The Friends of the Libraries Elect New Board Members and Appoint a New Officer
April 30, 2025
At the Friends of the Libraries Board of Directors annual meeting held on April 16, 2025, the Board elected the following new Board Members:
Student Representative: Emily Sands
Emily Sands was appointed to the Friends Board in January 2025 as their Student Representative. She is excited to be a part of the Friends of the Libraries Board of Directors. Other than being a part of the Friends of the Libraries Board, she also serves on the Library Student Advisory Board, and is the Communications and Outreach Coordinator for the College of Health, Education, and Human Services Dean's Student Advisory Board.
Emily is currently a Nursing major, with a plan of becoming a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in the future.
Member-at-Large: Nicolyn Woodcock
Nicolyn Woodcock directs the Asian and Native American Center at Wright State University and has been co-leading the Friends book club with Catherine Queener and Sarah Twill since Fall 2023. She has her PhD in Literature from Miami University and previously taught English and Asian American Studies at Colorado College, Clark University, and Medaille University. Her articles include, "Tasting the 'Forgotten War'" in the Journal of Asian American Studies; "Narratives of Intimacy in Asian American Literature" in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia; and "Reading Midwest Asian America in Celeste Ng's Everything I Never Told You" in American Studies.
At any given time, Nicolyn is reading (or listening to) 3-4 books and has many favorites. Her top recommendation is Bitter in the Mouth by Monique Truong. Truong lived in Centerville briefly and so look out for a little nod to the Wright Brothers in this story!
Secretary: Bette Sydelko
The Friends Board appointed Bette Sydelko as Secretary to the Board. Bette has a long history with the Wright State University Libraries having started her career as a medical librarian here in 1991. She retired from the University Libraries in 2019 and has served on the Friends of the Libraries Board of Directors since Fall 2021 as a Community Representative.
On a personal note, Bette enjoys gardening, crafting, reading and spending time with her grandchildren.
The Friends say good-bye to outgoing members of the Board:
WSURA Representative: Peggy Bott
Peggy Bott was appointed as the Wright State Retirees Association Representative to the Friends Board of Directors in January 2023. Peggy grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania that she says didn't have much to offer but a good library. She has shared that she can't imagine what she would have done without that library and that libraries have remained one of her favorite places to be.
She has spent most of her adult life in the Dayton area and her professional life at Wright State University. She retired from Wright State in 2004 and as soon as she did, she joined the Wright State Retirees Association.
Peggy has two adult children who each have children of their own. She enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren and will relocate to by closer to her family.
Community Representative: Richard Hairston
Richard Hairston served on the Friends of the Libraries Board of Directors as the Student Representative in 2019 and returned to the Board as a Community Representative in 2022.
Richard graduated from Wright State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and Media Studies. During his time at Wright State, in addition to serving on the Friends Board, he served as a President's Ambassador, New Student Orientation Mentor, and a Student Technology Mentor.
Community Representative/Secretary: Kathi Herick
In academic year 2019-2020, the Friends Board elected Kathi Herick to the Board of Directors as a Community Representative. In 2023, she was appointed to Secretary of the Board. Kathi worked in the field of library sciences for over 35 years before retiring from Wright State University Libraries in 2016. She is a passionate supporter of public libraries as a vital community and information resource.
In her spare time, she enjoys knitting, reading, and spending time with her husband, daughters, son-in-law, and her grandchildren.
The Friends wish Peggy, Richard, and Kathi all the best and thank them for their many years of dedicated service to the Friends of the Libraries.
If you are a Friends of the Libraries member and are interested in serving on the Board of Directors in the future, please contact us at library-give@wright.edu.
Not yet a Friends of the Libraries member? Why not join today!