Emeritus Staff Bios

Andi grew up in Iowa and moved to Madison in 2004 to pursue a career in librarianship, never suspecting that she would be drawn to the digital world of information organization. When she's not at Scout being a Fancy Librarian, Andi can be found reading books, looking at nature, singing in the car, performing kitchen witchery, obsessing over old and interesting buildings, playing chase with her daughter, and relaxing in the fine company of her husband and their rarely-agreeable cat.

Max has written the Scout Report since 2002, and he is also known for his work as an urbanologist and writer. During his time at the Report he has profiled digital collections of historic photographs of the Everglades, multimedia projects from the Museum of Modern Art, and working papers on tobacco cessation initiatives. More information on his writings, books, and talks can be found at The Urbanologist.

Carmen started at Scout while she was completing her MA in Educational Policy Studies, and is currently pursuing her teaching certification. She spends more time than she probably should investigating etymologies, agonizing over sentence structure, and wincing at misplaced apostrophes. In her spare time, she proofreads the online journal Transformative Works and Cultures for fun. She enjoys hiking while listening to public domain audiobooks, cooking vegan feasts, trying new varieties of scotch, and learning at least one totally new thing each day.

Having grown up in California, Zev moved to the exotic land of Canada for his undergraduate studies, and is now a graduate student at UW-Madison in Computer Sciences. In combination with his work as a sysadmin, this means that he spends far more time in front of his precious machines than is probably healthy. While not spelunking in the bowels of Unix wielding text editors and terminal emulators, he also enjoys making music and catching the occasional hour or two of sleep.

Avery was born and raised in San Diego until she moved to Madison to attend UW as an undergraduate in 2011. She is studying Psychology and Global Health, with the hopes of working in Public Health in the future. When not working as a Scout, she practically lives at the Alumni Center planning events for the Wisconsin Alumni Student Board. In her free time, Avery can be found exploring Madison by going to concerts, eating at all the food carts, and spending time on the terrace. 

Born and raised in Northern California, Catherine moved to Madison by way of the Rocky Mountains. After completing her MA in Education at the University of Colorado, she spent a few years sampling local microbrews, searching for the world's best pork green chili, and working in institutional research at the University of Denver. Now, she splits her time scribbling in the Scout Report's digital margins and pursuing her PhD in Educational Policy Studies. In what's left of her spare time, she still enjoys sampling local microbrews and can often be found hiking around southern Wisconsin, binge watching Downton Abbey, or scurrying around the Madison farmers' market with her husband Chris. 

Originally from Ohio, Jackie made Madison her home during her undergraduate at UW-Madison where she majored in Anthropology and Art History. After a couple years working in museums, she decided she loved managing data more than counting bones and is currently pursuing a Masters in Library and Information Studies. In her time outside of Scout and class, Jackie enjoys skating for the Mad Rollin' Dolls, listening to NPR podcasts, drinking coffee and other hot/iced beverages, and binge watching TV shows with her husband.

In the fall of 2011, Adam made the “big” move from Milwaukee to Madison to start his undergraduate career at University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is currently studying International Studies, focusing on Politics and Policy in the Global Economy, and minoring in Environmental Studies and Gender and Women's Studies. In addition to working at Internet Scout, Adam works for a campus safety service and interns at the Wisconsin State Capitol in a State Senator's office, in the Milwaukee County Executive’s office, and on a campaign for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice. In addition, he has also volunteered to provide resources to survivors of sexual assault. Adam also regularly donates blood when eligible. When not studying or working, Adam enjoys biking, watching the men's UW hockey team (as well as professional hockey teams), attending Milwaukee Brewers' games, exploring the great things Madison has to offer, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

During the Fall 2014 semester, Adam took a six-month hiatus from Internet Scout, and living in the northern hemisphere, to study abroad in Chile. There, he spent the semester taking classes related to his studies and exploring all that Chile has to offer.

Originally from La Crosse, Wisconsin, Carly received her undergraduate degree in history from the University of Minnesota in the spring of 2013. This past fall, she moved to Madison to pursue a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science at the University of Wisconsin. Carly is excited to work alongside the information professionals at Scout as a graduate practicum student. She also works part-time as a Reference Assistant at an on-campus health sciences library, as well as a Program Assistant for a non-profit in Madison. During her limited free time, Carly enjoys hiking, kayaking, non-academic reading, Netflix-binging, and eating her weight in chocolate ice cream.

Born in the beautiful "Spring City" in China, Yizhe has always enjoyed traveling. This perhaps is why he spent his high school years traveling from Asia all the way to the great Grand Coulee Dam where he got to admire the largest electric power-producing facility in the United States everyday on his way to school; then again to a beautiful coastal city in Maine, where he got to be woken up by the first sunrise in the entire country. In 2013, his undergrad study in Computer Science brought him to Madison, where he met many friends, joined Wisconsin Robotics, and coded for their new robot "Singularity." Besides his passion in programming, Yizhe also enjoys movies and photography and more importantly, cooking. To him, cooking and enjoying different cuisines are probably the happiest things on earth.

