies the mission of the Broering Grant to support health information professionals who are making meaningful contributions to Latinx communities through innovation, scholarship, and leadership.
Collection Development Professional Development Grant
Catisha Benjamin, AHIP, and Zemirah Ngow, AHIP, are the 2025 recipients of the Collection Development Professional Development Grant. These grants support health sciences librarians in advancing their expertise in collection development, a critical area of library practice that ensures access to high-quality, relevant resources for diverse user communities. Both recipients bring a wealth of experience and a clear vision for how their professional development will enhance their institutions and the broader field of medical librarianship.
Catisha Benjamin, AHIP, Manager of Library Services at Children’s Hospital Colorado, will use her grant to attend the “Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management” course offered by ALA Core. With over a decade of experience in medical and academic libraries, Benjamin is leading the development of a formal collection development policy for her institution’s Clinical and Research Library. Her participation in this course will provide foundational strategies and tools to support this initiative, helping to formalize and strengthen the library’s resource planning, evaluation, and outreach efforts.
Zemirah Ngow, AHIP, Life & Health Sciences Collection Strategist at UC San Diego, applied her grant toward attending the MLA 2025 Annual Conference in Pittsburgh. With a strong background in strategic collection planning, open access, and scholarly communication, Ngow is focused on enhancing her ability to support interdisciplinary health sciences programs. Her attendance at the conference allowed her to engage with peers, explore innovative practices, and bring back actionable insights to support her institution’s evolving collection needs. Her leadership in DEI initiatives and statewide library collaborations further underscores her commitment to inclusive and forward-thinking collection development.
Continuing Education Grant
Jenn Monnin, Research Support and Engagement Librarian at West Virginia University’s Health Sciences Library, used the grant to support her attendance at MLA ’25 in Pittsburgh, where she contributed to the conference through multiple presentations and leadership roles. Her participation included delivering a paper presentation and co-authoring two immersion sessions.
Monnin’s professional contributions reflect her deep engagement with evidence synthesis services, scholarly communication, and health sciences instruction. At WVU, she leads the Research Support & Engagement Unit’s evidence synthesis services, teaches information literacy courses, and provides research support to faculty, students, and clinicians across the university’s health sciences schools. Her work also includes service on the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, where she supports compliance and research ethics initiatives.
By attending MLA ’25, Monnin shared her expertise but also gain valuable insights into emerging trends in clinical support, data services, DEIA, and systematic reviews. The Continuing Education Grant helped to offset the cost of her travel and accommodations, allowing her to represent her institution and contribute meaningfully to the professional development of the broader MLA community. Her active involvement exemplifies the spirit of the grant—supporting librarians who are advancing the field through scholarship, service, and leadership.
Hospital Libraries Professional Development Grant
Judy Lee and Daniel Scopelliti, AHIP, are the 2025 recipients of the Hospital Libraries Professional Development Grant. This grant supports librarians working in hospital and clinical settings by funding educational and research activities that enhance their professional practice. Both recipients demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing evidence-based medical librarianship and improving services for their institutions.
Judy Lee, Director of the Medical Library at Maimonides Medical Center, applied her grant toward attending the in-person MLA 2025 Annual Conference. With a focus on staying current with emerging trends, technologies, and vendor offerings, Lee’s participation in the conference will support her ongoing efforts to enhance library services in a hospital setting. Lee supplemented the full cost of attendance expenses through additional funding sources and personal contribution. Her dedication to professional growth and community engagement exemplifies the spirit of the Hospital Libraries Professional Development Grant.
Daniel Scopelliti, AHIP, Guthrie Libraries, will use the grant to enroll in the “Evidence-based Practice for the Medical Librarian” course. As a professional transitioning from public to medical librarianship, Scopelliti emphasized the importance of building a solid foundation in evidence-based practices to align with his institution’s priorities. This training would directly support his ability to deliver high-quality, research-informed services to clinicians and staff, making the course a timely and strategic investment in his professional development.
Eugene Garfield Research Fellowship
Jonathan Eldredge, AHIP, FMLA, PhD, Tenured Professor at the Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center, University of New Mexico, has been awarded the 2025 Eugene Garfield Research Fellowship for his project, Research Methods for Health Information Professionals. This initiative aims to develop an open-access, peer-reviewed textbook specifically designed for health sciences librarians. The project addresses a critical gap in the profession’s research training resources and aligns closely with MLA’s Research Imperative and Research Training Institute, both of which emphasize building research capacity across the field.
Eldredge’s proposal stands out for its clarity, feasibility, and potential for long-term impact. Drawing on his experience as editor of the “Research Mentor” column in Hypothesis and author of the 2024 e-book Evidence Based Practice, he brings a proven record of producing accessible, high-quality educational materials. The proposed textbook will support critical appraisal, scholarly communication, and systematic review skills—core competencies for health information professionals. Notably, the open-access format ensures that librarians in under-resourced institutions and developing countries can benefit from this resource without financial barriers.
