Branner Library welcomes Alma Parada
Branner Earth Sciences Library is delighted to announce the addition of Alma Parada to our staff as the Earth and Environmental Sciences Librarian. Alma comes to us from the Dekas Lab run by Anne Dekas, an Assistant Professor in Earth Systems Science. In her role as a Postdoctoral Scholar, she has managed and assisted in research project, provided assistance and training to students and staff, and provided instruction to students on literature searches and data retrieval.
Alma received her PhD in marine biology and biological oceanography from the University of Southern California. Her research was in marine microbial ecology utilizing large datasets to identify patterns in microbial, temporal, and spatial variability. Since joining Stanford, she has participated in research that has been published in Nature Biotechnology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), and Water Resources Research.
She has developed a strong teaching background by helping to develop a course at Stanford entitled, Techniques in Environmental Microbiology. She is facile in developing workshops and short courses geared to supporting research including R, Python, and MATLAB. She will continue to use her teaching skills by participating in the Stanford Libraries' Carpentries program.
Alma joins the library at a pivotal transition time for the School of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences and Branner Library. The School will be the cornerstone of the New School focused on sustainability. As the School changes and expands, so will the library to support the increasingly broad research and teaching agenda. Her six years in Earth Systems Science will serve her well as she develops the library's collections, builds out research support, and collaborates with her colleagues across multiple disciplines that will be included in the New School.
Alma is taking a brave leap into the field of librarianship at a time of rapid change in the way we provision services, outreach, and provide support for open access and data initiatives. Welcome to Branner, Alma!
