University of Alabama School of Library and Information Studies Application Deadline: March 31, 2024 The University of Alabama School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) seeks a student-focused faculty member for a full-time position to begin as early as August 16, 2024 at the rank of tenure-track assistant or tenured associate. This position provides an exciting opportunity for an outstanding scholar with an interest in information discoverability, information retrieval, organization of information, database design, and social aspects of information access.

University of Washington Information School Application Deadline: Open until filled. The Information School of the University of Washington seeks an Assistant Teaching Professor in Software Development and Design. This position will be expected to (1) be an engaged teacher and mentor, (2) engage in one or more domains of software development described below, and (3) engage diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and justice in the context of teaching technical topics. The position is a full-time 9-month teaching track appointment at the rank of Assistant Teaching Professor with an anticipated start date of September 1, 2024. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Preference will be given to candidates who apply by March 1, 2024. Applications will be reviewed beginning on the 1st of each month until finalists are chosen. Select candidates will be invited for a campus visit.

Rutgers SC&I is proud to announce that alumna Lisa Varga MLS’98 is Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year for 2024. Varga, who learned of this honor in December 2023, is the Executive Director at the Virginia Library Association (VLA), a nonprofit organization that supports the profession of librarianship in the Commonwealth of Virginia. “This is the highlight of my career as far as awards go,” she noted, saying that the fact that her colleagues nominated her made her selection all the sweeter. In announcing Varga as this year’s recipient, Library Journal noted, “There are many library advocates doing necessary and critical work right now; Varga’s unflagging generosity of spirit sets her apart. Because of her dedication to intellectual freedom, her conviction that the cause is always worth fighting for, and her support of fellow library defenders, Varga is LJ’s 2024 Librarian of the Year…Not only does she keep VLA running smoothly, but Varga’s active opposition to book challenges—testifying against censorship legislation, showing up to school board meetings, and empowering library advocates across the state to stand up to First Amendment threats through equal parts hard data and deep compassion—has made an enormous difference for libraries in Virginia and beyond.” News submitted by Brenda Sheridan, Rutgers, School of Communication and Information

University at Buffalo, Learning Science Institute, Graduate School of Education Application Deadline: Open until filled. The University at Buffalo (UB), State University of New York seeks a cohort of three postdoctoral research associates to join a research team coordinated by the UB Institute for Learning Sciences. The institute addresses the role of learning as it relates to four focal themes: social justice and equity; sustainability; new literacies for and with technology; and human development and thriving. A cohort of 3 two-year postdoctoral positions is open; consideration will begin February 15 and continue until the position is filled.

Jingrui He has been recognized as a 2023 Distinguished Member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the world's largest educational and scientific computing society. The 2023 inductees are longstanding ACM members who were selected by their peers for work that has advanced computing, fostered innovation across various fields, and improved computer science education. He, who represents the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in this year's class, was selected "for contributions to modeling data heterogeneity, connecting theory, methodology, and real applications." Her research focuses on heterogeneous machine learning, rare category analysis, active learning, and self-supervised learning, with applications in security, social network analysis, healthcare, and agriculture. She is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI). She has received the NSF CAREER Award (2016), OAT Award (2020), three IBM Faculty Awards (2014, 2015, 2018) and was selected as an IJCAI 2017 Early Career Spotlight. At the University of Illinois, He serves as director of the MS in information management program in the iSchool and as a faculty affiliate in the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, Center for Digital Agriculture, Department of Computer Science, and Illinois Informatics. She is also a research affiliate for Mayo Clinic Arizona. She holds a PhD in machine learning from Carnegie Mellon University. "It's a great honor of mine to be named an ACM Distinguished Member," said He. "I'm grateful to the iSchool for the tremendous support and nurturing environment; to all my teachers and mentors who have been my role models over the years; and to my collaborators and students—it is indeed a privilege for me to be able to work with all of them." News submitted by Cindy Brya, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, School of Information Sciences

