University of Washington Information School

ischool.uw.eduInformation School welcomes new faculty cohortThe University of Washington Information School is honored to welcome four faculty members who are joining or taking on new roles in the school. These scho...

13 July

The UW Information School welcomes four faculty members with broad research, teaching and leadership expertise. Meet the new faculty cohort: Nicholas Hernandez, Crystal Yragui, Yaman Yu and Benjamin Laufer. ischool.uw.edu/news/2026/07...

14h

Sharing words of wisdom from our students: Azelya Jade Macaranas, Informatics: “My advice to transfer students: Try everything once. You never know what a single experience might lead to. You’ve already shown your resilience by taking a huge leap." Thank you, Azelya!

HBD, iSchool! This year marks 25 years since the Information School was founded, and 115 years since the University of Washington's library school was established in 1911. Thank you to everyone who makes the UW Information School the welcoming learning community it is today.

We’re looking forward to celebrating with alumni at our upcoming iSchool Reunion Weekend. Learn more about our anniversary events - hope you can join us! ischool.uw.edu/25

Information School researchers and students were well-represented at the 29th ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing #CSCW2026:

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dl.acm.orgIterative Netnography and Occurrence for Rapid Research: A Case Study of TikTok | Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer InteractionAs social media becomes more visual, personalized, and algorithmically curated, new methods are needed to understand how content occurs to different communities. Existing API-based and text-centric me...

•Method Recognition Award, #CSCW2026: “Iterative Netnography and Occurrence for Rapid Research: A Case Study of TikTok,” by co-authors Nina Lutz (Ph.D. student, @hcde.uw.edu), Kiera Hannuksela, Ethan Hynes, Celestine Le, Adriana Lopez & Danielle Lee Thompson (@cip.uw.edu) dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...

.... and many more iSchool researchers and affiliates shared papers. Thanks for another great conference with colleagues from around the world! #CSCW2026

Information School researchers and students were well-represented at the 29th ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing #CSCW2026:

dl.acm.orgYouCred: An Online Tool Co-Designed with Fact-Checkers for Misinformation Discovery on YouTube | Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer InteractionMonitoring online platforms, one of the most challenging aspects of the fact-checking process, remains predominantly manual. Crafting search queries to surface potentially dubious online content is based on guesswork, demanding significant time and effort ...

•Best Paper Award: “YouCred: An Online Tool Co-Designed with Fact-Checkers for Misinformation Discovery on YouTube” by co-authors Prerna Juneja, Dongkai Xie, Guangyin Ye, and Tanu Mitra #CSCW2026 dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...

ischool.uw.eduWes King meets students with empathy, flexibilityIt’s a volatile time to be a student. Emerging technologies mediate their learning experiences and shape their future career paths faster than institutio...

From the way students are welcomed into the classroom, to the care shown for both learning and the whole person, Dr. Wes Eli King exemplifies teaching excellence. King has earned a 2026 University of Washington Distinguished Teaching Award. Congratulations! ischool.uw.edu/news/2026/10...

southseattleemerald.orgCOLUMN | Meta's New Social Media Rules Should Have Started With TeensA Seattle teen already found a way around Instagram's age check. Di Zhang argues that young people should help shape the rules meant to protect them.

Jason Yip is quoted in an article in the South Seattle Emerald titled “Meta’s New Social Media Rules Should Have Started with Teens,” written by Di Zhang. "I don't think any [social media] ban by itself will change behavior," Yip says. Read the story: southseattleemerald.org/voices/2026/...

iowapublicradio.orgThe media landscape has moved from mass market appeal to divisive algorithmsAudiences across the political spectrum used to consume the same basic set of facts from the major news networks. Today, political slants in coverage and individualized algorithms have Americans debat...

Postdoc Alexandros Efstratiou of @cip.uw.edu is quoted in an @iowapublicradio.org interview: "There is absolutely no motivation or incentive for any kind of content creator to just kind of reel it down ... and try a bit more of a balanced approach,” he said. www.iowapublicradio.org/ipr-news/202...

@mellymeldubs.bsky.social

Startup spotlight: Rachel Waldron, MLIS ’18. Through her company, Shelfwright, Waldron applies core library and information science practices, including collection development, organization and classification, using skills she developed at the iSchool. Learn more: ischool.uw.edu/alumni/spotl...

University of Washington Information School reposted

Melanie Walsh

REMINDER: The priority deadline for this position is October 30th. We're looking for an Assistant Professor, tenure-track, in Library and Information at the UW Information School @ischool.uw.edu Please share with your networks. I am on the search committee and happy to answer questions.

Melanie Walsh@mellymeldubs.bsky.social

We are hiring for several positions in the UW Information School, including a tenure-track position in Library and Information Science. Please share with anyone interested in these areas! Deadline October 30. Job: apply.interfolio.com/192127

ischool.uw.eduSociety + Technology event assembles array of UW scholarsMore than 100 attendees filled the room at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture on Friday, Oct. 2, for a Society + Technology at UW symposi...

The Society + Technology at UW initiative recently hosted scholars from across UW. They gave talks on broad topics including power, tradition, agency, war and authorship for a symposium addressing the power of public research. Learn more about this special event: ischool.uw.edu/news/2026/10...

bit.lyHome - iSchool All Programs, All Years Reunion 2026Celebrate 25 years of the Information School at our All Programs, All Years Reunion. This milestone gathering brings together alumni from every program and graduating class for a weekend of…

🎉 Information School and GSLIS alumni -- We’re so excited about our All Programs, All Years Alumni Reunion weekend events, happening Friday, Oct. 30 - Sunday, Nov. 1! 🔗 RSVP here: bit.ly/uw-ischool-r... Have questions? Email our team at ialumni@uw.edu. We hope to see you there!

ischool.uw.eduAI research to aid in remembering historical figuresThe words and images of famous American writers like James Baldwin or Mark Twain circulate widely online, and are often invoked in social and political con...

A new project led by Assistant Professor Ben Lee aims to use AI tools to better understand how historical figures are represented across millions of documents. A research grant from Schmidt Sciences, announced today, will support the project. Melanie Walsh is a co-PI. ischool.uw.edu/news/2026/10...

ischool.uw.eduRenowned children's author shares her story at Shaw LectureAuthor Christina Soontornvat reflected on her path from her parents’ Texas restaurant to the pages of her own books during the 2026 Spencer G. Shaw Lectu...

Christina Soontornvat, the only author to date to receive Newbery Honors for both nonfiction and fiction in the same year, gave the Shaw Lecture on Oct. 8 at the UW HUB. Read our write-up of the event: ischool.uw.edu/news/2026/10...

Now hiring: #academicsky

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In his latest letter to the Information School community, Dean Anind Dey writes about the public service mission of the school's library-focused founding, the exemplary work being done by faculty, students and staff, and the benefits of radical collaboration: ischool.uw.edu/news/2026/10...

yahoo.comHow fake online Jane Doe identities became a tactic to protect the plaintiff in the Cornell rape caseSupporters are flooding the internet with fake identities to protect a woman who alleges she was raped by Cornell fraternity members. An expert explains why the tactic creates friction but has limits.

@yahoonews.com reporter Kate Murphy interviewed Professor Chirag Shah about the feasibility of the online and offline "I am Jane Doe" movement as a tactic that could confuse search engines and AI chatbots and protect Doe's identity: www.yahoo.com/news/us/arti...

University of Washington Information School reposted

We're looking forward to welcoming award-winning author Christina Soontornvat to UW tomorrow! Join us for our free, hybrid Shaw Lecture at 7:30pm PT at the UW HUB and online: bit.ly/shawlecture26 Let your favorite future and current librarians and children's literature fans know!

