INFORMATIONCOMMUNICATION

TECHOLOGYGRADUATE STUDENT GUIDE

infosci.uky.edu

SCHOOL OF

INFORMATION SCIENCE 2018-2019

ANNOUNCEMENTS

SCHOOL STAFF

STUDENT PROFILES

FACULTY RESEARCH

GRAD SCHOOL SURVIVAL GUIDE

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

ONLINE INFORMATION SESSION SCHEDULE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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(September 28, 2018) - The University of Kentucky’s School of Information Science no longer requires applicants to provide scores for the Graduate Record Exam. School faculty agreed during an August meeting that GRE scores are not predictive of graduate success. The Graduate School Council approved the request in September. The library and information science (LIS) and information communication technology (ICT) programs will no longer require the GRE, effective for Spring 2019 applications.

UK School of Information Science Drops GRE Requirement

ANNOUNCEMENTS | 3

Women + Diversity in ICT Guest Lecture with Ashley McKenzie(October 17, 2018) The School of Information Science hosted Ashley McKenzie, University of Kentucky alumna and senior account executive at Adobe Systems Inc., for a talk titled “Women + Diversity in ICT.” McKenzie is a 2008 graduate from the College of Communication and Information, which also houses the School of Information Science at UK. Informed by a background in integrated strategic communication and business informatics, along with six and a half years of experience as a client representative at IBM, her current work focuses on enterprise software, cloud computing and virtualization, all of which are underscored by a foundational desire to advocate for women and diversity in the information communication technology field.

“Diversity in the workplace is critical to having the ability to present our customers with the best possible solutions to their business issues,” McKenzie said. “We need diversity in thoughts, ideas and approaches to problem-solving, and only that can be achieved with a diverse and inclusive workforce.”Although women make up a majority of the professional workforce, they represent less than one-third of the technology industry according to a 2014 report on the status of women in information technology by the National Center of Women & Information Technology. The study reported that “more than half of professional occupations in U.S. are held by women (57 percent). But the percentage of computing occupations held by women lags far behind. 26 percent of computing occupations are held by women, 3 percent by African-American women, 5 percent by Asian women, 2 percent by Hispanic/Latina women.”“Our customers are diverse — we work with companies across the globe, and a one size fits all approach does not work in that context. We have to mirror the diversity that we see among our customers and set an example for the industry of what a diverse and inclusive organization should look like,” McKenzie said. (continued on page 4)

ICT Program Expands Online Offerings(January 11, 2019) - The University of Kentucky is expanding its online course offerings to better serve Kentucky residents and the rest of the world. As such, we are excited to announce that our information communication technology (ICT) graduate program is moving online as of Fall 2019!

Application Deadlines: Fall - July 1st | Spring - November 15th

SCHOOL STAFFWILL BUNTIN

Assistant Director

HEATHER BURKE Student Aff airs Offi cer

TAYLOR COHRONIS Technical Support

Specialist

HARLIE COLLINS Marketing

Communications Specialist

SARAH JANE TAMME Student Aff airs Offi cer

AMBER TROXELLBusiness Offi cer

4 | SCHOOL STAFF

In this talk, she discussed how Adobe implemented initiatives to even the playing fi eld to create a diverse and inclusive environment for its employees, customers, partners and the technology industry as a whole. The company’s “Adobe for All” initiative encourages employees to 1) appreciate the unique, 2) amplify others, 3) enhance the team, 4) rethink routine and 5) open up as a way of fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.“We encourage our employees to value the diff erences in others’ stories and ideas, to equalize meetings, assignments and social events, and to speak up for what you need and provide feedback,” McKenzie said. “Adobe has been leading the industry charge to off er pay parity for men and women in the same job roles. We achieved that goal in 2018 and are very proud!”She also shared her personal journey from undergrad to executive leadership as well as the need for more young professionals who can communicate between business and technology units within an organization.“To women who want to pursue a degree in technology, one of the most important things to keep in mind is that you belong,” said Chelsea West, junior in information communication technology and ICT liaison to ACM-W (Association of Computing Machinery Women’s Chapter). “You will have moments where you don’t feel as though you ‘fi t in,’ but if you have a passion for technology, you have every right to be here.”McKenzie has volunteered as a “Big Sister” in the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Bluegrass organization for more than 11 years. She encourages more “Big Sisters” to become part of the program. McKenzie lives in Walton, Kentucky, with her husband Sheldon, her three daughters, Izzy, Mia and Laila, and her dog Dobby.

