From the first Director of the Faculty of Information, Winfred G. Barnstead, all the way to Bertha Bassam, the iSchool has consistently been an institution associated with strong, female leadership.
Alumna Una Ng-Brasch continued this tradition by winning a Woman of Influence Award for 2015 by The Colorado Springs Business Journal.
In her community of Colorado Springs (Colorado, USA), Una has worked as an Administrative Assistant at Colorado College since 2010. Outside of work, she consistently goes out of her way to connect to her community by engaging with individuals through her varied volunteer work.
Having grown up in Toronto, Ms Ng-Brasch has a passion cultivating personal relationships by serving on nonprofit boards. She serves on both the boards of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and the Pikes Peak Library District Foundation. Previously, she served on boards for the Matrix Center for the Advancement of Social Equity and Inclusion, Artemis Women, the Citizens Project, Colorado Springs Diversity Forum, Big Brothers Big Sisters Pikes Peak, and the Urban League of the Pikes Peak Region, making a number of important contributions.
While many endorse top-down solutions, Ms Ng-Brasch prefers a more grass-roots approach, rooted in her personal experiences as a child.
“Growing up,” she says, “I was often the quietest person in the room, and I always appreciated whenever someone took the time to reach out to me. Now, I try to reach out individually to people so they can feel they belong and are valued.”
With a Master of Library Science (1993) degree from the iSchool, Una has always had a special place in her heart for education, specifically literacy, which was heavily influenced by her upbringing.
Ms Ng-Brasch’s father worked as a scientist at Columbia University, while her mother is a Professor Emerita of Emmanuel College at the University of Toronto, where she taught Theology.
“Education and a desire to make meaningful contributions were touchstones,” she says. These early experiences are what motivated Una to pursue an undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, where she also obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English and Chinese Studies.
Dee Fowler, Development Officer for the Pikes Peak Library District, illustrates Ms Ng-Brasch’s passion and dedication for education saying: “Una has always been concerned about literacy in our community, and her library background certainly speaks to that.” She continues, “But more importantly, her after-hours times and her volunteering has really supported that concern. Her work with the Friends of the Library and the Library Foundation has turned into solid support and has advanced literacy in the county.”
Incredibly, this award comes after two others. In 2013, Ms Ng-Brasch and her husband, Ron Brasch, were recognized as prominent business leaders in the arts community by the Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance for their work with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, the Galleries of Contemporary Art and the Pikes Peak Library District Foundation. She was also named one of the Business Journal’s Rising Stars in 2008.
With a strong devotion to education, a compassion to hear what people have to say, and with a consistent commitment of time and effort, Una exemplifies the principles on which the iSchool stands. Her actions serve as a constant reminder that those with library degrees are integral to building educated and well-rounded communities. Congratulations Una!
