Carnegie Mellon University Libraries has strengthened its leadership team supporting CMU teaching, learning, and research efforts with the addition of two new associate deans.
A.M. Salaz, a Senior Librarian at the Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar Library, has been named to the position of associate dean of research and academic services and Brian Mathews, associate dean for learning and outreach at Virginia Tech, has been named to the position of associate dean for innovation, preservation, and access. Salaz and Mathews will assume their new roles on December 1.
“The rapid evolution of the 21st century library demands innovative, creative leaders who bring a user-centric approach to our work. A.M. and Brian will be critical to our efforts to support student success inside and outside the classroom, and to strengthen the work of our academic community to ensure its transformative impact on our campus and beyond,” said Keith Webster, dean of University Libraries and director of emerging and integrative media initiatives.
In her role as associate dean of research and academic services, Salaz will oversee and provide strategic direction for the Libraries’ team of twenty liaison librarians and information specialists, all of whom are members of the Faculty. She will also continue to advance her own scholarship and publishing, which focuses on adult learning, digital reading, transnational higher education, and information literacy.
Salaz founded the Digital Information Behavior Lab at the CMU-Q campus and is a past-chair of the board of directors of the Information Literacy Network of the Gulf Cooperation Council. She serves as a contributing analyst for the Academic Reading Format International Study (ARFIS) based out of UCLA.
“I have watched the Libraries grow, attract new resources and pursue new horizons over recent years with pride and anticipation. I am honored by this appointment and delighted to have the opportunity to work alongside an energetic and diverse team of library faculty members at a time when the future is bright,” Salaz said.
As the associate dean of innovation, preservation, and access, Mathews will supervise and provide strategic direction for the sixteen faculty and staff in the departments of Scholarly Communications and Publishing, Data Management, Digital Scholarship, Digital Humanities, Digitization and Archives & Unique Collections. This vital role brings together diverse departments that preserve unique materials, provide access to research, and innovate new methods for scholarship and information discovery.
Mathews comes to CMU from Virginia Tech, where he was associate dean for learning and outreach. In this role, he integrated library resources and services into new general education requirements, guided campus-wide initiatives for digital literacy, and managed over $6 million in library renovations. He participates in the Association for Research Libraries Leadership Fellows Program and is the author of “Encoding Space: Shaping Learning Environments that Unlock Human Potential.” He formerly wrote a blog for the “Chronicle of Higher Education” called “The Ubiquitous Librarian.”
“One of my priorities in this position is to map the diverse range of scholarly, scientific, creative, and entrepreneurial activities across Carnegie Mellon University and explore ways that the Libraries can partner and amplify those endeavors,” said Mathews. “I want to visit every lab and every studio to explore these possibilities and I’m excited to develop unique services that empower CMU students, faculty, and staff around the globe.”
Salaz and Mathews were appointed following national searches. Two search committees, comprising faculty and staff of the University Libraries and chaired by members of the Faculty Senate Library Advisory Committee, Professor David Kaufer and Professor Rebecca Nugent, were supported by Beverly Brady and colleagues at Isaacson Miller.
“I am grateful to the members of the search committees who devoted significant time to this search over the past months and fielded a large number of talented candidates. The many hours of interviews have paid off and I could not be happier to welcome A.M and Brian to the Libraries’ leadership team,” said Webster.