The MIT Libraries celebrated the exceptional contributions of its employees June 11 with the 2025 Infinite Mile Awards ceremony. The event in Hayden Library had a robot theme and featured a lively performance by the Libraries’ band, The Dust Jackets.
Awardees were nominated by their library colleagues in the categories listed below; individuals and team recipients are listed along with excerpts from the award presentations.
Bringing Out the Best
Colleagues describe Development Associate Lauren Fairman as a thoughtful and creative collaborator who inspires those around her to raise their game. Whether managing complex logistics like hosting a national gathering of colleagues, executing a large postcard mailing project, or selecting staff swag that brings genuine excitement, her leadership and dedication shine. Her impact extends far beyond her responsibilities, with a steady presence, calm approach, and willingness to jump in wherever needed.
Collaboration & Inclusion
Music Library Assistant Jake Zelikovsky is known for their dependability, collaborative nature, and thoughtful, optimistic attitude which inspires their colleagues and drives projects forward. They were lauded for their work researching and making recommendations for Afrofuturism vinyl collections, creating an online guide for the Afrofuturism & Otherworldiness exhibit, supporting a vinyl listening party for Libraries staff, contributing to the pop-up vinyl collection, and delivering live sound and doing A/V setup for live events, among many other contributions.
User Service & Support
As Program Head for Technology Support Services, Derek Hixon not only provides standard support operations, he contributes to high-priority project teams and serves on the Technology Spaces Oversight Committee and the Emergency Management & Environmental Monitoring Team. His colleagues truly appreciate having someone who is so fiercely focused on the needs of users, whether those users are students, faculty, staff, or library colleagues.
Unsung Hero
Electronic Resources Associate Sarah Kurpiel is described as a quiet powerhouse—deeply committed, extraordinarily organized, and always generous with her time and knowledge. Whether she is answering a question in the moment, troubleshooting a problem, or managing complex, multi-unit projects, she consistently demonstrates a level of thoughtfulness and expertise that elevates everyone around her. Colleagues cited her leadership in the year-long digitization of DataQuest Magazine and quick action during the World Bank eLibrary’s open access transition as just two recent examples of her impact.
Community Building & Engagement
The student supervisors team of Caitlin Canfield, Erica Moore, Kendall Dawson, and Kassia Roberts exemplify the spirit of this award, promoting the values of openness, inclusivity, and an ethic of care in their day-to-day work. They lead by example, balancing multiple responsibilities and going above and beyond to foster belonging through thoughtful gestures like goodie bags for student workers.
Innovation, Creativity, & Problem Solving
Late last year, a dedicated team of MIT Libraries data experts sprang into action, acutely aware of the heightened risk to federal government-supported, -hosted, and -maintained data resources. Recognizing the critical importance of these resources to research communities at MIT and beyond, the team quickly developed a multi-pronged, high-efficiency response. For their extraordinary leadership, productivity, and mission-critical contribution to information preservation, the Libraries salute Phoebe Ayers, Sabrina Brown, Joe Carrano, Amy Nurnberger, Alejandro Paz, Sadie Roosa, Jonavelle Cuerdo, and Ece Turnator.
Results, Outcome, & Productivity
Through sustained effort and effective leadership during recent budget reductions, the Collections Strategy Team of Courtney Crummett, Marcella Tam, Deborah Lenares, and Laura Hanscom ensured that the MIT Libraries remained fiscally optimized while continuing to meet user needs during a challenging period. Throughout this work, they actively sought feedback and ensured that colleagues were informed and provided with opportunities for input.
Christine Moulen “Good Citizen” Award
This award remembers Christine Moulen ‘94, an MIT Libraries colleague of more than 20 years, and is presented every year to staff who exhibit some of her remarkable qualities, such as generosity, willingness to support others, and sharing expertise to improve effectiveness. Jake Lewis, Access Services Associate in Hayden Library, possesses a rare combination of initiative, enthusiasm, and care for both people and processes. Whether handling back-end stacks tasks or frontline patron service, he has consistently demonstrated a “how can I help?” attitude. As Course Reserves Coordinator, he streamlined documentation, updated systems, and helped double the size of the team. He advocated for a three-day loan period to support students’ deeper engagement with course materials and has been a steady source of shared knowledge and collaborative energy. Outside his core duties, Lewis has shown a commitment to inclusion and community-building, as a “You Are Welcome Here” facilitator and active member of the Libraries’ Committee for the Promotion of Diversity and Inclusion.
