Scholarship recipient working to support his community

Thursday, April 10, 2025

For senior Informatics student Jonathan Ortiz-Candelaria, "leave everything off the mat" is more than a saying. The words he hears every day at judo practice have become a mantra. As the president of the Judo Club at the University of Washington, he has embraced it as a mindset both on and off the mat.“Learn from your failures, learn from your losses, and keep going,” he said.Ortiz-Candelaria’s life has been defined by perseverance. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, he moved to Washington in the wake of Hurricane Maria, the 2017 storm that was the strongest to hit the island in over a cent

Information School rises to top of U.S. News rankings

Monday, April 7, 2025

The University of Washington Information School rose to a tie for the No. 1 spot in U.S. News & World Report’s latest rankings of U.S. master’s degree programs in library and information science. The magazine’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools” were released Tuesday, April 8.Cindy Aden, chair of the Master of Library and Information Science program, who is herself an alum who returned to the iSchool in 2021 as distinguished practitioner in residence said, “I’ve been waiting impatiently for this particular ranking to catch-up with us and reflect what I’ve always known to b

Intensive Capstone students use AI to improve rural health care

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Overwhelmed and underresourced, health-care providers in rural Washington are struggling to meet patient needs. Students in an Intensive Capstone class stepped in to help bridge this gap and explore potential solutions using AI and Large Language Models (LLMs). The course was designed by Information School guest faculty member Frank Martinez, who comes from a rural community in Yakima Valley. His experiences with disparities in health care inspired him to structure his class around building resources for rural health-care providers. INFO 492, an eight-credit course, is among the iSch

17 iSchool students earn UW Libraries scholarships

Thursday, March 27, 2025

Seventeen iSchool students are among the recipients of UW Libraries 2025 Student Employee Scholarships.Thanks to sponsors from UW Libraries donors, 50 student employees received a $1,000 scholarship award for their work and contributions to the libraries’ operations. Of the iSchool recipients, 14 are from the Master of Library and Information Science program: Phoebe Brand, Sarah Collins, Linnea Davis, Ian Diedrich, April Rayne Duncan, Petra Ellerby, Seth Connor Gandt, Taylor Hazan, Sara Hruska, Sasha Olivia Powers, Heidi Shepard, Hannah Shulski, West Dean Skrobiak-Bales and Jet To.

MLIS students share visions of libraries' future

Thursday, March 27, 2025

Chance Hunt’s winter Future of Libraries course sought to equip students with practical skills to anticipate what lies ahead for libraries and act on trends. He came away impressed by what he saw in their work.“With these students, future libraries will be strong, they will be compassionate, and they will be essential to a thriving community,” said Hunt, an associate teaching professor at the University of Washington Information School.For their final assignment, students were asked to imagine a library and its services 10 years in the future.“What most impressed me was both the variet

Students, teachers, librarians boost media literacy at MisinfoDay

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

More than 500 Washington high school students, teachers and librarians gathered at the University of Washington in Seattle on March 17 for MisinfoDay 2025, an annual event featuring educational workshops, gaming activities and other programming aimed to help participants navigate complex information environments and make informed decisions about what they see online. MisinfoDay is co-organized through a statewide partnership between the UW Center for an Informed Public and Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. The first MisinfoDay was organized by

Touchscreen readers appear to show impact of iSchool research

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Tim Paulding ran his fingers across the smooth glass screen of an iPod Touch for the first time in 2010. He was working as a counselor at a summer camp for blind kids outside Grand Rapids, Michigan, when a friend handed him the then top-of-the-line iPod.Paulding, who is blind, was familiar with Symbian and Windows mobile phones, which featured keyboards with raised buttons. “I loved them — I could type so fast on those keyboards,” he said. Then he felt the iPod touchscreen. “I’m like, ‘Dude, what am I gonna do with a touchscreen?’ It's crazy. I can't feel anything,” Pauldi

