Anu Vedantham earns 2022 Clio Hall Award

Anu Vedantham *94, Princeton University Library’s (PUL) Assistant University Librarian for Research Services, received a Clio Hall Award as part of the second annual GradFutures Forum celebration. 

Clio Hall Awards recognize faculty, staff, graduate alumni, and graduate students in recognition of significant contributions to the professional development of Princeton graduate students. The recipients were honored on Friday, April 1 at a reception in Chancellor Green Hall.

Eva Kubu, associate dean and director of Professional Development, and James van Wyck Assistant Dean for Professional Development presented Vedantham with the award in recognition of her contributions to professional development of graduate students through the University Administrative Fellowship program and the creation of a coherent web presence for library resources. Vedantham is fully engaged with the University’s graduate student body. She supervised two University Administrative Fellows, Lisa Kraege and Faiza Masood, who explored libraries as institutions that create academic career opportunities beyond the traditional pathways of research and professorship. Vedantham also handles graduate student orientations at the Library, and has worked with her colleagues to conduct graduate student-focused workshops and mentoring. 

In keeping with PUL’s mission to foster creative partnerships at the University, Vedantham also organized and moderated a Liaison Enhancement and Activation Program (LEAP) panel that explored the ways the Library staff could support graduate students and better receive feedback that would improve their experience with the Library. 

“Working with Anu has been a great pleasure,” said Geoffrey Hill, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and a panelist during that LEAP session. “I am continually impressed with her thoughtful and considered approach, and her ability to always keep the larger picture of serving the needs of the Library’s constituents clearly in view. Anu’s guidance of and preparation for the event was fantastic and made it a great success.”

Andrew Finn, a PhD candidate who also participated on the panel noted, “Anu has always been so attentive to graduate students’ needs and is quick to respond to any inquiry. Her thoughtfulness, diligence, and kindness have made working with PUL on anything related to graduate students a genuine pleasure.”

Though not directly related to graduate students, Vedantham also recently assisted with the Library’s application and reception of a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, which will reconstruct the lost archives of an 18th-century Spanish-Philippine library. The digitization project, managed by the University and the School of Arts and Sciences University of London, intends to make all of its data openly accessible. 

“I’m flattered by the award, but very surprised,” admitted Vedantham. “We do so much with the Graduate School, and I am part of a large team at the Library working to support graduate students .”

Published on April 12, 2022

Written by Brandon Johnson, Communications Specialist

Media Contact: Barbara Valenza, Director of Library Communications