Drexel University’s College of Computing & Informatics (CCI) is proud to announce that Aleksandra Sarcevic, PhD, professor of information science, was named a senior member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). ACM Senior Members are selected for their demonstrated performance through technical leadership, and technical or professional contributions. Senior Members must have at least 10 years of professional experience and five years of continuous membership in the ACM. “This prestigious recognition by the ACM is a testament to Dr. Sarcevic’s exceptional research contributions and leadership within the field of computing,” said Yi Deng, PhD, Isaac L. Auerbach Professor and dean of Drexel CCI. “We are proud to have her as a member of the Drexel faculty and look forward to witnessing her continued success." Sarcevic’s research foci include computer-supported cooperative work, human computer interaction, and healthcare informatics, with a particular interest in understanding how individuals within large co-located teams in high-risk environments interact and communicate while solving problems. A Drexel faculty member since 2011, Sarcevic directs CCI’s Interactive Systems for Healthcare (IS4H) Research Lab which sits at the cross-section of human-computer interaction (HCI), computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW), and medical informatics. Sarcevic is an accomplished scholar in her field and is the recipient of several federally funded research awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), including an NSF CAREER Award in 2013. She holds both a PhD in Communication, Information and Library Studies and an MLIS in Library and Information Science from the School of Communication & Information (SC&I) at Rutgers University – New Brunswick; and a BA in Film and TV Production from the University of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia. News submitted by Kerry Boland, Drexel University, College of Computing & Informatics

University of South Florida, School of Information Application Deadline: January 26, 2024. The School of Information at the University of South Florida seeks to fill a temporary nine-month, full-time, non-tenure-earning, Visiting Assistant Professor of Instruction position beginning August 7, 2024. This is a visiting position with the possible extension for a second and/or third year. Minimum Qualifications A Ph.D. in Information Science or equivalent qualifications based on professional experience that meet national and/or regional accreditation standards is required. Candidates who are currently enrolled in Information Science or related doctoral programs are eligible to apply. Preferred Qualifications Experience teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses; Experience teaching online; and Experience working in libraries or other information institutions. Salary is negotiable. To apply, please visit Careers@USF at https://www.usf.edu/work-at-usf/. Application Instructions Application reviews will begin immediately, with preference for applicants submitting by January 24, 2024. The review process will continue until the position is filled. Appointment is expected to begin August 7, 2024 (Fall 2024 semester). Applicants who wish to apply for this position should go to: https://www.usf.edu/work-at-usf/ and follow the links and instructions for applying for the faculty lines (Job ID 36089). Each applicant should submit a statement of interest (not more than 1500 words) that includes information about teaching philosophy; CV; and a list of the names and contact information for three references. Optional material may be included with a URL for online portfolio materials. Additional questions about this position should be directed to the Search Committee Chair, Dr. Natalie Taylor, ngtaylor@usf.edu Conclusion of this search is subject to final budget approval. According to Florida Law, applications and meetings regarding them are open to the public. USF is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access Institution. For disability accommodations, contact David Chapel at 813/974-3522 or dmchapel@usf.edu a minimum of five working days in advance.

