Ph.D. candidate Ivette Bayo Urban interviewed on Net Neutrality

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

iSchool doctoral candidate Ivette Bayo Urban was interviewed on KIRO Radio on Monday, Dec. 11, to discuss Net Neutrality. Bayo Urban and KIRO host Zak Burns discussed how Net Neutrality regulations prevent internet service providers from discriminating or charging different amounts for certain users or certain content. Despite widespread public support for Net Neutrality, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has scheduled a vote for Thursday, Dec. 14, for the FCC to eliminate the regulations. “Removing Net Neutrality means that the individuals and entities that value

Alumnus John Cole featured in Library of Congress magazine

Monday, December 11, 2017

Information School alumnus John Cole discussed his long, distinguished career in the latest issue of Library of Congress magazine. Cole, a 1966 graduate of what was then the University of Washington School of Librarianship, has served in leadership roles during his 50-year career with the Library of Congress. He was the founding director of its Center for the Book, which was created by a 1977 law, and is the author of several books about the institution. He has played a key role in the library’s National Book Festival, which attracts more than 80,000 visitors, and chairs its Literacy Awar

iSchool faculty prominent at national data ethics forum

Friday, December 8, 2017

The University of Washington Information School had a strong presence at a high-level roundtable on data science Friday, Dec. 8, in Washington, D.C. The daylong meeting and webcast, held by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, brought together data scientists and educators to discuss how to define and strengthen existing data science programs and how to best engage and retain data science students. Three faculty members from the iSchool were part of the discussions, which centered around the ethical and privacy dimensions of data science research. Assistant Pro

MSIM student digs into research on small icons, big data

Thursday, December 7, 2017

In one research study, iSchool master’s student Erin McAweeney investigates whether the icons on our computers and mobile devices make sense to young users. In another project, she endeavors to find out what can be learned from a massive set of data on e-book and e-reader usage around the world. While those avenues of research may sound vastly different, this Master of Science in Information Management student does see something they have in common. “While they’re radically different in their aims and goals, there is this underlying thread of, ‘Who is using technology and how? An

2 iSchool alumni named ALA Emerging Leaders

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Information School alumnae Twanna Hodge, ’15, and Katherine Van Arsdale, ’17, are among those named to the American Library Association’s 2018 class of Emerging Leaders. The Emerging Leaders program is designed to enable library staff and information workers to participate in project planning, network with peers, learn about the ALA structure, and take on leadership responsibilities early in their careers. Maureen Sullivan and Audrey Barbakoff, co-chairs of the Emerging Leaders program, said they look forward to working with this year's cohort of early career leaders who are eager

Informatics student sees a world of opportunity in computer vision

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Informatics student Chris Oh discovered a fascination in what computers “see.” The expanding field of computer vision (CV) teaches computers how to recognize patterns in digital images and videos. The technology enables self-driving cars, traffic monitoring, innovative video games and sorting mail by reading hand-written zip codes. It’s in factory robots monitoring for problems and in our cameras’ ability to recognize faces. Oh pursued his interest in CV by auditing a computer science class and taking online classes to learn more. The next step was to volunteer for hands-on work

iSchool Ph.D. student, alumna honored with ALISE awards

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Information School doctoral student J. Elizabeth Mills and Ph.D. alumna Rachel Ivy Clarke have been honored with research awards from the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE). Mills was the lead author of the winning paper in the Bohdan S. Wynar Research Paper Competition.  The award is given to a paper that further stimulates the communication of research at ALISE annual meetings. As the winner, Mills will be honored at the ALISE annual meeting in February 2018. Mills also won the ALISE / UW Information School Youth Services Graduate Student Travel Awa

For Lecturer Ott Toomet, data pointed to the iSchool

Monday, November 27, 2017

Ott Toomet’s path to the iSchool was circuitous. “I started as a physicist, but found there were very little applications for my astrophysics degree.” Toomet, a new iSchool senior lecturer, turned his attention to economics because of his interest in social issues. Economics, he says, is not that different from physics. “It was a change, but not a huge change. Physics is very mathematical and formal, as is economics.” His career includes a Ph.D. in Economics, 2005, from Aarhus University in Denmark and a role as assistant professor and senior research fellow in the Depar

