Lenny Rhine is transitioning roles at Research4Life
We wish to express our deep gratitude to Lenny Rhine as he steps down from his co-chair position in the Capacity Development (CapDev) Committee. Lenny started working with Research4Life in 2007, through the Medical Library Association’s Librarians Without Borders program, funded by the Elsevier Foundation. Initially, his focus was on face-to-face training for Hinari and the writing/updating of training material. In 2019, he became co-chair of the Capacity Development committee.
Steering the future
Lenny has been a beacon of transformation, marked by many milestones at Research4Life. Recognizing the changing landscape of learning, Lenny was instrumental in guiding CapDev’s transition to digital platforms. Together with dedicated participation of CapDev committee members and ITOCA, he helped coordinate the transition from face-to-face workshops to the current online MOOCs platform. In 2020, CapDev began to anticipate and implement the Research4Life Vision to 2030, focusing on the broader needs of the R4L users by conducting training on all aspects of the research cycle.
His efforts have contributed to the expansion of our initiatives including:
- Developing and translating MOOCs into French and Spanish, making our content accessible and more inclusive to a wider audience.
- Introducing a comprehensive webinar series, short courses, virtual master trainer courses, and supporting the Country Connectors program, ensuring that our training could meet different training needs.
- Collaborating on projects such as Publishing and Research Communication, including the six research cycle presentations followed by two hybrid short courses.
- Spearheading the upcoming “searchable knowledgebase” of research cycle resources for entry-level researchers in low- and middle-income countries.
What’s Next for CapDev
While we are bidding farewell to Lenny in his co-chair role, we are happy to inform you that Lenny will remain involved in Research4Life, contributing towards the CapDev team and the Country Connector program. He says,
“I have been working with Research4Life for eighteen years. The opportunity to make a long-term contribution to this project and information access in the global south has been beyond my expectations. My suggestion to our users and training participants is that everyone has to do his or her share – whether you are a librarian/trainer, a lecturer, or a researcher, and especially as a member of one of the R4L committees.”
We invite you to stay engaged as we announce the new co-chair and communicate about upcoming initiatives.
