Beck's website

About Me

Hi! My name is Isabelle Mallwitz, but I usually go by Beck. I'm a 5th year PhD candidate at the University of Michigan School of Information (UMSI).

My research areas are information practices and archiving by, for, and about queer people. I have published in ASIS&T conference proceedings, and presented at AERI and ASIS&T.

I also work as a Library Assistant at the William L. Clements Library, where I develop research guides and assist with instruction and engagement.

I received my Bachelor of Science in Human-Computer Interaction (McCormick Integrated Engineering Studies) from Northwestern University in 2022, with a minor in Art Theory & Practice.

I am currently a member of the Just Tech Lab run by my advisor Patricia Garcia, as well as the Center for Ethics, Society, and Computing (ESC) and the Libraries, Archives, and Curation (LARC) Research Group. In my time at Northwestern, I was a member of the Innovations for Learning and Teaching (tiilt) Lab.

I currently reside in Ann Arbor, MI, where I spend my free time cuddling with my cat, knitting, and playing video games. I have a passion for physical media, and I'm an avid collector of books, graphic novels, comics, zines, and CDs.

I plan on graduating in 2028, and I am looking for archival and library roles for summer 2027, with the possibility for full-time work during the school year as I complete my dissertation.

What I'm Up To

I'm in the proposal stage of my dissertation, which will focus on everyday personal queer archiving in the face of censorship and ephemerality.

For the Fall 26 semester, I'll be a GSI for SI338: Web Design, Development, and Accessibility. As part of my preparation for teaching this class, I'm building this website!

I'm also continuing to work on research guides at the William L. Clements Library, where I've been working since January 2026.

Professional Experience

William L. Clements Library, Library Assistant (May 2026 - present)

Continued the creation of new research guides, prioritizing quantity and undergraduate access to the Library's collections
Oversaw a team of five interns, leading meetings, clarifying the process, and reporting back to supervisor and oversight team
Ultimately, led the creation of over 20 new research guides and the overhaul of 10 existing guides

William L. Clements Library, Rackham Doctoral Intern Fellow (Winter 2026)

Overhauled existing research guides to standardize format and increase accessibility of the Library's collections
Developed a process for creating new research guides to further increase access and findability of the Library's collections

Teaching Experience

Graduate Student Instructor, University of Michigan

SI338: Web Design, Development, and Accessibility (Introductory HTML/CSS/JS) [Fall 2026, Winter 2025 (as SI339)]
SI106: Programs, Information, and People (Introductory Python) [Fall 2024]

Peer Mentor, Northwestern University

CS330: Human-Computer Interaction (Introductory HTML/CSS/JS)
CS111: Introduction to Computer Programming (Racket)

Publications

Mallwitz, I. & Garcia, P. (forthcoming, 2026). Pronouns Through the Lens of Queer Information Practices. Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology
S. Hladik et al., “Examining equity in facilitation of tinkering and making in steam,” in Proceedings of International Society of the Learning Sciences (isls 2022), 2022.

Hello there, I'm Beck Mallwitz.