iSchool undergraduate advisors (from left to right): Stacy Clemmons, Dara (DL) Lawyer, Katie Murphy, Keri Marion, and Cory Castaneda
We welcomed 5 new staff members to our undergraduate advising team this academic year!
Cory Castaneda, Dara (DL) Lawyer, Keri Marion, and Katie Murphy joined the #iSchoolUI, and Stacy Clemmons stepped into a new role supporting undergraduate students.
▶️ bit.ly/4v15ugH
Information sciences professor JooYoung Seo is developing a data visualization tool that converts data to sound or Braille to make visual representations of statistical data accessible to researchers who are blind or visually impaired. Photo by Fred Zwicky
#iSchoolUI Assistant Professor JooYoung Seo has been selected as a 2026–2027 CAS Beckman Fellow. His research will use AI and multimodal data tools to make data visualization more accessible for blind and low-vision users.
Congratulations, JooYoung! ▶️ bit.ly/3O5OrcG
Brynnen receives a trophy from Stephen Downie
Group photo of Brynnen with the iSchool’s IT team
Director of IT Brynnen Owen will be officially retiring on April 1.
What started as a “part-time gig” turned into 26 years of service to the #iSchoolUI.
Congratulations on your retirement, Brynnen, and we thank you for your service! 🤝
MSLIS student and Spectrum Scholar Nathaniel Allen Pila smiles in front of bookshelves.
#iSchoolUI MSLIS student Nathaniel Allen Pila sees being an @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social Spectrum Scholar as a way to foster community and create lasting impact, goals he carries into his passion for digital accessibility in LIS.
Read more about Nathaniel ▶️ bit.ly/4lO9ugc
Eugene Gurevich (BSIS '23) smiles while holding a problematic pipe
#iSchoolUI alum Eugene Gurevich (BSIS ’23) helps keep millions safely connected to natural gas as an analyst at Nicor Gas.
He credits the School for building his technical + communication skills, and encourages students to explore unconventional paths. ▶️ bit.ly/488Jk27
iSchool web store featuring a gray tank top, blue cap, gray t-shirt, and blue full-zip hooded sweatshirt.
📣 New #iSchoolUI apparel is out! 📣
We are offering a t-shirt, tank top, full-zip hooded sweatshirt, and cap!
Orders will be available for pickup or can be shipped.
Get your order in by April 8 👉 bit.ly/4dFLGsP
Do you know alumni who deserve to be recognized for their work? Consider nominating them for the #iSchoolUI Alumni Awards: Distinguished Alumnus, Leadership, and Distinguished Service!
Nominations are due by April 1 ▶️ bit.ly/4bHNzEL
Edinburgh, Scotland
The #iSchoolUI is well represented at this year’s iConference, which will be held virtually from March 23-26 and in person from March 29-April 2 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
More details on our participation here ▶️ bit.ly/4rNf6sG
Professor Anita Say Chan and the cover of her latest book, “Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future.”
#iSchoolUI Professor Anita Say Chan’s book "Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future" is a finalist for the 2026 PROSE Awards 🎉
The book links eugenics to today’s predatory data practices.
Congratulations, Anita! ▶️ bit.ly/4uOzMmS
iSchool postdoctoral research associate Cheeno Marlo Sayuno will present “Kapwa Bata: Philippine Children's Literature and Mediality Towards a Unified Framework of the Filipino Childhood Imaginary” for ISU’s Lois Lenski Children’s Literature Lecture.
#iSchoolUI postdoctoral research associate Cheeno Marlo Sayuno will deliver the Lois Lenski Children’s Literature Lecture at @illinoisstateu.bsky.social on March 23.
His talk centers on exploring new ways of understanding Filipino childhood through literature and media.
Admitted PhD students smile for a group photo
Admitted MSLIS students smile outside the iSchool building
Admitted MSLIS students listening in on faculty presentations
Last week, admitted PhD and MSLIS students visited the #iSchoolUI campus to meet faculty, connect with future classmates, and experience the community firsthand.
We hope you can picture yourself here. 🔸🔹
Aerial view of the U. of I. campus.
This summer, the #iSchoolUI is piloting a Summer Intensive program that gives students the chance to earn 2-4 graduate credits by taking 1-2 intensive, in-person, week-long classes during the early weeks of the summer.
Learn more about courses ▶️ bit.ly/3Pgw3ho
#iSchoolUI postdoc Ece Gumusel recently published a paper, “From Awareness to Practice: A Survey of U.S. Users’ Privacy Perceptions in LLM Chatbots,” which found that many users lack the knowledge to effectively protect their personal data.
Learn more ▶️ bit.ly/4rryk6U
Looking up at the iSchool building at 614 E. Daniel Street.
Nominations are open for new #iSchoolUI awards recognizing excellence in teaching and outstanding service.
🔸 Teaching Award
🔹 Adjunct Teaching Award
🔸 Staff Excellence Award
Faculty, staff, students, and alumni may nominate.
