bridge magazine spring 2010

School DrexelatTheCollege of Information Science and Technology

spring/summer 2010

MEET the iSchoolFreshmen!

BRIDGE Spring 2010.indd 1 6/3/2010 10:09:39 AM

CONTENTS

School DrexelatTheCollege of Information Science and Technology

spring/summer

2010

In Case of Emergency

Homecoming

Click, Pray, Connect

Career Paths in Librarianship

Live and Learn

iDiscover

Honor Role

Introducing Drexel University’s 14th President

Supporting Our Troops

ipl2: Information Innovation

New at the iSchool

02-03

04-05

06-07

08-11

12-13

14-15

16

17

18-19

20

21

17

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The world of information is continually evolving; so too is The iSchool at Drexel, College of Information Science and Technology. At the iSchool, students, faculty and staff work together, uniting technology, people and information to make a fundamental difference in tomorrow’s knowledge society.

What is a knowledge society?

The iSchool defines knowledge society as a society in which citizens collaboratively and freely create and share knowledge, and utilize information and technology to promote growth, prosperity and wellbeing.

At the iSchool, we’ve gathered a very special group of people with significant talents. The College has seen continued growth during recent years both in student enrollment and faculty positions. This spring, new master’s student enrollment was up 27 percent from last year, and Fall 2010’s freshman enrollment will see an increase when compared to last year. The iSchool also houses more than 40 full time faculty. While the iSchool’s population growth is positive, in terms of physical space at the iSchool we’re simply at the outer limits of what we can do.

This year, The iSchool at Drexel is launching a Capital Campaign in an effort to raise funds for scholarships, research and the expansion of the Rush Building. The College has outgrown the current 100-year-old facility. The new west wing will more than double the iSchool’s current space, adding technologically advanced classrooms for enhanced teaching, progressive research spaces that will facilitate interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary faculty collaboration, and office space. In order to make this expansion a reality, we need the support of the iSchool community. Every contribution helps. We appreciate the continued support of our alumni and friends, and will be able to match dollar for dollar each donation to this campaign.

Thank you for being a part of the iSchool’s rich history and for your support of the College’s innovative future. Creating tomorrow’s knowledge society is possible with your help.

FROM THE DEAN

David E. Fenske, Ph.D.Isaac L. Auerbach Professor and Dean Drexel student studying

in the Rush Alumni Garden

Front Cover: iSchool Freshman Learning Community StudentsClockwise from top left: Brad Birnbaum, Nissim Jain, Amber Heilman, Stephanie Ma, Tom Falk, Ariel Kirkwood, Kenny Scofield, and Danny Bo Tao Chen

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BRIDGE Spring 2010.indd 2-3 6/3/2010 10:09:45 AM

3

complex medical knowledge is required to understand all that is happening. There must be a way to simplify this process — Gasson is exploring the options.

“It is this kind of situation, when there are critical decisions being made, that might be different if information was available electronically across institutions — for example, if the patient’s medical history was available. If the patient is not conscious, the team has little way of knowing about allergies or medical conditions that could affect treatment options,” she says. “But it’s an investment that’s difficult to justify when implementation of information systems is only done piecemeal by individual institutions.”

How, then, can information systems and technology be utilized in this environment? The challenge Gasson is exploring first is how to analyze information systems and technology within this setting. This starts with looking at knowledge management within emergency departments. Her research in this area will continue to focus on the challenges of collaborative work in terms of decisions people make, exploring the decisions they make, what information they need to make these decisions, and how do they evaluate whether or not the right decision has been made. Once these questions are answered she will begin to look at appropriate information systems and how they can be integrated as a beneficial, easy-to-use tool.

In 2005, much of the nation witnessed the tragedies of Hurricane Katrina through newspapers, television and the Internet. iSchool Assistant Professor Lisl Zach saw the impact of the natural disaster in person. This experience inspired her to explore the impact of information services when disaster strikes.

In a study she completed in September 2009, Zach investigated librarians’ responses in the face of disaster. While librarians are prepared to act in the case of a small-scale emergency such as a burst pipe, she says, they are less ready to act in the case of a large-scale disaster, which is defined as an event that stresses infrastructure to the point where it can’t respond — such as a hurricane or widespread wildfire.

“Most have procedures, such as what to do about the books,” Zach notes. “Then they shut down the library, go home, and wait for it to be over; in some situations that’s all they can do.”

In many situations, Zach says, libraries can do much more — provide information services when nobody else can. And in the case of Hurricane Katrina, many libraries on the disaster’s perimeter did just that.

“In suburban areas, librarians stepped up to the plate, and some did in extraordinary ways,” she says. “Medical librarians set up information centers. A public library next to a major evacuation center helped people fill out FEMA forms and acted as an information resource for FEMA personnel — giving emergency responders information they didn’t know, such as providing maps of New Orleans and details about the area.”

Though Zach found many similar instances of action by librarians in other disaster scenarios — she recounts the story of a librarian in California who posted wildfire evacuation routes in front of the local library in an effort to help alleviate panic — she found that typically librarians don’t do well in terms of providing information during these types of situations. One primary reason is because of misconceptions about the role of libraries and librarians within the community.

Zach aims to change this.

“People look at libraries as non-relevant,” she says. “These are attitudes that we are going to change. We are now pounding the message that the role of librarians is not just to provide access to a physical collection, but to provide access to information in all forms. It is time to give librarians better disaster training and raise consciousness about what librarians can do.”

