A roundup of the latest news, plus some odds and ends, from the University of Washington Information School.
iSchoolers in the news
Recent Informatics grad Stephen Ramirez has been making an impression at Starbucks. A first-generation college student, Stephen was featured in a story on the University of Washington home page. An internship after his junior year went so well that he went to work there full time after he graduated.
The Seattle Times put its tech spotlight on AnswerDash, a startup born in the iSchool by Ph.D. student Parmit Chilana and iSchool professors Jake Wobbrock and Amy Ko. AnswerDash has been a hot topic lately, also garnering an infusion of venture capital to help aid its growth.
We knew Mary Clark, our assistant dean for planning and administration, was a good iSchool citizen, but did you know she’s also a “Good Commute Citizen”? Mary was featured in the UW Transportation Services blog for doing her part to help ease the parking crunch.
Tweets of the week
Great first day of orientation! The iSchool is my school. (Whispered softly) @UW_iSchool #iSchoolWelcome pic.twitter.com/qAMg7h4MNK
— Erica Ervin (@EricaIsMaking) September 25, 2015
Here we go! Dean Bruce addresses our incoming cohorts. #iSchoolWelcome pic.twitter.com/2EUJbQTC5b
— Ash (@ash_j_choi) September 24, 2015
Elsewhere in information news
“Taking Data Visualization From Eye Candy to Efficiency”: A great read (with lots of cool visuals, of course) on the effectiveness of data visualization techniques from National Geographic.
“These charts show how much of your life you will spend being sick”: Speaking of data visualizations, here are some fascinating ones on health and life expectancy from the Washington Post.
“Online Privacy and the Use of the Tor Network in the Library”: The Seattle Public Library discusses the recent controversy over the use of Tor for anonymous Web browsing and how it views patrons’ privacy online.
“The Plot Twist: E-Book Sales Slip, and Print Is Far From Dead”: The New York Times says the “digital apocalypse never arrived.” E-book sales have leveled off, which could have major implications for libraries and publishers.
“A 17-Year-Old Artist Created This Incredible Map of Literature”: If you haven’t seen this yet, it’s truly astounding.