Year in Review: The College of Organizational, Computational, and Information Sciences (AY2020-2021)

THE YEAR IN REVIEW ACADEM I C Y EA R 20 2 0 – 2 0 2 1

This has been a year of adaptation and transformation—more so than any of us could have anticipated. We have had a remarkable year of pivoting our courses online, working from home, and supporting students, faculty, and staff through challenging and exceptional times.

In the summer of 2020, Simmons University renewed its commitment to inclusion and equity. COCIS faculty and staff adopted a community statement of solidarity for racial justice (simmons.edu/academics/colleges-schools-departments/cocis/statement-solidarityracial-justice). Though written in response to a national crisis, the statement has allowed a refocusing on these issues, clarifying how the threads of diversity, equity, and inclusion are interwoven in the work we do, the audiences we reach, and the expertise our faculty impart.

A NOTE FROM THE DEAN

Related to that effort of extending our reach, Simmons has launched CompleteDegree@Simmons—reimagined fully online undergraduate programs, tailored to an often-overlooked audience of adult learners and transfer students.

Through this program, COCIS launched a BSBA in Business Management, a BS in Computer Science, and a BSBA in Marketing. We are eager to share the Simmons experience with students who have, until now, faced too many barriers to do so.

Finally, we are excited about the fall semester, when we will be moving into newly renovated spaces in One Palace Road. Each of the academic units will be housed together on a single floor, increasing connectivity and collaboration, with lounge areas and common spaces for student gathering. The centerpiece of our new environment is the Makerspace on the first floor: a resource for the entire Simmons community to spark creativity, entrepreneurship, technology, and student-led leadership. In the coming year, we look forward to welcoming students and alumnae/i to our redesigned campus.

Regards, Marie

MISSION, VISION, VALUES Vision

The College of Organizational, Computational, and Information Sciences at Simmons University integrates the disciplines of business, computing, mathematical, information, and library sciences, cultivating achievement and mastery through the creation, exploration, preservation, synthesis, and dissemination of knowledge. Our community of educators and learners is committed to the intellectual, personal, and professional growth and creative expression of our students, faculty, and staff. We nurture a supportive and collaborative environment by embracing the principles of diversity and identity inclusion, developing the next generation of critical thinkers, problem solvers, and principled leaders who can solve the global challenges of the 21st century.

COCIS will address global challenges facing society by applying data, information, and computation to innovate, collaborate, transform organizations, and increase the common good. Our highly collaborative, cross-disciplinary environment will nurture emerging leaders who are dedicated to making a difference in the world by understanding and leveraging the interrelatedness of information, people, and the world around us.

• Creativity and Innovation • Respect and Compassion • Excellence and Achievement • Diversity and Equity • Integrity and Authenticity • Teamwork and Collaboration

MISSION STATEMENT

The core values by which COCIS prioritizes and guides the implementation of its mission and vision are:

IFILL BY THE NUMBERS

Values

MISSION, VISION, VALUES

Mission

82

361

Contract and tenurestream faculty

Graduate: 313

Faculty Tenured: 24 Tenure-Track: 12 Contract: 10 Adjunct: 36

6

Professional and Administrative Staff

COCIS BY THE NUMBERS

119

Student Workers Summer 2019: 28 Fall 2020: 44 Spring 2021: 47

32,121

Degrees Granted

dual programs: 26 certificate: 20

Undergraduate Majors: 45 Doctoral: 3

930 Students

Graduate: 778

dual programs: 111

Undergraduate Majors: 122

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS all areas offered as a major and minor, unless otherwise noted

Accounting Arts Administration (joint) Biostatistics (minor only) Business Management (major only, on campus and online)

Chemistry Management (joint) Computer Science (on campus and online)

Computer Science + Library and Information Science (3+1) (BS/MS) Data Science & Analytics (major only)

Economics & Mathematics

multiple majors: 13 (major only, joint) undergraduate minors: 85 Finance multiple minors: 28 Financial Mathematics (major only)

Doctoral: 30

Healthcare Management (minor only)

16,322 Credit Hours

Graduate: 10,876 Undergraduate: 5,446

Alumnae/i

Graduate: 22,119 Undergraduate: 10,002

Information Technology (major only)

Health Informatics (track) Information Technology + Cybersecurity (track) Information Technology + Business (track) Information Technology + Library and Information Science (3+1) (BS/MS) Leadership for Social impact (minor only)

The statistics and information included in this booklet were collected and compiled prior to June 30, 2021.