Her newest project builds on her previous research, and will look specifically at how public libraries can become better integrated into the emergency management activities of a community. She says that there are two keys to improving information services during disasters. The first is to help emergency management agencies have a better understanding of what services librarians can provide in the face of disaster. The second is to provide training for librarians so that they are better prepared to respond.

“There is a big gap in emergency response plans — who’s providing information,” she says. “People’s information needs go beyond press releases. If people are not provided with good information, they will search and find junk. That’s how the panic starts. Librarians should be players in emergency management — they are in a position to provide better access to better information.”

“There is a big gap in emergency response plans – who’s providing information.”

Lisl Zach, Assistant Professor

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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY:iSchool Researchers Explore how Information

Systems and Services Impact our Health and Safety

In a trauma situation, how information is distributed can be the key to life or death. iSchool Associate Professor Susan Gasson has seen this firsthand.

Gasson is conducting ongoing research at a Philadelphia hospital’s emergency department exploring how decisions are made during emergency and trauma situations and how information systems technology can be designed to improve the decision-making process.

“In emergency healthcare, [healthcare professionals] have split seconds to make a decision,” says Gasson. “They really have to have access to information now. I’m looking at how nurses, doctors, technicians and ancillary staff use technology to coordinate how they record information and the associated weaknesses.”

During her on-site research, Gasson has observed information distribution and decision-making behaviors in the emergency department. What she found was that although various technologies are available to help record, track and update information in this environment, they are not being utilized. Why? For many reasons. Though computers on wheels have become more commonplace in hospitals, in the emergency department they are a liability due to the risk of spreading infection. The option of using

a portable device, such as an iPod Touch, is rejected because anything that can be put down runs the risk of being lost or stolen. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, different hospitals and healthcare providers use different systems to record information which are not integrated among platforms. In many scenarios, healthcare providers would have to run multiple applications and log into many systems to get all the information they need.

“Worrying about information systems is the last thing a nurse wants to do when pressed for time,” notes Gasson. “They have very practical reasons for not using systems that we don’t always think of as academics.” What has arisen in emergency care, Gasson says, is a paper-intensive problem. While observing trauma care, for example, she noted that doctors and nurses immediately go into lifesaving mode, and an additional nurse stationed at a writing podium is responsible for recording patient injuries, responses to questions, medical diagnoses, tests ordered, and treatments administered. This person is also responsible for filling in all the complex forms, which cover everything from data for insurance to data for the government. Often, Gasson notes, this person is recording the same information on as many as four forms. This could be viewed as a waste of time for a trained nurse, but


5

HomecomingDanuta A. Nitecki has a corner office with a view. Visible from her perch on the second floor of Hagerty Library are the Philadelphia skyline, bustling Market Street, Drexel’s bronze statue of Mario the Dragon, and the iSchool’s Rush Building — where she completed her degree in Library and Information Science in 1972 — which stands as a reminder of her first steps into the field of librarianship.

“The Rush Building is very clearly now a technology-oriented building based on a forward thinking environment,” she says. “What hasn’t changed, however, is the sense of community the iSchool has and always had.”

Nitecki returns to Drexel this year as the new Dean of Libraries, bringing with her an accomplished, decades-long career in academic librarianship at a number of top-ranked universities in the United States. She most recently served as an Associate University Librarian at Yale, and she has also held administrative positions in the libraries at the University of Maryland, College Park, the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

It is interesting, then, to note that despite her long tenure in the field, a career path in librarianship was not something she had originally planned for herself. In fact, it was at the advice of her father that the then art history graduate student decided to pursue a master’s in library and information science. Initially, she saw librarianship as a stable career through which she could also continue to pursue her studies and interest in art history, but after a year in Drexel’s program her interest in library services and information studies blossomed.

“I got hooked on questions of how library science is an extension of communications,” she said.

Her pursuit of education in the field expanded. In addition to her master’s in library and information science from Drexel, Nitecki holds a master’s in communications from the University of Tennessee and a Ph.D. in library and information science from the University of Maryland. She served as an editor of Advances in Librarianship, and has also held positions

on the editorial boards of The Journal of Academic Librarianship and Library and Information Science Research. She has also published more than 70 papers, articles and books, and been a presenter at numerous conferences in the U.S. and abroad. Her latest book, “Viewing Library Metrics from Different Perspectives: Inputs, Outputs, and Outcomes,” co-authored with Robert E. Dugan and Peter Hernon, is the winner of the 2010 Greenwood Publishing Group Award for the Best Book in Library Literature. Librarianship, it turned out, became more than a steady career path for Nitecki – it became a passion.

“It is a field responsive to changes in information seeking behaviors,” she says. “Channels for receiving

information over time change. We have moved beyond the traditions of amassing collections to providing access, and in this era I am now looking at how librarians can engage as partners in the creation of new knowledge.”

As Drexel’s new Dean of Libraries, Nitecki says her focus goes beyond the library as a service organization. One of her many aims is to work with students and faculty to discover what the future holds for academic librarianship in the 21st century. Academic libraries, she says, not only help users access information, but also have an impact on how people use that information. Libraries and the information they provide can facilitate creativity and the evolution of new ideas. Nitecki also has a particular interest in the environment of the library itself – how the design of learning spaces, both within the building and virtual, facilitate learning. She plans to assess the current spaces to find new ways through which the academic experience can be enhanced.

