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University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, School of Information Studies Updates, News & Events July 25, 2012 In The News Dr. Michael Zimmer - "Big Data On Campus" Michael Zimmer , SOIS Assistant Professor, was quoted in the article "Big Data on Campus" published in the New York Times on July 18, 2012. The article is a collaboration between the New York Times and The Chronicle of Higher Education and examines data mining on college campuses. Dr. Zimmer studies the social, political, and ethical dimensions of new media and information technologies. He is also the Director of the Center for Information Policy Research. From the Article: As more of this technology comes online, it raises new tensions. What role does a professor play when an algorithm recommends the next lesson? If colleges can predict failure, should they steer students away from challenges? When paths are so tailored, do campuses cease to be places of exploration? "We don't want to turn into just eHarmony," says Michael Zimmer, assistant professor in the School of Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, where he studies ethical dimensions of new technology. "I'm worried that we're taking both the richness and the serendipitous aspect of courses and professors and majors — and all the things that are supposed to be university life — and instead translating it into 18 variables that spit out, 'This is your best fit. So go over here.' " Read the full article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/22/education/edlife/colleges-awakening-to-the-opportunities-of-data-mining.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all Faculty Presentations Politics & Civility July 26th, 2012 9am-12pm Franklin Public Library SOIS Assistant Professor Joyce Latham will be presenting "Politics & Civility" with Dr. Mordecai Lee (Professor of Governmental Affairs at UW-Milwaukee), Mary Davis Fournier (Deputy Director, Public Programs Office, American Library Association) and Martha Berninger (Director, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Resources for Libraries & Lifelong Learning). Dr. Latham specializes in public libraries, intellectual freedom and library history. Dr. Latham's revisionary research focus is on the activist role of librarians in the development of culture. A brief description of the presentation: "It can be difficult and challenging for people to figure out where they can go to talk, ask questions, and exchange ideas on issues of the day without finding themselves in the midst of a heated debate. Public libraries can provide that neutral ground and help its citizenry become informed and engaged, but how do we go about this? What trends can we anticipate?" To register for the event, visit: http://www.wcfls.org/event-details.php?ID=14711 Not in Milwaukee? SOIS events are available online at the SOIS iStream: http://www4.uwm.edu/sois/projects/media/ SOIS Administration Updates Dr. Thomas Walker Associate Professor Tom Walker has been appointed as MLIS Program Director. Dr. Walker has been at SOIS since 1992, with the exception of 1999-2003 when he was the Director and Associate Professor at the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Southern Mississippi. From March 2003-June 2005, Dr. Walker served as Interim Dean for SOIS, and he served as Associate Dean from 2005-2007. His professional experience ranges from public services in corporate and public libraries to indexing and abstracting for a government database and indexing and cataloging for a trade association. Dr. Walker recently attended the Special Libraries Association (SLA) conference held July 15-18 in Chicago, Illinois. Former SLA President Cindy Romaine appointed Dr. Walker to a task force to rewrite the SLA Competencies. The project should be completed by the end of the year. SOIS Student Abroad Joel DesArmo , a recent MLIS graduate of SOIS who is beginning the PhD program in the fall, is participating in the International Summer Program (ISP) at the Chung-Ang University (CAU) in Korea. The program is a 4-week program of study on Korean culture and society delivered through lectures by top CAU faculty and Korean pop cultural celebrities, as well as cultural activities and field trips related to topics discussed in the classroom. Topics explored during the program include Korean economics, political developments, culinary arts, religions, pop culture and social issues. There are nearly 20 international students from the U.S, France, England, China, Taiwan, and Germany, and about 15 Korean students enrolled in the program. Read more about the ISP at http://neweng.cau.ac.kr/04_international/summerprogram01.php FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: [log in to unmask] | Ph: 414-229-4707 | http://www.uwm.edu/sois Rebecca Hall Web Development & Marketing Coordinator Instructor UW-Milwaukee, School of Information Studies PO Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201 Ph: 414.229.2855 | F: 414.229.6699 http://www.uwm.edu/sois