Welcome to the Ph.D. News Webpage. This Webpage site contains items of interest to iSchool Ph.D. students at University of Texas at Austin.

This Weeks Events

Monday, February 21, 1:30-2:30 PM, SZB 556- Ph.D Student discussions with Dr. Gary Geisler, candidate for iSchool faculty. See additional information under the iForum item below. Please let Dr. Gracy know if you plan to attend.

Monday, February 21, 4:00-5:30 PM, SZB468, iForum, Dr. Gary Geisler, When Do Researchers Collaborate? Toward a Model of Collaboration Propensity in Science and Engineering Research. Collaboration has proven invaluable in answering a range of important scientific questions, such as understanding and controlling disease threats like SARS and AIDS or exploring the nature of matter in particle physics.  Despite this, however, collaboration can often be problematic. There are institutional obstacles, collaboration tools may be poorly designed, and group coordination is difficult.  To better design technologies to support research activities, we need an improved understanding of why scientists collaborate and how their collaborations work.  To achieve this improved understanding, this study compares two theoretical approaches to collaboration propensity­that is, the extent to which collaboration is perceived as useful by individual researchers. On one hand, cultural comparisons of disciplines suggest that collaboration propensity will be higher in disciplinary cultures that have a more collectivist orientation, as indicated by low levels of competition for individual recognition and few concerns about secrecy related to commercialization and intellectual property.  In contrast, an approach based on social and organizational psychology suggests that collaboration propensity will vary as a function of resource concentration, field wide focus on a well-defined set of problems, and the need for coordination with others in getting work done.  To explore this question, a mail survey of 900 academic researchers in three fields was conducted, along with 100 interviews with practicing researchers at 17 sites in the field.  Results support a social and organizational psychological interpretation of collaboration propensity.   That is, cultural factors such as competition for individual recognition and concerns about intellectual property were not perceived as significant impediments to collaboration. Instead, characteristics like resource concentration and the need for coordination were more important in determining collaboration propensity. Implications of these findings are a need for more careful examination of the day-to-day work of scientists and engineers and that concerns about scientific competition impeding collaboration may be unwarranted. Dr. Geisler is an Assistant Professor at the Simmons College, Boston, Graduate School of Library and Information Science. He is a perspective member of our faculty. Further, the Search Committee members (Loriene Roy, Don Turnbull, Stephanie McFarland, Patrick Williams, and David Gracy) ask you to provide your observations of the candidate as a possible faculty member here For more information, please see his Webpage or contact Dr. Gracy.

Monday, Feb 21, 4-5:30 PM, SZB 556, Andy Switzky, Alumni Speaker Series. Andy is a 2004 UT MLIS graduate and a consultant with SBC Online, specializing in i nformation architecture, user interface design, and usability. The Alumni Speakers Series brings graduates of our program back to campus to share their career experiences with students. Their stories provide valuable information about the job market, regardless of their own individual positions. As part of their talks, they will discuss their current position and how they chose their career, how they prepared for it with work experience and coursework, how they conducted their job searches, and what was successful for them. They will also talk about the current job market, what they consider important for graduates to know about job search today, and what they look for when they hire new employees, from skills that are important to how they view resumes and conduct interviews. For more information please contact Ron Pollock, Director of Career Services, via email or phone, 471-2623.

Tuesday, Feb 22, 3:30-5 PM, SZB 468, iForum, Dr. Loriene Roy., Spectrum Initiative Longitudinal Study. For further information please contact Dr. Randolph Bias, iForum Committee Chair via email or phone, 471-7046.

Tuesday, Feb 22, 5-6 PM SZB 556, Student Association meeting. All iSchool students are invited to attend the monthly meeting. We are going to be discussing the upcoming co-director elections, an announcement of the 1st annual iSchool week, Tea with the Dean, and many, many other topics.  We hope to see you all there and remember that every single iSchool student is a member of the student organization. As usual refereshments will be served! For more information please contact the student association Co-Directors, Angela, Cristen, Jacob, or Vanessa.

Wednesday, Feb 23, 9:30 AM-12:30 PM, Texas Union Ballroom, Graduate Student Financial Planning and Tax Workshop. What is tuition remission? Do I pay taxes on my scholarships/fellowships?? How can I save money for the future when I'm still paying off student loans??? How can I use "Higher Education Tax Credits"???? If you have contemplated some of these questions then this workshop is for you! Please register (Registration is not required for attendance but would be appreciated.) For more information please contact Tina Woods.

Thursday, Feb 24, 12:15-12:45 PM
Friday, Feb 25, 12-12:30 PM, SZB 464, Dr. David Gracy, Public Speaking Workshop. Dr. Gracy wrote, "Public speaking is, at base, an effort to persuade, not simply to pass along information.  To provide insight into the techniques of good presentations, particularly using PowerPoint to enliven and illustrate, not simply supplement, oral presentations, we are offering a brief workshop designed specifically for those scheduled to make capstone presentations this spring.  Each of the four workshops is identical.  Come to as many as you want, but don't fail to take advantage of at least one of these opportunities to pick up techniques for turning a poor, even a competent, presentation into a compelling one. Lee Lacy agreed, "Personally, I plan to attend at least one. Not going to at least one would be like an actor turning down free consultations with Sir Laurence Olivier." For more information please contact Lee Lacy, Capstone Coordinator, via email or phone, 471-0170.

