Over the course of the past year, we have welcomed new colleagues to the DePaul University Library! To get to know them better, I asked each of them a few questions. If you missed Part One, check it out here!
When did you start at DePaul? What is your job title and your responsibilities?
Grant Heus: I started at the beginning of September as a part-time Digitization Assistant with Special Collections and Archives. I’m responsible for digitizing outdated media formats in order to preserve content and make it more accessible.
Clau Rocha: I am JTR’s Circulation Supervisor and started at DePaul back in March! My main responsibilities are supervising, hiring, training, and scheduling our team of Access Services Student Assistants at JTR library.
Clarissa Short: I joined the DePaul Library Team in April 2025, as the Director of Business & Administration. I oversee budgeting, human resources, and facilities operations for the library.
Where were you before joining the DePaul University Library?
Grant: Before joining the DePaul University Library I attended Columbia College Chicago where I studied sound design and video production. Since graduating I’ve worked jobs as a marketing videographer, wedding band stagehand, and currently also work as an Audio Engineer at Columbia College Chicago’s music school.
Clau: I worked in the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Flaxman library for 5 years, initially as a student worker while I got my MA in Visual and Critical Studies, and then as their Access Services Assistant/Evening Supervisor.
Clarissa: I spent the last three years serving as the Associate Director of Operations for DePaul Executive Education. My experience also includes work with GG+A now Huron | GG+A Global Philanthropy, a philanthropic consulting firm supporting not-for-profit organizations ranging from arts & culture institutions to higher education, and multiple roles at Northeastern Illinois University.
What is your favorite hobby or thing to do in Chicago?
Grant: I enjoy seeing live music in the city. The most recent show I went to was Frankie Cosmos at Thalia Hall. Two of my favorite venues to see music at are Sleeping Village and The California Clipper.
Clau: I love so many things about Chicago, but I think one of my favorite things has to be the tattoo community here. In 2023, I challenged myself to get a tattoo every month, and I still didn’t get tattooed by all the local artists I wanted to! My favorite shops are Crybaby Tattoo in Pilsen, and Other Delights Tattoo in Roscoe Village.
Clarissa: I studied opera at Manhattan School of Music and have been an alto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chorus since 2018.
What is a favorite book, film, video game, etc. that is available in the Library catalog?
Grant: If you want to better understand the psychoacoustics behind your own music listening, a book I read recently that I can recommend is This Is Your Brain On Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J Levitin. My favorite jazz album, The Awakening by Ahmad Jamal Trio, is available on CD. One of my favorite video games is Fallout: New Vegas.
Clau: My longtime favorite book, Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories by Sandra Cisneros, is available to borrow! And for fans of surrealist art, I recently checked out the Remedios Varo: Science Fictions exhibition catalog which was amazing.
Clarissa: I love A Room with a View…both the book & the film! Fortunately, the library has both!
Any family or pets you wish to brag about?
Grant: I have a cat named Jinkx who’s named after drag queen and actress Jinkx Monsoon.
Clau: My partner, Noé, and I are happy pet parents to two cats: Shrimp and Oyster. Shrimp is a 10-year-old orange tabby who is missing his fangs, obsessed with cuddles, and constantly screaming for food. Oyster is a 5-year-old tortoiseshell whose passions include chewing on tape, knocking down breakables, and figuring out how to open doors she absolutely should NOT open.
Clarissa: My husband and I have a little dog named Shakira!