Along with her role as Dean of Libraries, Nitecki is also a tenured

Professor of Information Science, bringing theory and practice together. Collaboration between the College and Drexel Libraries is something she is excited to explore.

“At the iSchool I see a great potential for collaboration, which is really exciting,” she says. “The College has rich and robust research and teaching programs. Together, I anticipate we will explore some very interesting questions. And I hope that iSchool faculty will think of [Drexel Libraries] as their laboratory.”

iSchool Alumna Danuta A. Nitecki Returns to Drexel as the New Dean of Libraries

“At the iSchool I see a

great potential for

collaboration, which is

really exciting. The

College has rich and robust

research and teaching

programs. Together, I

anticipate we will explore

some very interesting

questions. And I hope that

iSchool faculty will think

of [Drexel Libraries] as

their laboratory.”

Danuta A. Nitecki, Dean of Libraries

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Click, Pray, Connect

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ALU

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As a child growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y. Lawrence James always wanted to become a pilot.

But the career goals from his early youth took a different direction after he received his first computer in the 8th grade. It was at that time he discovered an affinity for computers and software development, and he began to learn all he could about creating his own programs.

“What I loved and still love about software development is that your imagination is the only limit,” he says. “You can have an idea, and from that develop a prototype within weeks.”

Today, instead of flying commercial jets, he’s taken hold of the controls as an entrepreneur and philanthropist, linking the passion he felt for computers as a teen and the values with which he grew up.

At 30, James, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems (’02) from The iSchool at Drexel, is president and CEO of Connexus Technology, a company he launched with fellow Drexel alum Christopher Holland (CIO/COO) in 2003. Connexus Technology consults in the public and private sectors from New Jersey to Virginia, designing Web data-driven applications, providing organizations with personnel through IT staffing services, and providing organizations with new media and interactive media solutions. Clients include the Philadelphia School District, TD Bank, Rohm and Haas, Morton Salt and Drexel University, among others. The company is award winning, picking up such accolades as Young Entrepreneur of the Year from the U.S. Small Business Administration and Citizens Bank and the Innovative Business of the Year Excellence Award from the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

For James the most important measure of the company’s success is that Connexus Technology’s revenue funds a side project about which he is most passionate: Prayer Connexus.

James launched a prototype of www.prayerconnexus.com two years ago, after joining a prayer team at Fresh Anointing Christian Center in Upper Darby, Pa. He noticed that communication between members was inefficient and set about finding a way to connect the members to information provided by other members through technology, developing the site for use by his church. It became such a successful tool that he began

BSIS Alum Lawrence James takes Social Networking to a Higher Level

expanding the program for use by churches around the world. While James was still working on the revised prototype, tragedy struck.

One evening, at the age of 28, James rushed to the emergency room to be examined for an unexplained pressure in his head. He underwent hours of medical testing, and at 3 a.m. doctors discovered a tumor the size of a softball in his chest. James was admitted immediately. In the hospital room, he pulled out his laptop and logged onto the Web site he had developed to connect with people who would pray for him.

It didn’t work.

“I was angry, because it didn’t work the one time I needed it,” he said. “I vowed then and there to never let that happen to anyone else. From then on, Prayer Connexus would get proper attention, and we would find the resources to make it what it needs to be.”

James underwent chemotherapy and radiation, after which the tumor was removed with surgery. Throughout, he continued work at Connexus Technology and began development of an improved Prayer Connexus site. Holland held the team together during James’ treatment, and Connexus Technology continued to operate and grow while James was in a hospital bed.

In 2008, the pair took a leap of faith, hired employees for Prayer Connexus without funding, and launched the tool on Easter Sunday. Used today by churches around the world, Prayer Connexus, James says, takes the best of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, and gives people the opportunity to connect through prayer.

“It’s us giving back what we feel we’ve been given,” says James of his and Holland’s decision to fully fund Prayer Connexus through revenues from Connexus Technology. “Our team is using our gifts as programmers, graphic artists and designers to generate this tool for others, because we have been able to generate revenue [through Connexus Technology] with these gifts.”

Now cancer free, James reflects on his success and says he hopes others will take this from his experiences so far: “I would like other people who are interested in getting a technical education to be encouraged. I came from a humble background, and learned that if you follow your heart doors will open. Also, the power of prayer and faith can move mountains.”

As an adult, president and CEO, entrepreneur and cancer survivor, James still hasn’t given up on his childhood dream: He says on top of all he’s accomplished thus far, he still plans to become a pilot.

“WHAT I LOVED AND STILL LOVE ABOUT

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT IS THAT YOUR

IMAGINATION IS THE ONLY LIMIT.” LAWRENCE JAMES


Career Paths in Librarianship

9

A career in librarianship was not something Lisa Shiota intended to pursue when she completed her Master of Music from the University of Michigan.

“I went to college for clarinet performance, and it seemed like there were only two choices: play in an orchestra, or become a music teacher,” she says. “I was having trouble getting jobs in the former, and I didn’t have the inclination to do the latter. I was aimless after grad school and ended up doing temporary administrative jobs.”

It was during a conference for the American Musicology Society that she learned her education in music could be put to use in ways other than performance or education, when a librarian from Julliard suggested that Shiota consider a career in music librarianship.

“I had no idea that was a possibility for me,” says Shiota. “That conversation planted a seed in my head, and a couple of years later I applied to Drexel and enrolled in the Library and Information Science program.”