Cea comes by coding through a pre-teen desire to have her own website and a fascination with Formal Logic. Her experience with academic Philosophy (especially philosophy of language and formal logic) will always influence how she looks at code. She has a BA in Religious Studies (and a BS in Information Science and Technology) and will happily talk your ear off about how a humanities discipline bent on a multiplicity of methodologies both does and doesn’t apply to crafting good software. She comes to Internet Scout from the software consulting world but these days she’s pursuing her masters in Computer Science at UW Madison when she’s not working at Scout.

If she’s not coding (or dreaming about what it might be like to be a Shadowrun technomancer, Cea is probably out running, practicing Lindy, pairing audiobooks and pool laps (because waterproof headphones are a thing now, she still can't believe it), cultivating her eclectic music collection, or trying to organize a Pathfinder Campaign. She’s also always happy to add a little unapologetic awkwardness to most conversations.

Mitchell is an undergrad at the University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in Accounting. He is an avid soccer and futsal player. He was born in St. Paul, Minnesota but was raised in Lodi, Wisconsin. When not engaging in athletic activities, he is often found taking long walks on the beach, or majestically conversing with the nearest dog and/or cat. Mitchell also enjoys water.

Originally from a suburb of Chicago, Hannah moved to Madison in 2012 to study Communication Arts and Political Science as an undergrad. Hannah's studies brought her to Barcelona for the Spring 2015 semester, where she was able to travel and practice her Spanish. In her free time, Hannah enjoys dancing, and she is a member of the Optima Dance Company at UW-Madison. She also enjoys practicing yoga, people watching at the terrace, and watching Ellen Degeneres clips on YouTube. 

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Zoe is an undergraduate at UW-Madison majoring in French, Communication Arts, and European Studies. She recently spent a semester studying in Paris, which only intensified her love for cooking and eating. Her other interests include singing, travelling, and watching movies. During her free time she can be found ordering in Indian food, working on a crossword puzzle, or planning a trip.

Rachel grew up in Fargo, North Dakota and moved to Minneapolis to pursue an undergraduate degree in art history and Spanish studies at the University of Minnesota. Upon graduation, she worked at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the University of Minnesota coordinating events and academic programming. Rachel recently relocated to Madison in order to pursue her MA in Library and Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. When not cataloging at Scout or studying for school, she can be found sewing or knitting her handmade wardrobe, reading, doing crossword puzzles, and making plans for her future sheep farm.

Born in the Ethiopian capital city of Addis Ababa (translation: Blossoming Flower), Nehemiah first moved to the United States at age 10 with his family. From his new home in Washington D.C., he was able to experience many things for the first time - like his first snowstorm. Or the fact that, in America, people leave their nice, comfortable homes to go spend days in the middle of the woods for fun. And they call it vacation. During his high school years, he discovered his love for mathematics and global economics, which prompted him to pursue a double major in Finance & Risk Management at the Wisconsin School of Business. When he’s not buried in his studies or trying to keep up with the markets, Nehemiah enjoys playing a nice game of chess or going to the basketball courts with some friends. Nehemiah is also an avid art enthusiast and can often be found at the Chazen Art Museum contemplating surrealist pieces.

As a Californian who had never seen snow, Karen decided to move to the Midwest for graduate school and is currently a master's student in the Department of Counseling Psychology. She quickly became acquainted with the cold and realized her experience with snow was not at all like what she had seen in movies. Karen attended the University of California, Irvine where she graduated with a BA in Sociology and Psychology. To cope with the frigid Wisconsin weather, she often finds herself digging around for old chocolate candy that has been purposely hidden around her apartment.

After moving from Seoul, Korea, Yunny grew up in a small suburb of Milwaukee. Currently, she is an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison pursuing a major in communication arts and a certificate in digital studies. During spare time, Yunny enjoys dancing with KASPer dance crew, swimming, improvising music, eating sour candy and bubble tea, and cuddling her two kittens. 

Though born in Evanston, Illinois, Charles spent most of his childhood living in Minnesota, where much of his time was spent playing hockey or working his way through an ever increasing taste in books. His appreciation for select treatises made a life altering turn upon moving to Boston the summer before his last year of high school. At this juncture, he journeyed down a path involving the rigorous study of mathematics, physics, and computer science. Today he can be found studying those very same fields as an undergrad at UW-Madison, trying to figure out just how much he's gotten himself into. Charles works as a software administrator at Scout and also as a math tutor. Apart from his studies and his work, Charles enjoys cooking delicious food and figuring out the right dialectical relations for what he knows can be considered otherwise.

Peter grew up in Zhejiang, China. Two years ago, he got his bachelor's degree in Information Management in China, and then he decided to come to UW-Madison to pursue his MA in Library and Information Studies. After he came to Madison, he quickly fell in love with the beautiful, progressive city. In his free time, he enjoys swimming, jogging along the lake, and cooking delicious food. 

