Dr. Clara M. Chu, Director and Distinguished Professor at UIUC’s Mortenson Center for International Library Programs, has been named the 2015 recipient of the Chinese American Librarians Association’s (CALA) Distinguished Service Award. The award, which is given annually, is the highest recognition granted by the organization. It recognizes an individual who has displayed exceptional leadership and achievement in librarianship at the national and international levels. Individuals who have provided excellent service to CALA, and Chinese-American librarianship more broadly, receive special consideration.
Dr. Chu was recognized for the many leadership roles she has held over the years, having served not just as Director of the Mortenson Center, but also as Department Chair of the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and as Project Director for Academic and Cultural Enrichment Scholars at UNCG. She also has a long record of service to library organizations, having been Vice-President and President of the Association for Library and Information Science Education, a Chair and Governing Board member for the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, a member of the CALA Board of Directors, and a member of several ALA committees, including the Accreditation Taskforce and the Diversity Working Group. On top of her professional service, Dr. Chu has a substantial research record, with a focus on diversity, multiculturalism, and library and information science education. She has produced 37 peer-reviewed articles and chapters, in addition to a book, titled Change and Progress in LIS Education. She has given more than 200 scholarly presentations, and she has been awarded 51 grants, including several worth close to $900,000. Perhaps most impressively, Dr. Chu has received 26 awards, including the 2012 CALA President Recognition Award, from her peers at both the national and the international levels.
To see the full announcement of Dr. Chu’s winning the award, go here. More background on the award itself is available here. Congratulations, Dr. Chu!