University of Tennessee College of Communication and Information doctoral student Kevin Mallary was diving into information science during his undergraduate and master’s programs in communication at Wake Forest University before he even knew what information science was. At the time, he was focusing his research on website accessibility for users with disabilities.

“When I go back and look at all the references I used, what I cited was literature from information sciences. I didn’t have a clue that [information sciences] was what I was actually studying,” he said.

Student Spotlight features one our current MSIS students. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, careers, locations and academics, and we want to highlight who they are and why they chose the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Information Sciences master’s program.

Featured student: Clancy Anderson

Location: Bristol, Tenn.

Education: Training as a submarine nuclear reactor operator in the Navy, and an undergraduate degree in history from Eastern Connecticut State University

Former SIS Professor Bill Robinson was many things, to many students: exacting, funny, personable, tough, whimsical. All these qualities and more are what make up a big personality that has stuck in the memories of more than three decades of students.

This September, when he turns 80, we are taking the opportunity to recall the many wonderful experiences past students and faculty have had with the man they call Dr. Bill.

Crystal Sherline didn’t think she wanted to get a PhD; she was working as a library director of a small, rural library, and had already been through the rigorous PhD experience with a spouse.

“I had a couple of patrons I was very close to, who were older and worldly. They told me, ‘You need to go do a PhD.’ I contemplated for a couple of years, but I’m a lifetime learner,” Sherline said.

When Dick Kawooya first traveled from Uganda to the United States in 2001 to study library science, he had only expected to stay for one year. Now, Kawooya is an associate professor and just finished a year as interim director of the School of Library and Information Science College of Information and Communications at the University of South Carolina.

Part of his Kawooya’s journey includes graduating with a doctoral degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville College of Communication and Information, with an emphasis in information sciences.

SIS Associate Professor Devendra Potnis will be receiving the College of Communication and Information Bud Minkel International/Intercultural Award this October.

The award recognizes the work and research Potnis has conducted over the past two years in Kenya, Benin and India – many geared towards helping people who are disadvantaged in their communities due to financial, technological, cultural, or political barriers.

SIS Director Diane Kelly recently traveled to Paris and wrapped up a fruitful three years as chair of ACM SIGIR (Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Information Retrieval). She ushered in a new chair at the 2019 ACM SIGIR Conference, which Kelly said is the oldest, and most distinguished, information retrieval conference. Kelly will continue to serve for another three years on the leadership team as past-chair.

Erika Long (’16) was working with children in an after-school program, and as an academic mentor and tutor, when she realized she could do more for them. She wanted to provide children with lifelong skills that would make them successful academically and professionally, and she settled on the best way to do that: become a school librarian.