ALBUQUERQUE, NM, June 28, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Frances C. Wilkinson, EdD, with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Wilkinson celebrates many years' experience in her professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes she has accrued in her field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
After a successful career in library science, higher education, and academic administration, Dr. Wilkinson retired from the University of New Mexico (UNM) in 2021 as a professor emerita. Since 1981 her tenure at the aforementioned university included such roles as a library supervisor, department head, director and associate dean of library services, as well as interim dean, deputy dean and senior associate dean of the college of university libraries and learning sciences. Dr. Wilkinson has also served as a professor since 1992 and administrative director of the organization, information and learning sciences since 2012 when the program joined the college.
Describing the library as the heart of the UNM campus, Dr. Wilkinson was thoroughly gratified by her career in academia. Her desire to serve others, while also holding various leadership positions where she could affect positive change, was very inspiring for her. Making a difference in the lives of her students was rewarding although admittedly challenging at times. During her years at UNM, one of her greatest challenges included the aftermath of a major fire in 2006 that destroyed over 30,000 volumes and gutted the library's basement. Dr. Wilkinson was tasked with much of the relief efforts including replacing many of the lost volumes with online copies and reconstructing the basement and part of the first floor, an endeavor that took nearly two years, as well as leading her staff in coping with the tragic event.
Besides her commitments in the libraries, Dr. Wilkinson taught graduate courses in leadership, organizational development and qualitative research and notably served as a chairperson of dissertation committees and as an advisor for many doctoral students in the college's organization, information and learning science program. She was active on the board of directors of Friends of UMN Libraries, a mediator for Mediation Alliance and the UNM Ombuds Dispute Resolution Service and a mediation coach at UMN. After her retirement, she was elected to the UNM Retiree Association Board in 2021. Since 1986, Dr. Wilkinson has further flourished as a consultant and trainer of ergonomics for universities and government agencies across the U.S.
Writing extensively, Dr. Wilkinson has published approximately 50 scholarly articles, as well as eight books. Her first book, which was released in 1998, was titled "The RFP Process: Effective Management of the Acquisition of Library Materials." Other books to her credit have included the "Comprehensive Guide to Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Recovery" in 2010, the "Complete Guide to Acquisitions Management" textbook in 2003 with a second edition in 2015, "Practical Strategies for Academic Library Administration" in 2016, and the "Complete Guide to RFPs for Libraries" in 2018, among others. She also edited a scholarly journal column for Serials Review, served a principal investigator on grants and gave numerous speeches, presentations and workshops at professional conferences.
During the early 1980s, Dr. Wilkinson had the opportunity to serve her community as a counselor and advocate for the Albuquerque Rape Crisis Center. It was a wonderful feeling to help those in need early in her career in a volunteer capacity. Since then, she has continued volunteer work, helping various organizations. Dr. Wilkinson has served the library profession through affiliation with the New Mexico Association of Research Libraries, the North American Serials Interest Group: NASIG, the New Mexico Library Association and the American Library Association, among others, as a member, board member or chairperson of numerous committees. She was also appointed to several national editorial and advisory boards. At UNM, she was active on and chaired numerous faculty senate and related committees.
Dr. Wilkinson pursued an education at UNM, earning a Bachelor of Arts in communications with distinction in 1982 and a Master of Public Administration in 1987. She also obtained a Master of Library Science at the University of Arizona in 1990 before returning to her alma mater, UNM, where she graduated with a Doctor of Education in 2012. She is a member of several academic honor societies. Dr. Wilkinson has been certified in mediation since 1991.
Acknowledging her expertise, Dr. Wilkinson accepted the James Fulton Zimmerman Award for Administrative Excellence from the Friends of the UNM Libraries Inc. She was likewise presented a Leadership in Library Acquisitions Award from the American Library Association. She was selected to participate in the Senior Fellows, a prestigious library executive leadership program. A celebrated Marquis listee, Dr. Wilkinson has been featured in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Education and Who's Who in the World.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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