From the Director’s Chair
What a semester this has aleady been at the Information School.
In August, we officially moved into Morgridge Hall, an incredible new space designed for collaborative learning, research and community-building. I must say: the building is already living up to its promises of being an inviting and visually stunning space for everyone in the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences (CDIS) and a welcoming crossroads for folks across the UW–Madison campus.
At the same time, we recognize the 4th floor of Helen C. White Hall will always hold an irreplaceable spot in our hearts and in our storied history as a department. The classes, research projects, graduation celebrations and relationships formed in that space will forever remain part of our legacy together.
On the topic of transitions, this semester also marks my first as iSchool director, which I offer more thoughts about in an article below. (In short, I’m excited!) You’ll also learn about some of the amazing new faculty members we’ve recently hired and their fascinating lines of research. You’ll see how our students have, as usual, achieved some truly impressive things. And you’ll get a roundup of the trailblazing research our faculty have published this year in areas like health informatics, data ethics, human-computer interaction and science-of-science.
This newsletter is just an exciting sliver of what our students, faculty, staff and alumni are accomplishing. The impact of our community at UW–Madison, across the state and around the world is immeasurable.
Thank you all for reading and for continuing to engage with us. I hope you enjoy this edition of Jottings.
iSchool News
- What Morgridge Hall means for us
- iSchool welcomes Jacqueline Brixey as Anna Julia Cooper Postdoctoral Fellow
- Jodi Schneider joins iSchool as associate professor
- Professor Greg Downey takes the helm as iSchool Director
Student Life
- Student spotlight: Bella Power links information with communication and creativity
- Tribal Libraries, Archives and Museums (TLAM) program featured in Wisconsin State Journal
Research Roundup
Our faculty and students are revealing new insights on some of the most pressing questions at the nexus of information, technology, and society.
This fall’s research highlights span critical examinations of equity in science journalism and immigration enforcement, innovative studies of online learning communities, fascinating work on the dynamics of digital healthcare environments, and much more.
Get a glimpse of what the iSchool community has been publishing recently:
Continuing Education
Upcoming lifelong learning opportunities
The iSchool is proud to offer a variety of continuing education opportunities for library and information professionals looking to expand their knowledge and skills. Below are some upcoming conferences and online courses that we hope our alumni and friends will consider attending.
Conferences
Power Up: A Leadership Conference For Youth Services Managers & Staff
March 26, 2026 | Virtual
Lead The Way: Libraries At The Heart Of Community Engagement
April 20, 2026 | Virtual
Online courses
Professional Certificate in Cybersecurity Fundamentals for Small Organizations
3 self-paced courses in 3 months | Online
Strategies For Supervising Part-Time Employees
February 9 – March 22, 2026 | Online
Tours and Trips
Librarians’ Tour of New York City
May 17-23, 2026
Visit our Continuing Education website for more information and registration details.
Alumni updates
Ann Yurcaba MA’81 has retired after 44 years working as a librarian in Minnesota and Pennsylvania, including as Children’s & Young People’s Librarian at the East Central Regional Library (Cambridge, MN) as Interim University Librarian at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Patrick Losinski MA’83 has been honored with the 2025 Foundation Award from the Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) Foundation. After 22 years as the CEO of Columbus Metropolitan Library, Pat retired from the library system in 2024. In the role, he “redefined the role of public libraries, leading transformative initiatives that expanded access, equity, and innovation,” according to the CML Foundation.
Sarah Karow MA’87 has retired after 36 years of service at Houston Public Library.
Jeff Gilderson-Duwe MA’87 has retired after more than 37 years in reference and administration of (mostly) public libraries, including 17 years as Director of Oshkosh Public Library and Winnefox Library System.
Charley Seavey PhD‘87 published a paper, “Honest Dave Waddell and Shipbuilding in Rockport, Mass.”, which was accepted and delivered at the Maritime Heritage Conference, Buffalo, NY on September 26, this year.
Walter Burkhalter MA’91 has retired after a distinguished career, most recently serving as Director of Fontana Public Library in Fontana, WI since 2015.
Joseph Spadaro MA’92 is now Executive Director of Scholarly Technologies for the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
John Cherney MA’93 was appointed to the Standing Committee on Workforce and Information and Knowledge Strategies at the Transportation Research Board, part of the National Academies in Washington, D.C.
Heidi Oliversen MA’98 has retired after 25 years at South Central Library System as Circulation Service Consultant.
Mark Berner MA’01 retired in June 2025 after 24 years with the Fresno County Public Library in Fresno, CA. Mark worked in multiple positions, retiring as a supervising librarian overseeing a cluster of eight libraries in the southern part of the county.
Leigh Barnes MA’04 is now the Instructional Materials Center Librarian at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.
Rachel Fewell MA’04 was hired as director of Englewood Public Library (CO) in February 2025. Rachel moved into the role after 20 years of leadership roles in Colorado libraries, including leading the renovation of the Denver Central Library.
Amanda Moss Struckmeyer MA’05 has published Inspiring Teens, Tweens, and Families to Make a Difference in the World: Programming to Advance the Sustainable Development Goals, now available through ALA Editions. The book has received a starred review from School Library Journal.
Russell (Rusty) Michalak MA’05 is running for Vice-President of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). “My time at UW–Madison’s iSchool was foundational in shaping my values as a library leader and prepared me to take on national service opportunities like this,” Rusty says. “I am grateful for the education and community that continue to inspire my commitment to advancing equity, innovation, and collaboration in academic librarianship.” He also recently published a research article, “Factors influencing career advancement and tenure in academic librarianship” in the Journal of Academip Librarianship.
Kristin Briney MA’13 will publish her third book, The Data Management Workbook, on December 2, 2025. The book is a collection of hands-on exercises to improve your research data management practices. Briney currently serves as the Biology & Biological Engineering Librarian at Caltech in Pasadena, CA.
Liz Krznarich MA’13 was recently named chair of the Open Repositories conference steering committee for 2025-2027. Open Repositories is an international conference held annually since 2006 that provides a venue for knowledge exchange among hundreds of repository practitioners with responsibilities for stewarding digital resources.
Anna Wigtil MA’14 is now a Prospect Identification Analyst at the University of Nebraska Foundation, using her research skills to discover potential new donors for the foundation.
Robin Gee MA’22 began a new role as Research & Student Success Librarian at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, MN, in August. Robin also co-authored a chapter of Critical Information Literacy Applications for All Libraries (ALA Editions, 2025). The chapter is titled “Bridging the Gap: Practical Applications of Critical Pedagogy Frameworks in One-Shot Instruction”.
Kris Goss MA’23 was appointed to a three-year term on the Montana State Library Commission by the Montana Commissioner of Higher Education as a representative of the Montana University System. The Commission sets forth policies and funding priorities that empower the Montana State Library to meet its mission and statutory obligations and to advocate for the Montana library and information communities. Kris serves as the Director of the Library Learning Hub at Helena College – University of Montana.
Christian Willis MS’25 started a new position as a Risk Expert ll for the Global Information Security division at Walmart Global Tech HQ in Bentonville, Arkansas. “I want to recognize the iSchool for preparing me for my cybersecurity career,” Willis says.