Beyond internships and part-time positions, Shiota’s career path in librarianship thus far has taken her from a position as an electronic resources librarian at the University of Pennsylvania to one as a catalog librarian at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia — one of the top music schools in the world – to her current position as a reference specialist at the Library of Congress. In this position, she is one of 12 librarians answering reference questions related to music. It is a very specialized area of librarianship, to be sure, and one that Shiota notes takes specific expertise and a broad familiarity with music of all genres and time periods.

“I enjoy working with both music and musicians,” she says. “I feel grateful to be working in an aspect of the music profession and still have the time to play as well.”

Librarianship is a field open to possibility. While some may consider careers in this area of study to begin and end with public, academic, and school libraries, the

truth is that many of the opportunities available are less traditional in nature. According to the American Library Association, there are approximately 122,566 libraries in the United States. This number, which includes public libraries, academic libraries, and school libraries, also accounts for government libraries, armed forces libraries, and special libraries. Career changers — or even those just entering the workforce — who have knowledge in such areas as business, law or the arts, among others, are finding niche positions both in traditional library settings and in industry.

Donna Scanlon (MS ’07) is one such career changer who now applies her background in businesses to the field of librarianship. Scanlon spent years working in high-pressure positions within technical and entertainment companies until 2002, when she decided she was ready to explore something new. Through volunteer work, she discovered a love for information services.

The then-California resident held part-time positions at a local public library and a community college library while she completed her MS(LIS) online. Scanlon says she spent a long time searching for the right full-time opportunity, and after a lot of interviews, and, she notes, a lot of rejection letters, she landed a job that was just the right fit — business reference specialist in the Science, Technology and Business Division of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

“This position allows me to draw on my background and use the skills gained during my time in the corporate world, but I apply this knowledge now in different ways,” she said. “It’s fun.”

The skills learned while completing a Master of Science in Library and Information Science are not limited in application to library-specific settings. Information professions span beyond the stacks to corporations, government entities, museums, law firms — essentially anywhere information requires management.

Joanne Witiak (MS ’79) began her career as a lab chemist at Rohm and Haas, but after three years found herself looking for new opportunities. She decided to make a

NOT AS STRAIGHTFORWARD AS YOU THINK


1111

switch within the corporation, earned her MS at Drexel, and combined her background in chemistry with her newfound knowledge in information, beginning work as an “online searcher.” She eventually became Rohm and Haas’ Senior Information Specialist, Manager of the Search Service.

“The search service was responsible for keeping our employees informed in the areas important to their jobs,” she says. “Scientists needed to be current on discoveries and technological developments. Business employees needed to keep up on market trends and competitive intelligence. The patent process was also a key area that we supported with information.”

It is the librarian’s ability to evaluate, organize and distribute large quantities of information in various forms that makes him or her so valuable to all areas of industry.

“We truly live in an information economy today,” says Witiak. “I would definitely recommend a career in information.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic’s 2010-2011 Occupational Outlook Handbook, jobs in librarianship should increase by about 8 percent during the next decade and while there will be growth in traditional library settings, opportunities for librarians beyond traditional settings are expected to see the fastest growth. The handbook notes private corporations, nonprofit organizations, and consulting firms as some of the types of employers looking for the skills librarians can provide. In fact, there are 8,906 special libraries in the United States, according to ALA, which include medical, law, corporate and religious libraries, among others.

Nancy Linwood (MS ’98) worked at the University of Delaware Library as an undergraduate student with the intention of moving on to a more traditional library career.

“When I first thought about librarianship, I thought of public school librarianship,” she says.

Instead, after graduation she began work in records management at DuPont, eventually moving into a position within the corporation’s library. It was her experience in librarianship, she says, that got her into an information position. Through her current role as an information specialist, she works as a technical consultant within the library.

“DuPont is a very innovation-forward company, interested in bringing in new programs and opportunities that help researchers do their work better,” she says. “I bring new software and technology to the library. There are a lot of librarians who have

nontraditional jobs here, and some who have traditional jobs.”

Information positions within corporations range from competitive intelligence to change management, online research, medical information retrieval, and even jobs that train others within an organization how to seek and utilize information. Today, institutions both private and public are also seeking ways to preserve past information. The digitization of the workplace has many organizations seeking ways to collect, categorize, and manage documents – both paper and electronic.

Archivist is a job title within the field of librarianship that has some solid anticipated growth numbers during the next decade. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in this area could increase by about 7 percent between 2008 and 2018, with some notable demand for archivists specializing in electronic records and records management. iSchool alum Adrianna Del Collo (MS), an associate archivist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has had firsthand experience within this field.

As an archivist, her general responsibilities are records management, reference, and processing. She facilitates and conducts research on a range of topics that have an impact on current museum business practice and art historical scholarship. When she began working at the Met four years ago, she says, none of the museum’s collections had been cataloged electronically. She notes that the most rewarding aspect of her job has been to participate in the museum’s technological revolution, helping to develop electronic databases for the museum’s archives.

“In an astonishing short period of time these databases transformed the workflow, and the archives is now able to allocate time to outreach, dealing with backlogged materials, and taking a more active and visible role within the museum,” she says.

Beyond the positions mentioned above, iSchool graduates work as information professionals around the world, in such places as the Statue of Liberty National Monument, Cairo American College in Egypt, The Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania, Harvard University Law School Library, The American Philosophical Society, Louisiana Supreme Court, QVC Television Network’s Information Services Department, and The J. Paul Getty Trust Getty Research Institute, and many more.