Marketing (on campus and online) Mathematics Public Relations and Marketing Communications

(joint, on campus and online, Spring ‘22)

Scientific Computation (minor only) Retail Management Statistics Web Design & Development (joint)

PLAN Undergraduate Program PLAN Courses: 14 (BOS, LDR, LC) PLAN Faculty: 12 PLAN Advisors: 4

GRADUATE PROGRAMS Library & Information Science LIS: Archives Management Concentration LIS: Cultural Heritage Informatics Concentration LIS: Information Science and Technology Concentration LIS: School Library Teacher Concentration LIS: Archives Management + History (dual degree) Children’s Literature + Library Services for Children (dual degree)

CERTIFICATES Archives Management Certificate Inter-Professional Informationist Certificate Archives Management Certificate School Library Teacher Licensure Certificate

DOCTORAL Library & Information Science

INTERNSHIPS COCIS students engage in internships during their course of study, preparing them for their future careers. Handson experience connects workplace learning and academic coursework, allowing students invaluable insight to their chosen field before graduation. The list below highlights some of the places our students have held internships.

School of Business • • • • •

Akamai Boston Red Sox Basis Technology Brown Brothers Harriman Capital Motion

• Ellan Media • More Than Words • PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) • Pulse 24/7

School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) • Harvard Law School • Massachusetts State Archives • Yonsei University Central Library (South Korea)

Division of Mathematics, Computing, and Statistics (MCS) • Broadstreet COVID-19 Data Project • Google • GreenChoice

Liberty Mutual MITRE NASA US Census Bureau

Simmons grads employed (FT+PT) or in grad school

Simmons grads employed in field related to their major or program

89%

83%

• • • •

My experience with Basis has been invaluable. I’ve had the opportunity to dip my toe into all kinds of digital marketing projects and to learn from an incredibly talented team. Of course, I learned tangible skills, programs, and techniques, but even more so, I learned how to approach problems, make mistakes, and be a valued team member within any organization. The people around me at Basis Technology have been imperative to my growth as a student, employee, and person.

—VENEZIA DELGADILLO ‘21 MCS student

COMMUNITY & MENTORING

• Boston Public Library • Boston Symphony Orchestra • Carnegie Mellon University Library

DEAN’S FELLOWS

HIGHLIGHTS FROM DEPARTMENT LIFE

SLIS offers Dean’s Fellowships, which include an award package of a scholarship and assistantship.

Each Fellowship is a one-year (three-semester) appointment, with the possibility of renewal for successive appointments. Dean’s Fellows have the opportunity to work closely with faculty, staff, and students on a variety of projects.

• Dean’s Fellow for Information Technology Support • Dean’s Fellow for Events and International Programs Coordination • Dean’s Fellow for Social Media and Communications • Dean’s Fellow for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiatives

COMMUNITY & MENTORING

• Dean’s Fellow for Information Analysis “This year has provided countless opportunities to connect and support the entire COCIS community.

From collaborating with the other Dean’s Fellows on events, campaigns, and marketing projects, to promoting COCIS news across various social media platforms. I look forward to the school year ahead, my final semester as a SLIS student and Dean’s Fellow!”

—SHAWNEE SLOOP ’21 SLIS Dean’s Fellow for Social Media and Communications

Simmons Undergraduate Symposium The 2021 Virtual Symposium featured capstones, independent research projects, theses, virtual internships, and creative works from students across Simmons University. Keynotes and panel presentations were held live via Zoom, and a video exhibit of student poster presentations was posted on the Symposium’s YouTube channel. MCS Students Rachel Beaulieu ‘22, Lila Crum ‘21, Lauren Wagner ‘21, and Nicole Rasmussen ‘21 (pictured above, clockwise from top left) presented a featured panel, “Computer and Data Science: They’re Not What You Think!” They shared their diverse research projects highlighting different parts of the industry, including augmented reality, data visualization, automatic speech recognition, indie game development culture, and the motivators of paths-to-technology professions. MCS Students Asher Rodriguez ’21, Ann Tran ’21, Ismah Ahmed ’22, Charlie Repaci ’21, Danielle Appel ’21, Shania Louise Sagra Ambros ’22, and Samantha Ryan ’24 presented video exhibitions of their research projects, and Marketing and Studio Art major Erin Buck ’21 received a 3D Award for her project, “Food Justice and Social Impact: A Holistic Exploration of Modern Hunger,” which she presented at the Symposium.

