Category Archives: Announcements

February 26, 2021 By Hillary Tune

Alumna Rachel Gammons Finds Her Calling in Academic Libraries and Information Literacy

When Rachel Gammons (’12) had to teach her first synchronous class online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she pulled herself back to a few years ago when she was in the MSIS program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, so she could extract the parts of her experience that made her feel connected to faculty and other students in virtual classrooms.

“I want it to feel like a real, holistic and complete learning experience for them. You definitely have more perspective as an online teacher if you have been an online student,” Gammons said.

Coming Full Circle

As the head … Read more “Alumna Rachel Gammons Finds Her Calling in Academic Libraries and Information Literacy”

Announcements

February 18, 2021 By Hillary Tune

Alum Anna Galyon on Working at One of the ‘Coolest Places in the World’ – ORNL’s Library

Even the most skilled and advanced researchers in the world still need to be able to access other information to support their work, so when researchers at Oak Ridge National Lab need a journal article or technical manuscript, they know where to go: the ORNL library.

The library was established in 1943, with a history dating back to around the same time as the inception of the Manhattan Project, said Anna Galyon (’09), the library’s manager and a School of Information Sciences alumna.

“I think I work in one of the coolest places in the world. The lab does cutting … Read more “Alum Anna Galyon on Working at One of the ‘Coolest Places in the World’ – ORNL’s Library”

February 9, 2021 By Hillary Tune

SIS Assistant Professor Ben Horne to Moderate Panel on Social Media and the Rise of Extremism

SIS Assistant Professor Ben Horne has focused much of his research on how misinformation and disinformation spreads online – a topic that has been pushed to the forefront this past year as internet conspiracy theories and extremism have been connected to the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot. While it may be a fairly new concept for the general public, Horne and others who conduct similar research have long known about this insidious dark side of the internet.

“There’s a lot of people who have opinions on extremism on platforms because it’s gained mainstream light due to recent events, but … Read more “SIS Assistant Professor Ben Horne to Moderate Panel on Social Media and the Rise of Extremism”

January 22, 2021 By Hillary Tune

CCI’s 43rd Annual Research Symposium Presented in New All-Virtual Format

The College of Communication and Information’s Annual Research Symposium is returning for its 43^rdyear on March 1, 2021, in a brand-new format designed to not only be completely virtual, but also to better foster and facilitate audience interaction.

“We’ve been paying attention this whole year to format and participation in all sorts of virtual meetings, and we took all of those best practices to try to make this a really enjoyable event that is consistent with our previous years,” said Amy Forrester, assistant director of the Center for Information and Communication Studies (CICS).

The CCI 43^rd Annual … Read more “CCI’s 43rd Annual Research Symposium Presented in New All-Virtual Format”

December 2, 2020 By Hillary Tune

Learn About a Lecturer: Jacob Kramer-Duffield Brings Media Analytics Experience to His Class

Lecturer: Jacob Kramer-Duffield

Location: Brooklyn, New York

Education: undergrad at Overland College in Ohio

What do you teach at SIS?

INSC 305 – Internet & Society. It’s sort of a survey course of how information science underlies a pretty broad range of structures and social situations within society and trying to make tangible a lot of stuff that can be more theoretical when viewed in greater context.

How has your experience as a lecturer at SIS been?

This is my first semester with SIS and it’s been really great; it’s a good group of students, and obviously this … Read more “Learn About a Lecturer: Jacob Kramer-Duffield Brings Media Analytics Experience to His Class”

November 20, 2020 By Hillary Tune

Associate Professor Rachel Fleming-May Receives ALISE Teacher of the Year Award

Associate Professor Rachel Fleming-May was a public and academic librarian before she earned her doctoral degree and began teaching, and one of her very first teaching experiences was creating a user instruction class.

“How I designed that class was by using all the things I wish I had known as an academic librarian who was thrust into teaching with no real preparation,” she said.

This practical approach to teaching, combined with a conscious effort to be responsive to student needs and to highlight diverse perspectives, has molded Fleming-May’s teaching style for the 11 years she’s been at the School of … Read more “Associate Professor Rachel Fleming-May Receives ALISE Teacher of the Year Award”

November 13, 2020 By Hillary Tune

SIS, CICS Team Awarded $399K Sloan Grant to Study Early Career Researchers

As COVID-19 continues to affect the way people live, work, and learn around the world, researchers are beginning to gather data on how the pandemic is affecting society, and one such research team is from the College of Communication and Information’s Center for Information and Communication Studies (CICS) and the School of Information Sciences in collaboration with CIBER Research Ltd. in the United Kingdom.

“Early Career Researchers and the Pandemic”

SIS Interim Director and Chancellor’s Professor Carol Tenopir is the principal investigator for this project, with CCI Associate Dean for Research and Chancellor’s Professor Suzie Allard and David Nicholas, head … Read more “SIS, CICS Team Awarded $399K Sloan Grant to Study Early Career Researchers”

November 5, 2020 By Hillary Tune

SIS D&I Badge Encourages Students to Incorporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Into Their Work

From left: SIS Assistant Professor Carolyn Hank with the 2019 Diversity & Inclusion Badge recipients, Kelsey Collins, Elaine Posanka and Joseph Winberry.

The School of Information Sciences faculty weaves diversity, equity, and inclusion into its curriculum and scholarship, and the SIS community as a whole strives to incorporate it in all other aspects of its operation, such as scholarships, research initiatives, hiring, and training.

“Society continues to confront prejudice, bias, inequities and lack of respect and appreciation. As information professionals committed to integrity, inclusion, accuracy and authenticity, it is imperative we continue to evolve and adopt a critical role at … Read more “SIS D&I Badge Encourages Students to Incorporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Into Their Work”

October 30, 2020 By Hillary Tune

Undergrad Holland Parkins First Ever SIS Student to be a CCI Land Ambassador

Junior Holland Parkins recently became the first ever College of Communications and Information Land Ambassador for the School of Information Sciences (SIS), a position in which she will represent the college and assist CCI with student recruitment, student retention, alumni relations, community outreach, and college events.

What is a CCI Land Ambassador?

The CCI Land Ambassador program was established in 2012 through funding from Stephen Land, a 1978 graduate of the School of Journalism and Electronic Media. Land has served on the CCI Board of Visitors, and is CEO of Jupiter Entertainment, a television production company based out of … Read more “Undergrad Holland Parkins First Ever SIS Student to be a CCI Land Ambassador”

October 29, 2020 By Hillary Tune

Learn About a Lecturer: Chris Cunningham Uses Business Analytics Background in Classroom

Lecturer: Chris Cunningham SIS Lecturer Chris Cunningham

Location: Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Education: Undergraduate degree in history with a social studies concentration, University of North Carolina-Charlotte; MLIS, UNC Greensboro; PhD, University of South Carolina; currently working on an MBA from Kent State University.

What classes do you teach at SIS?

I am currently teaching INSC 514, technology foundations. I’ve also taught the business intelligence course, and I’ve also taught an information use course that has now been deprecated.

What has your experience been like as an SIS lecturer?

I was a little intimidated because this is the first true iSchool I’ve taught at. When I was … Read more “Learn About a Lecturer: Chris Cunningham Uses Business Analytics Background in Classroom”