Ph.D. Student News

Welcome to the Ph.D. News Website. This Website contains items of interest to iSchool Ph.D. students at University of Texas at Austin. The home page "Announcements," "Activities for this Week," and "Future Events" are normally updated each Sunday. Additions and changes to the current week as well as special announcements are noted in red (or other appropriate color) . Significant future calendar events are posted as they are received and time permits. Suggested additions, corrections, and other comments are always appreciated. Email me or grab me in room SZB 463 or in the hall.

iSchool Event. Tuesday. March 28, 3:30-5 PM, iForum, Frank Shipman, Designing Systems to Support Document Triage. Document triage is the activity of rapidly evaluating documents for later access and use, such as selecting documents from search results during a literature review. Document triage involves a combination of reading / skimming, collecting and organizing documents. As such, multiple applications are involved in the triage activity: access tools for document repositories, document reading and viewing applications, and document collecting and organizing applications. This presentation will discuss a series of system development and evaluation efforts during our investigation into how to better support document triage. Dr. Shipman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Digital Libraries Texas A&M University. If you are frustrated by the complexity of using automated tools to gather and manage research materials (or if you dream of doing something about it; or if you are interested in user-centered system development), by all means put another iForum on your calendar. For more information, please contact Dr. Galloway.

UT Event. Tuesday, March 28, 6-8 PM, ACE2.302, Avaya Auditorium, George Cham, The Power of Procrastination. Dr. Cham brings his winter tour to Austin! For all Graduate Students - the semester is heating up, your "to-do" list is getting longer by the day and your stress level is at an all-time high. It's time to give yourself a break and attend a not-so-serious lecture about the serious business of being a graduate student by Dr. Jorge Cham, author of "Piled Higher and Deeper (PHD)", a grad student comic strip. Often called the "Dilbert" of academia, PHD Lucida Grande has appeared in numerous university and college newspapers worldwide, and is published online where it receives over 2.7 million page views a month. Two collections of the strips have been published. "Piled Higher and Deeper: A Graduate Student Comic Strip Collection" (ISBN 0-9721695-0-4) was first published in June 2002, and collects the first five years of the strip. "Life is tough and then you graduate: The second Piled Higher and Deeper Comic Strip Collection" (ISBN 0-9721695-2-0) was published in April 2005, and collects the sixth, seventh and eighth years of the strip. Both books have a 5-star rating on Amazon.com. We hope you'll mark your calendar for Tuesday, March 28, 6:00 p.m. to attend this most enjoyable event! The lecture is sponsored by the Professional Development & Community Engagement Program in the Office of Graduate Studies. For more information please visit the workshops Website or contact Gwendolyn Barton.

UT Event. Wednesday, March 29, 9-11 AM, Sid Richardson Hall, Nonprofit and Public Sector Career Fair. In addition to the four public libraries that will be present, over 40 other nonprofits and public sector (city, state, federal government) employers will be present. You can seriously look for a job, or you can discuss the kinds of opportunities that may exist with an organization so you can plan for the future. A list of employers, etc., is available at the Nonprofit & Public Sector Career Fair Website: http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/nonprofit/ . Sid Richardson Hall is next to the LBJ Library and the fair is on the lower level of the hall. For more information, please contact Ron Pollock, via email or phone, 471-2623