Thursday, Feb 24, 4-6 PM, SZB 556, Kilgaren Center Forum. For more information, please contact Ellen Cunningham-Kruppa, Director, The Kilgarlin Center for Preservation of the Cultural Record.

Thursday, Feb 24, 5-7 PM, Double Dave's, SLA Happy Hour. Join the SLA student chapter for happy hour! The place, Double Dave's is at 3000 Duval. It will be atime to hang out, as well as learn a bit about SLA if you have any questions, and you may bring suggestions for any activities you may like to see! See y'all next week! For more information please contact Emily Satterwhite, UT SLA Chapter President.

Thursday, Feb 24, 6:30 - 8 PM, SZB 556, Grounded Theory Discussion Group. For more information please contact Don Drumtra.

Friday, Feb 25, 2005, Contributed posters/short papers due
Thursday, March 31, 2005, Authors/proposers notified of acceptance due
Friday, May 27, 2005, Final versions due for conference proceedings due
Friday-Wednesday, Oct 28-Nov2, Charlotte NC, ASIST Annual Meeting, Bringing Research and Practice Together. ASIST 2005 will focus on the diversity of perspectives and insights from all those participating in the information science and technology community, as they generate innovative ideas, define theoretical concepts or work out the nuts and bolts of implementing well-tested ideas in new ways and in new settings.  A wide variety of plenary and invited speakers, moderated panels, poster sessions and refereed papers will explore this theme. Submissions by researchers and practitioners on any topic in information science and technology are solicited. Deadlines are provided above. Individuals, ASIST special interest groups (SIG's), or institutions may make any type of submission. Proposers are welcomed from any academic, nonprofit, corporate, or government area in any part of the world. Proposers need not be members of ASIST. ASIST SIG chairs are encouraged to help coordinate proposals from their members. All submissions are made electronically via a link from the ASIST submission Webpage. For more information please visit the conference Website or contact Richard Hill via email or phone, 301-495-0900.

Friday, Fed 25, 1-4 PM, UTC 4.102, OGS, Workshop on Thesis and Professional Report Writing. The office of Graduate Studies is offering this Professional Development Workshop for all graduate students and interested faculty and staff. Please complete the registration form. For further information, please visit the workshop Website.

Friday, Feb 25, 5-7 PM, Scholz Garten, Student, Faculty , Staff , Friends, and Family Happy hour. Come when you can and leave when you want. When it is cool we are inside where it is crowded and noisy. When it is warm we are outside in the garden where it is more comfortable. Scholz Garten is located two blocks from campus at 1607 San Jacinto Boulevard For more information please contact the student association Co-Directors, Angela, Cristen, Jacob, or Vanessa.

Saturday, Feb 26, 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM, UT Law School, Faculty, People's Law School. This is a free annual program designed to educate the community about common legal issues. Organized by the Travis County Bar Association, this half-day seminar offers more than 40 classes in topics such as small business issues, identity theft, wills & estate planning, adoption, and more. Courses will be taught on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The classes are geared toward people who need general legal information. There will be two classes just for Spanish-speakers in Divorce Law and Employment Law. The event will also offer three new "hot topic" courses: Love Your Neighbor, Unmarried Partner Issues, and T.V. Trials. This event is free to the public and pre-registration is encouraged. There is a release on UT Law's home page. For more information, please see the event Website or contact Jodi Bart,Communications Coordinator, The University of Texas at Austin School of Law via email or phone, 471-7330.

Future Events - Mark Your Calendar

Room Change. Monday, February 28, 1:30-2:30 PM, SZB 464- Ph.D Student discussions with Jeremy Birnholtz, candidate for iSchool faculty. See additional information under the iForum item below. Please let Dr. Gracy know if you plan to attend.

Monday, February 28, SZB 468, 4:00-5:30 PM, iForum, Jeremy Birnholtz. Jeremy is a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Michigan, School of information. He is a perspective member of our faculty. For more information, please see his Webpage or contact Dr. Gracy.

Monday, Feb 28, SZB464, 6-7 PM, Christine McNew, presenting an update about the new Texas School Library Standards. This is the version that will be proposed to the TSLAC Commissioners at their February meeting and is available at their Website . The timing is excellent since the Standards will be posted for a 30-day comment period in the Texas Register in March. Christine will be looking for our opinions.  This will probably be the last chance to make changes for several years. Christine is a TSLAC Youth Consultant. For further information and if you would like to attend, please contact Dr. Immrothso she can plan enough handouts for everyone.