Librarianship has been an evolutionary field, and demand for information specialists continues because humans are constantly producing new information. While the settings in which librarians work may vary, the need for professionals to manage information remains in demand.

Career Services at the iSchool Drexel University

The iSchool at Drexel

• Professional and pre-professional job postings

• Alumni Mentoring program

• Credentials service: References on file and sent to prospective employers for free

• Employer information sessions/recruiting

www.ischool.drexel.edu/jobs

Steinbright Career Development Center

• Career exploration resources

• Job search, resume, interviewing and business resources

• On-campus recruiting

• Career development workshops

• Career counseling

• Office of Alumni Relations

• Alumni Workshops

www.drexel.edu/scdc

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The energy in Myers Hall is palpable. Student chatter fills the corridors, music echoes from the rooms, and the residential community simply teems with life. It is hard to fathom that not so long ago many of these students were timid freshmen, away from home for the first time, taking their first steps into the college experience.

The transition from high school to college can be challenging. Students must acclimate to a new city, a new schedule, a new living environment, new instructors, even new food options, and for some, these changes can be overwhelming. In an effort to help iSchool freshmen better adjust to life at Drexel, the College launched the iSchool Freshman Learning Community in 2009.

The iSchool Learning Community provides students with the opportunity to live and learn together. They are allocated a specific area of a Drexel residence hall – this year, Myers Hall, where most of Drexel’s Learning Communities are housed – with a shared common area. Students develop their own culture, says the iSchool’s

Learning Community is what drives this. With so many different applications of technology in the world today, it is imperative to stay ahead and well informed. The Learning Community supports this because the individuals that make up the community are passionate about technology and they spread that knowledge and expand upon it by helping one another.”

The learning community concept is not new at Drexel. The University currently has seven designated learning communities for various colleges and programs. Research shows that learning communities are proven to improve a student’s college life, both academically and socially. The study “Adding Value: Learning Communities and Student Engagement” by Chun-Mei Zhao and George D. Kuh, published in Research in Higher Education in 2004, supports the benefits of learning communities. The study shows that students in learning communities display enhanced academic performance and are more satisfied with their college experience. These results support previous findings, which also indicate that students in learning communities are more likely to forge connections with their peers.

Live & LearnThe iSchool’s Freshman Learning Community

Director of Advising Cheryl McClea. They organize impromptu study groups, dine together, plan trips into Center City and more.

Says resident Amber Heilman: “Any person who walks by our hall wishes that theirs was like it. The iSchool Learning Community has definitely been one of the best experiences of my life.”

The program’s Resident Advisor Jeffrey Pry is also an iSchool student. The BSIS sophomore says that the community provides students with the ability to learn collaboratively, bringing together students with similar interests and goals from the various iSchool programs. The academic benefits to living in the community, he says, are phenomenal.

“I didn’t have the chance to live in a Learning Community as a freshman and therefore was on my own for a lot of projects and homework I was assigned,” he says. “Just by living in a community with other members of the iSchool makes you learn without even realizing it. The passion of the students that choose the iSchool

Pry notes that strong bonds have formed among students in the iSchool Learning Community. In fact, members of the community have had such a positive experience, one group is exploring the option of creating a For Students By Students (FSBS) group. FSBS groups provide upper-class students the opportunity to live together based on their interests – essentially forming their own independent learning community.

“I highly recommend the Drexel learning communities freshman year,” said Heilman. “It is great to get to see the same people all the time, whether it is in the dorm or in classes, and then be able to meet in the hall to discuss homework, review for tests and just socialize. I feel as though it helps one develop strong bonds to others in your major, which is great.”

“Any person who walks by our hall wishes that theirs was like it. The iSchool Learning Community has definitely been one of the best experiences of my life.”

Amber Heilman, BSIS

13

Above left to right: Tom Falk, Ariel Kirkwood, Amber Heilman, Kenny Scofield, Stephanie Ma and Danny Bo Tao Chen

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iDiscoverUNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CO-OPS GIVE STUDENTS

THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE FIELD IN NEW WAYS

CO

-OP

RESEARCH

iSchool Assistant Professor Michelle Rogers knows the value of exposing students to in-depth research early in their college careers. It was during a summer program as an undergraduate that she was first introduced to academic research.

“It exposed me to a more broad view of engineering and career options,” she says. “I think it benefited me in that it sparked the interest in graduate school, even though I didn’t go right away. I was able to see that I didn’t have to work for a company if I didn’t want to, and that all the theory we learned could be applied to unique problems.”

With this in mind, Rogers hired an undergraduate research co-op in Spring 2010 as part of a University-wide program intended to encourage more bachelor’s students to explore a variety of options within their area of study, and consider Ph.D.-level graduate studies after they complete their undergraduate degrees. Rogers’ research focus lies in how the design and implementation of technology impacts work processes and use, specifically looking at healthcare informatics and how health information technology impacts the work processes of medical staff and use by patients. She hired BSIS sophomore Stephen McGovern with the hopes of teaching him the user-centered design process and helping him understand how client needs impact software and information systems.

“The hope is that we can build a pipeline of students interested in graduate education and research in general, and human-computer interaction in particular,” Rogers says.

The Undergraduate Research Co-op Program funds approximately 25 research co-ops per year across Drexel University. The program is designed to be a shared expense, with student salaries funded by both the Provost’s Office and hiring faculty. Research co-op requests are submitted by faculty for approval by the Steinbright Career Development Center (SCDC), which evaluates each project to ensure that the student will get the best out of his or her experience. Peter Franks, Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director of the SCDC, says faculty members who wish to hire undergraduate students must show a commitment to

undergraduate mentorship, the quality of the proposed research must be high, and at the end of the project, the student must be involved in either a publication where they are named as co-author with the faculty or present with the faculty member at a conference.