continued Women + Diversity in ICT Guest Lecture with Ashley McKenzie

Photo by UKPR

STUDENT PROFILESSteven Sommer, a current graduate student in the information communication technology (ICT) program, earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Longwood University. Prior to joining the program, he worked for various collegiate athletics programs in sports information. “The roles partially involved public and media relations, but also managed a lot of statistics and other data. As an undergrad, my university went through an athletic department rebrand, in which I was a member of the committee that helped make decisions on refurbishing the logos and other marks,” Sommer said. “It inspired me to complete my undergraduate research on logo design and fan response. I still have

a love for athletics and am extremely interested in how professional sports organizations use data to make personnel and operational decisions and would love to hopefully explore that interest further during my time as a graduate student.” Currently, he is the public relations manager for the Confucius Institute at the University of Kentucky. Having worked in public relations for more than four years, Sommer says that his favorite tasks involve finding different ways to utilize technology to make tasks easier and more efficient for his teams. “I have always enjoyed the process of collecting data and using it to help solve problems. I chose the ICT graduate program to better develop my knowledge of both implementation of communication technologies and data analysis, while also helping to prepare me for a career path where I can use both more frequently,” he said. Sommer says that his favorite course so far has been ICT 600: ICT in Society. “The course brought up a lot of discussion regarding the ethical and moral elements that surround a lot of real-world issues regarding ICTs that can get looked past relatively easily if there is not time devoted to stop and think about them,” Sommer said. “I also just started taking ICT 661: Introduction to Data Science and am very interested to learn more about utilizing large data sets to solve problems.” In addition to his full-time position at the university and keeping up with class work, Sommer is also planning a wedding for the end of the year! In order to maintain a healthy work-life balance, Sommer suggest blocking off your calendar by task and use lunch breaks to complete class readings. He also recommends preparing meals ahead of time to make the work week easier. “Another important part is making sure to build in time for myself. If I stay good about managing my time and taking steps to prepare where I can, I usually have a least one day on the weekend where I can relax and recharge before another big week,” he said. As a full-time employee juggling work and school, Sommer says that he has found office hours extremely useful. “Outside of access to journals, texts, and research materials through UK Libraries, the best resource so far has been utilizing my professors’ office hours. As a full-time employee juggling work and school on top of my personal time, my professors have been very accommodating about meeting outside of class when given appropriate notice,” Sommer said. “Additionally, many have given the option to meet virtually, whether through discussion over Canvas or via Skype, which is super convenient.”

STEVEN SOMMER

6 | CURRENT STUDENT PROFILES

Prior to joining the graduate program in information communication technology, Shelby Albers earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Kentucky. She is currently a data analyst for Institutional Research & Data Science at the university. “My decision to pursue a master’s in ICT was largely driven by my current career path. While I felt my background in mathematics adequately prepared me to take on the analytic responsibilities of my job, I desired to strengthen my skills in communicating the resultant information eff ectively,” Albers said.

SHELBY ALBERS

Albers registers for one class each semester. Currently, she is enrolled in ICT 661: Introduction to Data Science and says that it is her favorite course. “I completed a minor in computer science during my undergraduate career and am looking forward to getting back into some coding work,” she said. “We have many data scientists in my department, so I am hoping the content of the course will help me understand a bit more of what my peers are doing.” Albers says that she is in no rush to complete the degree. “My journey in pursuing a master’s degree may look a little diff erent from other students, even those who are also working towards it part-time. While it may take me 6 years to graduate, it is what has worked best for me in maintaining work, social, and school schedules without having to compromise any of the three,” Albers said.

To me, ICT seemed like the perfect subject for understanding how information and communication are infl uenced by the various technologies used in today’s world. It also helped that the master’s program off ers a specifi c track in analytics to further tailor my course of study to my exact educational goals.

Jesse Stallsworth received a bachelor’s in information communication technology (ICT), focusing on technology management, from the University of Kentucky in May 2017. He decided to further his studies by applying to the graduate program in ICT the following semester. “I chose ICT because I have always had a passion for technology teaching and training. Given that ICT has a communications component, it will give me the skills necessary in order to put my passion to work,” Stallsworth said. On top of being a full-time student, Stallsworth manages all operations within the CI CoLab, a technology learning laboratory that fosters technological innovation through collaboration between students, faculty,

and staff at the university. As a director of operations, he coordinates participant research sessions, trains student-interns, and participates in various outreach and promotion activities. Stallsworth says that his favorite course throughout the graduate program has been ICT 690: Human Computer Interaction.“This course expanded my knowledge that I had gained through my job at UK and it was very exciting to learn the theory behind why some things are designed well and others aren’t,” he said.