Monday, Feb 28, 8-9:30 PM, Bates, Choral Arts Society, Quintessentially French. Dr. James Morrow directs the UT Choral Arts Society in Gabriel Fauré, Requiem, Louis Vierne, Messe Solennelle, and César Franck, Psalm 150. Featuring Judith and Gerre Hancock will be at the organ. Admission is $16.00 for the general public, $13.00 for faculty/staff, and $10.00 for students. Tickets are available at the door. For more information, please visit the Music Department Events Calendar, call the music events hotline, 471-5401, contact School of Music Information by email or phone, 471-0806 or contact Dr. James Morrow via email or phone., 471-0806.

Tuesday, March 1, 3:30-5 PM, SZB 468, iForum, Dr. Oliver Chen, Construction of a Digital Video ibrary: A Socio-Technical Pilot Study on College Students' Attitudes. This study investigates socio-technical aspects of digital video libraries based on college students' learning experiences and perspectives. 41 students in biology classes were studied through a survey and individual interviews. Findings are presented by the students' knowledge of computer technology, experiences with AV materials, and expectations of online AV materials. For further information please contact Dr. Randolph Bias, iForum Committee Chair, via email or phone, 471-7046.

Tuesday, March 1, 6:30-9 PM, 6th and Lamar, Whole Foods party. The "Whole Block Party Sneak Preview Event" will feature amazing food and entertainment, as well as an opportunity to mingle with KUT staff and Music hosts. Michael Crockett, host of KUT's Horizontes will MC the evening! Kick off the evening with live music by Ray Wylie Hubbard while you sample your way through a whole new world of flavors . Then you can relax and enjoy more live music on the rooftop plaza with Grupo Fantasma! Price: $25 per person donation benefiting KUT Radio. For more information or ticket purchase, go online or make reservations by calling (866) 222-4781 by Friday, Feb. 25. Your donation includes two drink tickets for beer or wine. Non-alcoholic beverages also will be served.  No food purches--Guests will have to wait to make purchases during Whole Foods Market® grand opening at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 3.

Wednesday, March 2, 4-5:30 PM, SZB 556, Nicholette Schneider, Alumni Speaker Series. Nicolette is a 2003 UT MLIS graduate and Reference and Access Services Librarian in the Special Collections Research Center of the Syracuse University Library. The Alumni Speakers Series brings graduates of our program back to campus to share their career experiences with students. Their stories provide valuable information about the job market, regardless of their own individual positions. As part of their talks, they will discuss their current position and how they chose their career, how they prepared for it with work experience and coursework, how they conducted their job searches, and what was successful for them. They will also talk about the current job market, what they consider important for graduates to know about job search today, and what they look for when they hire new employees, from skills that are important to how they view resumes and conduct interviews. For more information please contact Ron Pollock, Director of Career Services, via email or phone, 471-2623.

Thursday, March 3, 7:45 AM - 5 PM, MCC, David O. Stephens, Bridging the Gap. At the ARMA Austin Spring Conference, David Stephins will present: RM and IT: A Strategic Partnership for Success in Electronic Records and Management and Enterprise Strategies for Electronic Records Retention. The Strategic Partnership presentation will address relationships between the records management discipline and what is arguably its most important stakeholder -- information technology or IT. The presentation will examine how the relationship between these two groups has changed and evolved over the years, and where it is today. Next, the attendees will be provided with a detailed discussion concerning why IT needs records management, and how the two groups can work together to bring better management to both physical and electronic records throughout the enterprise.
Enterprise Strategies for Electronic Records Retention. The Electronic Records presentation is about transitioning records retention programs from ones built around physical records to those that address electronic records in various forms and formats. The presentation is designed to provide the attendees with what they need to know to develop and implement electronic records retention in two main computing environments: the desktop and IT-managed system applications. The overall objective is to reposition records retention such that most if not all electronic records systems and applications can be retention-capable / compliant within three to five years. The following specific topics will be addressed:
• Electronic Records Retention as a Data Life Cycle Management Strategy
• Building the Business Case for Electronic Records Retention
• Scheduling Electronic Records for Retention: Ten Basic Principles
• Working with IT Specialists on Enterprise Data Retention Projects
• Electronic Records Retention at the Desktop Level
• Electronic Records Retention and Legacy Data Systems

MCC is located at 3925 West Braker Lane, which is on the southwest corner of MoPac (Loop 1) and Braker Lane. Please park in the designated visitor's parking lot on the south side (front) of the building. You should see a roundabout (circular driveway) in front between the parking lot and the building. Disabled spaces are in the southwest corner of the visitor lot. Registration fee is: $135 for ARMA members, $150 for non-members, and $35 for Students. For registration forms, the speaker's bio and other information , please visit the conference Website or contact Alicia Mallory by email or phone at 499-4210.

Thursday, March 3, 5-7 PM, UT ASIST Happy Hour. For further information please visit the UT ASIST Website or blog or contact Valerie Gomez De La Tora.

