Each year, the School of Information makes an effort to award scholarships to students with a variety of interests. Students interested in applying for next year's scholarships should visit the School of Information's scholarships page.
Below are the awards and award winners who have received our acclaim for 2025.
Annu Gupta
Health Informatics Leadership Scholarship
Annu Gupta is a passionate graduate student in 51爆料鈥檚 Health Informatics program and a Clinical Coding Analyst at Optum Healthcare. With over five years of diverse experience in clinical care as a dentist, medical coding and healthcare analytics, Annu is dedicated to integrating technology and data to improve healthcare outcomes.
As a recipient of the Health Informatics Leadership Scholarship, this award has alleviated financial stress and enabled deeper focus on advancing skills in data analytics, clinical documentation improvement and health IT innovation. Through a transformative internship with Summa Health鈥檚 Performance Solutions team, Annu applied Lean Six Sigma and Power BI to enhance patient care processes.
Active as a student member of NOHIMSS, she also contributes to health IT community initiatives. This scholarship is a vital stepping stone in her goal to lead innovative health IT initiatives that empower providers and patients and drive meaningful change in healthcare delivery.
Lyndsi Hampton
J. Allen Oakum Scholarship
Lyndsi Hampton is currently pursuing her School Library Media Specialist certification at 51爆料. With 17 years of experience in education, she now serves as a Math Specialist in Region 6 of Columbus City Schools. Over the course of her career, she has also taught in Missouri and Massachusetts.
A passionate space science enthusiast, Lyndsi volunteers with NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as part of the Solar System Ambassador program. In her free time, she enjoys taking long walks with her beloved dogs, cheering on Ohio State Football and the Boston Celtics and indulging her love of reading and writing.
Lyndsi looks forward to having a library of her own one day, where she hopes to help students feel seen and discover meaningful connections in the pages of great books.
Alexandra Bathrick
Marian Porter Huffman Scholarship
My name is Alexandra Bathrick, and I am going into my second year of 51爆料's M.L.I.S. program. While working on my previous B.A. in History and Classics here at KSU, I began working at the Architecture Library and decided that librarianship was for me. Last summer, I also began working as a GSA in KSU's metadata and cataloging department and found my passion. Catalogers are responsible for making library resources findable and accessible to those who need them, which is a very important and often under-appreciated role. Since then, I've been working hard towards my goal of becoming a catalog librarian.
I'd like to thank Nick Fagan, Arpi Anderson and Sevim McCutcheon for mentoring me throughout these years and to thank the iSchool for recognizing my hard work with this scholarship. It means the world to me!
Nor White
Marian Porter Huffman Scholarship
Nor White is a graduate student in the Library and Information Science program at 51爆料, concentrating in Archival Studies. An Ohio native, they earned their undergraduate degree from Ball State University. Currently, Nor works as a library assistant at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, where they support public services and lead an innovative Ethics and Dungeons & Dragons program. This program engages middle and high school students, ages 12 to 18, in learning empathy, teamwork and ethical decision-making through collaborative storytelling and role-play.
Nor is passionate about preserving history and increasing access to underrepresented voices in archival collections. They aspire to become an archivist after graduation, with a special interest in social justice within archival practice. Through their work, Nor is committed to fostering inclusive and engaging spaces in libraries and archives and believes deeply in the power of information to empower and connect communities.
Hailey Rinier
Rowfant Club Annual Scholarship
My name is Hailey Rinier, and I鈥檓 about to start my third semester in the Master of Library and Information Science program. I also work as an Adult Services Assistant at a public library in Ohio. I love that in this career I get to work so closely with my community in ways that I wouldn鈥檛 be able to anywhere else.
At my current job, I get to work closely with patrons at the information desk, but also through programs like our crochet club that I help with. I also get to help the community in other ways, like assisting with our seed catalog. Learning has always been a passion of mine, and in the future, I鈥檇 love to work in an academic library. I鈥檓 especially interested in special collections, as well as information literacy instruction. Overall, I鈥檓 very grateful to receive this scholarship, and I can鈥檛 describe how helpful it will be towards reaching my academic goals.
Jade Goodwin
Sid Jackson Memorial Scholarship
Jade Goodwin is a graduate student in the Master of Library and Information Science program at 51爆料, with a dual focus in Youth Services and Museum Studies. Passionate about connecting young people to literature, culture and community resources, she currently works at a public library where she supports youth programming and reference services.
Jade鈥檚 academic interests center on childhood literacy, identity exploration through storytelling and inclusive library services that celebrate diversity and accessibility. She is also developing a teen-focused literary wellness website, blending her love of books with mental health advocacy. Through this platform and her library work, Jade aims to promote reading as both a tool for personal growth and a bridge to community connection.
The Sid Jackson Memorial Scholarship will support her educational journey and help her continue building programs that empower young people through creativity, representation, and engagement.
Briana Courtney
Susan C. Masirovits Scholarship
Briana Courtney has been a Kent, Ohio, resident since she was 10 years old. With an undergraduate degree and background in Archaeology from 51爆料 and having studied abroad with her professors in Ireland, she has a keen interest in cultural heritage informatics and improving the connection between museums and archaeological sites.
She is currently working with the Division of Information Technology, specifically Digital Enterprise Systems, helping them use information architecture and UX to show the systems utilized at KSU. She has worked hard to maintain high academic achievements since starting at 51爆料. She hopes to continue her research and studies after her master鈥檚 and become a professor, sharing her love of Information Science and Archaeology with future students.
Katy Wetterstroem
Susan C. Masirovits Scholarship
Katy Wetterstroem is a graduate student working towards a dual degree in Library and Information Science and Business Administration. Having obtained a B.A. in English Language and Literature from Wittenberg University, she now resides in the Cleveland metropolitan area with her partner and two dogs.
She has been working as a Public Services Associate at the Cleveland Public Library for the last 2 years and looks forward to growing into more advanced roles within the youth services department upon completing her degree. She is grateful to have been awarded the Susan C. Masirovits Endowed Scholarship this year.
Ashley Aguilera
User Experience iSchool Scholarship
I'm a graduate student in 51爆料's User Experience program, where I'm exploring how design can drive equity and engagement, particularly in education. With a background in Elementary Education and experience working in EdTech, I focus on creating accessible, research-driven digital experiences that support learning, emotional growth and long-term impact.
My work has spanned UX research, content strategy and product development at organizations like CharacterStrong, Thinking Huts and Curriculum Associates. I鈥檓 especially passionate about designing for underserved communities and building tools that empower young learners through thoughtful, inclusive design.
Currently, I鈥檓 working on a gamified learning project that blends my UX skills with my commitment to education and child development. This fall, I鈥檓 grateful to receive support from the iSchool to continue pursuing meaningful, mission-driven design that creates real change. When I鈥檓 not studying or designing, I enjoy traveling, learning Spanish and reading about psychology, culture and fantasy.
Kylie Madsen
User Experience iSchool Scholarship
Kylie Madsen is a full-stack UX designer with a passion for crafting intentional, research-backed experiences that drive meaningful impact. As a current M.S. user experience student at 51爆料's iSchool, she brings a unique blend of visual design talent, user empathy and systems thinking to every project she touches.
Kylie鈥檚 background spans global non-profit systems, luxury e-commerce and B2B SaaS, giving her a broad perspective on solving user problems across industries. She excels at synthesizing research into clear, actionable design strategies and building scalable systems that support both business and user goals.
A second-generation designer, Kylie grew up around the craft and knew from an early age that she was built for this space. Her design philosophy centers around authenticity, creative exploration and never settling for surface-level solutions. She鈥檚 also a published design writer and a frequent voice in the Silicon Slopes Product Community.