Marc Veloz and Jessi Dixon Announced as Recipients of Texas Library and Archives Foundation Scholarships

Austin, TX – The Texas Library and Archives Foundation (TxLAF) has announced that it has awarded the 2027 Martha Wong Scholarship to Marc Veloz, currently pursuing a Master of Science in Information Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, School of Information, and the 2027 Gloria Meraz-Mark Smith Scholarship to Jessi Dixon, currently pursuing a Master of Library Science degree at Texas Woman’s University.

These scholarship opportunities support Texas students who work in a Texas library and are pursuing a degree from a Texas library/information science graduate program or school library certification program with a reimbursable grant of $5,000 for tuition and/or textbooks for the semester starting in January.

Meraz is Director and State Librarian at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, which provides support and programs for libraries statewide, oversees the State Archives, assists state and local government agencies in the management of their records and manages the Talking Book Program. Meraz has served as head of the agency since September 2021. Previous to her appointment, she served at the Assistant State Librarian, where she led communications and government relations for the agency. Before joining TSLAC, she worked with special collections in universities throughout the state and led efforts to support increased funding for libraries, educational initiatives, and policies that helped people have access to information resources.

Smith was the Director and Librarian of TSLAC from 2013 until his retirement in 2021. His career, spanning more than 40 years, included managing public library services in various communities in New Jersey, California, Oregon and Texas, and as the director of communications for the Texas Library Association. Smith has authored three books and numerous articles on library topics and has been a long-time library advocate, a role that has continued after retirement. He served as a member of the Austin Library Commission—including two years as chair—from 2022-2025, and currently serves on the boards of directors of the Tocker Foundation and Amigos Library Services. Smith was named a Texas Library Champion by the Texas Library Association in 2024 and was California Library Association Member of the Year in 2003. He holds a BA and an MLIS from the University of Texas at Austin.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer Marc and Jessi the Wong and Meraz-Smith Scholarships,” said TxLAF President Andrea Lapsley. “Supporting the development of professional librarians throughout the state is a key priority for the Foundation, and we are so looking forward to seeing their careers unfold. Thank you to Martha Wong for funding these scholarships.”

Dr. Martha Wong, Chair of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, generously funded these two awards. Wong, of Houston, has served on the Texas State Library and Archives Commission since 2015 and was appointed chair by Gov. Greg Abbott in January 2020. A longtime educational leader in Texas and the greater Houston area, she is a former educator and administrator, including principal at Kolter Elementary, HISD Associate Superintendent for Staff Development, Houston City College Southwest Community Resource & Development Director and Associate Professor at Baylor University School of education. Wong, a community volunteer, former state representative and Houston city council member, is a member of the Houston Association of Retired Teachers and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She has previously served as a board member for the Neuhaus Education Center and University of Houston Alumni Organization. Inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame in 1994, she has also been recognized as a Distinguished University of Houston Alumni by the UH Alumni Association and the College of Education. Wong graduated with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Texas at Austin. She earned her master’s and doctorate degree in educational administration from the University of Houston.

For more information about the work of the Texas Library and Archives Foundation, and to get involved, visit their website at www.txlaf.org.

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The Texas State Library and Archives Commission provides Texans access to the information they need to be informed, productive citizens by preserving the archival record of Texas; enhancing the service capacity of public, academic and school libraries; assisting public agencies in the maintenance of their records; and meeting the reading needs of Texans with disabilities. For more information, visit www.tsl.texas.gov.

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