“It’s a terrific experience for a young person,” says Franks. “It is very different from your usual co-op employment position — it gives students a different perspective of their potential for growth academically.”

Previously, undergraduate research opportunities at Drexel have also been offered through the STAR program, which provides freshmen with the opportunity to partake in summer research, matching students with appropriate faculty. The program is run through the Pennoni Honors College, and STAR Scholars are selected prior to entering Drexel. Undergraduate research co-ops make research opportunities more readily available to students across all colleges, and are not limited to the freshman year.

“The goal of getting students involved in research — whether through the STAR program, an undergraduate research experience with a faculty member, or through a research co-op here at Drexel or in an industry job that is directed at research — is to have students be better critical thinkers, to use the knowledge they’ve gained in coursework to be creative, and to learn to create new ideas,” says Vice Provost for Academic Affairs John DiNardo. “Research is a creative activity, it’s not an activity where students are giving back to us rote knowledge.”

Franks also notes that the skills students learn through research co-ops are not limited careers in academia — these skills are also valuable in future careers in industry.

“Having research experience, particularly cutting-edge research with senior faculty in their discipline, enhances a student’s resume,” he notes. “Many corporations value the fact that students have had this type of experience, that they can do this kind of in-depth work. These research opportunities have great value for students who are going into private corporations.”

“It is very different from your usual co-op employment

position — it gives students a different perspective of their potential for growth

academically.”

Peter Franks, Associate Vice Provost and

Executive Director of the SCDC

Pho

to b

y Alb

ert Yee

15


15

The iSchool joins the Drexel community in welcoming John A. Fry as the University’s 14th president. Fry was formally announced as Drexel’s new president in March 2010, after a nationwide search that began in July 2009. The presidential search committee represented a cross-section of constituencies, including Drexel students, faculty, staff, alumni and trustee representatives. Fry comes to Drexel University after serving as president of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.

Fry joined Franklin & Marshall College as president in July 2002, and was instrumental in the College’s growth, campus development and improved finances. Through his initiatives, he raised the College’s national profile and brought a renewed confidence to the institution. During his tenure, Franklin & Marshall’s curriculum was updated and expanded in life sciences, computer science, creative writing and modern languages. Fry also forged new partnerships with the city and neighbors, improving the surrounding business economic district and neighborhoods.

Fry has served higher education since early in his professional life. He worked closely with some of the nation’s premier colleges and universities, first with KPMG Peat Marwick in its educational consulting practice, and then with Coopers & Lybrand’s National Higher Education Consulting Practice, where he was elected a partner in the firm and eventually

rose through the ranks to become partner-in-charge of the national education practice.

Prior to his appointment to the presidency of Franklin & Marshall, Fry was a major force in developing and implementing the University of Pennsylvania’s “Agenda for Excellence,” a comprehensive plan that guided Penn’s strategic initiatives from 1996 to 2001. Fry joined Penn in 1995 as the university’s executive vice president and chief operating officer responsible for finance, investments, human resources, facilities and real estate, public safety, computing, technology transfer, research administration, corporate relations, auxiliary enterprises and internal audit and compliance. He also served as the university’s liaison to the University of Pennsylvania Health System. At Penn, Fry built a coalition of nonprofit, business, neighborhood and governmental support for a multi-pronged strategy to address the key challenges facing the University City neighborhood of West Philadelphia. In a comparatively short period of time, residential property values went up significantly, the crime rate declined dramatically, and hundreds of millions of dollars were invested in commercial infrastructure and economic development.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Fry studied American Civilization at Lafayette College and received the George Wharton Pepper Prize, the highest honor awarded to a graduating senior. In 1986, he earned a master’s in business

Introducing Drexel University’s 14th President

John A. Fry

administration from the New York University Stern School of Business. Fry and his wife, Cara, have three children: Mia, Nathaniel and Phoebe.

As Drexel’s 14th president, Fry will oversee a university that underwent transformational growth under the presidency of the late Constantine Papadakis. The arrival in 1995 of Papadakis ushered in a new era of growth and recognition for the University. Drexel currently enrolls more than 22,000 students. With an operating budget of more than $790 million and more than 8,000 employees, Drexel is Philadelphia’s seventh largest private employer. The University’s endowment stands at $450 million. Drexel recently embarked on a $500 million master plan for its 74-acre University City Main Campus.

“John Fry understands the culture, mission and ethos of Drexel,” said Interim President C.R. Pennoni. “I look forward to working with such a high-focused and energetic individual for a seamless transition of the Drexel presidency. He is the ideal candidate to build upon the University’s incredible momentum and move Drexel into the top tier of the nation’s comprehensive research universities.”

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SAC

RA

ME

NT

O

Honor Role

The iSchool at Drexel’s

Toni Carbo is Recognized

for her Impact on the

Information Field

Toni Carbo, Ph.D., has made her mark on the information world. The iSchool at Drexel’s program leader at the Drexel University Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento has had, and maintains, a long, illustrious career. This year, she was honored for her contributions to the information field at iConference 2010 — hosted by the iSchools Caucus — as the first ever recipient of the von Dran Award. The von Dran award recognizes leadership in the information field, named in memory of Ray von Dran, who is acknowledged as a visionary in the academic field of information studies, and was a founding member of the iCaucus.

