SustainRT is pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2026 New Voices in Sustainability Conference Stipend is Nyrza Castro. This stipend is offered each year by SustainRT to a round table member to encourage diverse voices and representation at the ALA conference and in the Sustainability Round Table’s active membership.
Nyrza Castro is a first-generation graduate student pursuing a Master of Management and Library and Information Science at the University of Southern California, where she maintains a 4.0 GPA. She serves as President of the American Library Association Student Chapter at USC, an organization she helped establish, fostering professional development and leadership opportunities for fellow students. Professionally, Nyrza is a Branch Manager with the Riverside County Library System, where she oversees library operations, staff development, and community engagement. She is also an active member of the Spanish Translation Committee, supporting equitable access to library resources. Passionate about diversity, equity, and sustainability in librarianship, Nyrza aspires to become a Library Director and create inclusive, community-centered library spaces that serve and strengthen diverse communities.
------------------------------
Aja Bettencourt-McCarthy
Librarian
University of Cincinnati Main Campus - Cincinnati, OH
She/Her/Hers
------------------------------