Research is most meaningful when it extends beyond labs and publications. Doing work that improves people’s lives often requires us to collaborate with community partners and trust their knowledge and expertise.
For example, as part of his research into Indigenous communication and knowledge systems, Assistant Professor Jason Young has spent two summers studying with an interpreter in Nunavut, Canada, learning the language of the Inuit people. His language skills have deepened and expanded his partnerships, and he’s brought those skills home to teach a series of courses at the UW in Inuktut, the language used by the Indigenous people of the Arctic.
I thought of people like Jason when I recently heard UW President Robert J. Jones call for “radical collaboration,” one of the pillars of the university’s strategic plan for the rest of the decade. It’s the idea that researchers and students should engage in deep, long-term partnerships with communities. As we explore subjects that we’re passionate about, we don’t just write papers and move on; we partner with communities to identify challenges and co-design projects to produce a valuable, lasting impact that benefits everyone.
At the Information School, radical collaboration is deep in our bones. We grew from a librarianship program that had a mission to serve the public, and that ethos has stayed with us since the school’s founding 25 years ago. Every generation of scholars since then has carried that forward. We are a school that’s focused on public engagement, home to people who want to make an impact beyond the university. That’s what attracts faculty, staff and students to work and study here.
I see examples of radical collaboration every day at our school. Through its election rumor research, the Center for an Informed Public works with journalists to cut through rumors and conspiracy theories and ensure that voters have timely, accurate election information. KidsTeam Libraries, led by Associate Professor Jason Yip, brings together librarians, educators, youth, UW students and researchers to co-create more effective learning experiences and library programs. Professor Amy Ko engages deeply with teachers about computing education and then advocates for policy at the state level based on their needs. Assistant Professor Ben Lee has worked with the U.S. Holocaust Museum as it grapples with potential uses of artificial intelligence to help the world remember survivors. Our new Institute for Neurodiversity and Employment, led by Associate Professor Hala Annabi, works closely with employers and community leaders to support careers for neurodivergent people. I could go on and on, but this is just a sliver of the community-engaged work happening at our school.
All of this collaboration produces practical benefits for students and alumni. Our school employs hundreds of student workers, many of them in roles supporting research projects, while many more take part in experiential learning opportunities such as Capstone projects and directed fieldwork. Through close collaboration with community and industry partners, students gain a better understanding of how their work contributes to organizations. They see the school’s values in action, and they leave with concrete experiences they can point to when they search for jobs.
More than that, radical collaboration produces positive effects on our communities and a better society overall. In the end, isn’t that why we’re all here?
Anind K. Dey
Dean and Professor
Autumn 2026