James Patrick Williams

Doctoral Student & Assistant Instructor

School Of Information
The University of Texas
jpwms@ischool.utexas.edu
512-921-2756

Interests and Goals:

I'm currrently finishing up my doctoral coursework at UT's School of Information (iSchool). I completed my MSIS coursework in May 2004 and have spent the past four semesters an an Assistant Instructor. I've supported myself as a full time student through teaching and supporting technology use, and with freelance usability, information design, and web development projects.

My research interests include computer mediated communication, collaboration, instruction, and learning; creation, use, and visualization of multimedia collections and digital libraries; information and technology literacy; community informatics and ICT outreach and support; and information aesthetics, interaction design, and generative art. I'm also very interested online learning and collaboration, participatory design, ambient information, usability and accessibility, collection understading, and information design in public spaces.

I thrive in creative, dynamic places and have always been drawn to libraries and museums.

I obsessively photograph and I enjoy music to a fault.

Professional Experience:

Currently :

Assistant Instructor, INF 312, Information in Cyberspace, School of Information, The University of Texas at Austin. Information in Cyberspace (i312) is an introductory course for undergraduate students providing an overview of the history of Internet and Web technologies and their social impact, with an emphasis on technology self-sufficiency and information literacy. Instructor since Fall 2004.

  • Responsible for developing content, providing instruction, and supervising undergraduates and support staff in this 200+ student online course.
  • Maintain interactive course website ensuring standards compliance, usability, and accessibility.
  • Hire and manage support staff of 8 Graduate and Undergraduate assistants.
  • Conduct bi-weekly webcasts utilizing streaming video and online collaborative discussion tools delivered synchronously to 100+ users.

Consultant, Metropolitan Area Interactive Network/Telecommunity Resource Center. Working with the Bastrop Public Library and the Bastrop office of the Texas Workforce commission, I am conducting a study of public Information and Communication Technology access sites and their ability to support community information reference requests.

  • Investigate, observe, and document access support for community information resources.
  • Create an annotated resource of available online community information resources.
  • Identify opportunities for promotion of community information services to raise awareness in the public and create linkages between community organizations and businesses.
  • Construct a model for community information literacy outreach and support in Bastrop.

Freelance Usability Engineering, Information Architecture, and Web Development Projects

  • Currently building Texas Storysearch website, through which young creative writers compete for a full publishing package from BookPros Literary Agency, benefiting the Make-A-Wish foundation.
  • Gathered system-wide requirements, evaluated technology, and provided recommendations for a new document management initiative at the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.
  • Working with Handwire, completed a large-scale usability and information architecture project dealing with Shell's global People Services intranet.
  • Designed and built a Science & Engineering Consultancy's initial web presence.
  • Built training modules in Flash for a hospital network.

January 2004 to August 2005 :

Graduate Research Assistant , Video Exploration of the Soil Animal World, School of Information & Section of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin.

  • Develop website for the presentation of a digital video library of microscopic documentaries to Dr. Dick Richardson's Biology students.
  • Organize, prepare, and post-produce video, ensure accessibility of both web and multimedia presentations.

January 2004 to August 2004 :

Graduate Research Assistant, For Dr. Randolph Bias, Associate Professor School of Information, The University of Texas at Austin.

  • Perform research on the usability of Microsoft ClearType font-rendering among programmers.

Graduate Assistant, School of Information IT Lab University of Texas at Austin.

  • Assisted students in using the multi-platform IT Lab at the School of Information.
  • Taught courses on Photoshop, Illustrator, and website management.
  • Set up and operate audio-visual equipment, including mobile computers, video equipment, and digital projectors, for iSchool professors and speakers.
  • Serve as one of the labstaff's Mac specialists and digital video point people.
  • Assist faculty, staff, and students with all technology questions.
  • Develop online tutorials and documentation to support the use of technology inside and outside of the iSchool. [MAGpie, Snagit, Norton Antivirus , Photoshop]
  • Teach short courses on similar topics for iSchool students.

Teaching Assistant, for INF 312, Information in Cyberspace.

  • Assist students in all aspects of this web-based course, including online chat support, evaluating work, developing online tutorials, and supervising examinations.
  • Redesigned 200+ page website using standards-compliant CSS.
October 2003 to March 2004:

Volunteer Docent, The Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin.

  • Attended bi-weekly docent learning sessions leading up to the Make It New: The Rise of Modernism exhibit in October.
  • Led tours and present a personal interpretation of the collection to HRHRC patrons.
August 2003 to May 2004:

Graphic Designer, CrystaTech, Inc.

  • Rebuilt and updated illustrations of Crystatech's CrystaSulf process and competing processes.
  • Redesign and further develop the firm's marketing and exhibition materials.
  • Developed a workflow for creating, editing, and maintaining Materials Safety Data Sheets for clients.