Will an app get kids outdoors? Researchers dig in

Monday, November 20, 2017

Can a mobile app connect kids with nature? University of Washington Information School Assistant Professor Katie Davis and Ph.D. student Saba Kawas are on a quest to find out. Davis and Kawas are recruiting students for a research seminar this winter during which their team will study the effectiveness of a beta Android mobile app called NatureCollections. The researchers want to find out if the app affects the amount of time that children spend outside and whether it increases their interest in nature. The NatureCollections app builds on elementary-school-aged children’s innate de

On KUOW, iSchool's Hoffmann talks Facebook and revenge porn

Monday, November 13, 2017

Anna Lauren Hoffmann, an assistant professor at the University of Washington Information School, appeared on KUOW radio on Thursday, Nov. 9, to discuss Facebook’s new initiative to prevent “revenge porn” and other explicit images from appearing on the site without consent. In testing its new tools, Facebook is asking users in Australia to take preventive measures by sending such images and videos to the company, which will then use artificial intelligence and photo-matching technologies to prevent people from posting the same content publicly. Hoffmann, who specializes in data ethi

iSchool kicks off Diversity Month

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

The University of Washington Information School kicked off its annual Diversity Month with a lunch and reception on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ, the Intellectual House on the UW campus. Cynthia del Rosario, the iSchool’s diversity programs advisor, said this year’s emphasis is on allyship – taking actions in support of marginalized people and groups. Attendees at the luncheon participated in a discussion of allyship and privilege, sharing examples of personal experiences where they could have been better allies. Diversity Month offers iSchool students, faculty, staff, alum

As state librarian, Cindy Aden is always on the run

Monday, October 30, 2017

As Washington state librarian, Cindy Altick Aden might spend her day at her home base in Tumwater, figuring out how to stretch grant money to serve communities. She might be at a prison library, or she might be visiting a tiny library in one of the most remote parts of the state. She is always on the move, and that’s exactly how she likes it. “There is nothing more satisfying than meeting people face to face and seeing those libraries and getting inspired by all the different resourceful and creative ways that libraries are serving their patrons,” she said. Secretary of State

MSIM alum rose quickly to director role at UWPD

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Editor’s Note: The iSchool was heartbroken to hear of the unexpected passing of MSIM alumnus Del Hazeley on Oct. 16. Shortly before he died, he spoke with us for an alumni profile and viewed the story that follows. We are sharing it with the approval of his colleagues at the UW Police Department to honor Del’s memory, as he had such a lasting impact on faculty, staff, students and alumni across campus. A Master of Science in Information Management degree can take you to unexpected places.  Del Hazeley did not expect to be fighting crime, but that’s all in a day’s work at

For first-generation grad, feelings of guilt and pride

Friday, October 27, 2017

When Christy Pham graduated from the iSchool with a degree in Informatics, her parents proudly cheered. “My parents aren’t native English speakers, so they didn’t necessarily understand the whole ceremony,” Pham said. “But I heard them cheering when my name was called. It was very special.” It was an exciting moment for Pham, made more so because Pham is one of the first in her family to attend college. Pham’s parents, who grew up in Vietnam, were only able to attend school through third grade. Her parents immigrated to the United States, her father in 1986 and her mot

TASCHA research featured in Nature

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Maria Garrido, TASCHA principal research scientist, and Lucas Koepke, TASCHA data analyst‘s work on advancing massive open online courses (MOOCS) for development was featured in the October 19, 2017 issue of Nature, “The shape of work to come.” The article reports on transformations happening across the modern workplace that take advantage of digital technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, cloud computing, data analytics and mobile communications. Various topics are examined throughout the piece, including the automation of work, implications of sourced wor