jason anfinsen

Jason Anfinsen teaches information literacy as an assistant professor in Murphy Library at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he serves as the Student Engagement and Outreach Librarian.  

Jason was a faculty Research & Instruction Librarian for almost seven years in the Florida College System, at two finalist schools for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, namely Broward College and Seminole State College of Florida. At Seminole State, Jason created Nightbrary & Lunchbrary, the noisy academic library program models that creatively fuse art, games, and music into weekly engagement extravaganzas for First-Year Seminar students in THEIR college library. 

"Information Jason," as he is known by students, has a background in broadcasting, radio, improv, theatre, music journalism, television news, and museum studies. 

Jason earned his master's degree in Library and Information Studies (MLIS) and post-master's Specialist degree in Information from the School of Information at Florida State.

As a certified radio broadcaster and graduate of Connecticut School of Broadcasting (now CSB Media Center), Jason Anfinsen ignited his colorful career as an on-air host in his hometown of West Palm Beach as “Meathead” on South Florida’s Alternative Music station, WPBZ-fm 103.1 “The Buzz” at the age of 18.  

Jason voiced commercials and screamed into microphones playing ALTernative music on radio stations KDLD-fm “Indie” 1031 in Los Angeles, and KNDD-fm 107.7 “The End” in Seattle. 

In New York City, Jason served as the record store voice and DJ inside the Virgin Megastore in Times Square when it was the world’s largest music retail store.

Jason Anfinsen is an arts research librarian, credentialed with a Graduate Certificate in Museum Theory and Practice from the College of Fine Arts at Florida State University. 

In addition to conducting graduate field research during a Study Abroad at the FSU Study Center in London, Jason provided research and reference support to curators and scholars at art museum libraries in the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, where he also worked as a Visitor Experience Associate for the blockbuster Martin Luther: Art of the Reformation exhibition, at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. 

Jason studied Museum Education with graduate internships at the Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts (MoFA) and Museum of Florida History, where he was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2015.

Jason Anfinsen is a trained actor and improviser with over a decade of experience in performance and producing live theater. 

Jason has performed his written solo shows, created spontaneous theater with improv groups, produced theatricals, and hosted events on stages in New York, Chicago, Miami, Seattle, and Los Angeles. 

Additionally, Jason has performed internationally on stages and at comedy festivals in London, Toronto, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore. 

Jason began his improv journey in New York City, training with Upright Citizens Brigade at their old Solo Arts Group space and studying intensely with Todd Stashwick of Burn Manhattan in a class cohort that eventually became the wrong-form improvisational theatre troupe, KURU. 

After moving to Chicago, Jason graduated from the improv conservatory and writing program at The Second City, studied with Mick Napier at Annoyance Theatre, and completed the training program at ImprovOlympic, where he performed The Harold on numerous teams. 

Jason moved to Seattle to bring his Jerk Alert Productions theatre company to the national stage, followed by a performance stint on stage at the IOWest in Los Angeles.

An independent artist and DIY art faker, Jason Anfinsen began creating his warped, distorted, COLOUR FAILED SCHOOL style of art (a playful take on the Color Field painting style) in Seattle in 2005. 

An eclectic surface splatterer and paint smearer, Jason is a creator whose work focuses on the everyday juxtaposition of beauty versus excess and deformation against aesthetics.

Jason’s art has been featured in the “All Staff Art Show” at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Fallon Theatre in Tallahassee, and in the 26th Annual Student Art Exhibition on the Eissey Campus of Palm Beach State College.

Jason Anfinsen’s professional librarian research focus is on student engagement in the academic library.

As a punk and indie rock music snob, Jason has a history of scribbling underground concert reviews as a veteran documentarian with an intrinsic knack for capturing concerts, spotlighting new bands, and sharing fresh sounds with wide audiences for the amusement of all ears.

As a musical gonzo journalist, Jason has written feature articles, album reviews, and artist interview pieces for a saucy slew of indie music magazines and online blogs.

During his news days as an associate producer, Jason wrote breaking news scripts and local news stories for TV and the web.