Thank you to BLACKMAU, multimedia artist Stacey “BLACKSTAR” Robinson, and psychologist Kamau “DJ Kamaumau” Grantham, for coming to the #iSchoolUI on World Art Day for a discussion on artistic freedom and sharing about their art pieces that create immersive, surreal multimedia experiences!

#iSchoolUI MSLIS student Christine Nguyen has been awarded a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship to study Japanese this summer 🇯🇵   She’ll study at Okayama University to advance her language skills and expand access to archival resources.   Congrats, Christine! ▶️ bit.ly/4ta4hSP

J.B. Bailey has joined the communications and marketing team as coordinator of events, where he will be responsible for the development, management, and implementation of all #iSchoolUI events. Welcome to the School, J.B.! ▶️ bit.ly/3OFP4Kh

This week, #iSchoolUI faculty and students will be presenting their research at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2026) in Barcelona, Spain.   View the full list of presenters ▶️ bit.ly/4t7VhO5

This week, we held the #iSchoolUI Student Showcase online and in person!   We are proud of our undergrad and grad students! Their research covered everything from the intersection of data and society to what drives information behavior 🎉

What if your apps actually grew up with you? #iSchoolUI Professor Dong Wang is working with Snap Research to build a “Profile Agent,” a smart system that evolves alongside your interests in real time. Learn more ▶️ bit.ly/4dIffdD

#iSchoolUI Associate Professor Masooda Bashir’s study on gaps between privacy law and real-world enforcement became a key authority in Lopez v. Apple Inc., a landmark case involving Siri and intrusive recordings that resulted in a $95M settlement. ▶️ bit.ly/4sZbPb5

Congratulations to #iSchoolUI Associate Professor Sarah Park Dahlen on being selected as a juror for the 2026 Kirkus Prize! 🎉   Dahlen will help select top young readers’ titles across picture, middle-grade, and young adult books.   Learn more ▶️ bit.ly/4skKEGy

We 🧡 our graduate students!   Every day, our grad students make meaningful contributions that shape the world around us.   Thank you for being the 💙 of the #iSchoolUI community.

In the latest episode of “Made to Lead,” #iSchoolUI Interim Dean and Professor @ejmknox.bsky.social dives into how leaders can navigate complex ethical issues, engage across different perspectives, & advocate for equitable information access within their communities.   Listen here 🎧▶️ bit.ly/4bYDfIc

#iSchoolUI Assistant Professor Yaoyao Liu has been awarded a grant through NVIDIA’s Academic Grant Program. With access to 32,000 A100 GPU-hours on Brev, his research will focus on building AI systems that continuously learn and adapt over time. Congratulations, Yaoyao! ▶️ bit.ly/4dxTJrW

Research from former #iSchoolUI faculty member Jodi Schneider helped shape NISO’s CREC, now a finalist for the EPIC Award (Integrity Tools category) from the Society for Scholarly Publishing. Congratulations, Jodi! ▶️ bit.ly/41hNIbm

today's the day 🔥   shoutout to #iSchoolUI BSIS student (and fighting Illini men's basketball team manager) John Kramer for giving us a glimpse from Indy 🏀   #ILL!

#iSchoolUI researchers joined Global Education and Training (GET) and Bolashak fellows for the #Nauryz Celebration, a holiday that welcomes not only the spring equinox but also the renewal of nature. Welcome, Spring! 🌷

#iSchoolUI PhD student Ebubechukwu Uba is the recipient of the 2026 Illinois International Graduate Achievement Award for her work through Step-Up Academy in improving the information & tech literacy of underserved communities in rural Nigeria. Congratulations, Ebubechukwu! ▶️ bit.ly/3OjHYLh

See what #iSchoolUI students have been working on at our Student Showcase next week! 🔸 Online: Wednesday, April 8 | 3–5 p.m. 🔹 In person: Thursday, April 9 | 11 a.m.–2 p.m. More information, including projects and presenters, can be found here ▶️ bit.ly/41bkvPq

