MLIS is former journalist's path to a fresh start

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Master of Library and Information Science student Jennifer Sheffield grew up in libraries. Carrying home armfuls of books, she described herself as a “voracious reader.” She loved that libraries provided a community where learning is encouraged and curiosity is promoted. Along with easy access to libraries, an accelerated learning program helped Sheffield build a sound literary background, but she recognized that she was getting opportunities that her peers were not.“I think that was my first subconscious understanding of privilege,” she said. As an online MLIS student at the

Luminaries convene at UW to envision Black Information Futures

Monday, March 9, 2026

“The ability to remember is a form of power.”This quote by author and theorist bell hooks was emblazoned across cards given to everyone who attended February’s Black Information Futures Symposium. It was a reminder that the work of collecting, preserving and envisioning information has power that reverberates beyond the halls of academia, beyond even a lifetime.Tracie D. Hall convened the Symposium as part of her Distinguished Practitioner in Residence role at the University of Washington Information School. Invoking the work of hooks, Seattle author Octavia Butler, and Black librar

In return, Research Fair is bigger and livelier than ever

Friday, March 6, 2026

Curiosity, conversation and connection took center stage as the Information School celebrated the work of its research community. On the evening of March 5, the HUB Ballroom echoed with lively discussion as researchers gathered for the return of the Information School Research Fair as an in-person event for the first time since 2019. Organized by Professor and Associate Dean for Research Jevin West, the event marked a significant moment for the Information School to return after seven years.“Research is an endeavor that requires interaction, and we just need to be doing that m

Professor advocates for intellectual property rights in world of AI

Friday, March 6, 2026

Although artificial intelligence models can efficiently produce content, they are trained to scrape pre-existing works without direct attribution. As AI becomes more advanced, concerns about the protection of creator ownership continue to grow.With these violations of individual ownership in mind, iSchool Professor Adam Moore discusses the importance of intellectual property in his new book, “Intellectual Property: Moral and Legal Foundations.”“With all the bells and whistles, along with the more complicated systems to come, AI is not intelligent,” Moore writes. “These systems d

Information School honors 2 Ph.D. students with teaching awards

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Teaching assistants Jesse Brisbois and Tessa Rose Campbell were recently recognized for the impact they’ve made in the classroom. Through the TA and Pre-Doctoral Lectureship Awards, the University of Washington Information School honors TAs who strive for excellence. Advised by iSchool Associate Professor Clarita Lefthand-Begay, Brisbois is a fourth-year student in the Ph.D. program. She received the TA Award. As a TA for INFO 300 Research Methods, Brisbois said she found many benefits of teaching a research course. “When I started teaching, I was not confident in

Informatics class helps UW students get a handle on AI

Saturday, February 28, 2026

Students today are being asked to engage with artificial intelligence in all aspects of their lives — in their personal lives, education and careers. But it’s a complex topic and so new that it’s difficult to understand how AI works and how it can be used responsibly.A new class from the University of Washington Information School aims to help students across the university gain a broad understanding of AI. Ben Lee (pictured at top), an assistant professor at the Information School, recently taught a pilot of the class, AI Fundamentals, and he will teach it again in spring quar

MSIM students, alumni talk sustainability at summit

Friday, February 20, 2026

About 50 online students and several alumni from the Information School’s Master of Science in Information Management program discussed sustainability in information management at the fourth annual MSIM Online Student Summit.The Feb. 6-7 summit began with a Friday evening welcome reception in Kane Hall. Dean Anind Dey welcomed MSIM online students and alumni to the Seattle campus and UW community. “As online students, you are deeply embedded in your professional lives and communities around the world, and today you're physically here,” he told them.Dey introduced this year

As technology changes, our academic mission adapts

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

I have invited Amy J. Ko, Professor and Associate Dean for Academics, to write about our educational mission and how, 25 years in, the Information School is adapting to meet the current moment.— Anind K. Dey, Dean and ProfessorThe ways we seek and use information are constantly evolving. Oral traditions gave way to early writing systems and eventually the printing press. Mass media expanded from newspapers to radio and television, and then later the internet and social media took hold. Each development has transformed society, and we are in another transformational moment now with the emerge

