2026 Award
Congratulations to Sohair Wastawy, MLIS 1983, who is this year's Raymond Von Dran Memorial Award recipient. This honor is bestowed each year to an alum of Catholic University's School/Department of Library and Information Science who, through their contributions to the library and information science profession, has exhibited the qualities that Dr. Von Dran was noted for throughout his career: innovation, collaboration, and leadership.
Sohair Wastawy is an independent library consultant based in Florida, USA. She served as the founding Executive Director of Qatar National Library and has held leadership roles as Dean of Libraries at Florida Institute of Technology, Illinois State University, and Illinois Institute of Technology. She was also the first Chief Librarian of the Library of Alexandria in Egypt.
She currently serves on the boards and steering committees of several professional organizations, including CLIR and the British Library, and has received numerous awards and honors, including a Fulbright scholarship. She is also an international consultant specializing in library buildings and management.
Dr. Wastawy earned her BA and MA in Linguistics and completed coursework toward her PhD at Cairo University, Egypt. She also holds a master’s degree in library and information science from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and a Doctorate in Library and Information Management from Simmons College in Massachusetts.
Purpose
The Raymond Von Dran Memorial Award is an award open to Catholic University School of Library and Information Science/Department of Library and Information Science alumni, instituted in the memory of Dr. Raymond Von Dran, who served as the second dean of the school (1983-87). Von Dran's final position was Dean of the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University and his obituary can be seen here: http://digital-scholarship.org/digitalkoans/2007/07/23/obituary-raymond-von-dran/.
Selection Criteria
The Library and Information Science Alumni Association will grant this award during its annual Elizabeth W. Stone Lecture.
We are seeking nominations of alumni who, through their contributions to the library and information science profession, have exhibited the qualities Von Dran was noted for throughout his career: innovation, collaboration, and leadership.
Raymond Von Dran Memorial Award Recipients
(Jobs noted were positions held at time of the award)
2025 - Ruben F. Aragón, M.L.S. 1982, retired Director of Thomas C. Donnelly Library at New Mexico Highlands University
2024 - Angela J. Kinney, M.S.L.I.S. 1993, Deputy Director of the Acquisitions and Bibliographic Access Directorate. Library of Congress
2023 - Kimberly Burke Sweetman, M.S.L.I.S. 1996, Associate Dean of the University Library at the University of New Hampshire
2022 - Andrew K. Pace, Executive Director of the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions library consortium
2021 - Laurie Beyer Hall, Superintendent of Documents for the Federal Depository Library and Managing Director of Library Services and Content Management at the Government Publishing Office
2019 - Janet L. Crowther, Assistant Library Director of the Williamsburg Regional Library
2018 - Kent Boese, Manager of Library Services, Wiley Rein LLP
2017 - Mary Augusta Thomas, Deputy Director, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
2016 - Barry Trott, Special Projects Director, Williamsburg Regional Library
2015 - Richard James King, Chief, Information Resources and Services Branch and Information Architect, National Institutes of Health
2014 - Barrie L. Howard, Information Technology Specialist at The Library of Congress
2013 - Martin Kalfatovic, Associate Director of Digital Services at the Smithsonian Institution Libraries and Program Director for the Biodiversity Heritage Library
2012 - James Patrick Timony, Adaptive Technology Librarian, Adaptive Services Division, DC Public Library
2011 - Lea J. Uhre, Director, Executive Office of the President Library
2010 - Barbara L. Post, Manager of Information Services, Transportation Research Board
2009 - Lynn Scott Cochrane, Director, Denison University Library
2008 - Kimberly Ferguson, Head of Information Services, U.S. Senate Library