The deadline for nominations for the 2025 Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award has been extended to April 20. If you know someone who has furthered the cause of intellectual freedom, consider nominating them here ▶️ bit.ly/405D9Yb

Join the #iSchoolUI IT team! Applications are open for an IT Help Desk specialist, who will support our help desk in the appropriate delivery of teaching and learning technology. Apply by April 8 ▶️ bit.ly/4seQJEp

Heading to #CHI2026? 👀 #iSchoolUI Associate Professor Yun Huang is launching PapersClaw.fun, an app that helps you find sessions, connect with others, and navigate conferences with ease. Learn more ▶️ bit.ly/3PM7XeK

We welcomed 5 new staff members to our undergraduate advising team this academic year! Cory Castaneda, Dara (DL) Lawyer, Keri Marion, and Katie Murphy joined the #iSchoolUI, and Stacy Clemmons stepped into a new role supporting undergraduate students. ▶️ bit.ly/4v15ugH

#iSchoolUI Assistant Professor JooYoung Seo has been selected as a 2026–2027 CAS Beckman Fellow. His research will use AI and multimodal data tools to make data visualization more accessible for blind and low-vision users. Congratulations, JooYoung! ▶️ bit.ly/3O5OrcG

At the stu/dio, Informatics and Game Studies & Design students teamed up with dance professor John Toenjes to build “Master Dancer,” a VR game inspired by modern dancer Loïe Fuller. More in this story from the Illinois News Bureau ▶️ bit.ly/4rUQ2zS

Director of IT Brynnen Owen will be officially retiring on April 1. What started as a “part-time gig” turned into 26 years of service to the #iSchoolUI. Congratulations on your retirement, Brynnen, and we thank you for your service! 🤝

#iSchoolUI MSLIS student Nathaniel Allen Pila sees being an @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social Spectrum Scholar as a way to foster community and create lasting impact, goals he carries into his passion for digital accessibility in LIS. Read more about Nathaniel ▶️ bit.ly/4lO9ugc

#iSchoolUI alum Eugene Gurevich (BSIS ’23) helps keep millions safely connected to natural gas as an analyst at Nicor Gas. He credits the School for building his technical + communication skills, and encourages students to explore unconventional paths. ▶️ bit.ly/488Jk27

📣 New #iSchoolUI apparel is out! 📣 We are offering a t-shirt, tank top, full-zip hooded sweatshirt, and cap! Orders will be available for pickup or can be shipped. Get your order in by April 8 👉 bit.ly/4dFLGsP

Do you know alumni who deserve to be recognized for their work? Consider nominating them for the #iSchoolUI Alumni Awards: Distinguished Alumnus, Leadership, and Distinguished Service!   Nominations are due by April 1 ▶️ bit.ly/4bHNzEL

The #iSchoolUI is well represented at this year’s iConference, which will be held virtually from March 23-26 and in person from March 29-April 2 in Edinburgh, Scotland. More details on our participation here ▶️ bit.ly/4rNf6sG

Informatics PhD student Olive Wang received a $5K minigrant from AccessComputing to support Loadouts, a video game that teaches players why accessibility matters in gaming. Congratulations, Olive! 🎮▶️ bit.ly/4sgr6Uo

Join Library Trends on March 25, at 11:00 a.m., for a webinar on how librarians are integrating data literacy perspectives into their instruction-based responsibilities and roles.   For those who aren't able to attend, a recording will be made available. Register here ▶️ bit.ly/4sYkUR7

Join CIRSS next week for another “The AI Disruption” talk! Ha Nguyen, assistant professor in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will present "Whose Voice is the Chatbot? Designing AI for Science Learning." ▶️ bit.ly/4bsPs6b

#iSchoolUI Professor Anita Say Chan’s book "Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future" is a finalist for the 2026 PROSE Awards 🎉   The book links eugenics to today’s predatory data practices.   Congratulations, Anita! ▶️ bit.ly/4uOzMmS

#iSchoolUI postdoctoral research associate Cheeno Marlo Sayuno will deliver the Lois Lenski Children’s Literature Lecture at @illinoisstateu.bsky.social on March 23. His talk centers on exploring new ways of understanding Filipino childhood through literature and media.

