Q&A: Why social media rarely leads to constructive political action

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

While social media platforms are rife with problems — from harassment to misinformation — many argue that the platforms also nurture political movements, such as the Arab Spring and #MeToo.But in her new book “Log Off: Why Posting and Politics (Almost) Never Mix,” Katherine Cross, a University of Washington doctoral student in the Information School, argues that social media may not have much political value. Focused on movements on the political left, Cross looks at how platforms like X and Facebook might bring attention to political causes, yet they do little to cultivate lasting cha

In retirement, David Levy keeps taking a mindful approach

Thursday, June 27, 2024

Fresh off a prestigious job with a Silicon Valley think tank, David Levy came to the UW iSchool in 2000 with a radical idea: What would it mean to look at technology from a contemplative perspective?“I’ve spent more than 20 years trying to answer that question,” says the recently retired professor emeritus, a computer scientist and meditator who made headlines when he first introduced contemplative practices into his iSchool classroom in 2006.Students embraced the slower approach to learning, practicing intentional breathing and taking meditative walks to quiet and focus minds. For some,

Library Journal names 2 iSchool alumni 'Movers & Shakers'

Thursday, June 20, 2024

Library Journal selected two iSchool Master of Library and Information Science graduates as Movers and Shakers in its 22nd annual celebration of up-and-coming leaders in the library field. Huda Shaltry, ’18, and Monnee Tong, ’12, were among 50 people from around the world who LJ recognized for their “innovative, proactive, and supportive work.” Shaltry is a branch manager at the Boise Public Library’s Hillcrest branch and the legislative chair of the Idaho Library Association. Shaltry was an activist even as a student and continues to remain committed to

International students are integral to the iSchool experience

Monday, June 10, 2024

I recently had the pleasure of traveling to China for the first time since before the pandemic. My trip centered around the annual iConference, a gathering of leaders from more than 120 iSchools around the world, but it also offered an opportunity to explore new places, catch up with old friends, and sample some amazing food. The biggest highlight of all was the people I met, including several alumni of the UW Information School.I went to dinner with a group of MSIM alumni in Beijing, and it was inspiring to hear them rave about their experiences in Seattle and what their iSchool education has

iSchool Convocation celebrates more than 500 graduating students

Saturday, June 8, 2024

The University of Washington Information School honored graduating students from its undergraduate and graduate programs at Convocation on June 1 at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. More than 500 students walked across the stage, while about 2,000 attendees were on hand to celebrate their graduates.The ceremony began with remarks from Dean Anind K. Dey, who encouraged graduates to honor all the individuals and communities who helped support them through their academic journeys. Before introducing the keynote speaker, Dey encouraged the graduating students to bask in their accomplishments for a mom

Informatics students help Google improve bug reporting

Thursday, June 6, 2024

Google, like many other companies, utilizes manual and automated processes to investigate security vulnerabilities (otherwise known as bugs or threats) detected by users of its products and services. Given the influx of user- and AI-generated bug reports, many of them are duplicates, rendering 90% of bug reports unactionable.With insufficient quality control in place, Google’s internal review team wastes time trying to triage and find the answer to a pre-existing bug. Meanwhile, users waste time submitting bug reports as well.For their Capstone project at the Information School, five Informa

MSIM students create dashboard to visualize health data

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

As the largest state in New England and the most sparsely populated state on the East Coast, Maine has a population that is unique, hardy, and accustomed to the long winters and so-called “Northern Attitude” for which the region is known. Mainers also face many of the same health issues as the rest of the U.S. – some of which are pervasive and even lethal. To explore health discrepancies in Maine, a group of four Master of Science in Information Management students at the University of Washington Information School set a goal for their 2023-2024 academic year: a Capstone p

