On July 29, West Virginia University Libraries presented WVU Impact Awards to four employees, recognizing their extraordinary impact. Archives Processing Specialist Ashley Brooker, Digital Archives Specialist Lemley Mullett, Collections Strategist Librarian Beth Royall, and Rural Entrepreneurship Librarian Emily Zumbrun, each received the award for going above and beyond their day-to-day responsibilities to provide value and impact for WVU’s mission and values.
“The impact of a library is ultimately measured through the people who bring its mission to life,” said Dean of WVU Libraries and Press Mark Paris. “Ashley, Lemley, Beth, and Emily each demonstrate an exceptional commitment to service, innovation, and collaboration.”
Ashley Brooker and Lemley Mullett were selected for a 2026 WVU Impact Award as long-time staff members of the West Virginia & Regional History Center (WVRHC). Brooker and Mullett have consistently contributed to the History Center's success and, while working on the implementation of the WVRHC's new digital repository for the past year, have personified WVU's values of curiosity and accountability.
Both Brooker and Mullett were instrumental in preparing thousands of folk tunes performed by West Virginians for the WVRHC's Folk Music Collection, making them available online and discoverable to researchers for the first time. Their exceptional skill and high-quality work resulted in significant progress on the project.
Beth Royall was selected for a 2026 WVU Impact Award for stepping into the newly created role of Collections Strategist with enthusiasm, leadership, and a strong commitment to collaboration. While building relationships with new colleagues, she also recognized that the success of the role would also depend on close partnerships with employees across the Libraries who work directly with library users and understand their evolving needs. Through this collaborative approach, Royall helps ensure that the Libraries continues to provide a high level of service and develop and maintain collections that meaningfully support teaching, learning, and research.
In her new role, Royall has enthusiastically explored new approaches to collections strategy and thoughtfully engaged with the challenges of managing collections for a large and complex university. She consistently seeks feedback, invites different perspectives, and approaches difficult questions with curiosity and a constructive, solutions-oriented mindset. Royall is a trusted and highly appreciated colleague whose professionalism, generosity, and willingness to collaborate have strengthened relationships across the Libraries.
Emily Zumbrun was selected for a 2026 WVU Impact Award for embodying WVU’s core values fully. Zumbrun always ensures library users have the best possible experience, prioritizing service each and every day. She takes on new challenges in stride with curiosity and innovation to benefit the library and its users. She approaches difficult situations with respect and thoughtful feedback. Zumbrun takes full ownership over anything she works on — no matter how big or small — fostering an expectation of consistency that positively affects those around her. And she always expresses gratitude to everyone who contributes to a project, showing daily recognition to coworkers.
The WVU Impact Award program is designed to recognize employees who have made an extraordinary impact on the University. This award spotlights contributions that provide value and impact in alignment with WVU’s mission and values.