From: Miguel
Figueroa [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 4:51 PM
To: Miguel Figueroa; Gwendolyn Prellwitz
Subject: Spectrum Scholarship Program promotes LIS doctoral studies with new webinar series
Please share with your lists. Webinars are free and open to anyone interested in LIS doctoral studies.
-Miguel
Miguel A. Figueroa
Director, Office for Diversity & Spectrum
Acting Director, Office for Literacy & Outreach Services
American Library Association
50 East Huron
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (800) 545-2433 x5295
Direct: (312) 280-5295
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
www.ala.org/diversity
CHICAGO —As part of the
Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship Program: Building Change, a diversity recruitment program funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Spectrum Scholarship Program will present a series of four webinars exploring opportunities for doctoral studies
in library and information science. The webinars are free and open to all individuals interested in learning more about
LIS doctoral education.
Webinars will feature current
LIS doctoral students and LIS educators discussing topics to be considered when pursuing a doctorate, including defining a research topic, selecting an academic program, building a supportive network, and
applying to and funding programs of study.
The following free webinars will be presented:
Interested individuals should e-mail the Office for Diversity’s Spectrum Scholarship Program ([log in to unmask]) to receive
information about accessing the webinars. Webinars will be recorded and posted to
the Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship Program web page.
The Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship Program: Building Change seeks to reinforce and expand efforts to recruit racially and ethnically diverse individuals to the
LIS professorate. According to the Association for Library and Information Science Education’s (ALISE) “Library and Information Science Statistical Report 2009,” ethnic minorities (American Indian/Alaska
Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander) account for just over 10% (5 of 46) of
LIS Deans and Directors and 24% (153 of 645) of full-time Professors, Associate Professors, or Assistant Professors.
With funding from
IMLS, selected Spectrum Doctoral Fellows receive full tuition support and stipends for two years beginning in the Fall of 2013; support for participation in professional conferences where they can share their research; and participation
in two Spectrum Doctoral Fellows Institutes to prepare for their doctoral studies and dissertation work. Participating academic programs provide tuition and stipends for Spectrum Doctoral Fellows’ required remaining years of study after the first two years.
Applications for the Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship Program will be available beginning in June 2012 for those interested in beginning their studies in Fall 2013. For more information on the Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship Program, please visit
http://www.ala.org/offices/diversity/spectrum/phd.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission
is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation;
and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit
www.imls.gov.
The Spectrum Scholarship Program is
ALA’s national diversity and recruitment effort designed to address the specific issue of underrepresentation of critically needed ethnic librarians within the profession while serving as a model for ways to bring attention to larger
diversity issues in the future. Since its founding, Spectrum has provided more than 700 scholarships to qualified applicants enrolled in an
ALA-accredited graduate program in library and information studies or an
AASL-recognized school library program. The Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship Program was established in 2006 with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and in partnership with the University
of Pittsburgh and oversaw the recruitment of twelve doctoral candidates. To learn more about the Spectrum Scholarship Program, visit
www.ala.org/spectrum.