“It is a very special award for me, both because of recognition by peers (who should know more of my faults than others) and because it honors my friend and colleague,” said Carbo. Carbo’s work in the information field began in 1962 and includes extensive experience with information service producers and users, and research in the areas of information policy and information ethics, and the use of information. A lauded Drexel alumna, Carbo earned two graduate degrees from The iSchool at Drexel: her master of science in 1973 and her Ph.D. in 1977. She attributes her successes over the years both to a continued passion for the field and to simple good timing.

“Over the years I was very lucky to be in the right place at the right time, working with engineers to develop profiles to search against early NASA databases, and with indexing and abstracting services as they were

Liz Liddy, Dean of Syracuse University’sSchool of Information Studies, with Tony Carbo at the iConference

creating databases in the U.S. and U.K. and with corporations to develop effective search strategies to retrieve information,” she said. “This work led to an interest in information policy and later information ethics, and the unique experience of directing a federal agency focused on policy, just as the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 was being implemented.”

Carbo returned to Drexel as the iSchool’s program leader at the Drexel University Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento in June 2009, after 23 years

at the University of Pittsburgh where she served as dean for 16 years. Immediately prior to her appointment at The iSchool at Drexel, Carbo served as a professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and at the School of Information Sciences— where she was director of the Institute for Information Ethics and Policy and the ALA Spectrum Doctoral Fellows program. Carbo also started the initial group of deans which later became the iSchools Caucus.


19

“In the future, I plan to conduct research on how law enforcement can use the information transmitted via Twitter in the official response to violent crises,” he said.

For veterans like Heverin, Drexel University’s participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program is key to making a Drexel education possible. The Post 9/11 GI Bill provides U.S. armed forces veterans with financial support for tuition, educational fees, books, and housing, but that money is limited, and the costs to attend many private universities are not fully funded through the bill. The University’s contribution offsets the difference, and is one of a small number of universities in the nation with no cap on enrollment of eligible veterans.

It is because of its ongoing commitment to the education of our troops that Drexel University is acknowledged as a school dedicated to supporting the men and women of the U.S. military. G.I. Jobs Magazine named the University a “Military Friendly School” for 2010 – a distinction given to those establishments with a proven record of commitment to the education of active-duty and veteran military personnel. Additionally, through Drexel University Online, active and veteran military personnel and their immediate families are eligible for a 10 to 30 percent tuition reduction.

Heverin said that while the financial assistance at Drexel is hugely beneficial to military personnel, the University’s clear support of U.S. troops also boosts morale.

“Even though the financial benefits are helpful, the most helpful thing about Drexel’s participation in the Yellow Ribbon program is the fact that I feel extremely welcomed at Drexel,” he said.

“WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT DREXEL IS COMMITTED TO THIS PROGRAM

FOR ALL LEVELS OF DEGREES (UNDERGRADUATE, GRADUATE, DOCTORAL AND

PROFESSIONAL), I KNEW THAT MY FINANCIAL CONCERNS WOULD BE ALLEVIATED SINCE

TUITION AND FEES ARE FULLY COVERED.”

THOMAS HEVERIN, DOCTORAL STUDENT

Supporting Our TroopsThe Yellow Ribbon Program Makes Education Possible

Left: Thomas Heverin in

People Magazine En Espanol

Opposite: Thomas with his

award-winning poster at Drexel University’s

Research Day 2010

Drexel University supports veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces through its participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program. Through a partnership with the federal government, the University matches the government’s contribution to the cost of education, allowing eligible veterans to attend Drexel with no out-of-pocket expenses. For U.S. Navy veteran and iSchool doctoral student Thomas Heverin, Drexel’s participation in this program has made all the difference.

“The Yellow Ribbon Program helped me take the leap to entering a Ph.D. program,” he said. “With the knowledge that Drexel is committed to this program

for all levels of degrees (undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional), I knew that my financial concerns would be alleviated since tuition and fees are fully covered.”

Heverin discovered his interest in an academic career while earning his bachelor’s degree in meteorology at Penn State, but he did not know in which field to focus his research. It was during his time serving as a surface warfare officer — a position through which he led others in managing the engineering, combat, and navigation systems on ships — that he discovered an interest in information studies.

“In the Navy, I was introduced to the power of information,” he said. “Obtaining information was vital to completing missions. When I left the Navy, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in information science.”

After he left the Navy, Heverin further pursued his interest in information studies, completed his Master of Science in Library and Information Science from Syracuse and began work as a science librarian. Heverin said working at a university reminded him of his long term goal of becoming a professor, and in the fall of 2009, he enrolled in the iSchool’s doctoral program. Currently, his primary research interests focus on the use of social media during disaster and crisis response. He presented the paper “Microblogging for Crisis Communication: Examination of Twitter Use in Response to a 2009 Violent Crisis in the Seattle-Tacoma, Washington Area,” at the 2010 Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management Conference in May 2010.


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ipl2: INFORMATION INNOVATION

Do you have a question about genealogy? How to care for an orchid? Or perhaps your child is seeking information to help with an upcoming science fair project. How do you find precisely what you need? You could turn to a standard Internet search and overwhelm yourself with information, some of it credible, some of it not. Or you could turn to a resource that connects you with vetted resources and trained librarians and library students who can help you locate information you can really use and trust: the ipl2.

