As a computer networks software developer, Shubhanshu Mishra realized that he was less interested in software than in understanding its users and their social interactions. This insight led him to the iSchool at Illinois, where he is learning skills in his PhD studies that will prepare him for a new career in information science.
Kafi D. Kumasi will deliver the 2017 Gryphon Lecture on Friday, April 28, at the iSchool. Sponsored annually by The Center for Children's Books (CCB), the lecture features a leading scholar in the field of youth and literature, media, and culture. It is free and open to the campus and public.
Jessica Followell is the 2017 master's student recipient of the Graduate Student Essay Award from the Children's Literature Association. Followell won the award for her essay, "Miracle Cures and Moral Lessons: Victorian Legacies in Contemporary Representations of Children with Disabilities," which examines two plot devices that emerged in children's literature during the Victoria era to discuss disabilities—the miracle cure and the moral lesson.
Master's student Ian Harmon has earned a fellowship from the Society for Scholarly Publishing. Out of 70 applicants, Harmon was chosen as one of twelve to receive the highly competitive fellowship. He will be provided with a wide range of career development opportunities.
Doctoral candidate Karen Baker successfully defended her dissertation, "Data Work Configurations in the Field-Based Natural Sciences: Mesoscale Infrastructures, Project Collectives, and Data Gateways," on April 10.
Assistant Professor Peter Darch and Research Associate Professor David Dubin participated in the Research Data Alliance (RDA) 9th Plenary Meeting, which was held April 5-7 in Barcelona, Spain.
Matthew Battles will deliver the 2017 Otlet Lecture on Tuesday, April 25, at the iSchool. The lecture will begin at 3:30 p.m. in Room 126 and will be streamed online and recorded. A reception will follow in the East Foyer.
Professor Alistair Black's research on the design of post-war British public libraries has received an Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities (IPRH) Prize for Research in the Humanities. Black's entry, "The Long Journey to Libraries of Light," was selected as the winner of an Honorable Mention for best faculty research.
Assistant Professor Rachel Magee has been named an American Library Association (ALA)-Google Ready to Code (RtC) Faculty Fellow. As an RtC Fellow, she will participate in Phase II of the Libraries Ready to Code project, which ALA and Google launched in January 2017 to help equip librarians with the right skills and tools to encourage kids to code.
Master's student Leanna Barcelona uses materials from the past to connect with students today in her artistic and award-winning exhibits. Barcelona's graphic design skills were recognized again this month when she won first prize in the Image of Research competition sponsored by the Graduate College.
