Feinberg Library Liaison Bios

Joshua Beatty — Anthropology, Art, History, Political Science, & Sociology

I’ve been a librarian at SUNY Plattsburgh since 2010. I have a doctorate in early American history, and have also worked as an archaeologist and architectural historian.

Currently I’m researching the interwoven history of library classification, the publishing industry, and the nascent discipline of naval science in the late nineteenth century. Past projects have included the Stamp Act of 1765, the travels of a Jacobite spy in Revolutionary America, and the Brazilian educator Paulo Freire’s influence on North American libraries.

Holly Heller-Ross — Counselor Education, Communication Sciences & Disorders, Human Development & Family Relations, Music, Psychology, & Social Work

I am a proud SUNY Alumna (Plattsburgh — Environmental Science ’84 and Albany — Library Science ’87), and am currently serving as Circulation Services Librarian and Women in Technology (WIT) Founder for SUNY. I research, teach, and assist students and faculty with information literacy, promote the success and achievements of people identifying as women and their allies, and serve the college faculty as a library liaison. As a former dean and chief information officer, I bring a wide perspective on the services available to members of our college to my work, and look forward to using that perspective to help you.

Gordon Muir — Biology, Chemistry, Communication Studies, Environmental Science, & Physics

Gordon Muir

Elin O’Hara-Gonya — Director of Feinberg Library

Elin O’Hara-Gonya is the Director of Feinberg Library. She holds a Master of Library Science from Southern Connecticut State University, a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from American University. Her research has focused on the effects of student emotional problems on the practice of reference librarianship, effective boundary-setting with students, and employee self-care. Publications include a book chapter entitled “Reconsidering Reference for a Generation without Boundaries” in The Psychology of Librarianship and a book entitled Information Literacy & Technology (5th ed.) co-authored by List-Handley, C., Heller-Ross, H., O’Hara-Gonya, E., & Armstrong, (Kendall Hunt, 2013).

Mila Su — Computer Science, Expeditionary Studies, Gender & Women’s Studies, Mathematics, Nursing, Nutrition, Philosophy, & Sport and Wellness

My professional focus has included collection development/management, interlibrary loan, information literacy and instruction, reference services, sports, gender women’s studies. I currently write book reviews for Choice magazine in the area of women and sports.

Malina Thiede — Criminal Justice, Economics & Finance, Education, & Hotel, Restaurant, & Tourism Management

Malina Thiede has been a librarian at Feinberg since 2016. Prior to that, she had a career as an English language teacher and administrator at a small English language school in New York City. Her research interests include open educational resources, open access, and copyright.

Michelle Toth — English, Journalism, Public Relations, Theatre, & the Branch Campus at Queensbury

I have been a librarian at SUNY Plattsburgh since 1999. I have a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Toledo and a Master’s in Library Science from Indiana University. During my graduate work I was a Fulbright scholar at the University of Toronto.

My professional focus is on information literacy, instruction (particularly active and student-centered learning), assessment, and general education.

I live in the Adirondack Park, in the town of Saranac, where I enjoy the warmer months outside walking/hiking and gardening. In the colder months I am indoors quilting. I currently serve as the webmaster for the Champlain Valley Quilters’ Guild of New York.

Karen Volkman — Accounting, Business & Global Supply Chain Management, Latin American Studies, Marketing & Entrepreneurship, Management, Information Systems, & Analytics, & Modern Languages & Cultures