Annual Allen Smith Symposium

Above: The SharkHack logo, designed by Clara Carleton.

SharkHack SharkHack, Simmons University’s annual hackathon, held two virtual events this year, starting with a Fall Career Fair and MiniHack in October, which featured a 6-hour virtual hackathon, paired with a tech-focused career fair planned in partnership with the Simmons Career Education Center. At the conclusion of the hackathon, each team’s results were evaluated for Best Social Good, Best Failed Hack, Best User Interface, and Best Use of COVID-19 Data (sponsored by BroadStreet), among other categories. In March 2021, a 24-hour hackathon was held online, where students of all coding abilities gathered in teams to brainstorm and build their ideas, from websites to online games.

The hackathon featured workshops on new technologies and approaches to data, including web development, ethical hacking, and a presentation from COCIS Dean Marie desJardins, “Artificial Intelligence: Possibilities and Perils.” Students also participated in a game night and a dance party workout.

Sponsored by a fund in memory of Professor Allen Smith, this event engages School of Library and Information Science faculty, students, and area professionals in relevant topics in archives. In Spring 2021, the 10th Annual Allen Smith Symposium on “Innovation and Equity: Technology, Ethics, and the Future of LIS” featured a keynote discussion with Safiya Noble, Co-Director of the Center for Critical Internet Inquiry and author of Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism, moderated by Dr. Marie desJardins, Dean of COCIS. The event included an opportunity for SLIS students to engage directly with Dr. Noble, panel presentations from industry professionals, conversations with faculty, and 2-minute lightning talks, where students shared their current projects.

SLIS Spring Career Fair and Career & Internship Fair for Undergraduates Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Spring SLIS Career Fair was entirely virtual, with 26 employers and 185 participants in attendance.

In lieu of the annual Career & Internships Fair for Undergraduates, the Career Education Center (CEC) offered students the opportunity to have their resumes sent to 35 employers. In Fall 2020, the CEC partnered with SharkHack to hold a virtual career fair, with the following employers in attendance: Akamai Technologies, Inc., Alignable, Brown Brothers Harriman, National Security Agency,

FACULTY AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

FACULT Y ACHIEVEMENT

COCIS faculty members are award winners, recognized by Simmons and beyond for contributions to their fields.

Associate Professor Katherine Wisser, SLIS Associate Director and Director of the Archives Management Concentration and Archives Certificate, has been selected as a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists (SAA). This is the highest honor SAA awards, in recognition of outstanding contributions to the archives profession. In addition to the leadership positions she has held within SAA, Wisser has written, presented, and taught updated archival standards, thus promoting widespread application. Wisser has also been appointed SLIS Associate Director.

FACULTY PUBLICATIONS/EXHIBITS

4 Books Grants & 11 Fellowships 24 Articles Visiting 53 Presentations 2 Scholars

Professor Nanette Veilleux received a collaborative grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the connection between prosody and meaning. The ultimate goal of the project is to clarify the meaning in prosody—inflections in tone and lengthening syllables as we speak. Veilleux also received a Fulbright grant to teach computer science at Fulbright University, a liberal arts university in Vietnam.

Associate Professor Kyong Eun Oh has received an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation award of $43,916 for her project, “Collaborative Research Information Management in Cloud-Based Repositories.” The research will explore the most effective ways for researchers to manage files in collaborative projects. Oh plans to investigate how researchers manage their files in cloudbased shared repositories such as Google Drive or Dropbox while working on collaborative research projects, identifying the challenges, and examining disciplinary differences in terms of practices and needs.

Assistant Professor Rebecca Davis received a Laura Bush 21st Century Early Career Development Grant for $140,834 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The grant will fund her research into the experience and use of academic libraries by African American undergraduate students. The research findings will help academic librarians create services and resources, and support community development for African Americans.

NEW PROGRAM Simmons will launch a new dual degree program in engineering with Columbia University in New York City in Fall 2021. Successful graduates earn a Bachelor of Science from Simmons and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Columbia.

