LATROBE, PA – Saint Vincent College is pleased to announce the appointment of Michelene Orteza as the David M. Roderick Endowed Director of Libraries and a member of the Roundtable of Scholars at the College.
Throughout history, library collections attached to Benedictine monasteries played a crucial role in the preservation and dissemination of knowledge and wisdom. Named in honor of the late US Steel executive and philanthropist who was an ardent supporter of Saint Vincent and its mission, the endowed position assures the continuation of this tradition even as the means of sharing knowledge change with emerging technology.
Orteza’s appointment began July 1.
“We are thrilled that a renowned librarian and musician is now a part of the Saint Vincent community. In this role, she shepherds the multiple collections of the College, Seminary and Archabbey in the Dale P. Latimer Library,” said Father Paul Taylor, O.S.B., C’87, S’91, PhD, president of Saint Vincent College. “Benedictine monasteries have cherished books and libraries for 1,500 years, beginning with the simple Scriptoria of Saint Benedict and his monks at Monte Cassino. Reading and ruminating on texts is the best way to seek the truth and to seek God. Michelene Orteza will also lead the expansion of the library into the Latimer Library Tower, now under construction, to be completed in spring 2027.”
Prior to coming to Saint Vincent, Orteza served since January 2025 as director of the Langenheim Memorial Library at Thiel College in Greenville.
“I applied because I was intrigued by the multiple communities at Saint Vincent—the College, the Seminary and the Archabbey—and thought that serving them as the Director of Libraries would be an interesting challenge,” Orteza said. “I also was impressed with the library building itself as well as with the staff. I could see that the staff were dedicated and capable from the materials posted on the library website.”
In her role as library director, Orteza hopes to make the Latimer Library and its materials easier to use, noting that a founding principle of librarianship is to “save the time of the reader.” To that point, Orteza enjoys studying design concepts, user experience, marketing and behavioral economics and their intersection with libraries.
“I also believe we should use data whenever possible to inform our decisions about how we organize and present the library,” she said. “I’m looking forward to collaborating with the library staff to create the best experience we can for library users at Saint Vincent. The staff have been very welcoming, and their knowledge and professionalism are so gratifying to observe.”
Orteza earned a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh in 2009. She received an undergraduate degree in music in 1986 from West Virginia University.
She served as a piano instructor at Westminster Christian Academy in Opelousas, Louisiana, from August 1987 to May 2001. Orteza has extensive experience in a variety of secretarial and music director roles in various churches in Farrell, Hermitage and Sharon.
After earning a master’s degree, Orteza gained experience as a library and textbook manager for Laurel Technical Institute and Laurel Business Institute in multiple Pennsylvania and West Virginia locations.
She began at Thiel College in March 2020 as a circulation librarian, a position she held for two years before being promoted to cataloging and reference librarian. Orteza began a one-year term as interim library director in 2024 before being named director in 2025.
The endowed position was last held by Br. David Kelly, O.S.B. He joined Saint Vincent College as a lecturer in the Religious Studies Department in 1974 and held a number of faculty and director positions for the College and Archabbey, including director of religious education, instructor in religious studies and political science, and assistant director and director of the Opportunity Program. In 1998, Brother David was named associate director of Saint Vincent Libraries, serving in that capacity until 2001, when he was named director. From 2005-2010, he also served as archivist of the Fred M. Rogers Center.
A native of Pittsburgh, Brother David earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Saint Joseph College and master’s degrees in religious studies, political science, canon law and information science from Providence College, Georgetown University, University of Ottawa and University of Pittsburgh, respectively. He holds a licentiate in canon law from Saint Paul University.
Dr. Timothy Kelly, a professor of history and chair of the Department of History, housed in the College’s School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, served as interim library director until Orteza was hired.
About the Roundtable of Scholars
Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B., founder of Saint Vincent Archabbey, studied at the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, an institution that was home to a roundtable of European professors whose positions were endowed by Bavarian King Ludwig I.
The David M. Roderick Endowed Director of Libraries is part of Saint Vincent College’s own Roundtable of Scholars: expert professors serving in faculty positions endowed by the financial commitments of alumni and friends.
These endowed chairs work to promote and enhance collaboration in their scholarship and research across the College’s academic community while also preparing students for successful careers and lives of purpose and meaning.
