Staff Development

Libraries Staff Spotlight

Kent LaCombe

Assistant Professor of Libraries,
History Liaison

Two truths and a lie:

1. "I enjoy both hunting and fishing."
2. "I own two chainsaws, have felled a tree or two and cut my own firewood."
3. "My first deer hunting equipment was a bow."

Profile:"I work directly with the history department creating opportunities for cooperative resource development, providing in-course instruction and enriching the intellectual exchange between the humanities and the library’s information services.”

Favorite aspect of position:
"I thoroughly enjoy my interactions with both my colleagues here in the library and in the history department. This semester I am gratified to be putting the breadth of my professional training to work both here at the library and teaching as an instructor for the history department. I believe the full integration of liaison services should be an overriding goal of the library’s instruction activities.”

Likes and interests:
"I am an enthusiastic proponent of higher education. I firmly believe a professional education is one of the greatest opportunities available to the individual. I would like to see access to a professional education more broadly attainable to less affluent members of the public. Areas of personal interest include indigenous issues, environmental concerns and nutrition. In my free time I enjoy watching films, cooking, reading and entertaining our three wonderful cats."

Two truths and a lie answers:

1. Lie: "While I grew up in an area of the country that has a very high percentage of sport hunters, I do not hunt nor do I fish."

2. Truth: "I do own two chainsaws. My partner Michelle and I spent a few years in Vermont, during which time we often cut our own firewood."

3. Truth: "Did I trick you? When I was a youth there was (and still is) a lot of social pressure to sport hunt in the region I grew up. I did have a bow and hunted a few times when I was young. I have never hunted as an adult."

Libraries Staff Spotlight

Jason Leichner

Computer Support Associate,
Love Library

Two truths and a lie:

1. "I am a devout mac user, and have had probably 50 different models (from the original Mac SE to the 8-core Mac Pro)."
2. "I try to ride my motorcycle every day (weather permitting)"
3. "I was born and raised in Scottsbluff, Nebraska."

Profile: "I work as a computer support technician with Computer Operations and Research Services (CORS). I began working at UNL in Feburary of 2001, as a student tech for the Information Services Computer Labs. After several years as a student worker, I was promoted to the IS Computer Labs assistant manager staff position in 2004. Later (in 2006), I became the IS computer labs manager, managing over 700 computers (and 50 student workers) across 32 locations (both city and east campuses). Coming over here to the University Libraries has been a great opportunity, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my first month here. I am hoping that my experience from Information Services will be valuable here at CORS in our support of both public and staff technology."

Two truths and a lie answers:

1. Truth

2. Truth

3. Lie: "I was born and raised in Billings, MT"