Submit by April 1 ▶️ bit.ly/410BqUA
Professor Jingrui He
#iSchoolUI Professor Jingrui He has been inducted into Sigma Xi, the international honor society of science and engineering and one of the oldest and largest scientific organizations in the world! Congratulations, Jingrui! ▶️ bit.ly/4bhlbr0
Students walking in front of the iSchool building
Students sitting on the Main Quad
Close-up of Alma
Professor teaches a class; a student raises their hand
Checked your myIllini portal today? 📬
🔸 Here’s a preview of life at the #iSchoolUI 🔹
PhD student Muhammad Hassan and Associate Professor Masooda Bashir
#iSchoolUI PhD student Muhammad Hassan and Assoc. Prof. Masooda Bashir received the Distinguished Paper Award at the Workshop on Security and Privacy in Standardized IoT for their paper on developer experiences with the Matter smart home standard.
Congrats, Muhammad and Masooda! ▶️ bit.ly/4uez2XN
PhD students Chris Wiley and Theodore Dreyfus Ledford, and Professor Anita Say Chan
#iSchoolUI PhD students and faculty will present their research at the Technocracy Conference, hosted by the Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory, on March 5-6. More on their presentations here ▶️ bit.ly/4smtZ5E
iSchool Professor Ted Underwood
A HAVI award from Schmidt Sciences will support a multi-institutional collaboration, “AI for Cultural and Historical Reasoning.” At #ILLINOIS, #iSchoolUI Professor and PI @tedunderwood.com will help build models that better represent past historical periods. ▶️ bit.ly/4qYwmuz
Associate Professor Sarah Park Dahlen
#iSchoolUI Associate Professor Sarah Park Dahlen will present “Asian American Youth Literature: Immigration, Imagination, and the Library” at @uisedu.bsky.social tomorrow as part of its Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series. More details here ▶️ bit.ly/3ZRnSKL
Professor and Associate Dean for Research Dong Wang and PhD student Ruohan Zong
#iSchoolUI Professor Dong Wang and PhD student Ruohan Zong will present their research at the 19th ACM International Conference on Web Search and Data Mining (#WSDM26), which will be held from February 22–26 in Boise, Idaho. ▶️ bit.ly/40smWMV
Director of Research and Technology Innovation and Research Scientist Anita Nikolich and Teaching Associate Professor David Dubin
A new NSF award supports “REDTEAM,” a project led by #iSchoolUI Director of Research & Technology Innovation Anita Nikolich & Teaching Associate Professor David Dubin that uses structured role-playing games to model threats to academic research. ▶️ bit.ly/46jefrU
iSchool alum Sid Patil (MSIM '24)
In his role with the University of Illinois Alumni Association, Sid Patil (MSIM '24) turns data into connections with alumni and students using the human-centered thinking he developed through his studies in the #iSchoolUI. Read about Sid ▶️ bit.ly/4azmVeN
The Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award. Text: Given annually, the award acknowledges individuals or groups who have furthered the cause of intellectual freedom, particularly as it impacts libraries and information centers and the dissemination of ideas. Photo of Robert B. Down on the right and the wordmarks of the School of Information Sciences and Sage Publishing on the bottom.
Sponsored by the #iSchoolUI & @sagepub.com, the Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award acknowledges those who have furthered the cause of intellectual freedom. If you know someone who would be a good candidate, nominate them by April 14! ▶️ bit.ly/405D9Yb
Professor Anita Say Chan and the cover of her latest book “Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future.”
As part of International Love Data Week, #iSchoolUI Professor Anita Say Chan will be speaking at @illinoisstateu.bsky.social today at 2:00 p.m. about her latest book, “Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future.”
More details here ▶️ bit.ly/4qw7Mko
BSIS student Devon Reynolds
A Chicagoan, #iSchoolUI BSIS student Devon Reynolds always saw his future in tech. He discovered the BSIS program during his senior year of high school and was drawn to its challenging coursework. Learn how he landed a role in global tech ▶️ bit.ly/3Mzuoma
MSLIS student Mariana Guerrero smiles with her husband and daughter.
#iSchoolUI MSLIS student and ALA Spectrum Scholar Mariana Guerrero is motivated to make a difference through public libraries, especially in children’s services and expanding access for underserved audiences. Read more about Mariana ▶️ bit.ly/4aGWg0O
PhD student Fobazi Ettarh
We are saddened to share that #iSchoolUI PhD student Fobazi Ettarh has passed away.
On behalf of our community, we send our condolences to her family and everyone who knew her.
Read about Fobazi’s life and significant contributions to the field of LIS ▶️ bit.ly/4tnjXTj
"We are hiring" graphic with a blue finial background
Join the #iSchoolUI! We invite applications for two full-time non-tenure track, open rank, specialized faculty positions. Submit your application by March 3 ▶️ bit.ly/4c7O0bm
Alex Soja makes handmade soba noodles with two friends.
Alex Soja looks into the distance atop a mountain in Japan.
Statue of Buddha
Alex Soja sits in a Japanese tea room
For #iSchoolUI BSIS+DS student and undergraduate ambassador Alex Soja, studying abroad in Japan was “one of the most meaningful experiences” of his life, where he got to live independently in Tokyo and fully immerse himself in the culture. Read more ▶️ bit.ly/4bz976d