UT Event Friday March 30, 10 AM - 2 PM, West Mall Cesar Chavez Day Celebration. Brought to you by the Texas Union Student Events Center Mexican American Culture Committee, this day is designed to commemorates the lifetime accomplishments of one of the greatest men in history, Cesar Chavez. Cesar Chavez was the leader of the most progressive Latino organization in history, the Nation Farmworkers Association or NFWA and fought hard for the rights of farmworkers and laborers throughout the United States. Using non-violent techniques like boycotts and hunger strikes, he brought nation attention to "La Causa" or the cause of the farmworkers which were better wages and working conditions for the workers who were mostly Latino. The event kicks off at 10AM with a commemorative march from the Martin Luther King statue in East Mall to the West Mall, the future site of the Cesar Chavez statue which is to be unveiled in 2007. At 11:30AM local salsa band, Bailengua, will take the stage for a one hour set. Bailengua is then followed by a speech from Jim Harrington who actually work with Cesar Chavez in the 1970's. Los Vendidos, a play, will then be performed on the steps of the West Mall and is capped off by poetry reading. Their will be free food and education about Cesar Chavez and the Chicano Movement at the event. This event is open and free to all UT students and is sponsored by the Texas Union Student Events Center Mexican American Culture Committee (MACC). MACC is a student organization that is funded primarily by the Texas Union Fee paid by all students. For more information please visit the event Website or call 475-6630.

iSchool Event. Thursday, March 30, SZB 556, Trish Brewer, The Nature of Forgeries: Iron Gall Ink and Paper Aging in Relation to Forged Historical Documents--an Independent Study . Trish is a 2nd Year Conservation student. This is a Kilgaren Center Forum event. For more information, please visit the events Website or contact, Ellen Cunningham-Kruppa, center Director, by email or phone, 471-8287.

UT SAA Event. Friday, March 31, Noon-1 PM, SZB 468, SAA Meeting. Curriculum Forum. Now that the core requirements have changed, the structure of the courses related to archival enterprise will have to change as well. Dr. Gracy and Dr. Galloway would like to take this opportunity to hear from the students on this issue. What are your concerns and what shape you would like the archival curriculum to take? This meeting will specifically address the organization requirement and Organization of Records Information vs. Organizing and Providing Access to Information. Bring your lunch and offer your opinions. We'll provide dessert! Hope to see you there! For more information please contact Sarah Quigley , UT SAA President.

UT Event. Friday March 31, 2-6 PM, Gregory Gym Pool, Splash Bash. RecSports invites everyone to join us for Splash Bash a Texas-size celebration highlighting the completion of the Gregory Gym Aquatic Complex. The event will feature food, activities, music and a dive-in movie. This is the facility requested by us and paid for through increased student fees. Children are welcome beginning at 5 PM, when Children’s Hours begin. For more information please visit the UT RecSports Website or contact Rhonda Cox, RecSports, via email or phone 471-6370.

UT SLA Event. Friday, March 31, 3-5 PM, 5800 Airport Blvd., Hoover's SLA Tour. Please join the UT Special Library Association on Friday, March 31 on a tour of Hoover's, a local business research firm. As a company, Hoover's specializes in creating and maintaining data about 12 million companies, especially the top 40,000 businesses. They employ 80 professional researchers to maintain and disseminate this information online and in print. Anyone interested in special or corporate librarianship, or who is interested in any kind of professional researching, will get a lot out of visiting Hoover's. Also, because this tour is Friday at 3:00, a HAPPY HOUR afterwards is a distinct and likely possibility. Hoovers is located at 5800 Airport Blvd., Austin, 78752, off of Airport on the west side of Highland Mall. If you are coming north from campus, Take 35 North, Exit Airport Blvd., Turn left on Airport Blvd., and continue on Airport all the way to Hoover's, Inc. You'll go thru the 2222/Koenig/290 light and Hoover's will be on your left. For more information please contact Heather Coleman or John Reid, UT-SLA Co-directors.

UT Event. Saturday, April 1, 7:30-11 AM, East Mall Circle, 5K Running of the Horns. This is the annual running event to kick off the 40 Acre Fest festival. For more information, please contact the Volunteer Service and Learning Center via email or phone, 471-6161

UT Event. Saturday, April 1, Noon - 5 PM, South and East Malls, 40 Acre Fest. Over the past 12 years Forty Acres Fest (FAF) has grown to become one of the largest student-run events held on campus. From famous headliners to the fun and games, there have been some great moments in the FAF's history. It has taken a lot of hard work and dedication from the students and the sponsors to bring Forty Acres Fest where it is today. Come visit anytime during the afternoon, listen to the bands, and visit the booths. For more information, please visit the event Website or contact the event co-chairs Ana Arredondo, or Eric Le.