Thursday, March 3, 6:30 - 8:30 PM, UT Club, Texas Exes Business Network, Hector DeLeon and Jim Boon, State of the Texas Exes. TEBN welcomes Two Outstanding Texas Exes Leaders, Hector DeLeon, President, Texas Exes; Founder, and Managing Partner, DeLeon, Boggins & Icenogle, P.C. and Jim Boon, Executive Director, Texas Exes. They will form a panel to focus on where the Texas Exes as an organization is at the present and where it is that the organization is headed. The two Texas Exes leaders will also provide answers to questions from the audience. re-pay discounts for registrations prior to Noon on February 28 are $12 for Texas Exes members and $15 for non-members; registrations after then or at the door are $15 and $18 respectively. For more information please visit the event Website or contact Walt Esquivel.

Friday-Saturday, March 4-5, Dallas, Federal Reserve Bank, SLA Texas Chapter spring professional development training event this hosted by the Research Staff of the Federal Reserve Bank.  Our notable speakers include Dr. Jerry Miller of the Competitive Intelligence Center of Simmons College, Ms. Pat Wagner of Pattern Research in Denver and Ms. Tina Bryne of Factiva.  There will be giveaways and generous sponsorships from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, 10K Wizard, Factiva, Lexis/Nexis and Global Securities Information, Inc.  Network with your colleagues and enjoy gourmet appetizers and refreshments at the Belo Mansion on Friday evening, courtesy of Factiva. Plan to enter the drawings for 10K Wizard subscriptions to benefit your information services.
Continental breakfast and lunch both days will be provided by the Federal Reserve Bank.  The startup time is 10AM on Friday to allow folks time to fly or drive in that day. Registration is $25 for members and $10 for students. Complete the registration form and send your check to Bob Ruliffson, Treasurer in Austin. Additional information is provided in the schedule.  For more information, please contact Judy Johnson, via email or phone. 210-458-2757.

Friday, March 4, 1-4 PM, UTC 2.112A, OGS, Workshop on Dissertation Writing. The office of Graduate Studies is offering this Professional Development Workshop for all graduate students and interested faculty and staff. This workshop will introduce doctoral students to many of the issues and problems encountered in the process of "doing a dissertation." It will focus on strategies for undertaking and completing a dissertation, as well as tips for students in particular disciplines. To attend, please complete the registration form. For further information, please visit the workshop Website.

Friday, March 4, 8-10 PM, St Matthew's,
Saturday, March 5, 8-10 PM, Northwest Hills, UMC,
Texas Choral Consort, The Late Masses: Haydn's Mastery, Handel's Influence. This is the 2005 Midwinter Austin Choral Symposium. This choral
performance features two great sacred works by Franz Joseph Haydn, his Heilig Mass of 1796 and Nelson Mass of 1798, the first and third of six great Masses composed at the request of Prince Nikolaus II to celebrate the nameday of the Prince's wife, Princess Maria Hermenegild.  Conducted by Barry Scott Williamson and accompanied by the Symposium Orchestra. St. Matthew's Episcopal Church is at 8134 Mesa Drive, at the corner of Steck Avenue & Mesa Drive. Northwest Hills United Methodist Church is at 7050 Village Center Drive, just south of the intersection of Far West Blvd. & Hart Lane. Tickets purchased in advance are $13 for adults, $10 for seniors (62+) and students; tickets purchased at the door are $15 for adults, and $12 for seniors (62+) and students; children 9 and under may attend free.  Tickets are available online at www.txconsort.org, from any chorus member, by calling 445-6151, or by emailing tickets@txconsort.org.

Saturday, March 5, 11 AM-5 PM, Explore UT. Texans of all ages are invited to EXPLORE UT, "the biggest open house in Texas." You're encouraged to attend, volunteer to help, and invite friends and family to enjoy 300+ free events. These and more adventures await you:

...design a childhood fort
...brush up on elephant toothpaste
...picture 40 years of Presidential journalism
...travel through Hogwart's history
...master Maríachi vocals and instruments
...craft a film without a camera
...aprendan de la vida de Frida Kahlo (en español)
...build a robotic hand
...break into a session on Watergate
...ponder the mysteries of the herbal jungle
...make Texas-size prints with a steamroller
...witness a mock trial of Gold E. Locks
...roam through university residence halls
...tower above Austin at 300 feet
...star in the Explore UT grand finale!

Also included are informational sessions on the cause and aftermath of the recent earthquake and tsunami. To access the complete schedule or sign up as a volunteer, please visit The event Website.

Sunday, March 6, 3-5 PM, Bates, Bradley Welch, Great Organ Series Concert. Bradley is the organist at the Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas and the 2003 winner, of the Dallas International Organ Competition. Admission is $14.00 for the general public and $10.00 for students. Tickets are available at the door. For more information, please visit the Music Department Events Calendar, call the music events hotline, 471-5401, or contact School of Music Information by email or phone, 471-0806.

Tuesday, March 8, 8-10 PM, Bates, Special Concert. James Morrow, UT Director of Choral Activities invites us to attend a very special concert in Bates Recital Hall on Tuesday, March 8 at 8p. The concert concludes an important symposium here at UT and features music by the leading Brazilian composer of his generation José Maurício Nunes Garcia, including a concert overture and his Missa de Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Mass for Our Lady of the Conception). The performance will feature the UT Chamber Singers under my direction with soloists and orchestra. I hope you will join us in experiencing this wonderful, classical repertoire from Brazil. For more information, Please contact Contact: Claudia M. Scarborough, by email or phone,232-2409.

