Kearse follows interests to iSchool

Interest in education, data management leads Kearse to iSchool

MS student Jeremy Kearse is a future educator and data manager. His career goals are to work both in the corporate world, “helping a business make smarter and more efficient decisions,” and as an adjunct professor in an MSI (Minority Serving Institution), working with students in STEM and LIS. Kearse, who earned his BS in computer science from Morehouse College, became interested in LIS after serving as a paraprofessional for a fourthgrade class through the UPS Community Scholars Program.

“I was amazed at the impact that the librarians had on all ages and grade levels,” he said. “I knew that eventually I would want to work in an educational setting. Earning my MS/LIS is the perfect way to keep up with technology and still gain the knowledge needed to work as an educational professional.”

At the iSchool, Kearse is a graduate assistant serving in data management and data processing roles. He has found the skills he learned in courses, such as Introduction to Data Science (IS 407) and Theory and Practice of Data Cleaning (IS 537), to be invaluable in his assistantship and internships.

Outside of class, Kearse is a collections developer, working on a project with “one of his fellow Morehouse Men.” “We have embarked on a journey to create a digital exhibit and collections for our alma mater that would allow us to preserve our HBCU’s history,” he said. “I hope one day that this project will possibly be something similar to the MoorlandSpingarn Collection built by Dorothy Porter Wesley at Howard University in Washington, DC.” In addition, Kearse celebrated Black History Month with a special project to recognize the unsung heroes of literature and the field of librarianship. “My project’s items are bookmarks that have significant facts about different individuals from these various communities that people should be aware of,” said Kearse. “I plan to expand the project to include Women’s History Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, and many more.”

Leep student prepares children for responsible citizenry

For Julie Knutson, the online MS/LIS (Leep) program is “incredibly convenient,” allowing her to continue authoring children’s nonfiction while working toward her goal of becoming a school librarian.

“My first job out of college was at Temple University’s Paley Library. After that experience, I kept returning to the idea of school librarianship. Really, the best I can describe it is as an unshakable drive to work in this space—with kids—to help them not just find books they love, but also to develop into discerning consumers of information, passionate researchers, and empowered makers,” said Knutson, who holds a master’s degree in education and art history from Rice University, master’s degree in political sociology from the London School of Economics & Political Science, and a bachelor’s degree in cultural studies from New York University.

Knutson’s passion for global citizenship, world history, and human rights stems from her academic experiences and from her time as a classroom teacher. She is the author of several nonfiction series for children, including Nature’s Makers, Parallel Lives in History, and Changing Spaces.

Her recent book, Global Citizenship: Engaging in the Politics of a Changing World, was released in September 2020.

“The book touches on so many issues with which we are struggling as local, national, and global communities, from the pandemic to climate change, and from ethnoreligious violence to persistent gender wage gaps. Kids can’t afford not to pay attention to these concerns. Our world is so interconnected today and will become increasingly more so in the coming years,” she said.

Knutson has been impressed by her experience as a Leep student. “I’ve been floored by the attentiveness of faculty and staff across the board, all of whom work in concert to really prepare students to enter librarianship as responsible and responsive professionals,” she said.

25 years of online excellence through Leep

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the iSchool’s popular MS/LIS Leep option, which is recognized for innovation, excellence, and value in online education. Leep offers a highly interactive online learning environment, allowing students to engage and collaborate with faculty and other students in real time.

O’Rourke Kasali supports the creation of libraries in theDemocratic Republic of Congo

Shannon O’Rourke Kasali’s involvement with libraries started before she arrived at Illinois for her MS/ LIS degree. While working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, she witnessed the lack of accessibility to books. In response, O’Rourke Kasali crowd-funded $27,000 to purchase 27,000 books, leading to the creation of Books for Congo. Since 2016, the organization has established 16 libraries in two provinces in the country, distributing over 56,000 books and training 30 librarians. “Based on prior experience I had in Senegal, I knew a way to get books, so I decided to do my part to support some local organizations in their dream to set up libraries,” said O’Rourke Kasali. “In addition, Books for Congo has hosted writing workshops in collaboration with a publishing house to promote the publication of local stories.” O’Rourke Kasali holds a BA in political science and international studies from Illinois Wesleyan University, an MA in international development from The George Washington University, and a certificate in peace and conflict studies from Chulalongkorn University. She decided to pursue her MS/LIS with the goal of learning more in order to further develop Books for Congo. O’Rourke Kasali has worked as an apprentice at The Urbana Free Library and as a graduate hourly at the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs. She is currently the iSchool student leadership and engagement graduate assistant and serves on the Progressive Librarians Guild and the ALA Student Chapter’s International Committee.

“I am most interested in the role that libraries play in community development. I am also conducting research on the role of libraries and library work in conflict and post-conflict settings, which is particularly interesting, stemming from my work in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” she said. “I would like to continue to give as much time as possible to Books for Congo because the organization is doing incredibly interesting, needed, and really fun work, and the opportunities are limitless.”

Get to know Hadley So, BS student

Hadley So, a freshman from the San Francisco Bay area, is interested in ethically harnessing technology’s potential to help society and the world. According to So, the iSchool classes he has taken so far have helped him analyze problems in new ways, and his professors’ wide range of backgrounds and perspectives “keep the lessons interesting and relevant to modern issues.”

Why did you decide to pursue a BS/IS degree?

Information science is becoming more relevant and important because of the increasingly digital nature of society. As a greater percentage of our lives happen in a digital world, understanding how to handle growing amounts of data ethically and efficiently is important for business, privacy, and security. Learning to utilize data as a commodity can help us solve a wide range of problems in healthcare, business, and education. The BS/IS degree is the perfect combination of technology and human factors. I’ve always had a love for technology and computing but found it too distant from the end user at times. This degree enables me to utilize the power of computers without forgetting the human consequences of our decisions.

Why did you choose the iSchool at Illinois?

I chose the iSchool at Illinois because of its long legacy in information sciences and its faculty and teaching professors. The School’s focus on interdisciplinary aspects of technology, especially in data and computer science, was also very appealing.

What areas of information science interest you the most?

For me, the most interesting area of information science is the relationship humans have with the technologies we create. Learning how to design for and understand human action and perception is fascinating.

What career plans or goals do you have?

My current career goal is to work in data science or some branch of UI/UX. I love both the design aspects of UI/UX and the more technical side of data.

What do you do outside of class?

Outside of class, I am part of Design for America, a national organization focused on solving community problems by applying a human-centered design process. I am also a student representative for iSchool faculty meetings, serving the BS/IS student body. This semester, I am working with Dr. Ian Brooks, the Center for Health Informatics, and the WHO to develop and implement tools for measuring the COVID-19 infodemic.