FACULT Y ACHIEVEMENT

Associate Professor Colin Rhinesmith has been recognized for his dedication to his students and named the 2021 winner of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award. In 2021, Rhinesmith was named the new Provost’s Faculty Fellow for Scholarship and Research, to craft and implement a vision for supporting faculty research and scholarship at Simmons University as part of a strategic visioning team.

Associate Professor Charlene Spiceland was named the 2021 Outstanding Educator of the Year by the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA), based on nominations submitted by her students. The MSCPA, a professional association of certified public accountants, recognizes a fulltime accounting educator at a college or university who has demonstrated excellence in a classroom teaching, motivating students, and inspiring educational innovation. Spiceland is retiring after five years of leading the accounting program at Simmons.

F A C U L T Y, S T A F F, & L E A D E R S H I P

SABBATICALS, MILESTONES & PROMOTIONS

NEW FACULTY

Sabbaticals

• Katelyn Federico (MCS)

• Danny Joudrey (SLIS), Fall 2020 • Kyong Eun Oh (SLIS), Spring 2021 • Amber Stubbs (MCS), Fall 2020

• Riti Gour (MCS)

Milestones

• Aspen Olmsted (MCS)

• • • • • •

• Lauren Trichtinger (MCS)

Colin Rhinesmith (SLIS), 5 years Laura Saunders (SLIS), 10 years Teresa Nelson (Business), 15 years Rong Tang (SLIS), 15 years Donna Beers (MCS), 35 years Michael Brown (MCS), 35 years

• Brian Daly (Business)

• Gokhan Karaatli (Business) • Sylvia Singleton (Business)

RETIRING FACULTY

• Sanda Erdelez, School of Library and Information Science Director • Nanette Veilleux, Division of Mathematics, Computing, and Statistics Director (outgoing, through Fall 2020) • Amber Stubbs, Division of Mathematics, Computing, and Statistics Director (incoming, as of Spring 2021)

• Michèle Cloonan (SLIS)

DEAN’S ADVISORY COUNCIL

• Jane Hughes (Business)

• Bonita L. Betters-Reed

• Susan Sampson (Business)

Promotion to Professor

• Lenore Epstein Blum ‘63

• Charlene Spiceland (Business)

• Ray Pfeiffer (Business) • Rong Tang (SLIS) • Laura Saunders (SLIS)

• Christine Bailas Cook ‘74

NEW STAFF

• Beatriz A. Datangel ‘11

Promotion to Assistant Professor, NTT

• Sheerley Zinori, SLIS Student Services Center Manager

• Erin DeCurtis (Business)

• Joe Di Lascio, COCIS Technology Manager

Other Promotions and Appointments

LEADERSHIP TEAM

• Kathy Wisser (SLIS), SLIS Associate Director • Viktor Grigoryan (MCS), 3+2 Engineering Program Director • Amber Stubbs (MCS), Director of MCS and Program Director of Computer Science and Informatics

• Ruthe Farmer • Priyal Goyal ‘14 • Cheryl Doddy Howard ‘71 • Enna E. Jimenez ‘91, ‘06E • Lynne Boyles Marino ‘81 • Maryann Parker-O’Toole ‘88MS

• Marie desJardins, Dean

• Robin Parry ’84

• Ray Pfeiffer, School of Business Director (outgoing, through Fall 2021)

• Amy E. Ryan P ‘10

• Erin DeCurtis, School of Business Director (incoming Spring 2022)

• Charlotte M. Streat ‘00MBA • Maureen Thornton Syracuse ‘68 • Ernesto A. Valencia ‘00MS

COLLABORATIVE FACULTY RESEARCH

• Associate Professor Naresh Agarwal (SLIS) and doctoral student Wenqing Lu ‘14MS ‘21PhD (SLIS) are the recipients of the ASIS&T SIG USE Best Information Behavior Conference Paper Award 2020 for their co-authored paper, “Response to non-response: How people react when their smartphone messages and calls are ignored.”

Agarwal also delivered a keynote presentation, “The many meanings of Context: Can we arrive at a shared understanding?” virtually at ISIC 2020, The Information Behavior Conference in Pretoria, South Africa in September 2020.

