Plamen Miltenoff has joined the library staff as the Scholarly Communications Librarian. Plamen comes to UMD from St. Cloud State as Information Specialist where he spent most of his professional life there. Plamen, a native Bulgarian left his home country in 1989 shortly after receiving his MA in history from Sofia University. He spent two years as a refugee In Austria, where he received another MA in History, began a Ph.D. program in History and started working at the Austrian National Library. In 1992 he received asylum to the United States where he was later awarded an MA in History from University of Florida. In 1999 he received his MLIS from Dominican University in Chicago. He further received a Ph.D. in Education and Psychology from the University of Shumen, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of North Dakota. When asked what he was looking forward to in this new role, he noted:
It is like a quest; the more learn and advance into the environment, the more options open. Unquestionably, I was attracted by the position and the opportunities it offers. My first impressions of the people also remind me strongly about the value of a supportive and welcoming collective and I certainly cherish this also. I like learning and my interests are eclectic This position will certainly keep me on my toes; how one cannot be excited about it?
Plamen considers the University of Minnesota as “ world famous” and noted it will allow him the opportunity “to learn from and contribute to a world-class team."
Katie MacDonald joined the Access & Collection Services Team as a Circulation Supervisor. She comes to the library from the UMD Bookstore where she was the Course Materials Assistant. Katie is happy to be working in the library where books are accessible to everyone. Katie moved to Duluth in 2020 and spent much of her career at Minneapolis Public Schools where she worked at the district level in curriculum management and at South High School in the library. She holds a masters degree in education and began in the classroom as a Japanese teacher. Katie enjoys mountain biking, hiking, cross country skiing and the BWCA. She aspires to be a year-round bike commuter despite Duluth's hills & snow! Katie is especially proud of her upcoming 30th wedding anniversary and her two boys who have "grown & flown."
Michaela Anderson joined the library as the Principal Office & Administrative Specialist. She is a recent graduate of UMD and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from the Labovitz School of Business and Economics (LSBE). She is also a long-time resident of Duluth and has been a part of the UMD community since she was very young and thinks of the UMD community as her extended family. In her role, she will be providing support for the HR, Finance, Administrative, IT, and Facilities functions of the Library. In her spare time, she enjoys playing board games, crafting, and listening to podcasts.