In 1995, it took 35 students 70 days to develop what would become the world’s largest and most recognized free, online collection and reference service: the Internet Public Library — now ipl2. In March 2010 — 91,982 reference questions and 40,000 vetted, searchable electronic resource items later — the Internet Public Library celebrated its 15th anniversary. In conjunction with this event, the iSchool hosted the Institute on the Future of Reference and its Impact on Library and Information Science Education. The institute was part of the IMLS grant Transforming the IPL into a Virtual Learning Laboratory. Joe Janes, founder of the Internet Public Library, was among those who presented at the event. Faculty, students and staff from Drexel University, Florida State University, The University of Washington, The University of Illinois, The University of North Carolina, Syracuse University, and the Free Library of Philadelphia were among those who participated in the institute. Videos from the event are available at ipl.org/div/about/ipl2institute.

Suffice to say, 2010 has been a banner year for the reference site. January marked the launch of ipl2, a newly designed Web site merging the resources of the Internet Public Library (IPL) and the Librarians’ Internet Index (LII) — two of the most widely used library-based technological resources connecting individuals, businesses and society with knowledge. In the fall of

2008, the IPL merged with the LII, a publicly-funded, database-driven Web site and weekly newsletter managed by The Califa Library Group. It took more than a year of design, research, and collaboration among faculty, staff, and doctoral students for the ipl2 to be fully developed.

Previous to the merger, the IPL itself received more than 10 million visits annually, with more than 1,000 digital reference graduate students at partner colleges worldwide assisting with maintenance and answering more than 200 reference queries weekly. The LII maintained a subscriber base of more than 40,000, and comprises more than 20,000 records representing top-notch online sources. The LII was recognized as one of the best Free Reference Web sites by the Machine-Assisted Reference Section (MARS) of the Reference and User Service Association (RUSA) of the American Library Association (ALA).

The merger of these sites and the subsequent development of ipl2 offer exciting prospects in research, collaboration, teaching and community service for all IPL consortium partners, which include Drexel, Florida State University, University of Pittsburgh, Rutgers University, Syracuse University, University of Texas, Austin, University of North Carolina, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the University of Washington. In January 2010, the ipl2 was recognized as a Top Reference Site to Write a Winning Research Paper by MakeUseOf.com, and the ipl2’s Franklin D. Roosevelt page was named Best of the Web for World War II: Home Front by Shmoop. This year, the ipl2 was also selected as one of the MARS Best Free Reference Web sites of 2010.

“I think that one of our biggest plans is to involve students and volunteers even more in the IPL — question answering, special projects, site suggestions and content creation,” says Alison Miller, ipl2’s manager of reference services of upcoming plans for the ipl2. “When the IPL was created in 1995, a big part of the IPL culture included what librarians can do for the Internet and what the Internet can do for librarians. I think that this is still extremely relevant and we are very excited to have current and future librarians working with us.”

Left to Right: Mick Khoo, Joe Janes, Eileen Abels, Joyce Valenza, and David E. Fenske at the ipl2 Institute, March 2010

New Accelerated Degree Option: BS/JD

Information is everywhere – even in the courtroom. The Accelerated BS/JD Program enables academically qualified Information Systems and Information Technology students to earn both a bachelor’s and juris doctor degree concurrently. iSchool students participate in the seven-year (4+3) option, which includes one six-month co-op.

Learn more at www.ischool.drexel.edu/BSJD

A Minor in Informatics Could Equal Major Pay-offs

As workplaces become more and more dependent on computers to complete daily tasks, a firm foundation in informatics is becoming invaluable to employers. It is those able to utilize technology to its fullest advantage who are among the most sought after in their fields. Any student in any major can benefit from a minor in informatics. Graduates with background knowledge in informatics are prepared to actively apply information technology to their major area of study. The iSchool’s Minor in Informatics combines basic courses in information systems and technology with courses that address the cognitive issues and social contexts in which information systems and technologies are embedded.

Learn more at www.ischool.drexel.edu/minors

Learn more, Earn More — Through The iSchool at Drexel’s Online Degree Completion Programs

More education means more earning potential. Now you have the opportunity to move your career forward on your terms. Designed for students with five years of technical work experience and an associate’s degree in any subject, The iSchool at Drexel’s degree completion programs were created with the working professional in mind.

If you thought you didn’t have enough time to complete a degree, think again. Learn more about our Online Bachelor of Science Degree Completion programs and our BS/MS degree completion programs.

Learn more at www.ischool.drexel.edu/DegreeCompletion

An Advanced Degree in Computing is at Your Fingertips

The iSchool at Drexel’s newly revised Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) is designed both for career changers interested in launching new careers in information systems and information technology, and for information systems professionals who wish to broaden and formalize their knowledge in the field. Build your knowledge and skills and become a leader in the field.

Learn more at www.ischool.drexel.edu/MSIS

NEW at the iSchool

21

The ipl2 Moves Digital Libraries Forward through Research, Education, and Community Service


The iSchool at Drexel Phone: 215.895.2474 Fax: 215.895.2494 www.ischool.drexel.edu [email protected]

Non Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPhiladelphia, PA

Permit # 144

Class of 2010Congratulations to the Newest

iSchool Alumni!Please keep in touch with us.

Visit www.ischool.drexel.edu/APFto join the Alumni Association

(ISTA), sign up for the ISTA Listserv, and learn about the

iSchool’s alumni services.

BRIDGE Spring 2010.indd 24 6/3/2010 10:10:30 AM

bridge magazine spring 2010

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