Joanne Dera

As the Science Librarian at Rutgers-Newark, Joanne serves as the library liaison to the science departments within the School of Arts and Sciences, including Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Science, Physics, and Biological Sciences. In this role, she designs and delivers information literacy instruction, provides research consultations for undergraduate and graduate students, and curates subject-specific resources. Additionally, I collaborate with fellow Rutgers University Librarians (RUL) and science faculty on information literacy initiatives, collection development, and resource curation. 

Joanne has a B. S. in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University and worked in the electric power industry in mechanical design and performance of coal, natural gas, and nuclear power plants. She also has an MLIS from Rutgers University and has experience as a Science Librarian at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and as an educator in high school and public libraries. Drawing from my previous career in mechanical engineering, I bring a unique perspective to my work as a science librarian, informing my research interests in academic research question formulation, AI literacy, and the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields.