Nov. 18, 2013

UT Information Sciences Professor Receives National Teaching Award

KNOXVILLE—Suzie Allard, associate professor and associate director of the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has received a national teaching award.

Allard was given the 2013 LJ Teaching Award from Library Journal, one of the nation's top library and information science trade publications. 

The award recognizes people who excel at educating the next generation of librarians. The award, co-sponsored by digital publisher ProQuest, honors Allard for a decade of work building a specialty in science information and science data management and for creating a true classroom-practice science library education program. 

In the announcement of the award, editors from Library Journal cited Allard for her "talent, passion and energy" in advancing scholarship and education in library and information science.

"The 2013 LJ Teaching Award is a testament to Suzie's innovative work in educating the next generation of library and information science professionals," said CCI Dean Mike Wirth. "We are very proud of her accomplishments and greatly appreciate her many contributions to the School of Information Sciences, the College of Communication and Information, and the University of Tennessee."

Allard was nominated by Carol Tenopir, Chancellor's Professor in the School of Information Sciences and director of research and director of the Center for Information and Communication Studies in the College of Communication and Information. 

The editors selected Allard after reviewing nominations from across the United States. According to the publication, she stood out for her forward-thinking approach to building relationships and forging nontraditional partnerships with institutions such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Getty Museum and the U.S. Geological Survey to create connections between students' coursework and professional scientific field work. These partnerships push boundaries, fuel new courses, create true practice-classroom experiences and open the door for a flow of information in scientific communities. 

Beyond building courses and partnerships, Allard is known for nurturing one-on-one relationships with her students: recruiting them, mentoring them in many ways, and helping them get jobs as science librarians, data librarians and other science information professionals. 

"Mentoring is so important to me," Allard said. "As the field of information science moves forward, it is crucial that we help our students prepare for future challenges and opportunities, and mentoring is a great way to do that." 

Allard has produced or co-produced many reports and publications, including "DataONE: Facilitating eScience through Collaboration," "Data Sharing by Scientists: Perceptions and Practices" and "Building Bridges: Information Science Skills to Leverage the Power of Environmental Information." She has received support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for the following projects: "Cybersecurity for Science Information: Developing Workforce Proficiency," and "SciData: Science Data and Information Professionals for the Future." 

For more information on the award, visit http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/11/awards/suzie-allard-lj-teaching-award-winner-2013. 

For more information on the School of Information Sciences, visit http://www.sis.utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T :

Donna Silvey (865-974-6727, [log in to unmask])

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