The iSchool is pleased to announce that Colin Rhinesmith joined the faculty as a visiting associate professor on January 1, 2025. His position will become permanent following approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. He previously served as founder and director of the Digital Equity Research Center at the Metropolitan New York Library Council.
Rhinesmith's areas of research include community informatics, engaged scholarship, and information policy. Through his Digital Equity Action Research (DEAR) Lab at the iSchool, he is working with civil society organizations, government agencies, and philanthropic organizations to advance digital equity through community-engaged and participatory research. Rhinesmith has received funding for this research from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, and Comcast Corporation.
"As a global leader in the field of engaged scholarship in information sciences, the iSchool at Illinois has helped set the standard for community-engaged research that prioritizes mutually beneficial partnerships," said Rhinesmith. "I look forward to supporting the iSchool's mission by engaging with students, faculty, staff, and the broader community through my scholarship to advance digital equity as a social justice goal."
Rhinesmith received his PhD in library and information science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has served as a Google Public Policy Fellow and an adjunct research fellow with New America's Open Technology Institute; senior fellow with the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society; and faculty associate with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.
"Colin has been widely recognized for his work in advancing digital inclusion as well as his teaching in information sciences. We are pleased that he has decided to join the iSchool as a faculty member. His expertise in community informatics and engaged scholarship will strengthen iSchool research and student engagement," said Interim Executive Associate Dean and Visiting Professor Jiangping Chen.