About the School of Information Studies
OVERVIEW
Advancing the understanding of how information is used
The Libraries and School of Information Studies’ exemplary teaching, research, and engagement advances the understanding of how information is used by individuals, communities, institutions, and societies. Making giant leaps—ground-breaking technologies, life sustaining drugs, disease detection and treatment, efficient agriculture and food systems—requires the pioneering use of information and data. Libraries offers transformative teaching and high-impact, experiential learning that catalyzes students’ imaginative leadership.
Information Studies offers undergraduate and graduate courses, two graduate certificates, and one undergraduate certificate. The undergraduate courses advance learning in three specific areas of information studies:
- Research and Information Studies
- Data, Information, and Society
- Data Foundations, Tools, and Applications
Undergraduate and graduate courses cover several information-focused topics, including archival literacy, data management and curation, digital humanities, information and data literacies, geographic information systems (GIS), systematic reviews, information ethics, and undergraduate research. Also offered are undergraduate and graduate certificates in Digital Humanities (DH) that are co-sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts, and a graduate certificate in Geospatial Information Science (GIS) in collaboration with seven colleges at Purdue University.
Confronting global challenges and solving multi-faceted problems
The School of Information Studies offers a minor, graduate and undergraduate courses, and certificates on several different information-focused topics that empower students to confront global challenges and solve multi-faceted problems by expanding upon their disciplinary knowledge with the ability to innovatively use information and data.
Dean of libraries and school of information studies
Nicole Kong
Dr. Nicole Kong is associate vice provost and dean of Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies. A Purdue faculty member since 2012, she brings expertise in geospatial information science, digital scholarship, and data stewardship, with a career dedicated to advancing research and teaching across disciplines.
As dean, Dr. Kong leads the School of Information Studies in preparing students to address complex challenges through the innovative use of information and data. She is committed to expanding interdisciplinary education, research, and partnerships that advance Purdue’s mission and support a data-driven future.
head of information studies
Jane Yatcilla
Professor Jane Yatcilla is head of the Information Studies department. Professor Yatcilla stepped into this role with a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of our university, making her an excellent fit for the position.
Scientific discovery can only be slowed by the growing gap between the creation of and the sharing and reuse of research data. We want to make sure Purdue’s next-generation researchers are able to produce research work with outcomes and data
that can be easily found, shared, and reused.
Wei Zakharov, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Engineering Information Specialist