• Associate Professor Rong Tang (SLIS) and Elaine Martin ’05DA (SLIS) presented a 20-minute virtual session, “RDMLA: Current Status, New Units, and the Translation Partnership,” hosted at the Elsevier virtual booth at the Medical Library Association’s vConference on August 10. Coleaders of RDMLA, they shared updates on their exciting work with partner institution National Taiwan University Library. RDMLA now has 4,000

• Associate Professor Colin Rhinesmith (SLIS) and Susan Kennedy ‘20MS (SLIS) co-authored research, “The Impacts of COVID-19 on Digital Equity Ecosystems,” which was published by the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. Rhinesmith was also instrumental in transitioning the Journal of Community Informatics from the University of Kentucky to new servers at the University of Waterloo Library in Canada.

The journal’s first new issue, published in December 2020, is sponsored by Simmons SLIS and hosted at the UW Library.

• “Creating an Infrastructure for Innovative Research and Collaboration: Information Science & Technology Lab”: The COCIS Innovation Fund is supporting this collaborative project between Associate Professors Naresh Agarwal (PI) (SLIS), Rong Tang (SLIS), Colin Rhinesmith (SLIS), Kyong Eun Oh (SLIS), and Assistant Professors Catherine Dumas (SLIS), Rachel Williams (SLIS), and Danielle Pollock (SLIS) to establish a virtual IS&T lab that will serve as an IS&T research and collaboration hub, providing infrastructure that will enable further IS&T research, collaboration, and funding activities to organically emerge.

FACULT Y ACHIEVEMENT & COLL ABORATION

• Assistant Professors Danielle Pollock (SLIS) and Rebecca Davis (SLIS) received a Simmons University Faculty Fund for Research Award and a COCIS Innovation Award for their project, “Exploring the Information Needs of First-Generation Graduate Students,” to research the reasons that firstgeneration students decide to pursue graduate degrees, the information sources that they consult, their decisions about career paths, and the information-seeking barriers they experience.

registered learners. Tang also co-authored an article, “Framing a Discussion on Paradigm Shift(s) in the Field of Information,” which was published in the Journal of Association for Information Science and Technology.

FACULT Y ACHIEVEMENT & COLL ABORATION

• “Connecting the Humanities to Archival Scholarship and Management (CHASM)”: With support from the COCIS Innovation Fund, Assistant Professors Sumayya Ahmed (SLIS), Adam Kriesberg (SLIS), Sarah Pratt (SLIS), and Associate Professor Kathy Wisser (SLIS) will measure the extent of Humanities scholars’ understanding of and engagement with the field of Archival Studies. The goal is to eventually host “Archives for the Humanities” workshops that focus on archival theory and practice and that include humanities scholars from around the country.

INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION Our faculty engage in a range of interdisciplinary collaboration, including: • “LeapVis: Enabling a Remote Data Visualization Gesture Interface Usability Study During COVID-19”: The COCIS Innovation Fund is supporting this collaborative project between Assistant Professors Catherine Dumas (SLIS) and Sarah Pratt (SLIS) and data visualization experts Zona Kostic and Jared Jessup (Harvard University), to study how people interact with complex data visualizations using LeapMotion mouse, touch, and gesture user interfaces.

• Associate Professor Amber Stubbs ’05 (MCS) and Assistant Professor Jessica Parr ’00, ’05MS (History) gave a talk, “Digitizing Incarceration: A Database of Unfreedoms,” at the New England Historical Association’s Fall Conference in October 2020.

• Professor Edward T. Vieira, Jr. (Business), Associate Professor Yulong Li (Business), Assistant Professor and Program Director for Data Sciences Anthony Scotina (MCS) collaborated on “Experian: A case study in CSR communication,” a case study analysis of Experian’s 2019 corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, deploying text network analysis, which is a computational content analysis method. They are currently analyzing and writing “Tweets & Personality Traits: A Cluster Analysis of COVID-19 vaccinations by the 50 States.” This research attempts to segment states by the Big Five Personality Traits, Governor Tweets, and Political Factors by State deploying twostage cluster analysis including principal components analysis with clustering.

STUDENT RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY COCIS faculty are committed to mentoring studentdriven work and independent learning.

Development Grants (Research) UG Research Symposium There were a total of 9 COCIS student participants.

7 Video Exhibits 1 Featured Panel 1 3D Award

There are so many opportunities to be creative while in a STEM field, and there are so many applications—data visualization, game design, and social justice— of CS and Data Science. It’s so much more than just looking at numbers all day!