SASI-NLW Events. Saturday-Saturday, April 1-8, SASI, National Library Week Celebration. Coinciding with National Library Week (April 2-8), the iSchool Student Organization (SASI) presents a week of events to promote social, academic and professional development in the iSchool community. For more information please visit the SASI Website or contact any of the SASI Co-Directors.:

SASI-NLW Event. Saturday, April 1, 2-4 PM, CDL, Fourth Annual Austin Edible Book Festival. Book artists created the Edible Book Fest in 1999. The concept behind the Edible Book Fest is to create books out of edible materials in clever and fun ways. This year we invite anybody interested to make their own edible books for the fest, come see what others have made and then have the chance to buy what catches your fancy. Visitors and participants can vote on the books based on a few categories: Most Creative, Wittiest, Tastiest, and Most Inedible. Winners receive prizes from local sponsors such as Book People, Waterloo Records, etc. There is also the opportunity to buy cool T-shirts for only $10! If you are entering a book, please bring it by 1:45 pm on the 1st. For further information and great book ideas, please check out the event Website or contact. Melissa .

Sunday, April 2, 2 AM CST -3 AM CDT. You just lost an hour of sleep. Set your clock an hour ahead for Daylight Savings Time.

UTAIS&T Event. Sunday, April 2, 3-4:30 PM, Nuevo Leon, UTAIS&T Peer Advising. It’s almost time for registration again! That means it is also time for UTASIS&T’s Peer Advising. We will meet to discuss courses and professors. (So, sorry professors, you can’t come.) All students are welcome. If this is your first semester, you can find out lots from your fellow students. If it is your last semester, please take this opportunity to come share your experiences before you graduate. It will also be a great time to chat with old friends, make some new ones and eat some tasty Mexican food. Nuevo Leon is at 1501 E 6th St. For more information please visit the UT ASIS&T Website or contact Erika Moore.

SASI-NLW Event. Monday, April 3, Noon - 1:30 PM, SZB fourth floor, Student Association fund raiser. Purshase yuour very own School of Information shirt ($11-13) and mug ($8).

GPSAW Events. Monday-Thursday, April 3-6, Graduate and Professional Student Week (GPSAW) sponsored by the Graduate Student Assembly. The Graduate Student Assembly invites you to participate in our celebration of National Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week. For more information, please see the GPSAW Flyer listing the events, see specific GPSAW events listed below, or contact Rachel Mitchell, GSA Publication Relations Coordinator.

GPSAW Event, Monday, April 3, Noon-1:30 PM, UNB 2.102 (Eastwoods), Brown Bag Lunch, Professional Development Workshop, Professional Ethics. Cookies will be provided.

UT ALA/TLA Event. SASI-NLW Event. Monday April 3, 4-5 PM, SZB 468, Lucy Collins Nazro, Intellectual Freedom. Lucy Collins Nazro and Kathryn Runnells of St. Aridrew's Episcopal School in Austin, Texas, have been named the recipients of the John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award for Intellectual Freedom f or 2006, presented by the American Library Association (ALA) Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT). "Lucy Collins Nazro and Kathryn Runnells represent the daily struggle [that librarians and administrators face in building inclusive curriculum and collections," said Immroth Award Committee Chair Laura Koltutsky. "By keeping Brokeback Mountain in the curriculum, they have represented the ideals of their school and their profession." Lucy Collins Nazro defended intellectual freedom at St. Andrew's Episcopal School by refusing a $3 million donation that was dependent on the removal of Annie Proulx's Brokeback Mountain from the senior English curriculum. The Board of Trustees, led Kathryn Runnells, supported her decision by giving her full support and keeping the issue in the arena of curriculum instead of making it a financial issue in which they would have the authority to intervene. For more information, please contact Melissa Keenan.

GPSAW Event. Monday, April 3, 4:30- 6:30 PM, UNB Cactus Cafe-GSA Student Social Hour and Pizza Party.

