The AAUW Pathfinder Committee is proud to announce that AAUW member Amanda Melcher received the 2014 AAUW Pathfinder Award on Thursday, April 3, at 6:00 p.m. at the Montevallo Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet in Anna Irvin Hall.

Amanda received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Montevallo in 2003 and her Master’s from the University of Alabama in 2008. She is currently an assistant professor and Head of Cataloging at Carmichael Library. She serves on a number of campus committees, including the General Education Review Committee and the Undergraduate Curriculum Standards Committee. She is the UM faculty advisor for the campus yearbook, the Montage and a trained Safe Zone Ally for the campus. She is Co-Chair of the Network of Alabama Academic Libraries (NAAL) Online Content Committee and serves on the Alabama Library Association Awards Committee and Education Committees. She is an adult literacy tutor for the Literacy Council of Alabama. She has published a book review, has an article accepted for publication in the Journal of Library Innovation, and has a book chapter proposal accepted with Scarecrow Press. She has been a member of AAUW since 2006 and currently serves on the Adelante Book Group Steering Committee and as the Montevallo Programs VP.

The Pathfinder Award is given annually “to recognize members of the Montevallo Branch of the American Association of University Women who, through longstanding  membership and continuing service both to the organization and to the community, have come to represent most clearly the principles that AAUW stands for, including equity for all women and girls, life-long education, and positive societal change.”

Clearly, Amanda Melcher exemplifies these qualities in an outstanding way, through her longtime membership and service as a Branch and State officer, through her work with AAUW programs, and through her committed service to the UM/Montevallo community and to the Montevallo community at large. Members of the Montevallo Branch of AAUW are pleased to honor Amanda Melcher through this award.