Museology exhibition shows students' curatorial skills

Friday, March 14, 2025

The Museology program’s Exhibit Development course teaches the fundamentals of creating a museum exhibition, taking students through the development process from concept to installation. Students recently put their installation skills to the test, presenting four walk-through exhibitions in the Alder Commons. The March 3 exhibits each showcased a central theme, incorporating an interactive element and at least one personal artifact from every group member. Class instructor and iSchool Assistant Teaching Professor Lane Eagles said these pop-up exhibits “are a real testament to [th

MSIM duo among Forbes' '30 Under 30' for social impact

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

One Master of Science in Information Management student and one alum have earned a spot in the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 for Social Impact, a recognition for young innovators making tangible difference in the world. Nishit Bhasin (pictured above, at left), ‘24, and Lakshya Garg (at right), a current MSIM student, co-founded IncSkill during the winter break of 2023 when they were unable to return to their home country of India. While many students take a break from academics during the holidays, Bhasin and Garg spent their time participating in hackathons and product-bu

RAISE expo highlights research on responsible AI

Monday, March 10, 2025

Four Information School Ph.D. students were among the researchers who shared their work at the first RAISE Winter Exposition, a showcase for the group’s research on responsible artificial intelligence.Hosted in the Zillow Commons at the Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science and Engineering, the event highlighted original research, ongoing projects and published work, including that of Nicholas Clark, Preetam Damu, Anna-Maria Gueorguieva and Navreet Kaur. Responsibility in AI Systems and Experiences (RAISE) is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to research and education in the are

New student group supports Muslim Informatics students

Friday, March 7, 2025

Students Safa Jamal, Zareen Tasnim and Naiyyra Abdel Aziz met at the iCommunity Kickoff and Breakfast at the beginning of the 2023-24 academic year. Over fruit plates and bagels at the Husky Union Building, the Informatics majors were inspired to form a new student group. At that event, Anind Dey, dean of the University of Washington Information School, spoke with the crowd of newly admitted students about the importance of welcoming people of all backgrounds.“We got to hear a lot of leaders at the iSchool, such as Dean Dey and Cynthia del Rosario, talk about diversity initiatives,” J

iSchool's first TA and Pre-Doctoral Lecture awards announced

Thursday, March 6, 2025

Teaching assistants and pre-doctoral lecturers play a crucial role in shaping students’ academic experiences. The Information School recently recognized two of them — Ph.D. candidates Erin Beneteau and Mandi Harris — for their contributions in the classroom. Nominated by students, they are the first to receive iSchool TA and Pre-Doctoral Lectureship awards.Beneteau (pictured at left above) has long been involved at the iSchool, working as a TA, a research assistant and as a pre-doctoral lecturer, she recently received her Ph.D at the end of 2024. Her research focuses on the quality of li

Summit speakers call on online MSIM students to innovate responsibly

Thursday, March 6, 2025

Dozens of online students and several alumni from the Information School’s Master of Science in Information Management program gathered at the University of Washington campus for the third annual MSIM Online Student Summit to discuss responsible innovation and artificial intelligence. The Feb. 20-21 summit began with a Friday evening reception at Kane Hall, where iSchool Dean Anind Dey led off with remarks stressing the importance of designing responsible information systems that are secure and values-driven.“The speed at which the tools have increased have made it so that a

Grant funds MLIS students' work in community archives

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Community archives are an important way of preserving knowledge and making it accessible, including for historically marginalized groups whose stories are often ignored or misrepresented. Such archives, however, rarely have the resources they need. A new grant will help address some of that problem while giving iSchool students a chance to gain hands-on experience working with community archives.Marika Cifor, an associate professor at the University of Washington Information School and the principal investigator on the project, has been awarded a $850,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation. Cifo

Museology student group aims to strengthen bonds

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Museums play an important role in learning, storytelling and community, and UW Museology students have fostered a place on campus for just that.The two-year Museology master’s program features a cohort model to connect students with peers in hands-on learning scenarios. To help build a sense of community and engage with the iSchool more broadly, students recently formed MUSER, a registered student organization.The RSO’s primary mission is to foster an inclusive and supportive environment, providing opportunities for professional growth and meaningful connections with the UW network at larg