Wednesday, March 9, 4-5:30 PM, SZB 556, A.J. Johnson and Liane Luckman, Alumni Speaker Series. A.J. is a UT MLIS 2001 graduate and Reference and Access Services Librarian in the Special Collections Research Center of the Syracuse University Library. Liane is a UT MLIS 2001 graduate and Reference Coordinator at the Scarborough-Phillips Library at St. Edward's University. A.J. and Liane will discuss the differences in working in large academic library systems (UT) and smaller academic libraries (St. Edwards). The Alumni Speakers Series brings graduates of our program back to campus to share their career experiences with students. Their stories provide valuable information about the job market, regardless of their own individual positions. As part of their talks, they will discuss their current position and how they chose their career, how they prepared for it with work experience and coursework, how they conducted their job searches, and what was successful for them. They will also talk about the current job market, what they consider important for graduates to know about job search today, and what they look for when they hire new employees, from skills that are important to how they view resumes and conduct interviews. For more information please contact Ron Pollock, Director of Career Services, via email or phone, 471-2623.

Monday-Saturday, March 14-19, Spring Break.

Tuesday, March 22, 3:30-5 PM, SZB 468, iForum, Dr. Miles Efron. For further information please contact Dr. Randolph Bias, iForum Committee Chair via email or phone, 471-7046.

Monday, March 28, 8-9:30 PM, Bates, Kevin Noe, UT Symphony Orchestra. Admission is $7.00. Tickets are available at the door. For more information, please visit the Music Department Events Calendar, call the music events hotline, 471-5401, or contact School of Music Information by email or phone, 471-0806.

Tuesday-Friday, April 5-8, All day, Texas Library Association (TLA) Conference.For the first time in almost 40 years , librarians, library supporters, and vendors will gather in Austin for the annual TLA conference.  We've  assembled a conference experience like none other. National broadcaster and political commentator Cokie Roberts , chicana narrative artist Carmen Lomas Garza , MAD Magazine editor Joe Raiola , author Barbara Taylor Bradford , and (how cool is this!) actor and producer Henry Winkler are featured speakers. For registration, volunteering, and further information, Please visit the Conference Website.

Wednesday, March 9, 4-5:30 PM, SZB 556, Ruth Wolfish and Rachel Berrington, Alumni Speaker Series. Ruth is a UT MLIS 1977 graduate and the Eastern U.S.  Customer Relations Manager for IEEE. She has had previous experience with Lucent Technologies and Bell Labs, and is the incoming president of the New Jersey Chapter of SLA. Rachel graduated from the University of Arizona, is the Western U.S. Customer Relations Manager for IEEE, and was the former president of the Oregon Chapter of SLA. The Alumni Speakers Series brings graduates of our program back to campus to share their career experiences with students. Their stories provide valuable information about the job market, regardless of their own individual positions. As part of their talks, they will discuss their current position and how they chose their career, how they prepared for it with work experience and coursework, how they conducted their job searches, and what was successful for them. They will also talk about the current job market, what they consider important for graduates to know about job search today, and what they look for when they hire new employees, from skills that are important to how they view resumes and conduct interviews. For more information please contact Ron Pollock, Director of Career Services, via email or phone, 471-2623.

Thursday-Friday, March 31-April 1, Pickle Conf Ctr, Electronic Records Forum.

Tuesday, April 19, 3:30-5 PM, SZB 468, iForum, presenter and topic to be announced. For further information please contact Dr. Randolph Bias, iForum Committee Chair, via email or phone, 471-7046.

Wednesday, April 20, 5:30-6:30 PM, LBJ Library, 2005 Celebration of Volunteerism. The Volunteer and Service Learning Center and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library proudly present the 2005 Celebration of Volunteerism and Service learning with reception immediately following. This annual event recognizes the dedicated students, faculty, staff and UT organizations who have made significant contributions to the Austin and Central Texas communities through their work as volunteers and leaders. 
Honored speakers and guests will include: Stephanie Hamm of First Tee of Greater Austin, UT President Larry Faulkner, Vice President for Student Affairs James W. Vick and Dr. Betty Flowers, Director of the LBJ Library. We invite you to take part in this annual event by nominating yourself, a colleague, students or student organizations as well as faculty or staff organizations. For more information please contact Yvonne Fuentes, Volunteer Recognition Ceremony Chair, via email or phone, 471- 6161.

Monday, April 25, 8:-9:30 PM, Bates, Kevin Noe, UT Symphony Orchestra. Admission is $7.00. Tickets are available at the door. For more information, please visit the Music Department Events Calendar, call the music events hotline, 471-5401, or contact School of Music Information by email or phone, 471-0806.