GPSAW Event, Tuesday, April 4, 10 AM - 2 PM, UNB 3.116, 3.128, and 3.304, (Sinclair Suite, Texas Governor’s Room, and Quadrangle Room), OGS/GSA/SCC/UC, Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Research Showcase. GSA is proud to announce UT's first Graduate Student Research Showcase: "Interdisciplinary Perspectives." The goals of this event are to share graduate student research with the entire University community, provide graduate students with an informal forum in which to present their work, and build graduate student community across departmental boundaries. The presentation schedule, which includes panels, individual paper presentations, and poster sessions is available online . This event is cosponsored by the Graduate Student Assembly (GSA), The University Co-op, the Office of Graduate Studies, and the Senate of College Councils. The goals of this event are to share graduate student research with the entire University community, provide graduate students with an informal forum in which to present their work, and build graduate student community across departmental boundaries. Lunch is provided.

iSASI-NLW Event. Tuesday, April 4, 12:30-1:30 PM, Bullock Museum, iSchool Brown Lunch. Bring your lunch and eat under the Texas Memorial Museum Star. Share your iKnowledge.

iSchool Event. Tuesday, April 4, 2:30-3:30 PM, CDL 001C, iSchool forum on recommended changes to UT undergraduate curriculum. Each school, college, and major department on campus has been asked by the Faculty Council to convene a forum to discuss the major recommendations of the Report of the Task Force on Curricular Reform, based on the recommendations of the Commission of 125. These efforts are focused on the undergraduate curriculum at UT, especially an undergraduate core. Even though we are mostly a graduate school, it appears, as Andrew made clear, politic and useful to convene our own forum. All faculty members, all PhD students, and all staff members, especially those who teach undergrads, are invited and encouraged to participate. it appears that we might be joined by representatives of the Faculty Council and/or Task Force -- I'm still waiting to hear from the chair of the Educational Policy Committee. The meeting, however, will still be driven by our interests, reactions, and concerns. This may be a rare opportunity for us and our discipline to take a more central role in undergraduate education, the real engine of things 'round here.

Dean Dillon has stressed that this is an important initiative that deserves our attention. He asks that we read the task force report if we haven't already, use the template provided by the Faculty Council to help structure our reaction to it, and to prepare to participate in the discussion. For more information, please contact Dr. Doty via email or phone, 471-3746.

SASI-NLW Event. Tuesday, April 4, 5-6:30 PM, CDL, Kilgarlin Center Open House. Conservator and Preservation Administrator students will have treatment and projects on display in the Center's conservation labs. Please join us for refreshments and good conversation. We look forward to visiting with you! For more information, please visit the Kilgarlin Center Events Calendar or contact Ellen Cunningham-Kruppa, the Center Director via email of phone, 471-8287.

UT Event Tuesday, April 4, 7:30-9 PM, UNB Ballroom, Paul Begala. Paul was advisor to President Clinton and co-host of CNN's Crossfire. He received his BA in government and his law degree from The University of Texas at Austin, where he also served as student body president. Begala first gained national prominence as a partner in the political consulting firm of Carville & Begala. He later became senior strategist for the Clinton-Gore Presidential Campaign in 1992. As counselor to President Clinton, Begala helped define and defend the administration's agenda, from the State of the Union Address to the economic, domestic and international issues the White House faces each day. Begala and Carville went on to co-host CNN's political debate show, Crossfire. In addition to his current post as research professor at Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute, Mr. Begala has taught at The University of Texas at Austin and Oxford University in England. He helped his friend John F. Kennedy, Jr. launch the political magazine George and has written for Esquire magazine and The Washington Monthly. Mr. Begala is the author of several New York Times best-selling books including "Is Our Children Learning? The Case Against George W. Bush". Admission to the Paul Begala lecture is free. A pass is required for admission but does not guarantee admission to the event. UT students, faculty, and staff may now obtain passes from the Texas Union Student Events Center Ticket Office (UNB 4.300) by presenting a valid UT ID. (pass distribution: weekdays 8am-5pm). This event is sponsored by the Texas Union Student Events Center Distinguished Speakers Committee (DSC). DSC is an organization that is funded primarily by the Texas Union Fee paid by all students. For more information, please visit the event Website or contact the TU PMO at via email or phone, 475-7338.