With a reasonable budget, a well-defined timeline, and a compelling vision, this initiative promises to be a valuable contribution to the profession’s knowledge base and research infrastructure. It is expected to enhance the discoverability and dissemination of information within health sciences librarianship and help professionals build the research skills needed to improve practice and better support users
David A. Kronick and Charles W. Sargent Visiting Fellowship
Gail Kouame, Biomedical Library Director and Collection Development Librarian at the Charles M. Baugh Biomedical Library, University of South Alabama, has been awarded the 2025 David A. Kronick and Charles W. Sargent Visiting Fellowship. Kouame’s project, “Building Capacity for Health Sciences Librarians in Medical Humanities,” aligns with the AAMC’s assertion that arts and humanities are essential to medical education, enhancing observation, empathy, communication, and teamwork. Her work reflects a growing trend among health sciences libraries to support holistic medical education through creative programming and interdisciplinary engagement.
Kouame’s initiative builds on the Baugh Library’s expanding presence on campus through arts and humanities events, and seeks to deepen librarian involvement in medical humanities instruction. By visiting institutions with established programs, she aims to explore best practices for integrating librarians into curriculum design, instruction, and programming. The fellowship will also support the development of a Humanities, Arts, and Wellness Resource Room at her home institution—an innovative space designed to foster reflection, resilience, and community among students and faculty.
This fellowship continues a tradition of supporting projects that enhance health sciences librarianship through experiential learning and knowledge exchange. Kouame’s work promises to inform a local community of practice and contribute meaningfully to the national conversation on the role of librarians in advancing medical humanities.
Donald A. B. Lindberg Research Fellowship
Michelle Demetres is the recipient of the 2025 Donald A. B. Lindberg Research Fellowship. As a health sciences librarian at Weill Cornell Medicine, Demetres brings a deep commitment to advancing evidence-based practice through her research project, which investigates the dynamics of supervision in student-led evidence synthesis (ES) projects. Recognizing that ES projects are often seen as ideal for students—requiring no human subjects and offering publication potential—Demetres aims to explore the challenges that arise when varying levels of expertise and time commitment intersect within ES teams.
Her mixed-methods study will gather insights from librarians, faculty, and students through surveys and semi-structured interviews. By capturing the lived experiences of these stakeholders, Demetres seeks to identify common pain points and successful strategies for mentoring ES projects in medical and health sciences education. The project will use framework analysis to interpret qualitative data and descriptive statistics to summarize survey responses, ultimately offering practical recommendations to improve collaboration and outcomes in ES mentorship.
This research aligns with the mission of the Lindberg Fellowship to support projects that enhance the practice of health sciences librarianship. With full institutional support from Weill Cornell Medicine and a robust infrastructure that includes the Samuel J. Wood Library and C.V. Starr Biomedical Information Center, Demetres is well-positioned to deliver findings that will benefit librarians, educators, and students alike. Her work promises to inform best practices in evidence synthesis mentorship and strengthen the role of librarians as essential partners in academic research and instruction.
Research, Development, and Demonstration Project Grant
The Medical Library Association has awarded the 2025 Research, Development, and Demonstration Project Grant to a dynamic team including: Sally Smith, AHIP, Clemson University; Rachel Whitney, AHIP, Medical University of South Carolina; Emily Brennan, Medical University of South Carolina; Maggie Albro, University of Tennessee; and Cozette Comer, Virginia Tech. This accomplished group of information professionals brings experience in evidence synthesis (ES) services, instruction, and research across academic and clinical settings. Their collaborative project seeks to explore how librarians and other information professionals acquire ES knowledge and skills, particularly as demand for systematic review support expands beyond the health sciences.
The team will develop and distribute a national survey in 2025 to assess how graduate programs and professional development opportunities prepare librarians for ES work. The study will also examine whether existing training frameworks, such as MLA’s Systematic Review Services Specialization, are meeting the needs of professionals across disciplines. By identifying educational gaps and curating a list of effective training resources, the team aims to inform future investments in ES education and support the development of standardized competencies in MLIS curricula.
Survey results will be analyzed, with findings expected to be shared through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and outreach to professional groups such as MLA’s Systematic Review Caucus. The team also plans to engage directly with MLIS programs to share insights and advocate for enhanced ES training. This project not only supports MLA’s educational mission but also reinforces the critical role of health sciences librarians in advancing evidence-based research across.
MLA extends our heartfelt congratulations to all 2025 grant and fellowship recipients. Their work exemplifies the innovation, leadership, and scholarly excellence that continues to shape the future of health sciences librarianship and the association.