Native Angelino.
Omaha Transplant.
Marina “Bob” Hand (she/they) is one of three Patron Services Associates at the Dr. C.C. & Mabel L. Criss Library, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. A transplant from Los Angeles, California, Marina-Bob wasted no time ingratiating themselves into library culture.
Consolidating their background as a customer service representative via a robust career in the restaurant industry and as a tenacious student, they secured their first position in Medical Administration in 2009. Marina-Bob remained in the Healthcare Industry for the following decade. Progressing steadily throughout their career by participating in professional development, Marina-Bob joined Dignity Health in 2016 as a Hospital Administrator.
Their skills cultivated while at Dignity Health were immeasurable. Among them were the ability to remain poised in the face of emergencies and danger, and critical thinking for prioritizing the unique challenges faced in the Emergency Room. As a union facility, Marina-Bob was elected Union Steward, granting the opportunity to collaborate with Corporate Management and in house HR to identify and create solutions for gaps in employee productivity and satisfaction.
Dignity Health’s focus on serving employees to better serve their patients allowed Marina-Bob to focus on education. In January 2018 they enrolled at San Bernardino Valley College as a Library Technology Major. Their Associate Degree was complete by Spring 2020, graduating with distinction. During that short time Marina-Bob was recruited by Alpha Gamma Sigma, California’s premier Honors Society at the Community College level. They would serve on the Executive Board for the final year of attendance at Valley College.
In September 2020, Marina-Bob and their life partner elected to leave California. Already accepted for enrollment at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, they applied at the prestigious Dr. C.C. & Mabel L. Criss Library. During their second semester at UNO Marina-Bob was recruited by Kappa Delta Pi, an international Honors Society for educators.
Their degree in Multidisciplinary Studies, Concentration in Library Science, with minors in Anthropology and Religion completed in December 2022. Marina-Bob graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha cum laude. In February 2023 they were accepted to the Masters of Anthropology Program at University of Nebraska of Lincoln.
Marina-Bob, their spouse, and their rambunctious dog have taken to the Midwest greatly and are grateful to be a part of the Omaha Community.