—LAUREN WAGNER ’21 MCS student and panelist on, “Computer and Data Science: They’re Not What You Think!” presented at the Undergraduate Symposium.

STUDENT RESEARCH & CREATIVE ACTIVIT Y

1 SURPASs Fellowship 1 SURE/UGFSC Fellowship 2 Undergraduate Honors Thesis 17 Graduate Theses 12 Graduate Independent Studies 6 Doctoral Independent Studies 98 Graduate Student Professional

UNDERGRADUATE CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) brings together computing educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources, and address the field’s challenges.

STUDENT CLUBS, GROUPS & AWARDS

Business Liaison works closely with the School of Business, Simmons community, and the outside professional world to provide educational, motivational, networking, and other career-related opportunities for business majors and minors.

Girls Who Code College Loops is an on-campus organization offering monthly challenges for all experience levels, focused on honing computer science skills and engaging members to collaborate with one another.

Girl Up works with the United Nations to improve adolescent girls’ health by ensuring that they have access to health information and services that are designed for them. This includes education on nutrition, HIV prevention, and information on sexual and reproductive health.

Mathematics and Computer Science Liaison is open to anyone, but is of particular interest to those focused on mathematics, computer science, information technology, biostatistics, financial mathematics, and statistics.

HONOR SOCIETIES Alpha Delta Sigma honor society is part of the American Advertising Federation for marketing and communications students.

Alpha Mu Alpha is committed to the advancement of excellence in the field of marketing. Alpha Mu Alpha is the national marketing honorary society for qualified undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral marketing students as well as marketing faculty.

Beta Alpha Psi is an honor organization for financial information students and professionals. The School of Business established a new student chapter of Beta Alpha Psi for finance and accounting, providing students in these fields a new opportunity to connect with the broader professional community.

Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) is the premier honor society for students enrolled in business and management programs.

Beta Phi Mu recognizes the scholastic achievement and leadership potential of library and information science graduates and fosters the values of scholarship, leadership, and service in its members.

Pi Mu Epsilon is dedicated to the promotion of mathematics and recognition of students who successfully pursue mathematical understanding.

The Pledge of the Computing Professional is an organization that promotes the notion of computing as a recognized profession and to promote and recognize the ethical and moral behavior of graduates of computingrelated degree programs as they transition to careers of service to society.

SLIS STUDENT ASSOCIATIONS • Association of Moving Image Archivists’ Student Chapter • American Library Association Student Chapter • Student Chapter of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) • The Library and Information Science Student Association (LISSA) • LISSA West (LISSA’s branch at the Mount Holyoke campus) • Massachusetts School Library Association Student Interest Group • Panopticon (an art librarian interest group) • Progressive Librarians Guild Student Chapter • Special Libraries Associations Student Chapter • Spectra is the SLIS LGBTQ group

• Student Chapter of the Society of American Archivists • Students of Color at SLIS • User Experience Professionals’ Association at Simmons

The Simmons Student Chapter of ASIS&T engages SLIS students interested in Information Science & Technology (IS&T) through events and other opportunities where they can learn more about the field and meet other IS&T students and professionals.

We are proud that we have been named ASIS&T student chapter of the year 10 times over the years!

—JENNIFER SUNOO ’21 SLIS student and co-chair of ASIS&T Student Chapter

STUDENT HONOR SOCIETIES

• Student Chapter of ALA International Relations Round Table

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS Ismah Ahmed ’22 (MCS) and Samin Charepoo ’22 (MCS) have been selected as Undergraduate Faculty-Student Collaborative Fellows for the 2020-2021 academic year.

They are working on a research project, “Prosody and Meaning: A Machine Learning Approach,” with Professor Nanette Veilleux.

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Rachel Beaulieu ‘22 (MCS) won Best Student Poster at the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges North East (CCSSCNE) in April 2021 for her poster, “Academic Support Seeking Behaviors Differ by Gender in Coding Bootcamps.” Faculty Advisors: Nanette Veilleux, Sherry Seibel.

A major challenge when attempting to address global hunger is the scale of the issue—it truly knows no border. In any given period of human history, we can identify populations who grappled with a lack of access to necessary, nutritious foods.

