Convocation Ceremony Caps a Pivotal Year for the iSchool

The iSchool community gathered May 8 at Bass Concert Hall to celebrate the Class of 2026 and mark a year of major transition. The ceremony highlighted the school's move this summer into the new School of Computing, celebrated graduates across the informatics, MSIS, MSISP, and doctoral programs, and featured keynote speaker Katie Prentice, MSIS '04, on finding opportunity and purpose in a changing information landscape.

Award Winners Underscore Outstanding Student Research at Capstone Event

The spring capstone poster showcase brought together 174 graduating students presenting work across MSIS and undergraduate informatics. Aleena Jacks, Kyle Castillo, Lucas McGill, and Marsh Vo received Dean's Excellence honors for projects spanning AI-assisted radiology training, CapMetro bikeshare planning, archival audio de-duplication, and cloud data architecture for microcredential systems.

iNSIGHTS 2026 Is Now Available

The iSchool's annual magazine launched at spring commencement and is now available online. Volume 7 — themed “Human-Centered Forward-Looking” — features cover subject Jaxsen Day, a Ph.D. candidate whose research on accessibility barriers in academia anchors a broader look at iSchoolers using technology to serve the public interest. Also inside: alumni award winners Minda Anderson (2025 Texas Librarian of the Year) and Hermina Anghelescu (ALA Distinguished Service in Library History), career spotlights on alumni at IBM and Amazon, a feature on the iSchool's growing role as a national hub for accessible design, and Interim Dean Ken Fleischmann's vision for the school's next chapter within the new School of Computing.

Summer Train the Trainer Series: Digital Accessibility

UT is hosting a ten-session virtual Train the Trainer series on digital accessibility this summer, open to all teaching faculty. Sessions run July 7–August 11 and cover practical, tool-specific topics including accessible documents and presentations, PDF remediation, video accessibility, e-learning development in Articulate Rise and Storyline, accessible virtual meetings in MS Teams, a screen reader demonstration using NVDA, and an accessibility review office hours session. Each session is one hour. The series supports compliance with Title II of the ADA and introduces campus resources including the Digital Accessibility Center. Space is limited — register through UT Learn.

Rachel Hendrickson to Present at TxGAP 2026 GEM Conference

Graduate Program Administrator Rachel Hendrickson will present at the Texas Graduate Enrollment Professionals (TxGAP) annual GEM Conference. Rachel will be joined by Kimberlee Walters of Extended Education Ventures for two presentations: one on career development for entry-level professionals and one on strategies for addressing student belonging through impactful orientation programming.

ALA Spotlights the Legacy of iSchool Alumna Carolyn Hixon Harris

As part of its sesquicentennial “Librarians We Have Lost” project, the American Library Association’s Library History Round Table has spotlighted Carolyn Hixon Harris (B.A. Art History ’69, MLS ’70), a UT Austin alumna who became a national pioneer in library preservation and conservation. Harris served as head of preservation at Columbia University Libraries, led ALA’s Resources & Technical Services Division as president, and returned to UT in 1992 — bringing Columbia’s preservation and conservation certificate programs with her. She passed away in 1994 at the age of 46. Her contributions to the field are honored through the Paul Banks and Carolyn Harris Preservation Award, established by ALA in 2001.

Congratulations to Angela D. R. Smith on New Faculty Role

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Angela D. R. Smith, who will begin a tenure-track appointment as assistant professor in the Department of Black Studies in the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Rochester on August 1, 2026. Since joining the iSchool in 2021, Angela has made wide-ranging contributions through community-engaged human-centered computing research, teaching and mentoring across degree programs, and service to the iSchool and national HCI community.

Welcome Kennedy Grigsby, HR Coordinator

Please join us in welcoming Kennedy Grigsby, who begins as the iSchool's new HR Coordinator. Kennedy joins the school after several years with UT Rec Sports and will serve as the primary contact for department HR matters. Please continue sending new student appointments and other personnel requests to iSchool HR. Kennedy is a native Texan, a UT Austin alum, and is located in UTA 5.326.

Farewell and Best Wishes to Diana Deaton

Diana Deaton, who has served as Associate Academic Advisor and Student Life Coordinator since joining the iSchool in May 2023, will conclude her time with us on May 31. In her dual role, Diana helped undergraduate students successfully complete their informatics degrees while also playing a key role in promoting student activities and facilitating student organizations. She brought warmth and dedication to supporting our students, and we are grateful for her many contributions to our community. Diana has been accepted into the Simmons University joint MLIS/MA in History program, where she will begin her studies as a Merit Scholar. Please join us in thanking Diana and wishing her all the best in this exciting new chapter.

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September deadline: August 28, 2026