By Jennifer Monahan It’s a lesson many of us learned sitting in primary school classrooms: People need clean air to survive; trees make clean air; people need trees. Amid widespread severe weather events, extreme temperatures, and raging fires, the effects of climate change are increasingly obvious. But saving the planet is a daunting, high-stakes challenge. One company, Pachama, is trying to tackle that complex challenge with a combination of grammar school basics (people need trees) and cutting-edge technology—using machine learning to reimagine the carbon-capture industry. Their aim is to address climate change and protect life on Earth by growing the world’s forests. Forests represent one of the most compelling opportunities for carbon sequestration at scale. The United Nations’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommended adding one billion hectares of forests to help limit global warming. Ecologists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich found that the earth could support 0.9 billion hectares of additional forests—roughly equal the size of the United States—without disturbing existing urban or agricultural lands. “In order to reach this number we need to radically improve upon how we do things,” said Tomas Aftalion (MSIT ’12, MISM ’15), co-founder of Pachama. “The challenge lies in the need for scale, and traditional methods involving manual verification and issuance will simply not suffice.” Pachama aims to emulate the playbook of Silicon Valley startups such as Airbnb and Uber, leveraging open markets to address the supply issue. “Many technologies deployed for self-driving cars and current advances in AI can be repurposed for our mission,” Aftalion explained. Their approach seems to have struck a chord. Investors include startup accelerator Y Combinator as well as Amazon Climate Pledge, Shopify, and Salesforce, among others. The Johnny Appleseed of Tech Johnny Appleseed—a real person who gained legendary folklore status for planting trees throughout the midwestern United States—accomplished in the late 1700 and early 1800s what Aftalion and his colleagues are trying to do on a global scale today. In one recent effort, Pachama collaborated with Delta Land Services, LLC, on the Avahoula Climate Action Project. Their goal is to reforest an area greater than 5,400 football fields in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Pachama Originals - The Avahoula Climate Action Project The land is uninhabited. In addition to the immediate benefit of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, replanting those 7,000 acres of deforested farmland will reduce erosion and chemical run-off to the Gulf of Mexico. It will create better habitats for wildlife and more jobs for those working in nurseries, planting trees, and executing logistical operations for the project. Pachama contributes by using satellite imaging, remote sensing, and machine learning to identify, evaluate, develop, and monitor the project. Such tech-enabled forest carbon projects allow corporate or individual clients to invest directly in the work, and to get quantifiable and reliable results. Reliability has been a significant issue in the carbon credit industry; it represents another area where Pachama is using technology to help the environment. This video illustrates a high-resolution scan done with Velodyne LiDAR, an example of the technology Pachama uses in its work. Carbon Credit Challenges Burning fossil fuels (think power plants, where we get our electricity) and deforestation are two main sources of carbon dioxide emissions responsible for climate change. The idea of carbon credits is that companies can offset the harm they cause through these emissions by doing positive things to remove carbon dioxide—like planting trees. But the system is far from perfect. How Do Carbon Credits Work? - Human Rights Watch explains carbon credits The credibility of carbon offset projects has drawn criticism, with some of the carbon industry’s registries allowing developers to claim more climate-saving benefits than are merited. Or it could be more blatant abuse. For example, a company might claim to be reforesting an area that they had razed expressly for the purpose of getting credit to replant. Pachama’s use of satellite imaging to evaluate an area’s past and present biomass prevents that kind of manipulation. In addition to reliability issues, the process of verifying a baseline carbon situation is labor-intensive, outdated, and expensive. Currently, scientists must travel to the project’s location and manually measure the biomass – the trees and living organisms in a given area. Pachama aims to solve those challenges, as well. "The manual process doesn’t scale, and it’s one of the big bottlenecks. Coming from the tech world, I was thinking, ‘How can this be? It should be faster.’" Tomas Aftalion “The manual process doesn’t scale, and it’s one of the big bottlenecks,” Aftalion said. “Coming from the tech world, I was thinking, ‘How can this be? It should be faster,’ and you need that attitude when you’re starting out, but there are also reasons why it’s this way. Measuring biomass is not an easy thing to do.” The tech skills Aftalion learned at Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy while pursuing master’s degrees in both Information Technology and also Information Systems Management have enabled his leading-edge solutions to climate change challenges at Pachama. "What we were learning in 2015 was so advanced for the time; it was at the cutting edge of what you could do with deep learning." Tomas Aftalion “At the time, I probably took the curriculum for granted,” Aftalion said. “In hindsight, what we were learning in 2015 was so advanced for the time; it was at the cutting edge of what you could do with deep learning.” Aftalion studied artificial intelligence, deep learning, cloud computing, and an array of electives that satisfied his thirst for knowledge across different disciplines and areas of interest. “Heinz really prepared me by exposing me to the newest and most innovative work in various fields,” Aftalion said. “I was not yet thinking about Pachama, but tinkering with the idea of an aquaponics system. I took the social entrepreneurship class and covered many components that ended up being applied at Pachama.” After working for a couple of years, Aftalion had a moment of insight. “I realized there was an incredible opportunity to leverage deep learning, remote sensing, and finance to help out with the climate crisis,” Aftalion said. “My first idea was agricultural insurance. After meeting my co-founder, Diego Saez Gil, I realized the world of carbon credits presented a unique way to realign ecology and economy.” The duo shared a common vision of how technology could help humanity, and they got to work. To address the challenge of reliability, Pachama created Dynamic Baselines, (now incorporated into their latest Project Evaluation Criteria 2.1), blending artificial intelligence (AI) with a concept used in scientific experimentation and medicine: a control group. Baselines are a measure of what would have happened to a project without the carbon credit incentive. The industry has a financial incentive to over-credit by creating worse-than-reality baseline scenarios. Even with honest intentions, individual consultants could have differing analyses of the baselines for the same area, depending on what data they consider. And each project is considered on a case-by-case basis. Pachama’s project evaluation criteria creates an algorithmic baseline, uses satellite data to observe actual emissions, and quantifies uncertainty into the equation. The company makes its methodology public and hopes it will become the industry standard. Aguas do Rio Project - Pachama's Aguas do Rio (River Waters) project is located about two hours from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "Transparency is desperately needed. The solutions we are providing have been well received by the market." Tomas Aftalion “Transparency is desperately needed. The solutions we are providing have been well received by the market,” Aftalion said. The company is also employing technology to improve efficiency and scalability. They use satellite observations and digital measurement to augment the manual biomass measurements. They have automated credit calculations and use digital reporting and verification platforms to help modernize the processes. Rather than rewriting the playbook for carbon credits, Pachama is applying technology to improve upon existing methods. Beyond Carbon Offsets: Pachama Originals With the Pachama Originals project, Aftalion said the company is expanding beyond verifying existing carbon credits to initiate their own forest projects—like the one in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Project "Pau Brasil" (close to Porto Seguro) In keeping with the carbon market parameters outlined by groups such as Human Rights Watch, Pachama Originals projects focus on social benefits and biodiversity. They are using technology to enhance project design, track its performance, and bring better accuracy and efficiency to carbon credit issuance. Another example of this work is Pachama’s Corridors for Life project in Pontal do Paranapanema, in southeast Brazil. Started in partnership with Mercado Libre in 2021, the project is showing signs of success. “Today this project is providing jobs and we are starting to see the trees grow a few meters. Having such a visible impact is quite rewarding,” Aftalion said. What’s Next The next frontier, according to Aftalion, is applying generative AI to automate biomass verification. Though the technology is not there yet, Aftalion is optimistic. “Many of the advances we recently saw in natural language processing through transformers will very rapidly translate into other areas such as point cloud processing, among others,” Aftalion said. He has already seen what machine learning can do when applied to satellite imagery and remote sensing to measure biomass. “We are not really that far away,” Aftalion said. “Going to CMU, you get this exposure to what can be done, and what people have done, and you feel that everything is possible.” Aftalion’s dream isn't just about planting trees; it's about planting the seeds of a better future, and leveraging technology to get there. “We stand at a pivotal moment in our industry as we make the transition to digital systems. It is a small step towards accounting for what really matters on Spaceship Earth,” Aftalion said. News submitted by Jennifer Monahan, Carnegie Mellon University, Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy

