From the Director's Chair
Fall semester is in full swing and there are so many things to be thankful for. One thing I am especially appreciating is the simple pleasure of life at UW: lively hallways, seeing colleagues and students, meetings without a headset. Read More >>
iSchool News .
For fourteen years members of the iSchool have been working together with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe (Gaa-Miskwaabikaang) as part of the Tribal Libraries, Archives and Museums (TLAM) program. Read More >>
In September the iSchool added a new undergraduate degree, a BA/BS degree in Information Science. It was developed to meet demand from students interested in exploring the intersection between technology and human values. Read More >>
iSchool Assistant Professor Ian Hutchins was awarded a prestigious Minerva Initiative Award grant to study how artificial intelligence, including machine learning, is changing the way the Department of Defense is evaluating its work as a funder of science research.
Congratulations to Professor Rebekah Willett who was recently awarded a Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorship. This award is among the most prestigious granted by UW–Madison and is awarded to recognize distinguished scholarship, outstanding efforts in teaching and service. Read More >>
Student Profiles
Second-year iSchool student Oluwademilade Oloyede has LIS interests that range from public to academic libraries and archives. Hailing from Nigeria and a member of the Yoruba tribe, Oloyede’s experience with libraries looks a little different from those in North America. Read More >>
"A lot of people in technology want to study programming,” said MS Information student Satvik Shukla, “I was a little different, I wanted to know what was happening in the background and how technology interacts with information." Read More >>
During the first week of classes Grossinger heard news that changed her academic plans. “I was in my Human Factors of Information Security class and a fellow student mentioned the information science major had launched. I was totally surprised." Read More >>
Alumni News .
Alumni Profiles
When Chandra Prabha arrived in Madison fifty years ago, she did not know what her future would hold. A chance encounter and a sense of ease at a branch of the Madison Public Library led Prabha to choose a career in Library Science. Read More >>
Karen Brown (MA’77) is the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award. A longtime Badger, Brown first came to UW as an undergrad and earned a master’s degree at the then named School of Library and Information Studies. Read More >>

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Alumni Updates
Kristin Briney (MA’13) and Becky Yoose (MA’08) published a book together earlier in the year: Managing Data for Patron Privacy: Comprehensive Strategies for Libraries.

Jeff Hancks (MA’02) is in his 18th year at Western Illinois University where he directs the Bachelor of Arts in General Studies degree program for University Libraries and is a full professor of Higher Education Leadership in the Department of Counselor Education and College Student Personnel. He is based on the Quad Cities campus in Moline.

Walt Johnson (MA’90) retired this summer from Hennepin County Library (Minnesota) after 28+ years where he served as the U.S. Patent & Trademark Resource Center representative in the Business/Science/Gov't Documents division. In August he moved to Los Angeles to start anew with his significant other, Alejandro, after being in a long distance relationship for many years. He will not miss the Minnesota winters.

John Kromer (MA’11) started a new job as the Associate University Librarian for Research & Engagement at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. In addition, John was awarded the 2022 PAM Achievement Award for the Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics Division (PAM) of the Special Libraries Association.

Tessa Michaelson Schmidt (MA’05) was selected as the new director of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), a library in the School of Education at UW–Madison.

Laura Olsen (MA’93) is serving a one-year term on the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Communications Committee, which serves as the editorial board for the Wisconsin Lawyer magazine. Additionally she was appointed to a one-year term by the American Association of Law Libraries to serve on the Body of Knowledge (BoK) Review Special Committee.

Brenda Pierce McGuigan (MA’92) is the Anywhere Library Coordinator (Mobile Services) for Timberland Regional Library in Tumwater Washington.

Angela Pratesi (MA’13) is the Head Librarian and Associate Professor of the Music Library and Bill Schurk Sound Archives at Bowling Green State University.

Sarah Pritchard (MA’77) has retired after a 45-year career, the last 16 as the Dean of Libraries at Northwestern University.

Charley Seavey (PhD’87) is retired and volunteering as research associate at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum is Essex, Massachusetts. He is also a member of the town Government and By-laws Committee, in his home town of Rockport, Massachusetts.

Anna Wong (MA’99) started a new position as Director of Library Services, SUNY Canton.
 Jottings is the alumni newsletter of the Information School
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