Mary Kathryn Arnold and Jia Quin Lu to receive 2026 Dalhousie Library & Information Alumni Association (DLIAA) Outstanding Alumni Award

September 26, 2026

The Dalhousie Library and Information Alumni Association (DLIAA) this week announced that Mary Kathryn Arnold and Jia Qian Lu will be recipients of the 2026 Outstanding Alumni Award.

DLIAA Announces 2026 Outstanding Alumni Award Recipients

The Dalhousie Library and Information Alumni Association (DLIAA) is pleased to announce Mary Kathryn Arnold and Jia Qian Lu as recipients of the 2026 Outstanding Alumni Award.

The Outstanding Alumni Award recognizes graduates whose professional achievements, leadership, service, and contributions to the library and information profession reflect the impact and values of Dalhousie’s alumni community.

Mary Kathryn Arnold (MLIS ’10)

DLIAA is honoured to recognize Mary Kathryn Arnold posthumously with the 2026 Outstanding Alumni Award.

A poet, librarian, editor, and community advocate, Mary Kathryn brought together a lifelong love of literature and information with a deep commitment to access, inclusion, and community. After pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Toronto and attending Massey College, she returned to Halifax and completed her Master of Library and Information Studies at Dalhousie. Her work in the information profession included positions with the Diocesan Bookroom, Dalhousie University’s Killam Library, and Saint Mary’s University.

Mary Kathryn was also an accomplished poet whose work appeared in literary publications in Canada and the United States. While studying at Dalhousie, she founded and edited the online Rhythm Poetry Magazine, drawing on skills in web design, research, organization, and project management developed through her MLIS studies to create a new venue for poetry.

Her contributions extended well beyond her professional and creative work. Mary Kathryn was an advocate for queer visibility and belonging and organized Halifax’s first Dyke March. Throughout her life, including while navigating significant health challenges, she remained committed to books, poetry, people, and building more inclusive communities.

The Outstanding Alumni Award recognizes not only Mary Kathryn’s professional accomplishments, but also the enduring legacy of creativity, compassion, resilience, and community engagement that characterized her life and work.

Jia Qian Lu (MIM ’25)

DLIAA is delighted to recognize Jia Qian Lu with the 2026 Outstanding Alumni Award for her leadership at the intersection of information management and healthcare.

Jia Qian has built a multidisciplinary career spanning diagnostic medical imaging, healthcare leadership, quality assurance, education, research, and information management. Her work demonstrates how information management principles can be applied beyond traditional information settings to improve healthcare systems, professional practice, and patient outcomes.

In leadership roles with the University Health Network’s Joint Department of Medical Imaging, Jia Qian has overseen areas including general ultrasound, breast imaging, the prostate centre, and general radiography. Her work uses patient-volume and wait-time data, business intelligence, workflow evaluation, and health human-resource planning to inform operational decision-making. Among her accomplishments, she helped lead the expansion of the Ontario Breast Screening Program for patients aged 40–49, contributing to a reduction in wait times from more than 200 days to approximately two weeks.

Education and mentorship have also been central to her career. An appointed clinical educator since 2016, Jia Qian has contributed to the education of more than 100 sonography students, medical students, residents, and fellows. She has also contributed to healthcare quality and accountability as an assessor and surveyor for diagnostic services, supporting organizations in areas including compliance, risk management, internal auditing, and quality improvement.

Her contributions extend to research and scholarship. Jia Qian has published multiple articles in the Canadian Journal of Medical Sonography and received the Sonography Canada Award for Outstanding Journal Submission. Her research has also explored the relationship between information management and job satisfaction among medical radiation and imaging technologists.

Through her Dalhousie studies in information management, Jia Qian has brought information science perspectives into a complex healthcare environment, demonstrating the important role information professionals can play in improving systems, supporting evidence-informed decisions, developing professionals, and ultimately strengthening patient care.

DLIAA extends its warmest congratulations to Jia Qian and is honoured to celebrate Mary Kathryn’s memory and legacy as we recognize our 2026 Outstanding Alumni Award recipients.

(Via Dalhousie Library and Information Alumni Association)