UT Event. Wednesday, April 5, 9-11 AM, Erwin Center, School District Job Fair. iSchool Students and Alumni: Meet representatives at least 134 school districts from Texas and throughout the United States to let them know you are available to fill their librarian and/or technology needs. iSchool students and alumni are invited to participate in the College of Education Job Fair. It is open to the public, so everyone is welcomed to visit the representatives of the various school districts and discuss opportunities they may have. During the past fairs, when I describe our program to the HR representatives, many have told me they would love to talk to our students and graduates. So, if you are about to graduate, or if you are thinking of changing school districts, the College of Education Job Fair will provide you an opportunity to visit with a great many districts in one place. For more information, please contact Ron Pollock via email or phone, 471-2623.

GPSAW Event. Wednesday, April 5, 9-11 AM, MAI101 (OGS), Meet, Greet, and Eat. GSA invites graduate students to stop by the graduate student lounge in the Office of Graduate Studies to meet with OGS staff members, who will drop by as their schedules allow. We hope this event will introduce graduate students to the many services offered by OGS. Breakfast tacos, juice, and coffee provided.

UT ALA Event. Wednesday, April 5, 3-4 PM, DFA Fine Arts Library, ALA Tour. Dr. David Hunter, Music Librarian and Curator of Historical Music Recordings at the U.T. Fine Arts Library, has agreed to give us a tour. This tour should last about an hour. The Fine Arts Library is located in the Doty Fine Arts (DFA) Building, number 12 on the UT Library Map. For more information, please contact Melissa Keenan.

SASI-NLW Event. Wednesday, April 5, 4:15-6 PM, SZB 468, iSchool, Summer and Fall Course Fair. Not sure what to take in the upcoming semesters? Here's a chance to meet with faculty to find out what's in the works.

GPSAW Event. Wednesday, April 5, 8-10 PM, Spiderhouse Café, Graduate Student Film Showcase. Come experience the work of your colleagues. Spiderhouse Café is located at 2908 Furth Street just north or campus. Refreshments provided by GEICO Insurance.

GPSAW Event. Thursday, April 6, Noon-1:30 PM, UNB 2.102 (Eastwoods), Tommy Darwin, Building Collaboration/Sustaining Community. At this brown bag lunch, Dr. Darwin, Director of Professional Development and Community Engagement Program at UT will lead the workshop. Those who have had the pleasure of attending Dr. Darwin's discussion will know that his presentations are both insightful and entertaining. Cookies will be provided.

SASI-NLW Event. Thursday, April 6, Noon-1:30 PM, SZB 464, Lunch with Leaders of the Library World. Come join SASI as we lunch and chat with local leaders of the Library world. Honored guests will include Gloria Meraz, Director of Communications with the TLA, Beth Fox, Director of the Westbank Community Library, and Carolyn Rogers Reference Manager at the Faulk Center.

Southwest Law Libraries Events. Thursday-Saturday, April 6-8, Driskill Hotel, Southwest Association of Law Libraries, 2006 Annual Meeting. As the chair of the 2006 Local Arrangements Committee, and on behalf of the entire Southwestern Association of Law Libraries and the Tarlton Law Library, I extend a warm Texas welcome and invite you to come early and stay late for the 2006 SWALL annual meeting in Austin. The Program Committee has put together an outstanding program for you. Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World and offers a wealth of cultural and recreational activities. Austin and the UT-Austin campus are also the homes to several world-class law libraries and research collections. Registration for students is free so this is a local opportunity you would not want to miss. The conference takes place in the Driskill Hotel on Brazos at 6th St. a block from the Number 1 bus that you can take free from campus. For information on the programs and other activities available at the conference please visit the conference Website. Selected programs of interest to iSchool students are listed below.