Tuesday,April 26, 3:30-5 PM, SZB 468, iForum, Dr. Lynn Westbrook, topic to be announced. For further information please contact Dr. Randolph Bias, iForum Committee Chair, via email or phone, 471-7046.

Monday, May 2, 8-10 PM, Bates, Combined Concert, Classical Perfection. Mozart Mass in C Minor, (The Great) and Beethoven Choral Fantasy. Dr. James Morrow conducts the UT Choral Arts Society, UT Chamber Singers,and the UT Symphony Orchestra in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mass in C Minor, K. 427 (The Great), and Ludwig van Beethoven, Choral Fantasy. Featuring Anton Nel, piano. Admission is $16.00 for the general public, $13.00 for faculty/staff, and $10.00 for students. Tickets are available on the web, by phone, 477-6060, at the UT PAC ticket office, at the Erwin Center, at HEB stores, and at the door. For more information, please visit the Music Department Events Calendar, call the music events hotline, 471-5401, contact School of Music Information by email or phone, 471-0806, or contact Dr. James Morrow via email or phone., 471-0806.

Friday, May 6, Last day of classes.

Saturday, May 21, 9-11AM, Bass, Graduate School Convocation for Masters Students. For more information please visit the Office of Graduate Studied Website and the UT 122nd Commencement Website.

Saturday, May 21, 11 AM - Noon, Alumni Center, Graduate School Reception for Masters Students. For more information please visit the Office of Graduate Studies Website.

Saturday, May 21, Noon-1PM, Bass, Graduate School Convocation for Doctoral Students. For more information please visit the Office of Graduate Studies Website. and the UT 122nd Commencement Website.

Saturday, May 21, 1-2 PM, Alumni Center, Graduate School Reception for Doctoral Students. For more information please visit the Office of Graduate Studies Website.

Saturday, May 21, 3-4 PM, UNB 2.228 (Texas Union Theater), iSchool Convocation.For more information please contact Melba Claymon by email or phone, 471-2185.

Saturday, May 21, 4-6 PM, UNB 3.502 (Santa Rita Room), iSchool Graduation Reception. For more information please contact Melba Claymon by email or phone, 471-2185.

Saturday, May 21, 7:00-10:30 PM, South Mall, UT Commencement. For more information please visit the UT 122nd Commencement Website.

Monday, May 30, Submission Due: Full papers and posters submission to be included in the Proceedings.
Wednesday, June 15, Submission Due: Abstracts of oral presentations (PowerPoint presentation and reports).
Saturday, July 30, Submission Due: Final version of full papers and posters due for conference proceedings.   

Call for papers for the Second International Conference on Knowledge Management--Nurturing Culture, Innovation, and Technology--Jointly organized by the Information and Knowledge Management Society ( i KMS) & The American Society for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) http://www.ickm2005.org . The second International Conference on Knowledge Management (ICKM2005) will be held at the ASIS&T Annual Meeting in the Westin Charlotte, North Carolina on October 27-28, 2005 . The conference will bring together academics, researchers, developers, practitioners, and users in the areas of knowledge management and information processing. It will serve as a platform for networking, exchange of research ideas, practical applications and best practices.  Authors are invited to submit original and unpublished work on all aspects of information and knowledge management. Specific topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

• Best Practices & Communities of Practice
• Communication and Organizational Culture
• Content Management & Digital Right Management
• Intellectual Capital & the Knowledge Economy
• Knowledge Commerce & Business Intelligence
• Knowledge Discovery (AI, Data Mining, Text & Web Mining)
• Knowledge Management Tools &Technologies
• Knowledge Management Education
• Knowledge Management in the Public Sector
• Knowledge Management Measurements
• Knowledge Management Strategies and Implementations
• Knowledge Organization (Meta Data, Taxonomies & Ontologies)
• Knowledge Management Processes
• Knowledge Sharing & Utilization
• Learning Organization & Organizational Learning

Submission Website: http://www.softconf.com/start/ICKM_ASIST2005/submit.html . For further information please contact Suliman Hawamdeh  or Michael Smith .

Tuesday-Sunday, August 16-21, New Orleans, SAA Annual Meeting. Please contact Dr. Gracy for more information.

Who We Are Webpage

The information on the Ph.D. student Webpage is slowly growing. Names of all current Ph.D. students have been added. Your other information is needed to complete it . Please send Don a jpeg photo, information to post, and a link to your Website whenever you can. What is this Webpage? Well, as we agreed in spring semester, 2002, we wanted to have a summary page with a list of all Ph.D. students and links to more detailed information on each of us. The summary page consist of a photo, name, academic interest, contact information, and links to other pages. A detail page repeats the summary information and provides, education, a brief biography, and specialization. Students information should be linked to each student's individual Website with their vita, resume, and any other information they may wish to provide. If there is interest, we can also add Ph.D. alumni to this list. There is an input form that might work with your browser. Otherwise you can copy and paste.

Professional Associations, Email Lists, and other Forums

Information on professional associations, student governance organizations, email lists and and other forums of interest to Information school Ph.D. students is provided through the Ph.D. Forums link on the left. Included is information on email lists, Blackboard, Websites and other forums.