University College London - Department of Information Studies Application Deadline: February 09, 2024. The Sloane Lab Community Fellowship (2 positions available) comes with an award of £7,500. We welcome applications from outside as well as inside the United Kingdom. The tenure of the fellowship does not require residency in the UK. All fellowships will be hosted remotely online. Applications to the fellowship are particularly welcomed from Global Majority Individuals. This advertised role offers an exciting opportunity for individuals with an interest in contributing to the Sloane Lab, including but not limited to, digital humanists, artists, computer and data scientists and heritage practitioners (community or institution based). For this fellowship opportunity we are looking for individuals who will help us to understand the creative and research potential of the Sloane Lab digital platform and data (see Knowledge Base and Sloane collections and external resources) in the following areas: Examples of how the Sloane Lab can help to shed light on the geographic spread, collectors and knowledge about objects in the Sloane collections (for instance objects originating from South Asia, East Asia, America, Africa, and Europe. Due to the expertise in the team supporting this round we welcome in particular proposals relating to South Asia). The contested nature of museum collections, the role of digital tools in foregrounding overlooked or ignored and marginalised issues like imperialism, colonialism, slavery, loss, and destruction, that have shaped the UK’s national collections. The potential of Sloane Lab digital tools for transferability to and enhancement of other collections.

The School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign seeks nominations for the 2023 Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award. The deadline for nominations is March 15, 2024. The award is cosponsored by Sage. Given annually, the award acknowledges individuals or groups who have furthered the cause of intellectual freedom, particularly as it impacts libraries and information centers and the dissemination of ideas. Granted to those who have resisted censorship or efforts to abridge the freedom of individuals to read or view materials of their choice or to hear or express ideas, the award may be in recognition of a particular action or a long-term interest in and dedication to the cause of intellectual freedom. The Downs Award was established in 1969 by the iSchool’s faculty to honor Dean Emeritus Robert B. Downs, a champion of intellectual freedom, on the occasion of his twenty-fifth anniversary as director of the School. Previous winners have included: New College of Florida faculty, librarians, student reporters of The Catalyst, and the Defend New College and Save New College student and alumni organizations (2022) for the efforts to support academic freedom; #FReadom Fighters (TX) and the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (2021) staff for their contributions in the defense of intellectual freedom; Amy Dodson, Director, Douglas County Public Library, Nevada (2020) for supporting the value and necessity of equity, diversity, and inclusion as a part of her library's mission and service.; the Education Justice Project, for its defense of the First Amendment rights of incarcerated individuals (2019); and the Iowa Library Association (2018) for taking a leadership role in several highly visible challenges to intellectual freedom. Sage provides an honorarium to the Downs Award recipient and, with the iSchool, co-hosts the reception held in honor of the recipient. The reception and award ceremony for the 2023 Downs Intellectual Freedom Award will take place in June 2024 at the American Library Association Annual Conference in San Diego. Letters of nomination and documentation about the nominee should be sent by March 15, 2024, to Emily Knox, Chair of the Nominations Selection Committee, by email at knox@illinois.edu with a copy to ischool-dean@illinois.edu. Please email any questions to Emily Knox at knox@illinois.edu. News submitted by Cindy Brya, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, School of Information Sciences

University of Maryland - College Park, College of Information Studies Application Deadline: February 16, 2024. The College of Information Studies (INFO) at the University of Maryland, College Park invites applications for an open rank tenured or tenure track faculty focused on pursuing novel, innovative, and impactful research at the intersection of data science and survey methodology to address core societal information problems. We welcome candidates whose scholarship explores the use of complementary sources of information, including social media and the web, to enhance traditional surveys; as well as candidates exploring the design of novel survey methodology approaches through novel technologies and platforms.

