Winter 2015 eNewsletter
Lovingly referred to as the "pink motel", the School of Information building located at 1515 East First Street will soon play host to the University of Arizona Writing Program.
Pink Motel Farewell
Join us on December 10, 2015 from 4:30-6:30 PM to honor 41 years of countless memories as the new School of Information checks out of the "pink motel" and into the Harvill building!

A combination of what was once the School of Information Resources & Library Science (SIRLS) and the School of Information: Science, Technology, and Arts (SISTA), our new home will play host to faculty and students engaged in research and learning around all facets of the information sciences, without regard for disciplinary boundaries.  RSVP today!
What's New?
Brian Atkinson recognized by Arizona Blue Chip Program

Professor Brian Atkinson, lecturer with the School of Information, was recently honored by the Arizona Blue Chip Program in recognition for serving as a mentor to Arizona Blue Chip student, Alonna Truitt.  In regards to her mentor, Alonna had the following words of praise:
 
"Brian Atkinson is an extraordinary professor who shows great interest in his students. He is very engaging and thorough while teaching; he takes the time to explain material in such a way that everyone understands regardless of their initial understanding of the subject. Through his constructivist teaching style, Mr. Atkinson finds innovative ways to demonstrate his point (i.e. interactive activities, short films, class discussions). He encourages the class to work collaboratively in order to prepare us for our academic and professional careers. He also makes himself available to answer questions and expand on concepts, outside of class. All in all, Brian Atkinson goes above and beyond to ensure the academic excellence of those he teaches." 

Congratulations, Brian!
Tucson Festival of Books: SI in Science City

Be creative with an interactive digital generative art installation! Join the School of Information at the upcoming Tucson Festival of Books, March 12-13, 2016, as we celebrate S.T.E.M. literacy in Science City.  Learn how information informs all aspects of real-world issues from artificial intelligence to computational art creation to entertainment technologies.

The Tucson Festival of Books is a local celebration that  attracts more than 130,000 book-lovers to the UA campus each year. Click the link for more information about this two-day event and stay tuned to hear more about the School of Information booth
Fall Graduation Celebration: 
December 18, 2015 

Join the School of Information as we celebrate our Fall graduates! The program begins at 9:00 AM and will be approximately 90 minutes in length. Participating graduates will need to attend rehearsal and be present for line-up by 8:00 AM on the day of the event. 

Please RSVP by December 11th with the number of guests attending. For complete details, please visit the Fall 2015 Graduation Event Information page. All SI students and friends are invited to attend. We hope to see you there! 
Research & Learning
South Africa to Welcome Dr. Jamie Lee 

In early October, School of Information professor, Dr. Jamie Lee, accepted an invitation to be a Special Speaker this February at the 7th International Conference on Information Law and Ethics in Pretoria, South Africa. Her presentation, titled "Archival Bodies: Ethos and Ethics of Embodied Productions", will showcase her work asking what it means to approach the archives as bodies and bodies as archives, with particular regard for ethical methodologies, methods, and information literacies. Read Abstract

Cracchiolo Law Library Fellowship Program

Throughout the years, The University of Arizona James E. College of Law has benefitted from having a library school on campus, and in 2000, the Cracchiolo Law Library launched the Law Library Fellowship program.  It was the culmination of an idea Associate Dean for Information Services, Michael Chiorazzi, had been contemplating and planning for several years. Dean Chiorazzi saw the importance of experienced librarians mentoring the next generation of law librarians, as well as the value of providing new librarians with teaching experience before they enter the professional world.  He drew much of his inspiration from his mentor, the late Marian Gallagher, Professor and Director Emerita from the University of Washington's School of Law.  In 1940, Professor Gallagher began what was at the time the only law librarianship program in the United States.  Her graduates have shaped the profession of law librarianship.  Continue reading
SI Business Roundtable: Connecting with
Local Leaders

Seeking advice on teaching, research, and service, the School of Information hosted a Business Roundtable luncheon on December 1st, inviting a small group of business and government agency leaders to discuss a variety of shared interests.  This roundtable offered an excellent opportunity to connect with local companies who provided feedback on SI curriculum, pedagogy, research projects, internships, and student success.

By engaging with these leaders, SI faculty can ensure that students are obtaining the knowledge, skills, and attitude needed to enter the workforce across multiple industries.  Business  and government agency  leaders interested in helping shape the future of the new School of Information, please email us to inquire about our February 2016 roundtable. 
Cui Named Jury Chair of ASIST

School of Information faculty and member of Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIST), Hong Cui, has been appointed the Jury Chair of 2016 ASIST Proquest Doctoral Dissertation Award. Early 2016, the jury will solicit nominations from the Deans/Directors of Ph.D. granting LIS schools. More information on this prestigious award can be found on the ASIST website
Donor Gratitude
HP Sprout at SI

Thanks to the efforts of adjunct professor, Richard Chabran, Hewlett-Packard ( HP) has provided the School of Information with an HP Sprout! The Sprout is an integrated desktop 3D scanning solution with 3D object capture and editing. 

Initially, Richard will use the Sprout to deliver content through the Murkutu  content management system for "LIS 553: Issues in Culture and Information Technology". We are also seeking students to work on class projects that can take advantage of 3D scanning, editing, and printing. Students interested in participating should contact their course instructor or SI Director, Bryan Heidorn.

In This Issue
Quick Links
Alumni Spotlight

Dennis Everette
2014 Graduate 

Learn more about Dennis' post-grad life navigating the Muncie (Indiana) Public Library system and his advice for future School of Information students. 

Upcoming Events
Pink Motel Farewell
December 10, 2015 
Link
SI Fall
 Graduation
December 18, 2015 
Link
ALISE Conference
January 5-8, 2016 
Link
ALA Midwinter Conference
January 8-12, 2016 
Link
International Conference on Information Law and Ethics
February 22-23, 2016 
Link
Critical Librarianship and Pedagogy Symposium
February 25-26, 2016 
Link
Tucson Festival of Books
March 12-13, 2016 
Link
iConference
March 20-23, 2016 
Link
Microsoft Research Symposium
March 21-23, 2016 
Link
Job Opportunities with SI
The School of Information invites applications for the following positions:
Adjunct Instructor
Posting #  F20126
Assistant Professor, NTE
Posting # F20296
Click the link for the full job description. Please direct all inquiries to :
si-info@email.arizona.edu 
SI Voices
Andrea Castillo Lara

"The eSociety program was probably one of the best decisions of my college career and it led me to many exciting opportunities. I interned with Tucson Fashion Week while in school and am now the Marketing & Social Media Manager, covering all platforms including the website. I handle the graphic design and advertising material as well and needless to say it's been an exciting ride thus far. What eSociety provided was more than insight on the digital world, but rather, a diverse curriculum that allowed me to integrate what I learned into any industry. Currently, I am working in fashion while starting a blog that involves a look at the Tucson community and culture.

My advice to future graduates would be to focus on their personal interests while in the program, since many professors allow you to take creative control on projects. Fashion and Tucson culture were the running themes throughout many of my final projects which allowed me to build a fairly cohesive portfolio for future jobs."