CURRENT STUDENT PROFILES | 7

JESSE STALLSWORTH

Having academic discussions with my peers allow me to see things from diff erent perspectives and then incorporate their perspective into my own view. They can also bring diff erent experiences to the table that I may not have gotten otherwise.

His research interests, personally and professional, are understanding how diff erent people interact with technology and how diff erent groups of people use technology diff erently. “Finding out how to make a technology usable for everyone is a challenge that I like to tackle,” Stallsworth said. The most useful resource, he says, are his fellow graduate students and peers.

• Share your academic and career goals – why are you interested in a career as an ICT professional? How do you view this degree helping you reach your future goals?

• Identify why you should be admitted – what makes you a good fit for this specific program? How will you be a successful graduate student? What are your proudest accomplishments?

• Outline how you have reached this place in life – what circumstances and/or challenges led you to where you are now academically and professionally?

WRITING PROMPTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL PERSONAL STATEMENT

According to a 2014 article in the Lexington Herald-Leader, Kentucky ranks 46thin broadband availability among US states. Roughly 23 percent of Kentucky’s rural areas do not have access to broadband internet and nearly one-fourth of the state’s households cannot access broadband at all. Those are the hard, fast facts.With recent legislation at the state-level and a variety of local public-private partnerships, Kentucky is uniquely positioned to expand its broadband off erings to all corners of the state; however, there are concerns regarding its Eastern Kentucky counties. In 2017, David Nemer, assistant professor at the University of Kentucky, received a Research and Creative Activities Program (RCAP) funding award from the university’s College of Communication and Information to support his summer research in Lee and Letcher counties. Nemer, a professor of information communication technology (ICT), conducted exploratory fi eldwork to better understand the problem space and to help promote a critical appropriation of information communication technologies. As

such, he built connections with stakeholders, including local libraries and broadband committees, developed two Wikiathons and digital literacy programs, and launched a research group within the university’s School of Information Science, called “ICT for Eastern Kentucky” or ICT4EKY. By conducting 46 interviews, Nemer says that he had a better understanding of the uses and workarounds related to ICTs in Eastern Kentucky. This knowledge allowed him to map the dynamics of technological needs and experiences and gave him the opportunity to advocate for digital literacy and broadband expansion in the area. The following summer, he investigated the use of Chromebooks in the Lee County School System and collaborated with locals and other academics to further promote digital literacy and community broadband networks. He plans to return to the fi eld in 2019. More recently, Nemer delivered a presentation to the Vice President of Research’s Advisory Group to discuss his fi ndings and future directions. In his presentation he shared that he, along with Drs. Shannon Oltmann and Soohyung Joo, had submitted a grant proposal to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Community Catalyst Program. The proposal, titled “Activating Appalachian Communities: Investigating How Public Libraries Can Partner with Community Groups to Serve Working-Age Adults” is still in review.

FACULTY RESEARCHJessalyn Vallade and Renee Kaufmann published a new study titled, “Investigating instructor misbehaviors in the online classroom,” in the Communication Education journal. The study explores student perceptions of online instructor misbehaviors and aims to provide educators with practical online teaching strategies.

Spencer Greenhalgh published a new study titled, “Tweet, and We Shall Find: Using Digital Methods to Locate Participants in Educational Hashtags,” in Tech Trends, a publication of the Associate for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT).

Bryce Newell published a new book in the area of surveillance technologies. Surveillance, Privacy and Public Space was released in July 2018 by Routledge as part of its collection of books focusing on surveillance studies.

Fatima Espinoza-Vasquez was selected to participate in the 2019 Faculty Success Program. The program, funded by the Offi ce for Faculty Advancement, supports faculty participation, which includes 12 weeks of coaching, social support, and networking to advance scholarly productivity.

UK Professor Researches Broadband Availability in Eastern Kentucky, ICT4EKY

GRAD SCHOOL SURVIVAL GUIDE

FIND YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM

Your faculty advisor and student affairs officer are here to help at all times! If they don’t have an answer for you, they will be able to point you in the right direction to someone who will. Set up regular meetings to check in and see how you are progressing. Adding friends and family to your support system helps with any additional stress that may be associated with going back to school.

EMBRACE THE STUDENT MENTALITY

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Chances are you may be a professional now, but being a student means you are still learning and will make mistakes along the way. Ask questions!

USE RESOURCESIN ORDER TO THRIVE

Step 1: Find out what resources are available to you (if you are not sure, contact your student affairs officer)

Step 2: Utilize them!