Southwest Law Libraries Event. Thursday, April 6, 1:30-3 PM, Driskill Hotel, Leah Sandwell Weiss, Update on the Patriot Act and How it will Affect All Types of Libraries.

Southwest Law Libraries Event. Thursday, April 6, 3:30-5 PM, Driskill Hotel, Preservation and Open Access Movement.

Southwest Law Libraries Event. Thursday, April 6, 6-8 PM, UT Tarlton Law Library, Reception and Tour.

UT Event. Thursday, April 6, 7-8 PM, HRHRC, Dr. Janine Barchas, Technologies of Innovation: The Visual Exuberance of Eighteenth-Century Print Culture. Dr. Barchas is a professor of English at UT. For more information please visit the HRHRC Programs Website .

Southwest Law Libraries Event. Friday, April 7, 9:15-10:15 AM, Driskill Hotel, Plenary Meeting, Sabini I. Pacifici, Competitive Intelligence Research.

Southwest Law Libraries Event. Friday, April 7, 10:45 AM - Noon, Driskill Hotel, Health Law Research Online: Good for you or Hazardous to your Health?

UT SAA Event. Friday, April 7, Noon-1 PM, SZB 556, UT SAA Meeting. On the agenda will be final plans for the Religious Archives Forum (Thursday, April 13 in SZB 468 from 4:00-5:00). For more informtion please contact Sarah Quigley, UT SAA President

Southwest Law Libraries Event. Friday, April 7, 2 - 3:15 PM, Driskill Hotel, Legislative History Research.

Southwest Law Libraries Event. Friday, April 7, 3:30 - 5 PM, Driskill Hotel, Library Student Roundtable Chat with an American Association of Law Libraries Representative. Coordinated by Yvonne Chandler.

UT ACM Event. Friday, April 7, 4 - 8:30 PM, Eastwoods Park, ACM Annual Spring BIG Event. Come down to Eastwoods Park on Friday, April 4th and hang out, eat Maudie's Fajitas, talk to professors, play games and have a good time all around. As always there will be a raffle and fun for everyone. Cost: Free for members, $5 for non members. Eastwoods Park is at 3001 Harris Park Ave. just north of the campus. For more information, please contact Ryan Cornelius, President, UTACM.

SASI-NLW Event. Friday, April 7, 5-7 PM, El Mercado, iSchool happy hour. Socialize with your fellow iSchoolers! El Mercado located on Lavaca at 17th St.

Southwest Law Libraries Event. Saturday, April 8, 8:45 - 10 AM, Driskill Hotel, Don't be a Day Late and a Dollar Short: Forecasting and Forestalling Budget Blues. This will be a panel discussion from all types of Librarians.

UT Event. Saturday, April 8, 9-11 AM, Annual UT Waller Creek Cleanup. Did you know that there is natural oasis here on the UT Austin campus? Waller Creek is an urban watershed that runs from North Austin through the central city and campus into Town Lake. Even though it's in the city, the creek is home to a great diversity of wildlife. But Waller Creek suffers many urban pollution problems. Trash from the street washes down storm drains and into the creek. Sometimes people dump large items into the creek so they don't have to pay for disposal. This pollution affects the wildlife, water quality, and beauty of the creek. What can you do? Volunteer for this UT Waller Creek Cleanup. The UT Waller Creek Cleanup is sponsored by the Campus Environmental Center, Environmental Health and Safety, and the Texas Natural Science Center. For more information and to register please visit the event Website or contact Michele Hallahan.

