JonLuc Christensen
2019 Ken Haycock Award Recipient
JonLuc Christensen is a records management specialist for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on behalf of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the California Institute of Technology. He began as a summer intern in May 2017, followed by a short run as an academic part-time employee, and ultimately joined as a full-time employee in November 2017. He specializes in digitization, digital assets management, knowledge capture and management, and user experience design, as well as the management, retention, and disposition of temporary and permanent records.
Christensen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in Anthropology from the California State University, Fullerton. During his time at Cal State Fullerton, he was accepted to both the Phi Alpha Theta and Lambda Alpha honor societies. Inspired by an inherited family collection of newspapers from the attack on Pearl Harbor, his first publication, “December 8, 1941, the Forgotten Date: How the Attack on Pearl Harbor Became a Solitary Event,” was printed in the 2016 Welebaethan Journal of History and won multiple awards for scholarly excellence.
Graduating in May 2019, he will earn a Master’s of Library and Information Science degree and an Advanced Certificate in Digital Assets Management and Services from the San José State University School of Information. For his exceptional academic performance, he is an invited member of the SJSU chapter of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.
In January 2017, upon entrance to the iSchool, he joined the Special Libraries Association Student Chapter as the assistant programming director and Southern California liaison. In this capacity, he helped to develop a robust online series of events, as well as in-person events and volunteer opportunities. In summer 2017, he took on the role of president and led a significant expansion of the Executive Committee, programming events, and outreach efforts, with a focus on succession planning and the long-term sustainability of the group. He currently engages with the group as the immediate past-president, providing resources and advocacy when needed.
In April 2017, he began working with Professor Anthony Bernier to form a First Generation Student group at the iSchool, with the aim of providing visibility, resources, and networking for students who are the first in their families to attend graduate school. He has served as president of the group for two Executive Councils, developed founding documents, and worked to establish an online and social media presence. He assisted Dr. Bernier in his authorship of the successfully awarded American Library Association Diversity Grant, “Searching for First Generation LIS Student Success” by drafting interview questions, recruiting students to conduct and participate in interviews, and organizing, conducting and participating in the pilot interview for the project.
In December 2018, Christensen was elected to serve as the 2019-2020 director-at-large/membership director for the Executive Board of the SLA Southern California Chapter. He attended the 2017 SLA Conference in Phoenix as the recipient of the Southern California Chapter’s Student Travel Stipend Award and represented them at the Western States Banquet. Similarly, he will be attending the 2019 SLA Conference in Cleveland on behalf of the chapter and Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Christensen has a deep passion for professional development and supporting other students and new professionals. As such, he routinely meets with colleagues in-person and online to share his experience, knowledge, and resources to help further their success. Upon invitation from members of the iSchool administration, he has represented the student perspective at multiple new student orientations. Similarly, he co-presented with Sheila Gurtu, iSchool student outreach specialist, at the California Collaborative Advising and Counseling Conference in 2018.
In the near future, he plans to continue his professional work at Jet Propulsion Laboratory and with SLA, as well as pursue certifications from the Academy of Certified Archivists, the National Archives and Records Administration’s Federal Records training, and AS91000 Auditing. In addition, he hopes to use his master’s degree to teach information science and as a continued path to a future Ph.D. program in an undecided field.
Christensen currently lives in Glendale, Calif. with his husband and two Mini Australian Shepherds, where he enjoys a life centered around topics of healthy eating, personal finance, and wellness living. He and his husband enjoy a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, skiing, and scuba diving. With grad school behind them, they plan to expand their travel opportunities, while dedicating more time to hobbies, recreational activities, and personal growth.
