The University of Washington Information School is extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Eliza T. Dresang as Beverly Cleary Professor in Children and Youth Services. Dr. Dresang comes to the Information School from Florida State University. Her strong credentials as both an academic and a practitioner complement the UW Information School’s continuing commitment to supporting education and service in the field of children and youth librarianship.

Dr. Dresang was most recently the Eliza Gleason Atkins Professor at Florida State University College of Information. Nationally and internationally recognized, her Radical Change theory, which explains youth information behavior and resources in a digital age, has been extensively applied by scholars and professionals across disciplines. She was awarded the prestigious 2007 American Library Association/Scholastic (formerly Grollier) Award for her “unique contribution to reading by children and young people and outstanding achievement in the profession.” Her ALA leadership includes election to the governing Council, the Association for Library Service to Children Board, and the Newbery Award Committee chair.

"It is an honor to welcome a researcher and educator of Dr. Eliza Dresang’s stature into the UW iSchool community. Eliza is widely regarded as a world-class scholar in the field of Children and Youth Services and her appointment at the iSchool and the Cleary Professorship express our deep commitment to this vital area of research and professional practice," says iSchool Dean and Professor Harry Bruce. "Changing the world through high-quality information service to young people is central to the mission of the iSchool."

In addition to other books and scholarly articles, Dr. Dresang is the co-author of Dynamic Youth Services through Outcome-based Planning and Evaluation, her most recent book, published by the American Library Association in 2006. She has also extensively studied the evolution of Beverly Cleary’s most well-known character, Ramona Quimby, and that character’s revolutionary impact on our understanding of youth, the audience for Cleary’s writing. Dr. Dresang will begin her role with the iSchool in January, 2009.

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