University of South Carolina School of Information Science

CIC is excited to announce our inaugural Call for Code: IBM watsonx workshop. Participating students will learn how to use IBM’s watsonx generative AI platform, then they will apply what they have learned in a competition with $17,500 in prizes. The workshop is open to students from any college or university in South Carolina. All majors are welcome, and no technical experience is necessary. Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 | 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. For full details, visit the event page: https://lnkd.in/ekFcJ9mB

If you know of a non-profit in the Midlands that needs help promoting their organization, please tell them about CreateAthon@USC. On Nov. 8-9, student teams will spend 24 hours brainstorming and creating a campaign for selected organizations. Non-profits can apply here: https://lnkd.in/g3c7HKEB

Congratulations to the following faculty members on their recent grant funding totaling nearly $1 million: Extending School Librarian Preparation Through Transitional Mentorship with Early Career School Librarians Jenna Spiering (PI) $374,194 funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services   Leveraging National Library Partnerships to Develop a Community-Driven Online LGBTQIA+ Consumer Health Guide - Vanessa Kitzie (PI) $249,980 funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services   Project Library PREPARE: Planning, Response, Emergency Preparedness, and Resilience Education Feili Tu-Keefner (PI), Brett Robertson (Co-PI) $249,721 funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services   Fostering Information and Knowledge Access in the Digital Environment: A Situational Analysis of Legal-regulatory Frameworks in ARIPO Region Dick Kawooya (PI) $100,000 funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), University of Cape Town, South Africa

Alamir Novin, Ph.D, applies his experience as a data scientist to his work as an assistant professor and researcher within the CIC. As the faculty lead for USC’s AI & AGI Lab, Novin leads a hub for groundbreaking AI experiments driven by interdisciplinary collaborations. The AI & AGI Lab partners with CIC’s Social Media Insights Lab to explore interactions between society and AI technology using big data and CIC’s Biometrics and User Experience (BaUX) Lab to investigate human biological responses to AI advancements. A partnership with MethodsAGI enables the lab to apply cutting-edge simulation software to study the impacts of AI on learning and cognition. Novin's real-life experience and partnerships drive a #FearlesslyFirst approach to AI research and instruction.

Across the country MLIS graduates have taken on leadership roles in different library systems, helping do expand the communities served by each. Learn about how Melanie Huggins (’95), Michael Lambert (’00) and Denise Lyons (’04) are guiding their organizations to meet critical needs in this article: https://lnkd.in/etEvE2c4

Across the country MLIS graduates have taken on leadership roles in different library systems, helping do expand the communities served by each. Learn about how Melanie Huggins (’95), Michael Lambert (’00) and Denise Lyons (’04) are guiding their organizations to meet critical needs in this article: https://lnkd.in/etEvE2c4

If you will be attending the 2024 ALA Conference in San Diego, please consider signing up for a shift staffing the iSchool's booth while you are there. It's a great opportunity to reconnect with fellow alumni and give back your alma mater. As a token of our appreciation, alumni volunteers will receive a small gift. Sign-up: https://lnkd.in/e7JjW5PC

In the coming months, CIC will be sharing updates about the broad array of AI-related initiatives already underway in the college. This article in the Columbia Regional Business Report encapsulates a few of these initiatives. Among these are: a statewide AI training program to be conducted at the new Palmetto College iCarolina labs across South Carolina, a global AI Ethics Council, spearheaded by Shannon Bowen, Ph.D., and a new AI and Data Analytics track within the Bachelor of Science in Information Science degree program.   “These initiatives underscore our commitment to driving innovation and inclusivity in the field of AI,” said CIC Dean Tom Reichert. “By providing training, expanding coursework offerings and prioritizing ethics, we are engaging CIC students and South Carolinians to harness the full potential of AI for the benefit of our state and our society.” https://lnkd.in/eyDpZX6W

MLIS Information Session Wednesday, April 24, 2024 6 p.m. Zoom: https://lnkd.in/ewpT5ajN Join us to learn the answers to frequently asked questions about the MLIS program and the application process. This session will include information about both the master’s and the certificate options. Our Master of Library and Information Science program is fully accredited by the American Library Association. It is fully online, with the exception of school library in-person practicums and other internships.

Yesterday, Dr. Toby S. Jenkins discussed her new book “The Hip-Hop Mindset” with Augusta Baker Chair Nicole Cooke. This was the first event of the spring semester in the “Augusta Baker Presents” series. “I’m exploring hip-hop ways of being, of knowing, of thinking, of behaving, of believing—and situating it as leadership practices and success mindsets that are derived from mining our cultures,” says Jenkins. “Cultures that aren’t usually explored for professional development and leadership education.” You can watch the complete conversation here: https://lnkd.in/ekTxVA5H