—ERIN BUCK ‘21 MCS student and recipient of the 3D Award for her project, “Food Justice and Social Impact: A Holistic Exploration of Modern Hunger”

Dymond Bush ’21MS (SLIS), Charlotte Cotter ’22MS (SLIS), and Arianna McQuillen ’21MS (SLIS) (LITA/OCLC Scholar) were selected as 2020-2021 Spectrum Scholars by the American Library Association. Bush and McQuillen, along with Kimberly Villafuerte Barzola ‘22MS (SLIS), were also selected as 2020-2022 Kaleidoscope Program Diversity Scholars by the Association of Research Libraries.

Adaliz N. Cruz ’20MS (SLIS) published an article, “Urban Genres in Puerto Rico” in Acceso. The article was written as an independent study with Assistant Professor Rebecca Davis. Cruz is heavily involved in Music Librarianship professional organizations.

Evan Delano ’22MS (SLIS) was selected as the 2020 David H. Clift Scholarship recipient by the American Library Association.

Elena Hinkle ‘21MS (SLIS) is the 2020 recipient of the prestigious Society of American Archivists’ F. Gerald Ham and Elsie Ham Scholarship of $10,000.

Michelle LaFlamme (SLIS), School Library Teacher concentration student, is a 2021 recipient of the Massachusetts School Library Association Audrey Friend Scholarship. She was honored at the MSLA annual conference in March 2021.

—TABITHA LEE MILES ‘22 MCS student

Pragyee Nepal ‘21 (MCS) was the Student Speaker at the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony in May 2021.

Rachel Kiersten Beaulieu ‘22, a junior majoring in data science & analytics and biostatistics, was awarded funding from the Simmons University Passionate Leaders Project for her research project with Visiting Scholar Sherry Seibel ‘18.

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

My goal is to use technology to allow educators to find new teaching methods that work better for a wide range of students. I am interested in increasing the use of technology in classrooms to be able to provide multiple effective methods of teaching. Research projects, such as the one I joined, are important in the process of finding new ways to make the world better.

Tabitha Lee Miles ‘22 (MCS) was accepted into the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURPASs)—a paid, mentored summer research experience for undergraduates from the end of May through the end of June 2021. Miles received funds to support her research, which she will present at the Undergraduate Symposium in April 2022.

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS Vicky Biancolo ’06MS (SLIS), Director of the Library at Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield, was appointed by Governor Baker to be the newest member of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

Callan Bignoli ’12MS (SLIS), Director of the Library, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, and Stacy Collins ’16MS, ’16MA (SLIS), Simmons University Research and Instruction Librarian, were selected as Library Journal’s Movers & Shakers 2021, both in the Change Agents category.

Lenore Blum ‘63 (MCS) was featured on a playing card created by the Association for Women in Mathematics, in recognition of her contributions to the field, and for her efforts to make mathematics a welcoming field for women.

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS

Anna Bognolo ’15MS (SLIS), Library Director at the Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, Massachusetts and former President of SLIS Alumni Board, coordinated a civic engagement partnership with Books through Bars, a nonprofit that receives donations of books to send to prisoners throughout the country.

Kristie Ferrantella ’12 (MCS), CEO of the Nantucket Chamber of Commerce, helped local businesses adapt during the pandemic. She was appointed to the MCS Advisory Board.

Emily R. Florio ’06MS (SLIS) is president of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), the only association solely for legal information professionals.

Cindy Grove ’06MS (SLIS) published Libraries and the Substance Abuse Crisis: Supporting Your Community (ALA Editions, 2020) about how libraries can safely support patrons struggling with substance use disorders, their loved ones, and the general community.

I think there is an idea—both within the field and reflected by the media— that libraries are staffed by magical elves who make everything available to people. I hope we can collectively steer away from that narrative. It minimizes the labor of what we do and denies the material realities of safety, health, and well-being.

—CALLAN BIGNOLI ’12MS SLIS alumna

Enna E. Jimenez ‘91, ‘06E (MCS) was appointed by President Wooten as a Presidential Advisor for Alumnae/i Engagement. She will work with the President’s Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to identify critical diversity issues.

Wenqing Lu ‘14MS ‘21PhD (SLIS), a PhD student, is a recipient of the Beta Phi Mu International Libraries and Information Studies Honor Society’s Eugene Garfield Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship for her research entitled “Using Social Media Tools for Collaborative Learning: A Mixed-Method Study on Academic Group Work by Worldwide iSchool Students.”

Sharon Merrill Marino ‘79MBA (Business) has been awarded CFO of the Year–the F. Gorham Brigham Lifetime Achievement Award by Boston Business Journal, for her 48year career in finance. In addition to the recognition, Marino is also the first woman ever honored with the award.

Amy Moreira ’15MBA (Business) is Director of Enterprise Business Systems Bottomline Technologies.

Alyssa Musket ’13 (Business) was named to the 10th annual Forbes 30 Under 30 List in the Social Impact category

Jessica Stitt ‘04MBA (Business) was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Gyroscope Therapeutics Limited, a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on diseases of the eye.

Laney Strange ’02 (MCS) is the winner of the 2021 University Excellence in Teaching Award at Northeastern University.

Charlotte Streat ’00MBA (Business) was promoted to Vice President, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Business Advisor for the Investments Business and Corporate Functions at Liberty Mutual.

Lauren Wagner ‘21 (MCS) has been accepted into the London School of Economics for her Master’s degree.

Erika Walker ’01 (MCS) is Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Brown University School of Public Health. Walker has a PhD in Environmental Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her research is focused on noise pollution, and she is the founder of Noise and the City and the Community Noise Lab at Brown University School of Public Health.

Elizabeth Willoughby ’99MS (SLIS) won the 2020 Villy Gandhi Award, given by the New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL) to attend the Association for Educational Communications and Technology conference. In 2019, Willoughby won the Ruth Toor Award for Outstanding Media Specialist in the State of New Jersey, also given by NJASL.

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS

Heatherjean MacNeil ’08 ’09C (Business) received the Alumnae/i Achievement Award from the School of Business. MacNeil was selected for her extensive work in project management, consulting, teaching, marketing, and leadership. She is currently a senior client partner with Orange Grove Consulting, providing research-based womens’ leadership training and organizational change, and is pursuing a PhD in Organizations and Social Change at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

for her work as the co-founder of Sesh, a company focused on expanding access to mental healthcare through online group support.

REFLECTIONS ON THE YEAR

The faculty, staff, and students in COCIS have created such a welcoming environment for me as a new faculty member.

The students’ enthusiasm makes me so excited to step into the classroom every day, even in a pandemic.

—LAUREN A. TRICHTINGER, PHD, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF STATISTICS/DATA SCIENCE

Like COCIS Faculty, from the outset of COVID the COCIS Operations Team has been a resilient unit providing uninterrupted support to faculty and students despite the challenging environment. In the 18+ months, the team has proven it can excel in remote, hybrid or face to face environments.

—JOE M. BRAITSCH II, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, COLLEGE OF ORGANIZATIONAL, COMPUTATIONAL, AND INFORMATION SCIENCES

—RACHEL WILLIAMS, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

Advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion has been a recurring theme in every library and information science class I’ve taken at Simmons — it’s a fundamental value that I believe in.

—MICHELLE LAFLAMME ’22MS

REFLECTIONS ON THE YEAR

While the past year has been challenging, particularly in terms of the pandemic and in addressing issues of racial and social justice, what stands out to me most are the strength, resilience, and optimism of our students in COCIS. Our faculty are fortunate to be able to work with the future leaders and change makers of our field, and having that opportunity to support their learning is really fulfilling.

STRATEGIC PLAN EMPOWERING PEOPLE WITH IDEAS AND INFORMATION

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LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

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EXPAND EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS • Focus more attention and effort on undergraduate and interdisciplinary programs

STRENGTHEN RESEARCH ACTIVITY • Build collaborations around interdisciplinary themes

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RECRUIT AND RETAIN DIVERSE FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS • Create and support an inclusive classroom environment • Raise funding for scholarships to support diversity in our student body

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BROADEN EXTERNAL CONNECTIONS AND VISIBILITY • Build strong alumnae/i connections • Focus on women’s empowerment and principled leadership in the College fields

DEEPEN APPLIED LEARNING • Increase and enhance student internship experiences • Create a shared creative and maker space

As part of our commitment to inclusion and equity, COCIS faculty and staff developed and adopted a community statement of solidarity for racial justice: simmons.edu/academics/colleges-schools-departments/ cocis/statement-solidarity-racial-justice

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

REFLECTIONS ON THE YEAR