Michigan State University, Department of Media and Information Application Deadline: January 17, 2024. The Department of Media and Information (MI) invites applicants for one Advanced Assistant, Associate or Full Professor to complement and expand our dynamic and interdisciplinary faculty. MI is home to a range of faculty from different disciplines and supports an array of research areas, including human-computer interaction, human-robot interaction, rural computing, game studies and design, and the relationships between technology and policy, health and wellness, and society. Candidates should contribute to or expand one or more of these areas, ideally through the use of computational and/or quantitative approaches. We have a strong interest in candidates whose research investigates and tackles disparities across various dimensions, including race, ethnicity, gender, LGBTQ+ identities, socioeconomic status, disability, physical and mental well-being, health disparities, digital inequity, and environmental aspects. Department Statement The Department values the contribution of different disciplines, different ways of knowing, and different ways of doing, in research and creative activities that advance knowledge and transform lives in ways that lead to a better quality of life for individuals and communities. The MI faculty come from a range of disciplines, including communication, information science, media, human-computer interaction, information systems, psychology, sociology, economics, science and technology studies, and design to complement and create a unique intellectual energy. Our faculty advance theory and research, build technology interventions to address public health challenges, human-centered technology, design traditional and interactive games and media experiences, work with policy makers, and pursue new forms of scholarship. Our department is a member of the iSchools consortium and has a top ranked program in communication and game design and development. The Department is housed in MSU’s world-renowned College of Communication Arts and Sciences at Michigan State University. Established in 1955, as the first of its kind in the country, “ComArtSci” is now one of the largest and most respected colleges of Communication in the world. The College of Communication Arts and Sciences combines a research-intensive faculty with a strong professional mission to prepare students for rewarding careers and to influence the professional practice of communication globally. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are integral to our practice as communicators, storytellers, and innovators. We believe it is our responsibility to foster an open and welcoming environment that aspires to attract, recruit, and sustain diverse students, faculty, and staff. Diversity is among the main drivers of institutional excellence, and we are proud to embrace and promote broad communities of knowledge, backgrounds, and experiences. Our efforts to advance DEI are guided by a shared vision grounded in a culture of caring, belonging, transparency, and accountability. In alignment with the University’s DEI plan, we commit to actively challenge, disrupt, and dismantle systems that reinforce and/or maintain historical and contemporary social inequalities and inequities. We are dedicated to ongoing dialogue to strengthen our commitment to social justice, advocacy, and activism. We strive to be DEI thought leaders who inspire, influence, and cultivate progress in our College and throughout the MSU community. Michigan State is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer and is committed to achieving excellence through diversity, equity, and inclusion. We actively encourage applications and/or nominations of women, persons of color, veterans, and persons with disabilities. Founded in 1855, Michigan State University is one of the world’s leading public research-intensive institutions and a member of the Association of American Universities. The campus is located in East Lansing, Michigan, adjacent to the state capital and an hour from suburban Detroit. MSU is one of the nation’s largest and greenest campuses and is in East Lansing, a college town just three miles from Michigan’s capital, Lansing. Michigan, the Great Lakes State, offers countless things to do, see and experience — from art galleries, concerts and restaurants to gardens, parks, and trails. You needn’t venture far to discover sandy beaches or metropolitan life. Required Qualifications: The position requires the candidate to have a doctorate or terminal degree in their field. Preference will be given to applicants who have been previously tenured at a research-intensive university or able to demonstrate commensurate research output via combined academic and industry experience, but advanced Assistant Professors are also invited to apply. The candidate will be evaluated relative to peers at a similar stage in their careers, based on national or international research reputation (e.g., record of high-impact publications in relevant academic outlets, including journals and conference proceedings; record of grant-seeking; etc.), record of excellence in instruction, history of mentoring and advising students and colleagues, evidence of service to the University and their profession, respect and interest in different approaches and ways of knowing, and record of and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in research-creative activity, instruction, and service. Application Instructions: Please visit the Michigan State University Employment Opportunities website https://jobs.msu.edu, refer to job no. 921677, and complete an electronic submission. Applicants should submit these materials electronically: (1) a cover letter summarizing your qualifications for the position, elaborating your record of and plans for research, instruction, service, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, (2) a current vita. Candidates who are invited for a campus interview will be asked for the names and contact information of four references who can speak to their qualifications for this position. Review of applications will begin on Jan 17, 2024, and continue until the position is filled. Please direct any questions to Dr. Wei Peng, Search Committee Chair, Department of Media and Information at Michigan State University, at pengwei@msu.edu.