SIS Names First Doreen E. Boyce Chair in Library and
Information Science
Jose´-Marie
Griffiths (pictured at left), chief information officer and professor of
information science at the University of Michigan, has been named the
first holder of the Doreen E. Boyce Chair in Library and Information
Science in the School of Information Sciences (SIS) at the University of
Pittsburgh.
The Buhl
Foundation endowed the chair at the University. Named in honor of Doreen
E. Boyce, the Buhl Foundation president, the chair is one of a few in the
nation established specifically for library and information. At the time
of its endowment in 1998, the Boyce Chair was believed to be one of the
first in the country funded by a foundation in honor of a professional
staff member. It also was the first chair in SIS.
“We are
delighted to have someone with the outstanding international reputation
and qualifications of Dr. Griffiths join the faculty of the School of
Information Sciences,” said SIS Dean Toni Carbo. “Our goal is to be the
best in the world in integrating people, technology, and knowledge for
problem solving, decision making, and learning, and Dr. Griffiths will
help us achieve that goal.”
Griffiths also has been named the first director of the Sara Fine
Institute for Interpersonal Behavior and Technology, which was established
to provide a forum for scholars and professionals to address issues
relating to the human aspects of an increasingly technological society.
Griffiths also will be an associate of the University’s Learning Research
and Development Center, and additional joint appointments with other
schools are anticipated.
“I am
excited by the opportunities at the University of Pittsburgh for
interdisciplinary scholarship on the human experience with technology,”
said Griffiths. “After spending the last nine years in academic and
information technology administration, I have developed a wealth of
practical knowledge about the development, management, and use of
technology. Now I’ll be able to consider in more detail how people develop
and use technology and how technology availability and use affects people
as individuals, in groups, and communities.”
Griffiths’ previous positions include: vice chancellor for
Information Infrastructure and director of the School of Information
Sciences at the University of Tennessee; vice president of information
systems: planning, design & development, for King Research, Inc. of
Rockville, Md.; adjunct professor at The Catholic University of America in
Washington, D.C.; and visiting professor at UC Berkeley.
Included
among her many honors are: a National Commission on Library and
Information Science appointment by President Clinton; both the Award of
Merit and the Research Award, American Society for Information Science;
Top 25 Women on the Web Award; Special Libraries Association special
recognition for research; Outstanding Faculty Member, University of
Tennessee; and several National Communicator Awards.
Griffiths holds a B.S. in physics and a Ph.D. in information
science, both from University College London.
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