Information School Forums

The school of information sponsors weekly or fortnightly iForums (or iFora) of interest to School of Information Students and Faculty. Scholars from across the campus and occasionally from other universities are invited to present their work at a forum. From time to time, Ph.D. students are also invited to present their work to the forum. Each individual forum will be listed in the above schedule when details are known.

In 2001 and 2002 , Ph.D. students organized the Ph.D. students organized a colloquia to share their work in a friendly environment. The last series we had was the Fall 2002 Ph.D. Colloquia Series. Such a series could be reestablished if there was an interest. If you are interested in leading such a series, please contact Don Drumtra for his experience on leading the 2002 Colloquia

Orientations

New students (and even old) might appreciate the following two Orientation Websites:

UT Graduate School: http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/orientation/
iSchool: http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/orientation/

Ph.D. Requirement Overview

Disclaimer. The following information is compiled from various sources and is current as of the time it was written and the documents available. It is not official UT, Graduate School, or School of Information policy. It is offered to help Ph.D. students gain an overview of Ph.D. requirements. Please refer to official sources for current information before taking irreversible action.

General. UT Graduate School requirements for award of the Ph.D. degree are listed in the UT Graduate Catalog. Detailed requirements for the School of Information are listed the provided on the Doctor of Philosophy Webpage. Lisa Kleinman provided an unofficial summary of the requirements to the participants in the Fall 2004 Ph.D. Orientation.

Milestones. Program milestones consist of development and approval of a Program of Study, satisfactory completion of course work and a comprehensive doctoral examination including written, oral, and research components, presentation and approval of credentials to Graduate School (including a separate Program of Work), approval of a dissertation proposal, research and completion of a dissertation culminating in a final examination consisting of defense of the the dissertation and final presentation approval of the student's credentials to the Graduate School. Administrative progress through most of these milestones is described in the Checklist for the Doctoral Program (1993). Annual reviews are submitted to the students Advising Committee so that the committee may evaluate the student's progress. The student's Supervising Committee monitors the student's progress after the student reaches candidacy.

Graduate Studies Committee. Within the School of Information, the Graduate Studies Committee or GSC approves the students Program of Study and Annual review.

Doctoral Program of Study. The content of the Program of Study is provided in the Guidelines for Development of the Doctoral Program of Study (ca. 1993). Lisa Kleinman and Don Drumtra have posted examples of their approved programs on their Websites.

Annual Review. Required content of the Annual Reviews is provided in the Annual Review of GSLIS Doctoral Students (2002) and the Annual Review of Ph.D. Students (draft, 2003). Lisa Kleinman and Don Drumtra have posted examples of their approved Annual Reviews on their Websites.

Qualifying Procedures. In order to qualify to apply for candidacy, the iSchool requires a written exam and oral defense (often called the comprehensive exam or "comps") and a research paper accepted by the student's committee. This committee (perhaps, it could be called the Examination Committee) ordinarily consists of three members of the iSchool faculty and one outside member. The three iSchool members could be your Advising Committee, potential members of your Supervising Committee, or any other three members who agree to serve.

Application for Candidacy. On June 1, 2004 the UT Office of Graduate Studies automated the application for candidacy and placed it online. Instructions for completion of and a link to the actual online form is provided in the application Webpage. Other candidacy requirements are also provided on that page including the requirement for the Program of Work.

Program of Work. The Program of Work is a document submitted to the Graduate School upon application for candidacy. It is discussed under "Certification of Academic Credentials" on the Application for Doctoral Candidacy Webpage. It is the "list of courses taken toward the doctoral degree." Additional details about courses included in the Program of work are provided in the Graduate Catalog.

Dissertation. Requirements for the content of your dissertation are developed between you and your Supervising Committee and the Graduate School sets guidelines for format. There are two format guidelines are provided by the Graduate School (Office of Graduate Studies or OGS), print guidelines and electronic submission guidelines. Even though you must submit your dissertation electronically, you would do well to meet both guidelines because someone might very well want to print your dissertation in the future. An a point of interest, the final authority on both the content and format of your dissertation is your Supervisory Committee--not the folks in the Office of Graduate Studies. However, the OGS folks can make life really difficult for you if you do not listen to them.

Dr. Harmon and eleven other UT advisors have published dissertation tips for doctoral students.  It is posted on the UT Intellectual Entrepreneurship, Dissertation List-Serve and Resources Webpage. The Webpage also contains a dissertation writing bibliography, reflections of former graduate deans on dissertation completion, advice from UT alumni, and numerous other useful items for Ph.D. students.

Final Oral Exam (Defense of Dissertation. A satisfactory final oral examination is required for the approval of a dissertation. The Office of Graduate Studies publishes the time and place of this examination. The exam is open to all members of the University community and the public, unless attendance is restricted by the Graduate Studies Committee. Information is available in the Graduate Catalog and an application form are available from the Office of Graduate Studies.

