Sidney Louie, a graduate student in the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Library and Information Science Program, is the 2021 recipient of the Donald Peterson Student Travel Award given by the Society of American Archivists (SAA). The award supports students and recent graduates from graduate archival programs within North America to attend SAA’s Annual Meeting. The goal of the scholarship is to stimulate greater participation in the activities of SAA, such as presenting research or actively participating in an SAA-sponsored committee or section.
After working for thirty years in event and media marketing, Louie transitioned to archival studies. She works part time as a project assistant at ’Ulu’ulu: The Henry Ku’ualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawai’i at the University of Hawai’i – West O’ahu where she processes, describes, catalogs, and preserves several television programs containing Hawaiian cultural content. During the virtual Annual Meeting, Louie will participate in events hosted by the Committee on Public Awareness and Diversity Committee to connect and build networks with archivists outside Hawai’i.
Louie possesses intelligence, creativity, and a passion for preserving archives. Her supporter notes that they are “impressed by Louie’s passion for film and audiovisual media and her deep respect for the archival Hawaiian and Pacific cultural materials.”
The Donald Peterson Student Travel Award was established in 2005 and honors the memory of New York lawyer and philatelist Donald Peterson. Past recipients include Jeanie Pai (Queens College), Alexis Recto (University of California, Los Angeles), and Jessica Serrao (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).