Brenden is from Madison, Wisconsin and is also a marketing intern with Badger Sports Properties, within the UW Athletic Department. Brenden is a rising senior at UW-Madison, pursuing a degree in Retailing and Consumer Behavior, with the goal of building a career in marketing. He is also the Director of Development and Alumni Relations for the Sports Business Club on campus. In his free time, Brenden enjoys traveling, coffee, and ultimate frisbee. 

Originally from in a suburb outside of Chicago, Amanda is now starting her second year as an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Amanda is pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations and hopes to attend graduate school after receiving her bachelor's. Along with working at Internet Scout and being a full-time student, Amanda is involved in many organizations on campus including being a writer for the online magazine Her Campus, as well as a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America. In her free time, Amanda enjoys writing, traveling with her family, and visiting the Terrace as much as she can.

Sarah grew up in Glenview, IL, a suburb just northwest of Chicago. Her passion for social justice and research led to pursuing Bachelor of Arts degrees in sociology and communication science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she is currently a junior. She gets the most joy spending time outside, whether that be biking in Madison's parks, canoeing on Lake Mendota (when warm enough to do so!), or traveling as much as possible to far flung natural wonders to backpack. When the cold gets in the way, she enjoys practicing yoga, hanging out with her super cool cat Gio, and jamming to funky tunes. She hopes to do her part to make the world a more compassionate, humane place.

Kristen grew up in the world-famous city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. After getting a late start as a returning adult student at Edgewood College in Madison, she received a dual bachelor’s degree in Biology and Religious Studies in 2017. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Information Science at UW-Madison, while working at Scout. Kristen retired from roller derby in 2016 after playing for a few years as Trixie Hobbitses and, later, AzKabam with Madison Roller Derby. She loves tattoos, reading, and outdoor activities, such as long-distance hiking and camping. A passionate advocate for social justice and LGBTQ+ rights, Kristen does volunteer work with various UW-Madison student groups.

Erin grew up in Waldo, Wisconsin. but has called Madison home for the last six years. She received an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Community and Nonprofit Leadership and Environmental Studies and is currently a second-year law student at UW with a focus on public interest law and policy. In her free time, she enjoys boxing, basketball, and browsing local bookstores.

Keila grew up in Franklin, WI, a suburb southwest of Milwaukee. She began her education at the University of Wisconsin-Washington County where she graduated with an associate's degree before transferring to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is now a senior studying Operations & Technology Management. She loves being active with her friends, playing video games, and reading in her free time.

Marian grew up in Shanghai, China. She came to the United States since high school, and moved to Madison to pursuing a BA degree in Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She's also getting a Digital Cinema Production and Studio Arts certificate to explore her interest in film industry and photography. In her free time, Marian enjoys traveling, playing golf, and cuddling with her cat.

Originally from New York City, Simon is a rising senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying Computer Science. When he's not coding, he spends his time playing Ultimate Frisbee, playing video games, watching TV shows and drinking coffee.

A Wisconsin native, Alyssa is a rising junior double majoring in Communication Arts and Spanish at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. On-campus, Alyssa is also a part of the Alpha Kappa Chapter of Kappa Delta Chi Sorority Inc. On her time off, Alyssa likes to spend her time hiking, running, reading, and trying out new coffee shops around the Madison area.

Originally from Michigan, Jacob came to Wisconsin to pursue graduate studies at UW-Madison's Information School. With a background in various library, archive, and museum settings, Jacob seeks to improve access to and the preservation of the human story. When they are not cataloging records or studying archival theory, Jacob can be found watching old movies, tinkering away with a drum machine, creating jazz guitar arrangements, or hanging out with pals. 

Originally from India, Ishita Dhoot is a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison double majoring in Computer Science and Data Science. She loves to perform contemporary dances after having learned Bharatanatyam professionally for 6 years. Her professional interests lie in AI and all things data. When she’s not coding, Ishita plays badminton on a club team at UW-Madison and performs with Rang De, a Bollywood fusion dance team on campus.

All the way from Malaysia, Ley Kwan is a rising junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying Data Science. He enjoys listening to music, watching YouTube videos and going to the gym, aside from studying. 

Rebecca Hudson graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from UW-Madison in 2012. Since then, she has alternated between work as a software engineer and embarking on bicycle adventure trips around Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, and the Continental Divide through Montana and Wyoming. She is a United Bike Institute-certified professional bicycle mechanic, suspension technician, and bicycle wheel builder, and a lifetime member of the Adventure Cycling Association. When not engineering software, she hunts edible mushrooms, fishes for trout, rides longboards, paints, dances, draws, sings, climbs fake rocks and trees, takes things apart, devises how to consume ever-increasing amounts of garlic, reads paper periodicals and impenetrable books, talks to strangers, and walks and cycles over Madison's lakes when they are frozen.