Teaching & Learning Team Staff

Email: ablinstr@gmu.edu
Phone: (703) 993-3471
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Ashley Blinstrub is the Student Success and Inclusion Librarian. She has her Master of Science in Information from the University of Michigan. Before coming to GMU she served as the Research and Assessment Librarian at Saginaw Valley State University in Saginaw, MI. Ashley is passionate about continual improvement of library services for students and creating inclusive environments. In her spare time, Ashley loves spending time with her dog, going on bike rides, and reading.

Email: abourne2@gmu.edu
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Amanda Bourne is a Teaching and Learning Specialist on the Teaching and Learning Team. She has a Masters in Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary, and a Bachelors of Arts in English from Marymount University. She is currently working on her Masters in Library and Information Science at Old Dominion University. Amanda’s particular research interests include the English Reformation, women’s studies, systematic theology, historiography, pedagogy, and adaptations. She is the author or co-author of several papers in women’s and public history. When not at work, you can find her reading murder mysteries and spoiling her cat.

Email: kwright1@gmu.edu
Phone: (703)993-9061
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Katara Hofmann, a Mason alum, has a background in music and teaching. Currently in the role of Peer Referral Coach Manager for the Teaching and Learning Team, she specializes in finding and utilizing information in all areas of research. In her free time Katara teaches violin, viola, and music theory, plays with the Manassas Symphony, sings, and collaborates to lead a children’s choir.

Email: mkirker@gmu.edu
Phone: (703)993-9059
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Maoria J. Kirker is the Team Lead for the Teaching & Learning Team. She has her MSLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MS in Educational Psychology from George Mason University. Maoria’s research interests include communities of practice for instruction librarians, reflective teaching practices and learning, and student-centered pedagogy. In her spare time Maoria likes playing Ultimate Frisbee, going to concerts, and cooking.  

Curriculum Vitae

Email: dlemmons@gmu.edu
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs or He/Him/His

David Lemmons is the Instruction Coordinator. They earned their MS in Library Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and their MA in Political Science from Appalachian State University. They are also a GMU alum, completing their BA in Government and International Politics here at Mason. David's primary areas of interest include student-centered pedagogy and critical information literacy. In their spare time, David loves playing video games, reading mystery novels, and playing piano.

Email: clowder2@gmu.edu
Phone: (703)993-3484
Pronouns: He/Him/His

Christopher Lowder is the Online Learning Specialist for the Teaching and Learning Team. He has his MLIS from the University of Maryland, College Park, and he has his BA in Media Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Christopher is passionate about improving information accessibility and web usability. In his spare time, he enjoys photography and scary movies.

Email: sburner@gmu.edu
Phone: (703)993-3484
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Sarah is the Teaching and Learning Assistant for the T&L Team. She is a GMU alum with a Bacehlor's degree in English Literature and a minor in Business. She recently received her MLIS from Clarion University. Sarah is interested in University Library outreach, bringing information to students through instruction and workshops. Sarah’s hobbies include reading fairytale retellings, watching Disney movies, and spending time with family.

Email: jmattso1@gmu.edu
Phone: (703)993-5874
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Janna Mattson is the Online Learning Coordinator and Instruction Librarian. She has her Master of Education and graduate certificate in eLearning from George Mason University. She also has a Master of Library Science from Queens College - City University of New York and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is the co-editor of the book series "Framing Information Literacy: Teaching Grounded in Theory, Pedagogy, and Practice" (2018, ACRL Press).

Email: tmazyck@gmu.edu
Phone: (703)993-9054
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Taneisha Mazyck is a long standing member of the Teaching and Learning Team serving over 10 years with the University Libraries. She originally pursued an Associates in Business Management at Northern Virginia Community College and then completed an online Bachelors of Arts degree program to further her career in Human Resources and to strive towards future goals working in Management. Taneisha’s research interests are geared more towards researching information about Immunology and Pathology since Science has always been her favorite topic of discussion. Hobbies include dancing, eating out at exotic restaurants, and writing poetry. In addition, relaxation and spending time with family and good friends is her favorite way to keep everything going in life.

Email: amurph2@gmu.edu
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Anna Murphy-Lang is the Teaching and Outreach Specialist for the Teaching and Learning Team. She has her Master of Library Science from Queens College - City University of New York and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The College of Santa Fe. Anna is passionate about creating events, workshops, and teaching materials that promote student engagement and academic success. Anna is a multi-media artist and printmaker. She spends her spare time reading, making prints, book sculptures and collage pieces.

Email: aricha40@gmu.edu
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Audrey is a Teaching and Learning Specialist for the T&L Team. She received her Bachelor’s degree in History from University of Maryland, Baltimore County and is currently pursuing her MLIS from Old Dominion University. Audrey’s research interest includes science and medical history, Indigenous peoples, and diversity in libraries. In her spare time, Audrey enjoys curling up with her pup, building Lego sets, and almost anything Marvel or Disney.

Email: twatkin8@gmu.edu
Phone: (703)993-2244
Pronouns: He/Him/His

Trevor Watkins is the Teaching & Outreach Librarian on the Teaching and Learning Team for George Mason University Libraries. He has over eight years of experience in Library IT, having previously served as a Systems Engineer and a Systems Librarian in public libraries in Ohio. He consulted with academic and public libraries and researchers on issues concerning privacy, information security, penetration testing, forensics, vulnerability assessment, data management, data science, data security, software development, and knowledge acquisition and dissemination. His research interests include Artificial Intelligence (AI) Literacy, developing systems using autonomous software agents and bio-inspired algorithms, ethical hacking, and human AI interaction. He is currently completing work on a GNU/Linux operating system for libraries and museums called Black Squirrel. He is a professional member of IEEE, ACM (SIGAI, SIGCSE), ALA, and IFLA. Mr. Watkins holds a MS in Information Architecture and Knowledge Management and a MS in Library Information Science from Kent State University, and a MS in Computing and Information Systems from Youngstown State University. Mr. Watkins has been the recipient of a NSF Scholarship, has authored and co-authored published papers, posters, and presents regularly at conferences. In his spare time, he enjoys horror, sci-fi, and martial arts movies, gardening, and an occasional bourbon.

Curriculum Vitae