January 2003 to December 2003:

Teaching Assistant, School of Information, The University of Texas at Austin.

  • Performed TA duties for Dr. Oliver Chen's Human Information Interaction and Digital Media Design courses, including managing email listservs and assisting students with multimedia software and equipment.
  • Performed TA duties for Dr. Bias's Software Usability Engineering and Introduction to Research In Library & Information Science courses, including developing and maintaining course websites, managing email listservs, supporting Dr. Bias with classroom materials and readings, setting up and operating audio-visual equipment for class presentations, and otherwise assisting students and answering questions

January 2003 to May 2003:

Information Desk Volunteer, Perry Canstaneda Library (PCL) The University of Texas at Austin.

  • Selected for special graduate student volunteer position. Staffed the PCL Information Desk, helping patrons use the online catalogue, locate books and other materials, use the computers, and navigate the building and the campus.

May 2000 to August 2002:

Associate, Materials Production, Jay Gaines & Company New York, New York.
Charged with the maintenance and further development of the firm's document and presentation standards. Responsibilities included writing, editing, and supervision on all communications projects for this leading executive search firm. Projects involved new business proposals, biographical profiles of candidates, client reports, marketing materials, press releases, business correspondence, etc. Additionally responsible for the design and production of firm and client meeting presentation materials.

  • Working with the CIO, developed and implemented a document tracking system to monitor and catalog all outgoing and internal documents.
  • Working with the President & CEO, developed a suite of charts and diagrams to pictorially visually convey the search process to candidates, clients, and prospective clients.
  • Worked to expand and develop the firm's diversity initiative. Researched and wrote proposals and position statements representing the firm's commitment to diversity.
  • Developed quantitative comparison tools to complement candidate profiles and interviews in top-level hiring decisions.
  • Provided design recommendations, editing, and other assistance in the design and launch of the firm's first website.
  • Maintained and updated the firm's marketing database. Produced custom, client-specific marketing packages outlining the firm's philosophy, representative engagements, and history. Photographed consultants for marketing purposes.

Education:

Currently:

Doctoral Student
School of Information
The University of Texas at Austin

August 2002 to May 2004:

M.S. in Information Science
School of Information
The University of Texas at Austin
GPA: 4.0

January 1996 to December 1999:

University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
Bachelor of Arts in English, Studio Art Minor
GPA: 3.45 cumulative; 3.81 in major

Skills:

Publications and Conferences:

Burns, S., Stewart, Q., and Williams, J. (2005). "Information In Cyberspace: Introducing Undergraduates to Information Studies in a Large-Scale Online Course." Information School Essentials, I-Conference, Penn State University, State College, PA, September 2005.

Stewart, Q., Burns, S., Eichelberger, L., Jackson, K., Ovalle, Williams, and P. (2005). "Beyond Blackboard: Scaling online instruction to meet student demand." University of Texas System TeleCampus Innovations in Online Learning, 2005.

Bias, R., Williams, J., Chung, D., and Burns, S. (2005). "An experimental study of the effects of Microsoft's ClearType on programmer productivity." Annual meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Orlando, September.

Williams, J., Stewart, S., Eichelberger, L., Ovalle, C., Jackson, K., Burns, S., & Robertson, H. (2005). "Scaling Information in Cyberspace: A framework for developing online instruction to meet the demands of large classes." Educause Southwest, Austin, Texas, February 2005.

Williams, J. (2004). "Mixed numbers: the hidden meanings of everyday digits." (digital kiosk presentation) Internet, Culture, and Society: French and American Perspectives. Harry Ransom Center, the University of Texas at Austin. November 18-20, 2004.

Stewart, Q., Burns, S., Eichelberger, L., Jackson, K., Ovalle, Williams, and P. (2005). Beyond Blackboard: Scaling Online Instruction to Meet Student Demand. University of Texas System TeleCampus Innovations in Online Learning, 2005.

Burns, S., Stewart, Q., and Williams, P. (2005). Taming Technology with Collaborative Teaching. EDUCAUSE 2005, Orlando, October.

Burns, S. and Williams, J. (2004). "How do we perform usability testing when the tasks are so novel that users don't even know they want to perform them?" Idea Markets Session, Usability Professionals' Association Annual Conference 2004, Minneapolis, MN. Available online at http://www.upassoc.org/usability_resources/
conference/2004/im_burns-williams.html.

Chang, M., Leggett, J., Furuta, R., Kerne, A., Williams, J., Burns, S., and Bias, R. (2004). "Collection Understanding," 2004 ACM Joint Conference on Digital Libraries, Tucson, AZ June 9, 2004.

Memberships:

Honors & Awards: