In November 2021, the BSLISE and San José State University (SJSU) School of Information partnered to create the Building Strong Library and Information Science Education (BSLISE) International Scholar program. The SJSU iSchool funds an MLIS student to participate in the BSLISE International Scholar Program and provides the opportunity to join a collective of LIS scholars and professionals from around the world and learn from and with them on research activities to strengthen the quality of LIS education internationally. The BSLISE Scholar participates in BSLISE projects enhancing LIS education and improving mobility of LIS professionals around the world for a one-year term, which may be renewed.
Mackenzie Yanez – BSLISE International Scholar
Mackenzie is an MLIS student at San Jose State University and joined BSLISE in March 2025. Mackenzie has a global mindset earning the critical language enhancement award for Russian at California State University Northridge in 2018 and 2019. During this time she served as president of the Russian Culture Club. While at California State University Northridge she researched white supremacist organizations and their activity in the United States and religious extremism globally. At present she works as an elementary school library technician. In the future her goal is to use her experience with BSLISE to an international career.
Former BSLISE International Scholars
Phoebe Yip
Phoebe Yip joined BSLISE as an International Scholar in Fall 2023 and was a first-generation graduate student in the MLIS program at San José State University. Having lived internationally in Hong Kong and studied abroad in Mexico, she fostered a global mindset and understood the importance of LIS education around the world. Phoebe combined her information education and skills to contribute to BSLISE projects.
Having previously interned at the National Center for Data Services (NCDS) of the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM), Phoebe brought her experience working with data to a project around LIS programs. She worked on the Rankings Project with a team located in Spain and Brazil, where she examined how LIS Schools were represented in global rankings.
Sabrina Gunn – Inaugural BSLISE International Scholar
Sabrina Gunn, an MLIS student at the San José State University School of Information, was selected as the first BSLISE International Scholar. Sabrina started her term in early 2022. Sabrina is technology-inclined, with experience as an operations manager in the world of digital content, and is the daughter of a librarian. Sabrina’s assignment was with the BSLISE map and directory project, where she continued building the global database for LIS schools and programs. She was assisting to enhance access to it by collecting and cleaning data, producing a user’s guide, alpha testing the directory. Working with international colleagues, she learned to use Visão, the GIS software hosted by the Brazilian Institute of Information Science and Technology (IBICT).
Learn more about Sabrina Gunn:
iSchool Student Selected as BSLISE International Scholar
BSLISE International Scholar Sabrina Gunn Discovers a Love for Information Systems