Library Leadership
Dr. Leo Lo, Dean and Professor
Welcome to the University of New Mexico and College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences (CULLS)!
CULLS is a special college. There is not another place in the country that combines the University Libraries, an academic degree granting unit (Organization, Information, and Learning Sciences), and the University of New Mexico Press in one college. This unique combination means that we have the talents, expertise, and resources that no other place does. I am thrilled and incredibly honored to begin my tenure as Dean and professor of CULLS. My vision is to leverage the strengths of the different units to develop a model that will make CULLS a competitive advantage for the university, faculty, and students.
We are still in the middle of a global pandemic. But the past 18 months or so have taught us many valuable lessons that we can apply to the future of the University Libraries, OILS, and UNM Press. We were challenged to discover new ways to ensure that access and resources are always available.
Finally, I want to use this opportunity to acknowledge our faculty and staff, who have been and continue to be going above and beyond to provide excellent services and access to our extensive resources. I am deeply grateful for how our faculty and staff meet their service obligations with the highest level of professionalism and dedication. This is a tough period for our users too, and I am appreciative of your understanding and patience whenever situations change, and we must adjust. We are in this together, and I am optimistic that we are all going to emerge from this experience stronger and wiser.
Leo S. Lo
Dean and Professor
Follow the University Libraries’ Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and UNM Press’ Facebook and Twitter for the latest information about workshops, services, and events. For updated information about library hours at all of our branches, visit the University Libraries homepage.
About Dean Leo Lo
Dr. Leo S. Lo (he, him, his) joined the University of New Mexico as Dean and Professor of the College of University Libraries and Learning Services (CULLS) in September 2021. He oversees over 120 full time faculty and staff and provides leadership for all University Libraries operations, Organization, Information, and Learning Sciences (OILS) program, and the UNM Press.
Previously, Dr. Lo served as Associate Dean for Learning, Undergraduate Services and Commonwealth Campus Libraries at the Pennsylvania State University Libraries (2019 - 2021), Associate University Librarian for Research and Learning at Old Dominion University (2016-2019), Head of McLure Education Library/Associate Professor at the University of Alabama (2014 – 2016), and Research and Development Librarian/Assistant Professor at Kansas State University (2009 -2014).
Dr. Lo’s primary research interests include open access, higher education management, organization development and leadership. He has presented at prestigious national and international conferences such as the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference, Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) National Conference, Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Assessment Conference, Australia Library and Information Association (ALIA) National Conference, and International Conference on Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries (QQML). Dr. Lo has also published in refereed journals such as portal: Libraries and the Academy, College and Research Libraries, Journal of Librarianship & Scholarly Communication, Journal of Library Administration, and Communications in Information Literacy. He has served on the Library Leadership and Management Journal Editorial Board and is currently the Chair of the ACRL College and Research Libraries News Editorial Board.
Dr. Lo holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D) from the University of Pennsylvania, M.S. in Library and Information Studies degree from Florida State University, M.A. in Survey Research from the University Connecticut, M.F.A. in Screenwriting from Hollins University, and a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Dr. Mark Emmons, Associate Dean, Education and Engagement
Mark Emmons (he, him, his) is the Associate Dean and a professor in the College of University Libraries & Learning Sciences at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Emmons has over thirty years of professional experience as an academic librarian, working at Occidental College before accepting a faculty position at UNM. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and his Master of Library Science at the University of California, Los Angeles, and his Doctor of Education at the University of New Mexico.
Professor Emmons is the author of the book Film and Television: A Guide to the Reference Literature and has published extensively about film resources, information literacy and library instruction, and the value of the academic library. He is an active member of the American Library Association and the Association of College & Research Libraries.
Laura Soito, Interim Associate Dean for Collections and Digital Scholarship
Laura Soito is Interim Associate Dean for Collections and Digital Scholarship and an Associate Professor. She also currently serves as the Director of Collections and LIBROS Consortium Coordinator. She previously held roles in the Collage as the Acquisitions and EResources Coordinator and Physical Sciences Librarian. Professor Soito holds a Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a Bachelor of Science in Botany and Physical Science from Northern Arizona University. Previously, she worked at the University of California, Davis and Wake Forest School of Medicine.
