Barbara Endicott-Popovsky interviewed by the Seattle Times about MOOCs

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

For the first time, the iSchool's Center for Information Assurance and Cybersecurity (CIAC) offered a free online information security course as part of University of Washington's initial partnership with Coursera, a for-profit company that "partners with the top universities in the world to offer courses online for anyone to take, for free." The courses are known as MOOCs, or Massively Open Online Course. More than 20,000 people registered for the fall term class with about half completing it. UW is hoping some of the people register for course for credit and pay

What wine goes with that book?

Friday, November 16, 2012

Sonoma County Wine Librarian Jon Haupt serves a healthy pour of information to all comers. You don’t need to show your ID to get into the Sonoma County Wine Library. The public library located at the intersection of Piper and Center streets in peaceful downtown Healdsburg, CA, is open to all ages. But there’s just something about the name that conjures an image of bottle-filled shelves. “At first, everybody seems to think we have something to do with actual wine,” says UW iSchool MLIS alum Jon Haupt, the facility’s newly hired wine librarian. “But it’s easier to think of a

Annual iSchool Research Fair Showcases Faculty and Student Work

Friday, November 9, 2012

How do communication technologies change our lives? How can America help its veterans to transition into technology work? How can touchscreen technology be improved for people with motor impairments? Faculty and students in the UW Information School's 2012 Research Fair pose these questions and dozens more as they showcase their scholarship and creative work to the campus community and the public. About 45 posters and interactive demonstrations will be presented at the free event, to be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. The goal for th

iSchool Stars in Gates Foundation New Employee Orientation

Thursday, November 8, 2012

On October 23, the iSchool hosted 35 new employees of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of their new employee orientation. The iSchool was selected from among dozens of possible partners to serve as the case example of what a successful, long-term relationship between the Foundation and a grantee can achieve. The group was welcomed by Dean Harry Bruce and listened to a series of presentations about Gates-funded iSchool projects making a difference in the lives of individuals and communities throughout Washington state and around the world. Highlighted projects included effo

Joseph T. Tennis wins ALISE/Bohdan S. Wynar Research Paper Competition

Thursday, November 1, 2012

iSchool Assistant Professor Joseph T. Tennis’ paper, “The Strange Case of Eugenics: A Subject’s Ontogeny in a Long-Lived Classification Scheme and the Question of Collocative Integrity,” was awarded best research paper in the annual competition conducted by the Association of Library and Information Science Education (ALISE). Papers submitted to the panel of judges were reviewed based on the significance of the research problem, the presentation of the relevant literature, design and conduct of the study, along with the analysis and presentation of the data and the appropriateness o

Jochen Scholl keynotes annual NAGARA forum

Thursday, October 25, 2012

iSchool Associate Professor Hans (Jochen) Scholl addressed 250 attendees at the National Association of Government Archivists and Record Administrators (NAGARA) annual E-Records Forum that took place in Seattle on October 24, 2012. The Washington State Archives are world leaders in digital record keeping. In his keynote address, "Electronic Government Research (EGR): Current State and Major Challenges in the Years Ahead," Scholl presented an overview of the current state of EGR and the interacting challenges of market regulations and deregulations, the third in

Kara Fong, Informatics '11, profiled in Forbes article

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Microsoft was featured in a Forbes article, Women And STEM Careers: How Microsoft Is Building A Bridge To Future Innovation -- One Girl At A Time, touting companies who are focused on hiring more women for technology positions. Women are currently under-represented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) jobs, holding fewer than 25 percent of these jobs compared with holding half of all jobs in the US. Companies in STEM industries have difficulty filling positions due to lack of qualified candidates and see women as a way to fill the resource

Friendship 2.0: Teens’ technology use promotes sense of belonging, identity

Monday, October 22, 2012

With adolescents seemingly glued to cell phones and social networking websites, experts are investigating whether the near-constant digital activity changes youths’ development. A new study from the University of Washington shows that digital media helps teens reach developmental milestones, such as fostering a sense of belonging and sharing personal problems. But the study also raised questions about whether digital connectedness might hinder the development of an autonomous sense of self. Katie Davis, an assistant professor in the UW Information School and an expert on digital media

iSchool enrollment grows 12%

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Every degree program at the University of Washington Information School experienced year-over-year growth in 2012. Overall, the school added 87 new students, expanding from 721 to 808 matriculating students. The undergraduate Informatics program grew from 184 to 216 students. The iSchool plans to continue growth in this program over the next several years, eventually expanding to more than 300 students. The graduate programs also increased, with the master of library and information science program adding 12 students for a total of 373, and the master of science in information management

First iMentor event features Serials Solutions

Monday, October 15, 2012

The iSchool held its inaugural iMentor event with Fremont-based, Serials Solutions on October 12. iMentor events are designed to connect iSchool students with information professionals at premium iAffiliate partners to help them develop their professional networks. The event also serves to connect the featured partner with students they might want to hire.  This iMentor event was organized by the iSchool with Serials Solutions staff members Shari Fox, Chanell Ortiz and iSchool Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) A

Mismatch between graduates research competencies and employer needs

Monday, October 15, 2012

Findings from Project Information Literacy's (PIL's) latest research study about lifelong learning and workplace information literacy found there is a distinct difference between the information competencies and strategies today’s graduates bring with them to the workplace and the broader skill set that more seasoned employers need and expect. The exploratory study's findings are based on interviews with 23 different employers in the U.S. and 33 "recent graduates" from four different college and universities conducted earlier this year as part of a federally funded study through the Insti

Barbara Endicott-Popovsky interviewed by the media on Cybersecurity

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness month and the iSchool resident expert on Cybersecurity, Barbara Endicott-Popovsky, has been interviewed by the media on topics from careers in security for people leaving the Washington National Guard to trends in cyber warfare occupying the mind of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She is also teaching a new Information Security online course through University of Washington Professional and Continuing Education and their partnership with Coursera that attracted more than 22,000 students, underscoring the publi

Karen Fisher to research immigrant minority youth as info intermediaries

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

It is often youth who teach their parents about technology and provide everyday information. This is even more pronounced for immigrant communities where young people have a better grasp of English and often help their families navigate daily situations. In the United States, one in nine people are foreign born and most public libraries serve growing populations of non-English speaking immigrants. The $460K research grant awarded to iSchool Professor Karen Fisher from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will enable her to examine this phenomenon by conducting Teen Desig

iSchool launches new website

Monday, October 1, 2012

The Information School is pleased and excited to announce the launch of our newly-redesigned website. The new site features: A look and feel with a lighter, open and modern design New information architecture that offers specific content for future and current students, faculty and staff, and alumni and partners Easy-to-use navigation and page content that supports better readability UW’s first fluidly responsive website that delivers a better user experience across all devices A fun, interactive feature which calls out the personalities of the iSchool More social media tools

iSchool stars in new documentary

Monday, October 1, 2012

A new, 60-minute documentary film about the UW Information School and its work titled "iOn the Future" debuted on UWTV on Sept. 18. The film was conceived as part of the iSchool's celebration of its centennial year of 2011-12, and to draw attention to the school's faculty and the social impact of their research. Mike Eisenberg, the first dean of the iSchool and now dean emeritus, talks about the 100-year history of what began as a library program with 8 students in 1911 to its expansion as the first Information School with almost 800 students. There are now almos