Students show real-world impact of Capstone projects

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

The North Ballroom at the University of Washington HUB was abuzz with excitement as students, project sponsors, faculty and staff, and guests celebrated the announcement of this year’s Capstone award recipients. The May 30 award ceremony was the final activity of this year’s annual Capstone Gala Event. Each year, Information School students in the Bachelor of Science in Informatics, Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) and Master of Science in Information Management (MSIM) programs participate in Capstone, their culminating learning experience. Students

MLIS Capstone team helps EarthLab show its impact

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

At its core, the goal of the University of Washington EarthLab is easy enough to explain. EarthLab connects various communities, sectors and disciplines with the UW to create equitable solutions to climate change. Understanding the big picture of how the EarthLab does that work, however, and seeing how the pieces connect, is more complicated. EarthLab wanted a way to make its work easier to understand. In particular, it wanted to be able to show how its larger network, including tribes, students, nonprofits and other academic institutions, are connected. EarthLab hopes showing the places,

Social media sentiment analysis rooted in history, lecturer says

Thursday, May 23, 2024

Dr. Wendy Hui Kyong Chun began the 2024 Ed Mignon Distinguished Lecture with a seemingly innocuous phrase: “How are you?”Chun, a professor at Simon Fraser University and a Canada 150 Research Chair, told the researchers, students and others at the University of Washington HUB that the roots of modern social media can be traced to social scientists’ studies conducted nearly a century ago.Examining how social media companies track users’ feelings, Chun connected a five-year study of workers near Chicago in the 1930s to the modern state of “bossware.” This technology is used by employ

Symposium showcases Informatics students' research

Thursday, May 23, 2024

Thirteen Information School students presented their research at the 2024 Undergraduate Research Symposium on May 17. They were among more than 1,200 students from across the University of Washington who participated in oral presentations and poster displays.One of the sessions, on “The Promise and Limits of Technology for Improving Health and Functioning,” included a poster presentation by first-year Informatics student Isabel Amaya and her group titled “iCare — A More Accessible Solution to Mental Health.” Amaya and her research group examined user comfort and challenges with the d

Informatics students wrangle data for legal-aid organization

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Need a low-cost, low-maintenance, highly intuitive and easily replicated solution to your data troubles? The self-dubbed “Legal Ladies” have you covered.  At least that’s the product the group of five undergrad UW Information School students delivered to Sound Legal Aid as their Capstone project.Formerly known as Thurston County Volunteer Legal Services, Sound Legal Aid provides free legal advice on civil matters such as tenant rights or domestic violence to low-income residents in Thurston, Mason, Grays Harbor, Lewis and Pacific counties. Despite having a team of 15 paid staff

MSIM team uses AI to battle bias in hiring

Monday, May 20, 2024

Flipping through resumes can be a tedious task. Even as the hiring process has digitized, combing through hundreds if not thousands of resumes often is a manual chore that takes hours. Worse, this initial sorting can introduce bias into hiring.A team of graduate students from the University of Washington Information School has developed a possible solution. The team created a program that uses artificial intelligence to extract key points from job descriptions and rank resumes based on those requirements.The goal is to match the ideal candidate with the desired experience and skills while elim

Media literacy coalition brings MisinfoDay to California

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Inspired by the annual MisinfoDay co-organized through a statewide partnership between the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public and Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, a local media literacy coalition in Monterey County, California adapted the educational program to host the first MisinfoDay in the Golden State on May 7.Nearly 100 students from six high schools in Monterey County participated in MisinfoDay California workshops on algorithmic bias and identifying fake or misleading online information, and interactive activities, inclu

MLIS students document young people's censorship stories

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Within a few weeks of its launch in April 2022, Books Unbanned went viral. Amid growing censorship campaigns, the initiative, which offers any teenager or young adult in the U.S. a library card granting free access to Brooklyn Public Library’s digital collections, was flooded with hundreds of applications a day. Amy Mikel, MLIS ’12, director of customer experience at Brooklyn Public Library, was helping to process applications, which include a question for the young readers about the impacts of censorship.“I started sitting with the weight of these stories, thinking that we hav