SPARC has announced the appointment of April Clyburne‑Sherin as Senior Manager, Programs and Engagement. In this newly created role, she will be responsible for translating SPARC’s strategic direction into programs that serve members and the broader community.
Clyburne‑Sherin has worked as an open research consultant since 2017, collaborating with organizations including SPARC, the City University of New York (CUNY), Code for Science and Society, Code Ocean, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. At SPARC, she has contributed to the development of member resources, supported International Open Access Week, and helped organize a new community‑building model for OpenCon.
She noted that her long association with SPARC has shown her how the organization prioritizes member needs and values collaboration, and she expressed enthusiasm about formally joining the team. Clyburne‑Sherin has attended every OpenCon since its first gathering in 2014, describing the experience as empowering for early career researchers. As a student, she co-founded the OOO Canada network to promote open access, open data, and open education.
Trained as an epidemiologist, Clyburne‑Sherin developed an interest in rigor and reproducibility during her graduate studies. Her professional experience includes serving as a reproducible research consultant at the Center for Open Science, director of scientific outreach at Code Ocean, and member of the Community 4 Rigor Curriculum team at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2018, she co‑founded Reproducibility for Everyone, a collaborative initiative to teach open research skills.
Transitioning to a full‑time role at SPARC, she indicated that she looks forward to focusing on long‑term member needs, revitalizing the OpenCon community, and applying her experience with community‑led and peer‑production projects.
Clyburne‑Sherin holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Mount Allison University and a master’s degree in epidemiology from the University of Guelph.
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