Well read librarian with a heart for the classroom

Kristina Brewer,  M.I.L.S.

Trine University - College of Health Professions | College of Graduate and Professional Studies | TrineOnline
Dual Enrollment Program

General Mathematics / French; B.A., M.I.L.S – University of Michigan

260.665.4161  |  email 

I was born in the Hoosier state but grew up in southern Michigan, attending and graduating from Bronson High School in Bronson, Michigan.  After completing a Bachelor’s degree as a double major in General Mathematics and French from Western Michigan University, I attended graduate school, earning a Master of Information and Library Studies degree from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor in 1992.  I began my career at Trine (then Tri-State) University in May 1994 as the Circulation Manager / Student Staff Supervisor for the Perry T. Ford Memorial Library (now Sponsel Library | The LINK).  I then transitioned to a new role as Technical Services Librarian handling acquisitions and cataloging of library materials. In the fall of 1997, upon the retirement of the Library Director and Public Services Librarian, I assumed responsibility for library administration and management while simultaneously handling reference and instructional services, assisting students with finding information and becoming more adept at identifying, locating, accessing, evaluating, and using the print and electronic library and web resources available to them.

After nearly two decades as Library Director on the main Angola campus, in February of 2017, I moved offices to my current location at the Trine University Health Sciences Education Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana located on the Parkview Hospital Randallia campus off Carew Street. In addition to my duties as Director for Graduate and Distance Information Services, I gained a new skill set in my role as part-time Admissions Coordinator for the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) Program, which officially enrolled its first cohort of students in the fall of 2018.  I recently handed off this coordinator role to a MPAS Program faculty member, resuming my librarianship duties on a full-time basis.

Approaching my third decade as a Trine Librarian, I continue to enjoy working with faculty and students to support academic study and knowledge acquisition and creation.  I meet with students for consultations; provide resources and sessions related to the research process using scholarly sources, covering topics such as citation, plagiarism, source evaluation, and more.  I am also embedded in courses within my liaison areas, providing resource and research assistance to graduate and distance students completing degrees at Trine University via Moodle or face-to-face in the classroom.  As part of this initiative, I am co-instructor for the MPAS Program research curriculum, assisting with curriculum and teaching of the Evidence-Based Practice and Graduate Project course series.

In my free time, it’s not unusual to find me with a book (print or electronic) at hand, in the kitchen cooking or baking, on the computer playing The Sims, or enjoying time spent with family and friends, including the furry kind as a proud pet caretaker of my dog Toby and cats Midnight and Misty.