PICK PASSIONATELYNobody can devote hours and hours to learning and working on something that doesn’t interest them. When it’s time to research, pick something that peaks your interests and that you’ll love learning about, and the effort will come effortlessly.

COMMUNICATEWe can’t emphasize this enough – communicate! Communicate clearly and honestly. If you have questions, ask them. If you are struggling in a course, address it as soon as problems come up. If your support system doesn’t know it’s broke, they can’t help fix it!

PLAN ANDPREPARE

Whether you use a planner, notes in your phone, or a traditional notepad… PLAN! Planning is the best way to tackle time management issues (if you follow through with your plans instead of letting procrastination take hold) and can be an essential part of organization. Plan study time. Plan research time. Plan relaxation time.

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DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

What I love about ICT is that it provides me with a framework for thinking about the relationships between people, technology, and information. There is so much to explore in these relationships and quite a few challenges to meet and overcome if we are to use technology wisely to communicate, share, create, and use information. I love teaching ICT courses because there is no subject that off ers as much potential to use technology to teach, understand, and learn about it and how to use it. This combination allows us to push the bounds of teaching and learning. DR. SEAN BURNS

ICT 600: ICT IN SOCIETY

Examines issues related to the role of ICT’s in political, social, psychological, and cultural processes in community contexts, both physical and virtual. Course sheds light on the democratic functioning of ICT’s for a health community to operate at local, regional, national, and global levels.

ICT 650: LEADERSHIP IN INFORMATION PROFESSIONS

Students are exposed to leadership strategies and challenges in the information professions. Primary attention is placed on the role of communication in eff ective leadership, innovation and change in the information professions, ethical frameworks, organizational planning, & leadership communication strategies for managing confl ict and crises.

ICT 661: INTRO TO DATA SCIENCE

Provides a foundation in the area of data science based on data curation and statistical analysis. Students learn data analysis concepts and techniques that facilitate making decisions from a rich data set.

ICT 610: RESEARCH METHODS FOR ICT

Designed to prepare students to develop and conduct their own research in applied settings. Students will create, evaluate, and critique methodologically sophisticated research design by creating a research manual and a mixed-methods research prospectus.

ICT 699: INTERNSHIP IN ICT

Professional experience in ICT fi eld. Visit ict.uky.edu for details.

Core Courses (required)

Elective CoursesICT 550: SECURITY INFORMATICSIntroduction to policy concerns relating to security inforamtics, and highlights theoretical and practical approaches to designing secure ICT systems. Addresses authentication, risk analysis, access control, etc.

ICT 626: ELECTRONIC INORMATION RESOURCES IN THE HEALTH SCIENCESSurveys electronic information resources, including databases and Web sources. Discussion of relevant controlled vocabularies and their use in formulating and executing search strategies.

ICT 658: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENTExamines how knowledge is created, captured, organized, diff used, and implemented in an organization. Topics covered include knowledge management processes and practices, corresponding technologies, collaboration tools, and people and cultural issues.

ICT 690: HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTIONIntroduces students to tools and techniques for creating and improving user interfaces, such as Participatory Design, Contextual Inquiry, and Usability Testing. Students will understand systematic procedures for creating usable and useful designs and systems.

ICT 552: CYBERCRIME AND DIGITAL LAW ENCORCEMENTFocuses on types and extent of current cyber crimes, how the justice system responds to these crimes, constitutional protections aff orded to computer users, law and policies that govern cybercrime detection and prosecution, and related technologies.

We regularly host information sessions via Zoom where you can ask Admissions Coordinators questions about the program or application process. Sessions last approximately 30 minutes and are in Eastern Time.

University of Kentucky

infosci.uky.edu @ukinfosci

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION SCIENCE

ONLINE INFORMATION SESSIONSFully Online Courses | NO GRE REQUIRED!

Register: ci.uky.edu/sis/ict/masters

M.S. IN INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Jan. 22 @ 12pm Feb. 21 @ 12pmMar. 19 @ 3pm

Apr. 17 @ 3pm May 21 @ 12pm June 12 @ 12pm

June 20 @ 3pmJuly 10 @ 12pm

M.S. IN LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE

Jan. 15 @ 3pmJan. 30 @ 2pmFeb. 15 @ 12pm (School Libraries)Feb. 25 @ 3pm (History/English) Mar. 7 @ 2pm (Public Libraries)

Register: ci.uky.edu/sis/libsci/infosession

Mar. 25 @ 12pm (Health Sciences)Apr. 9 @ 2pmApr. 24 @ 3pm May 7 @ 12pmMay 16 @ 2pm