If you're at the National Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (JCLC) in Spokane this week, we warmly welcome you to stop by and visit us at Booth 30! #JCLC2026

nytimes.comForget the Shushing. Librarians Have a Whole Lot to Say. (Gift Article)We asked dozens of them about America’s libraries — what they provide, what they need to survive. Here’s what they told us.

MLIS alum Conrrado Saldivar is among dozens of librarians who were interviewed by The New York Times while at ALA's Chicago conference. Here's what he and others had to say about librarianship in 2026: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

UW iSchool Assistant Professor Martin Saveski has earned the 2026 CIP Robert Mason Outstanding Mentorship Award for his exceptional teaching skills and dedication to developing student excellence. Congratulations, @msaveski.bsky.social! www.cip.uw.edu/2026/09/29/m...

cip.uw.eduMartin Saveski selected for 2026 CIP Robert Mason Outstanding Mentorship Award“I’ve been fortunate to have excellent mentors in my life, and I’m thankful to have the opportunity to pay it forward,” according to Martin Saveski.

The mentorship award is named in honor of iSchool Professor Emeritus Robert Mason, whose own mentorship a decade ago nurtured the work of CIP co-founders Emma S. Spiro and Kate Starbird when they were newly-hired faculty.

”I’m truly honored to receive this award,” he said. ”Working closely with students and seeing them grow into independent scholars is one of my favorite aspects of being a professor. I’ve been fortunate to have excellent mentors in my life, and I’m thankful to have the opportunity to pay it forward.”

washington.eduQ&A: UW researchers respond to recent concerns over AI risk | UW NewsRecent news about AI safety is fueling a new wave of political and societal fear. Five UW AI researchers discuss the real risks of AI and what to do about them.

Following recent concerns about the speed of AI development and security incidents, reporter Stefan Milne of @uwnews.uw.edu spoke with five researchers including Information School faculty Aylin Caliskan, Chirag Shah and Ryan Calo. www.washington.edu/news/2026/09...

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"Establish and fund commissions and taskforces that audit these companies and models and make independent assessments and recommendations," Shah said. "Make the companies rolling out these models accountable for any harms caused by their tech. Educate and empower the public..."

“To better manage risks, we should be designing AI deployment contexts in collaboration with stakeholders and communities,” Caliskan said. Check out the discussion: www.washington.edu/news/2026/09...

“I worry [that some] engineers… are playing into an industry rhetoric that would have society focus on speculative, existential threats, rather than immediate, real-world harms, Calo said.

ischool.uw.eduMLIS alum brings energy, passion to job of state librarianMelody Sky Weaver recalled her reaction the first time someone told her she'd make a great librarian: "I'm not a quiet person. I am a really loud, extrover...

MLIS alum Melody Sky Weaver ('10) has just begun her appointment as the new Washington State Librarian. "Everyone should be shouting from the rooftops about how incredible our Washington State Library is," she says. Read more about her path: ischool.uw.edu/news/2026/09...

The 2026 Spencer G. Shaw Lecture with Christina Soontornvat is one week away! Soontornvat's work includes fiction, fantasy, nonfiction and graphic novels for young readers. Free and open to all. Register to join us in person or online on Thurs., Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. PT: events.uw.edu/event/99ddbc...

Learn more about Professor Spencer G. Shaw, who inspired the lecture series. Shaw was a highly influential public librarian, educator and world-renowned expert on storytelling and library service to children. ischool.uw.edu/faculty-affa...

seattletimes.comThe Seattle Times hosted an event about youth safety and AI. Here are tips the experts sharedArtificial intelligence has already altered how we interact with technology, and kids, even at a young age, are experiencing the same transformation.

Associate Professor Alexis Hiniker spoke on a Seattle Times panel on AI's effects on youth mental health, alongside Grin Lord, Rio Hindami, and Taylor Blatchford: www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

IMLS recently awarded a grant to CALMA for a project led by Sharon Streams, Ben Lee and Jessica Luke. The project aims to develop a research roadmap for cultural institutions, highlighting areas of shared value and proposing next steps for collaboration. ischool.uw.edu/news/2026/09...

Campus is brimming with new-school-year excitement, and we’re glad to welcome all incoming students to UW, whether you’re joining us here on campus or online from where you live. New students, we hope you will attend our iWelcome event this week. Please check your email for info. And happy fall! 💜

Join the dynamic, interdisciplinary faculty at the University of Washington Information School. We're hiring for the following positions: (1/4) • Assistant Professor, Tenure-Track, AI: ischool.uw.edu/about/jobs/f...

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Join the dynamic, interdisciplinary faculty at the University of Washington Information School. We're hiring for the following positions: (3/4) • Assistant Professor, Tenure-Track, Information Systems and Information Management: ischool.uw.edu/about/jobs/f...

ischool.uw.eduFaculty Employment OpportunitiesInformation is central to knowledge, to understanding, to impact. Amid the AI transformation, climate change and ongoing threats to public and civic health...

Join our dynamic, interdisciplinary faculty at the University of Washington Information School. We're hiring for an Assistant Teaching Professor, Teaching-Track, Information Systems and Information Management. Please share widely! Learn more and apply on our website: ischool.uw.edu/about/jobs/f...

Join the dynamic, interdisciplinary faculty at the University of Washington Information School. We're hiring for the following positions: (2/4) • Assistant Professor, Tenure-Track, Library Information Science: ischool.uw.edu/about/jobs/f...

17 Sept

UW Information School Ph.D. student Imani Finkley spoke with @uwnews.uw.edu about her new study looking at gender in AI-generated stories for children: bit.ly/AIinKidsStor...

bit.lyAlum leads Microsoft's efforts to 'get it right' on AI safetyAs AI models continue to grow more capable, some are beginning to behave unpredictably outside their testing environments. It is a pattern that raises conc...

16 Sept

As director of responsible AI practice at @microsoft.com, alum Steph Ballard, Ph.D. '23, MLIS '17, is helping shape how one of the world's biggest tech companies handles AI safety. She was recently honored with the iSchool's GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) Award. Read more: bit.ly/StephBallard

14 Sept

iSchool alumni - do you have an update to share? Drop your update through the link below for a chance to be featured! 💜🎉 ischool.uw.edu/alumni/updates

11 Sept

In his newest podcast episode, released on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Associate Professor Joe Janes addresses what was left after the attacks. “‘Never forget’ is easy to say, but difficult to achieve without tangible reminders,” Janes says. Listen to the podcast: ischool.uw.edu/podcasts/dtc...

ischool.uw.eduEarn your Ph.D. at the UW iSchoolThe iSchool seeks outstanding students to join our Ph.D. program.

11 Sept

Are you interested in Ph.D. programs? The UW Information School in Seattle is recruiting graduate students for the 2027-2028 academic year. Applications are due Dec. 2. Learn more: ischool.uw.edu/programs/phd...

youtube.comHow We’re Testing AI ToysYouTube video by UW (University of Washington)

1 Sept

Associate Professor and UW KidsTeam Director @jasoncyip.bsky.social and Aayushi Dangol of @hcde.uw.edu are in a new @uwnews.uw.edu video about AI toys. "It's mportant for the public to understand that this isn't something we can take lightly anymore," Yip says. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB09...

28 Aug

Join us for an evening with Christina Soontornvat on Thurs. Oct. 8, for the 2026 Spencer G. Shaw Lecture. This is a hybrid event at the UW and online. @soontornvat.bsky.social Soontornvat is a bestselling author, engineer and STEM educator. We hope you can join us! Register: bit.ly/shawlecture26

25 Aug

Startup spotlight: Nathanael Elongo, MSIM '25, founded OpsFrame inspired by a mission to simplify financial and operational complexity through integrated technology and decision intelligence. Best of luck with your venture, Nathanael! Learn more about the #startup: ischool.uw.edu/alumni/spotl...

24 Aug

Interested in studying at the University of Washington Information School? Join one of our upcoming information sessions: www.bit.ly/futureischoolstudents