Meet the NEO’s New Program Assistant Kalyna Durbak

Posted by nnlmneo on October 14th, 2016 Posted in: Blog

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I am pleased to introduce the NEO’s new program assistant, Kalyna Durbak, MLIS, who joined our staff on October 3.  Kalyna will be our go-to person for managing the NEO website, providing technical support with webinars, and helping with the “roll-up-your-sleeves” work involved in carrying out evaluation projects.

Kalyna began working for the UW Health Sciences Library in May 2016. Prior to joining the NEO, Kalyna was the Web Content Assistant on the team that created and promotes the Response & Recovery App in Washington (RRAIN), designed to provide emergency responders with quick access to disaster-management resources. It also provides local information such as weather alerts and traffic reports. Kalyna also provided web content and social media assistance for the Health Evidence Resource for Washington State (HEALWA), a portal that provides affordable online access to clinical information and health education resources. The portal is available to health professionals who are licensed through 23 state organizations. A 2015 evaluation study conducted by HEALWA showed that many health professionals eligible to use the portal are not aware of it.  Kalyna helped promote HEALWA through social media and exhibits.

Kalyna earned her MLIS degree from University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and a BA in History from University of Illinois at Chicago. She was an intern at the Smithsonian Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections and the Rochester Institute of Technology Archives. A Midwestern native, she recently moved to Seattle with her husband because they were attracted to Seattle’s mix of urban and outdoor opportunities. To introduce herself to our readers, Kalyna agreed to answer a few questions about herself.

What made you want to pursue an MLS?

I always considered myself a “jack of all trades.” At school I did not excel in one subject, but rather did fairly well in most areas of study. I also fell in love with researching, and doing “deep dives” into different subjects. I figured that with an MLS, I could end up working in vastly different environments, help others with research, and pursue my dream of being a lifelong learner.

What made you want to join the NN/LM Evaluation Office?

I recently realized that I needed to strengthen my evaluation skills. Whether I am working or volunteering, I am constantly trying to solve issues concerning outreach and training. For most of my career, I just created solutions without ever thinking “How can I measure my success in solving this issue?” and “Are these solutions working the way I intended?” These questions are key in determining whether the solution is actually solving any problems, or just wasting time and energy.

What experience have you had with evaluation?

My experiences with evaluation come from managing social media accounts. Once I realized I had a whole dashboard of statistics to my disposal, I used them to set optimization goals in terms of posting times and types of content that resonate with my audiences.

What evaluation skills do you particularly hope to develop?

I am very interested in developing my outcome assessment skills. I am usually the big idea person of a group, and enjoy setting lofty goals. In the past, I have measured the success of an initiative based on the number of tasks my group completed for the project. What I want to do going forward is measure success by the initiative’s impact on the intended audience and community.

What other interests do you have?

I am very active in a Ukrainian Scouting Organization called Plast. Through scouting I found my love for the outdoors, and made countless friends all over the United States and around the world. When I’m not working on scouting activities, I find myself crafting. My favorite crafts include quilling, card making, and traditional Ukrainian embroidery.

When I am crafting or commuting to work, I listen to various nerdy podcasts. Some of my favorites include 99% Invisible, LibUX, and Reply All

What is the bravest thing you’ve ever done?

I took a hike with my husband down the Grand Canyon. I didn’t make it that far, because I’m afraid of heights. There was one foot between my body and a drop into the canyon, and that was not where I wanted to be. I had to turn back partway down. My husband said, “I love you. Do you mind if I keep going?”  So I had to walk back up the trail alone. Looking back, I’m glad I went through it.  Once I climbed up, I felt so proud of myself.