Last week, admitted PhD and MSLIS students visited the #iSchoolUI campus to meet faculty, connect with future classmates, and experience the community firsthand. We hope you can picture yourself here. 🔸🔹

happy spring break, Illini! enjoy your week off, and we look forward to seeing you back on campus 🌷

This summer, the #iSchoolUI is piloting a Summer Intensive program that gives students the chance to earn 2-4 graduate credits by taking 1-2 intensive, in-person, week-long classes during the early weeks of the summer.   Learn more about courses ▶️ bit.ly/3Pgw3ho

#iSchoolUI postdoc Ece Gumusel recently published a paper, “From Awareness to Practice: A Survey of U.S. Users’ Privacy Perceptions in LLM Chatbots,” which found that many users lack the knowledge to effectively protect their personal data.   Learn more ▶️ bit.ly/4rryk6U

Nominations are open for new #iSchoolUI awards recognizing excellence in teaching and outstanding service. 🔸 Teaching Award
 🔹 Adjunct Teaching Award
 🔸 Staff Excellence Award Faculty, staff, students, and alumni may nominate. 
Submit by April 1 ▶️ bit.ly/410BqUA

#iSchoolUI Professor Jingrui He has been inducted into Sigma Xi, the international honor society of science and engineering and one of the oldest and largest scientific organizations in the world! Congratulations, Jingrui! ▶️ bit.ly/4bhlbr0

As a librarian at the Kiplinger Research Library, Alex Aspiazu (MSLIS ’22) loves solving historical mysteries & helping newcomers navigate special collections. When she’s not at Kiplinger, you might catch her performing in plays around Washington, DC. ▶️ bit.ly/3NvkSB1

All are welcome to attend tomorrow’s “The AI Disruption” talk! Florian Schnitzhofer, CEO of ReqPOOL Group and Sysparency, will present "The Vision of Self Driving Organizations." ▶️ bit.ly/4cAlW0H

We’re proud to be part of the legacy of Katharine L. Sharp, a pioneering library educator who helped shape Illinois into a national leader in library education. Thanks to Illinois Alumni for sharing this piece on her lasting impact. ▶️ bit.ly/46SZQmu

Checked your myIllini portal today? 📬 🔸 Here’s a preview of life at the #iSchoolUI 🔹

#iSchoolUI PhD student Muhammad Hassan and Assoc. Prof. Masooda Bashir received the Distinguished Paper Award at the Workshop on Security and Privacy in Standardized IoT for their paper on developer experiences with the Matter smart home standard.   Congrats, Muhammad and Masooda! ▶️ bit.ly/4uez2XN

During Orange & Blue Days, we are proud to rally our community around a mission that reflects both our values & our impact: supporting the CUC Fab Lab & expanding scholarship opportunities for local youth to attend summer camp. Make a gift today 🌟https://go.ischool.illinois.edu/orange-blue

Ending with profound appreciation for Tad Schroeder, the @ischoolui.bsky.social's facilities director—Tad has now *twice* taken overnight trips to haul thousands of pounds of equipment with me & is @skeuomorphpress.org’s most stalwart advocate—he’d say it’s just his job but it’s so far over & above

This year’s Gryphon Lecture featured Wayne A. Wiegand presenting “Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Missing Stories in American Library History.” Thank you to everyone who attended in person and online.

#iSchoolUI PhD students and faculty will present their research at the Technocracy Conference, hosted by the Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory, on March 5-6. More on their presentations here ▶️ bit.ly/4smtZ5E

Join us on Wednesday, March 4, for the 2025-26 Gryphon Lecture presented by Wayne A. Wiegand, the “Dean of American Library Historians.” Register for the hybrid event ▶️ bit.ly/3OoCTBe

All are welcome to attend tomorrow’s “The AI Disruption” talk! Rosina Weber, professor of information science and computer science at Drexel University, will present "XAI is in Trouble, but are LLMs?" ▶️ bit.ly/4b3FFTW