Katie Punia
Master of Archival Studies and Library and Information Studies
2021/22 UBC iSchool MLIS Co-op Student of the Year, Honourable Mention
Excellence in the Workplace
During her term at Artefactual Systems as a Systems Archivist in the Business Development unit, Katie prepared, distributed, and collated results of customer surveys, prepared content for identified topics such as scripts and slides, and provided front-end technical user training to new internal staff and external clients.
Some of Katie’s outstanding work achievements include creating a survey design that helped identify successes and areas for improvement to Artefactual’s hosting services. She also categorized and analyzed eight months’ worth of incoming emails from prospective customers, which Artefactual was able to use as data to improve sales efforts and their product. Chief Archivist, Kelly Stewart, commends Katie as an individual who has “made a tremendous contribution” to the company.
An Opportunity to Advance Skills and Knowledge
Prior to this co-op term, Katie admits to having little knowledge of digital technologies in the archival field. Artefactual’s workplace training provided her with a more profound comprehension of theoretical and critical archival practices, which she had previously acquired through her coursework. Subsequently, she could implement archival methods in her job, including problem-solving during customer interactions. This experience motivated Katie to pursue courses focused on digital preservation.
From the success and application of her coursework performed in IT security and risk assessment at work, Artefactual is supporting Katie in obtaining her International and Information System Security Consortium “Certified in Cybersecurity” credential. The combination of her academic knowledge and the environment to practice use-cases for various organizations and institutions while at Artefactual has enriched Katie’s technical knowledge and ability to apply technical expertise in the workplace.
Bringing it Back to the Community
For Katie, seeking out opportunities to develop practical skills by participating in wider community events and programs has been another focal part of her continuous learning. She is involved in numerous organizations, such as being a student representative for the British Columbia Academic Libraries Section (BCALS) and collaborating with networks like Visible Minority Librarians of Canada (ViMLoC) and IDEAS@UBC. Additionally, she was a student panelist at the January 2023 iSchool Co-op Conference and delivered a virtual guest lecture for Dr. Trevor Owens’ Digital Collections course at UCLA, representing Artefactual with her co-op colleague.
As a person of colour, Katie is committed to supporting IBPOC community members and acknowledges there is a need for more resources and support within the archival profession. Through her collaboration and learning experiences with ViMLoC, IDEAS, and other activities, Katie looks forward to continuing to be a source of support for future IBPOC co-op students.
About the iSchool Co-op Student of the Year Award
The Arts Co-op Program’s Student of the Year Award recognizes two co-op students in UBC iSchool (Library, Archival, and Information Studies). Two annual awards of $1,000 are available: one to a MLIS or dual student (who used their MLIS background on the co-op job) and the other to a MAS or dual student (who used their MAS background on the co-op job). The SOTY Adjudication Committee may choose to award an Honourable Mention to students who have shown excellence in their co-op work in either the MLIS or MAS categories.
These annual awards recognize outstanding achievement in all aspects of the UBC iSchool co-op student’s performance, including academics, the workplace, and professional/community involvement
Katie Punia
Master of Archival Studies and Library and Information Studies
2021/22 UBC iSchool MLIS Co-op Student of the Year, Honourable Mention
Excellence in the Workplace
During her term at Artefactual Systems as a Systems Archivist in the Business Development unit, Katie prepared, distributed, and collated results of customer surveys, prepared content for identified topics such as scripts and slides, and provided front-end technical user training to new internal staff and external clients.
Some of Katie’s outstanding work achievements include creating a survey design that helped identify successes and areas for improvement to Artefactual’s hosting services. She also categorized and analyzed eight months’ worth of incoming emails from prospective customers, which Artefactual was able to use as data to improve sales efforts and their product. Chief Archivist, Kelly Stewart, commends Katie as an individual who has “made a tremendous contribution” to the company.
An Opportunity to Advance Skills and Knowledge
Prior to this co-op term, Katie admits to having little knowledge of digital technologies in the archival field. Artefactual’s workplace training provided her with a more profound comprehension of theoretical and critical archival practices, which she had previously acquired through her coursework. Subsequently, she could implement archival methods in her job, including problem-solving during customer interactions. This experience motivated Katie to pursue courses focused on digital preservation.
From the success and application of her coursework performed in IT security and risk assessment at work, Artefactual is supporting Katie in obtaining her International and Information System Security Consortium “Certified in Cybersecurity” credential. The combination of her academic knowledge and the environment to practice use-cases for various organizations and institutions while at Artefactual has enriched Katie’s technical knowledge and ability to apply technical expertise in the workplace.
Bringing it Back to the Community
For Katie, seeking out opportunities to develop practical skills by participating in wider community events and programs has been another focal part of her continuous learning. She is involved in numerous organizations, such as being a student representative for the British Columbia Academic Libraries Section (BCALS) and collaborating with networks like Visible Minority Librarians of Canada (ViMLoC) and IDEAS@UBC. Additionally, she was a student panelist at the January 2023 iSchool Co-op Conference and delivered a virtual guest lecture for Dr. Trevor Owens’ Digital Collections course at UCLA, representing Artefactual with her co-op colleague.
As a person of colour, Katie is committed to supporting IBPOC community members and acknowledges there is a need for more resources and support within the archival profession. Through her collaboration and learning experiences with ViMLoC, IDEAS, and other activities, Katie looks forward to continuing to be a source of support for future IBPOC co-op students.
About the iSchool Co-op Student of the Year Award
The Arts Co-op Program’s Student of the Year Award recognizes two co-op students in UBC iSchool (Library, Archival, and Information Studies). Two annual awards of $1,000 are available: one to a MLIS or dual student (who used their MLIS background on the co-op job) and the other to a MAS or dual student (who used their MAS background on the co-op job). The SOTY Adjudication Committee may choose to award an Honourable Mention to students who have shown excellence in their co-op work in either the MLIS or MAS categories.
These annual awards recognize outstanding achievement in all aspects of the UBC iSchool co-op student’s performance, including academics, the workplace, and professional/community involvement