Application for Graduation. There are lots of forms for graduation listed by the Office of Graduate Studies. You would be well advised to visit the office of Graduate Studies well before the deadlines to be sure you have the latest information and do not forget an essential form the absence of which might hold up your graduation.

Graduation. After all that work you won't want to miss the graduation celebration and fireworks at the end of the spring semester. UT introduced a new doctoral robe in 2001, which will be first available for graduating students in May, 2005. You can be one of the first scholars to wear one.

Additional Sources. The University of Texas and the UT Office of Graduate Studies provide the latest information on degree and administrative requirements requirements in three publications:

• The University of Texas at Austin, Handbook or Operating Procedures. The HOP provides basic policy and procedures on how the University of Texas at Austin operates. Probably of most interest would be "Chapter 1, Faculty Governance, Section II, The Graduate School" dealing with what the Graduate School and the Graduate Studies Committees do.
• The Graduate Catalog. This publication provides more update information than the HOP but not as much as the Policy Manual below. "Chapter 3. Degree Requirements" is probably the most interesting, but there are items of interest in other sections as well.
• Graduate School Policy Manual. This manual supplements the HOP and Graduate providing details on OGS administrative procedures not adequately covered in the two publications.
  
• In addition The University of Texas at Austin, Revised Handbook of Operating Procedures and the Original Policy Memoranda may provide curious details that could impact Ph.D. programs. Also, for anyone really interested, Texas Law and UT System Regent's Rules and Regulations provide the underlying basis for the UT Austin HOP and other rules impacting Ph.D. students. "Part one, Chapter5, Graduate Education in the University of Texas System" is the section that is probably of most interest to Ph.D. students, but other sections are not without interest.

Research Methods and Other Graduate Courses

The iSchool PhD Methods Courses Webpage lists many research methods courses available in the university that may be suitable for meeting the iSchool Ph.D. research methods requirements listed on the iSchool Doctor of Philosophy Webpage. Lisa Kleinman has written an excellent summary that should be of particular interest. She describes her summary as follows, "yo, in case (like me) you were overwhelmed by the number of research methods courses that seemed available at UT, but were suspiciously vague in terms of description -- here is a list that I've compiled with/ course names & descriptions. the doctoral studies committee & your own advisor may be able to make further recommendations as to which would be specifically appropriate for you" (2003 Dec. 15, personal communications). Doctoral Committee recommendations will be posted on this Website as soon as they become available.

Research Methods in Information Systems, MIS 381N.26. Earlier, Lisa provided us this information on a this course. "The Information Systems department in the Business School is interested in having more iSchool folk taking their courses. In particular, Ph.D. students may want to consider taking “Research Methods in Information Systems” taught by Salina Circus. I took this class last year, and it provides an excellent survey of the multitude of different research methods (both qualitative and quantitative) as applied to understanding the effects of information technology. Alina is very flexible about the core focus areas, so if a whole bunch of people want to “study X”, she'll find a way to incorporate it. If you’re a Masters student, you can take this course if you’re interested in subjecting yourself to reading a ga-zillion journal articles from the latest sexy issues of MIS Quarterly... which ain’t the “Miss Quarterly” that I was hoping for, let me tell you... The course is offered in spring 2004" (personal communications). Information provided by Lisa Kleinman. For more information about the course see the Course Webpage or contact Dr. Chircu" (2003 Oct. 31, personal communications).

Statistics Website. The Website, www.statpages.net, provides about 600 links and about 380 statistical calculators. It is now owned by AOL. Recently AOL has begun restricting its content to AOL members, so please let me know if this Website becomes inaccessible.

Graduate School Courses provide a unique opportunity for School of Information Ph.D. students because they provide a multidisciplinary atmosphere of learning. Students from across the campus attend these courses and share experiences and viewpoints form their own departments. Two courses of major interest to our programs are:

Academic and Professional Writing, GRS 390W, normally offered in the fall semester. This course meets the Ph.D. program writing requirement.

Advanced College Teaching Methods, GRS 390T, normally offered in the spring semester. This course, with your advisor's and teaching supervisor's permissions, can be used to meet the academic requirement for Supervised Teaching in Library and Information Science, LIS 398T. UT requires students to take department Supervised Teaching in order to become Assistant Instructors (AIs).

Dissertation Courses and Other Information. In January or February of each year the Graduate School has a workshop on dissertations. The Graduate School Website also provide formats for dissertations, information on how to prepare digital dissertations, and various forms you will need for graduation.

Check to Be Sure. Please do not forget however, that not all of the courses listed will be satisfactory to meet any particularly student's Ph.D. program requirements. "Since advancement to candidacy is contingent on faculty approval of a course of work, the student should consult regularly with their committee on matters of course selection" (School of Information, undated, Academic Programs, Ph.D.).

Information on Qualitative Research Methods. In September 2004, Dr. Davis loaned a copy of the three-volume Sage Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods (2004) to the lab for our use. It not only provides excellent summaries of lots of issues and topics related to research methodology, but it provides reference sources under each topic to allow further exploration. A copy is also available is also at the PCL reference desk.

Content Manager: Don Drumtra 2005 February 23