September 2018 465 C&RL News

Ed. note: To ensure that your personnel news is 
considered for publication, write to Ann-Christe Galloway, 
production editor, C&RL News, at email: agalloway@ 
ala.org.

P e o p l e  i n  t h e  N e w sAnn-Christe Galloway

A p p o i n t m e n t s

Cinthya Ippoliti has been named university 
librarian/library director at the University 
of Colorado-Denver’s Auraria Library. Be-
fore joining Auraria Library, Ippoliti served 
as associate dean for research and learning 
services at Oklahoma State’s Edmon Low Li-
brary, where she was also a professor and 
held the Claud D. Kniffin endowed chair. 
She previously served in a number of posi-
tions at the University of Maryland, includ-
ing head of teaching and learning services 
at the McKeldin Library, where she was in 
charge of the spaces, services, and program-
ming of the Terrapin Learning Commons. 
Earlier in her career, she held various librar-
ian roles in two Arizona community col-
leges: Paradise Valley Community College 
in Phoenix and Mesa Community College. 
She has also worked in libraries at Univer-
sity of California-Los Angeles and California 
Lutheran University.

Elizabeth Ott has been appointed Frank 
Borden Hanes curator of rare books at the 
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill’s 
Wilson Special Collections Library. She has 
served as interim curator of rare books since 
2016. In her new role, Ott will identify and 
pursue collection development opportuni-
ties that will continue to grow the Rare Book 
Collection (RBC), with an emphasis on ex-
panding the global scope of its content.
She will also work collaboratively to build 
bridges between the libraries’ general and 
rare book collections, expand outreach to 
faculty and students, engage with new RBC 
uses and users, and enhance access to the 
collection. Ott joined the University Libraries 

in 2015 as assistant curator of rare books. 
Prior to that appointment, she worked as 
curatorial assistant at the Albert and Shirley 
Small Special Collections Library, and pre-
viously as program assistant at Rare Book 
School, both at the University of Virginia in 
Charlottesville.

Lisa Ruth is now director of library human 
resources at the University of North Carolina-
Chapel Hill. Ruth will direct a comprehensive 
human resources program for the university 
library’s more than 300 employees and 350 
student employees. Since 2008, Ruth has 
held the position of associate head for re-
cruiting in the human resources department 
at the North Carolina State University (NCSU) 
Libraries in Raleigh. In 2012, her responsibili-
ties increased to encompass visitor relations 
in preparation for the opening of the James 
B. Hunt Jr. Library. Ruth was a library fellow 
at NCSU (2006–08), and subsequently coor-
dinated the program. 

Elizabeth Cerejido is now the Esper-
anza Bravo de Varona chair of the Cuban 
Heritage Collection at the University of Miami 
Libraries.  

Jessica Critten has been named peda-
gogy and assessment program lead librar-
ian at the University of Colorado-Denver’s 
Auraria Library. 

Joe Fox is now head of reference and 
instruction/digital learning and web services 
librarian at Charleston Southern University.

Elizabeth “Liz” Gushee is now associate 
dean for digital strategies at the University of 
Miami Libraries. 

R e t i r e m e n t s

Rita H. Smith has retired after 42 years 
with the University of Tennessee (UT) Li-
braries. She joined UT in 1976 as a refer-

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C&RL News September 2018 466

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ence librarian, was appointed interim head 
of reference and information services in 
1990, and served as head of reference and 
instructional services (1997–2007). During 
this time, Smith helped to embed informa-
tion literacy objectives into the university’s 
revamped general education curriculum 
and, with the dawn of digital technologies, 
led her team in the development of the li-
braries’ online research services. Smith was 
named associate dean of libraries in 2007 
and became executive associate dean in 
2011. She teamed with campus and library 
colleagues to promote the university librar-
ies’ diversity programs, as well as serving 
on university commissions that advanced 
diversity and the role of women on cam-
pus. In 2014, she received the UT Chan-
cellor’s Citation for Extraordinary Service 
to the University. As associate dean, Smith 
had primary responsibility for the library as 
space and oversaw several major renova-
tions to the John C. Hodges Library. The 
Learning Commons, the recently renovated 

Miles Reading Room, and the newly con-
structed graduate student commons are 
largely a result of her foresight and efforts 
to make the library a welcoming, innova-
tive community space that meets demand 
for quiet study, collaborative work, and the 
use of technologies for knowledge creation 
and online learning. The configuration of 
library spaces and services will reflect her 
influence for years to come.