SDSU University Library
Cat Ellis

Cat Ellis (she/her)

Health Sciences Librarian

ORCID iD
Academic Rank: Sr. Assistant Librarian
(619) 594-0280
cellis@sdsu.edu

Office: Library Addition 1101F
University Library,
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive,
San Diego, CA 92182-8050

Biography

Mary Catherine “Cat” Ellis is Health Sciences Librarian at San Diego State University, serving as liaison to the Schools of Nursing and Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. Her research focuses on neurodiversity, accessibility, and critical health literacy.

Professional History
  • Senior Assistant Librarian, 2023—Present
    University Library, San Diego State University
Education
  • Master's of Science in Library Science, University of North Texas, 2020—2022
  • Bachelor of Arts, Texas State University, 2018—2020
  • Associate of Arts, San Antonio College, 2016—2018
Qualifications
  • Consumer Health Information Specialization, Level II, Medical Library Association, 2025—2028
  • Data Services Specialization, Level I, Medical Library Association, 2024—2027
Service
  • Chair, 2025—2026
    Accessibility & Disability Caucus, Medical Library Association
  • Chair-Elect, 2024—2025
    Accessibility & Disability Caucus, Medical Library Association
Memberships
  • 2025—Present
    California Academic & Research Libraries
  • 2024—Present
    Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona
  • 2022—Present
    Medical Library Association
Grants
  • Mapping California State University's Evidence Synthesis Output: An Evidence Map, California Academic & Research Libraries, 2025-2026, 339 USD
  • The Spectrum of Data: Visualizing Autism Statistics, Network of the National Library of Medicine, 2024-2024, 500 USD

Scholarship

Academic Publications

"It’s more than the building”
Cat Ellis
Supporting neurodiverse students in academic libraries, 2025, book chapter
Consumer Health Information Resources for Autistic Adults
Cat Ellis
Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet, 2024, journal article

Academic Conferences

Krafting an Evidence Synthesis Program
Rachel Keiko Stark; Dawn E. Hackman; Cat Ellis; Yuqi He; Essy Barroso-Ramirez
MLA’26: Cultured Collaborations, 2026, conference paper
Mapping Evidence Synthesis Production in the CSUs
Cat Ellis; Essy Barroso-Ramirez; Yuqi He; Dawn Hackman
CARL 2026 Virtual Conference, 2026, conference paper
Booked for wellness: Mental health kits for academic libraries
Cat Ellis
MLA '25, 2025, conference poster
New directions in self-directed programming at the academic library
Cat Ellis
ALA Annual Conference, 2024, conference poster
Surveying library accessibility
Cat Ellis
American Association for the Advancement of Science-Pacific Division, 2024, conference poster

How do websites talk about autism?
Cat Ellis
South Central Chapter of the Medical Library Association Annual Meeting, 2022, conference paper
How do consumer health websites talk about Autism?
Cat Ellis
Medical Library Association Meeting, 2022, conference poster

Data and Process

Mapping California State University’s Evidence Synthesis Output
Cat Ellis
2026, research technique