Professor begins series of talks on 'Being Human in the Age of AI'

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

AI’s increasing integration into modern life has sparked fear and uncertainty among the public. With that in mind, Information School Professor Chirag Shah has started a series of talks on the uniqueness of being human amid the rise of artificial intelligence. Shah kicked off the two-year series Jan. 26 with an online presentation titled “Being Human in the Age of AI.” Shah sought to provide his audience with a set of deeper questions concerning AI’s impact on the collective future of humanity.  The series is hosted by Humanities Washington, a non-profit organi

Students dive into software design at Winfo Hackathon

Friday, January 30, 2026

The HUB ballroom filled with the clicks of keyboards and conversation as University of Washington students collaborated during the 14th annual Winfo Hackathon. Over the course of 12 hours, students swam together in the currents of innovation, pushing the boundaries of creativity and ingenuity in the vast ocean of software design. The Hackathon is beginner-friendly and directed toward Informatics underclassmen, though the event welcomes students from all majors and class standings. A total of 341 attendees showed up, ready for the all-day event on Jan. 24, including 256 part

Society + Tech initiative leads lively talk on privacy, surveillance

Monday, January 26, 2026

Would you want police to use facial recognition technology to identify you while you walk down the street? While it’s prohibited in King County, some cities have allowed police to access large surveillance networks that constantly scan people’s faces. The University of Washington Society + Technology initiative discussed concerns about such technology at an after-hours event called “Who’s Watching? Privacy and Urban Surveillance.”On the evening of Jan. 12, chatter filled the event room at Halcyon Brewing Co. in Seattle before Monika Sengul-Jones, the initiative's director of str

Beverly Cleary's legacy lives on through endowed professorship

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Michelle H. Martin’s office is warm, inviting, and overflowing with books. Her desk and shelves are filled with reading material for children, young people, and those who write for and about them. A Ramona Quimby doll in a striped outfit smiles mischievously from the corner. Martin (pictured at top), who has been the Beverly Cleary Endowed Professor in Children and Youth Services since 2016, takes inspiration from Cleary and other sources.“I think that Beverly Cleary and I are on the same page about the importance of meeting kids where they are, and meeting families where they are to

For Capstone, Informatics students act as attackers

Monday, January 12, 2026

As cybersecurity and artificial intelligence intersect, they introduce both new capabilities and potential risks. To better understand these dynamics, Informatics students in INFO 492 devised cybersecurity attack and defense simulations for their final Capstone projects.  INFO 492 offers an accelerated one-quarter alternative to the Informatics Capstone requirement, which typically takes two quarters to complete. Information School guest faculty member Frank Martinez designed the course this past fall around a central theme of cybersecurity and AI. Martinez organized s

Students hone skills in series of career events

Monday, January 12, 2026

In a competitive job market, skills, relationships and preparation all matter. For Lucas Moe, the Information School’s associate director for career services, a connection with a local tech leader over volleyball led to a series of opportunities for iSchool students. Career Services staff partnered with tech company Provn, which focuses on preparing students and applicants for AI-driven careers. To date, they have offered a series of three case studies — intensive workshops where students can practice their skills in a supportive environment. Hosted in October and November, the challe

Professor, Ph.D. alum honored for smartphone accessibility research

Saturday, January 10, 2026

In the late 2000s, one touchscreen device was suddenly able to handle a person’s calls, texts, music, email and web navigation. Information School Professor Jacob O. Wobbrock and then-Ph.D. student Shaun Kane recognized that as smartphones revolutionized technology’s place in people’s lives, those with disabilities were at risk of being left behind.Through interviews and a diary study, they studied how people with visual and motor impairments used and adapted mobile devices to match their abilities. Their team’s resulting paper, “Freedom to Roam,” was recently honored wit