Southwest Law Libraries Event. Saturday, April 8, 10:30 AM - Noon, Driskill Hotel, Balancing the Needs of Librarians with vendor Needs for Profits. This is a panel discussion.

iSchool Event. Tuesday, April 11, 3:30-5 PM, SZB 556, Alana Garwood-Huong, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols for Libraries, Archives and Information Services:Australian Perspective. 2004, Mapping the impact of the 1995 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols for Libraries, Archives and Information Services project was initiated to determine whether the Protocols are still relevant and if they provided a useful strategy for highlighting issues and promoting responses to them, also, how the Protocols have been implemented by libraries and archives across Australia, and to assess how useful they have been, any related issues and how to improve them. From the results of the survey it was evident that the Protocols formed a most important contribution to the professional literature and advancement of the interests of Indigenous peoples in Australia and that they should be reinvigorated. However, for many Australian information organizations, the concerns and needs of Indigenous Australians are considered peripheral. This iForum will address the development and the assessment of protocols that were designed to help guide librarians and information providers working in Australia to interact with the indigenous communities they serve and help them appropriately handle materials dealing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content. Anyone interested in diversity issues should consider attending this forum. Alana is a Yorta Yorta woman with Wergaia and Wamba Wamba heritage. She is one of the founding members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Library and Information Resource Network and its President from 1994-1998. She was the Coordinator of ALIA’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Recruitment and Career Development Strategy for the Library and Information Sector in 1996. In 1999, she was appointed to the Australia Councils Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board for three years. She is one of the co-authors of The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols for Libraries, Archives and Information Services and The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Thesaurus. For more information, please contact Sandy Littletree

ALA+TLA Event. Wednesday, April 12, 3-4 PM, DFA Library, David Hunter, UT Fine Arts Library tour. ALA + TLA plans to take a tour of the Fine Arts Library lead by Dr. Hunter. David Hunter, is a Music Librarian and Curator of Historical Music Recordings at the UT Fine Arts Library. For more information, please contact Melissa Keenan.

UT Kilgarlin Event. Wednesday, April 12, 5:30-6:30, PAR 201, Neil Beagrie, Preservation and Access for Personal Digital Archives and Literary Papers. This is the 6th annual Paul N. Banks Birthday Lecture. Neil is responsible for developing and managing digital partnership activities between the UK Joint Information Systems Committee and the British Library, a post he took up in early January 2004. Prior to this he was a Programme Director in JISC for digital preservation. He has played a major role in developing strategies for digital preservation in the UK including founding the Digital Preservation Coalition and overseeing development of the UK Digital Curation Centre. He was the international consultant to the US National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP). Before joining JISC he was Assistant Director of the Arts and Humanities Data Service. He has an international reputation across the archive, library, and research sectors in the management of digital collections and preservation of digital materials. He was research director and co-author of the study Preservation Management of Digital Materials: A Handbook published by the British Library in November 2001. He was joint author with Daniel Greenstein of the study A Strategic Policy Framework for Creating and Preserving Digital Collections. To read a recent commentary Neil wrote for D-Lib, take a look at Plenty of Room at the Bottom? Personal Digital Libraries and Collections. For more information, please contact Ellen unningham-Kruppa, Kilgarlin Center Director, via email or phone 471, 8287.

UT SAA Event. Thursday, April 13, 4-5 PM, SZB 468, Mark Duffy, Kris Toma, and Susan Eason, The Role of Religious Archives in the Archival Profession and Society at Large. Sponsored by SAA. Mark is with the Episcopal Archives; Kris is with the Presbyterian Seminary Archives; and Susan is with the Catholic Archives. They will be addressing questions of policy making and ensuring access and the Church's role in the running of their organizations. It promises to be an interesting and enlightening discussion. Refreshments will be provided. FOr more information please contact Sarah Quigley , UT SAA President.

UT Event. Thursday, April 13, 5-6 PM, HRHRC, Prothro Theater, Dr. Denise Schmandt-Besserat, The Earliest Writing. Dr. Schmandt-Besserat is a Professor Emerita at UT. For more information please visit the HRHRC Programs Website .

Tuesday-Friday, April 25-28, TLA 2006 Annual Conference Libraries: Igniting the Passion, Houston, April 25-28. For more information, go to the conference Website. While we are on the topic, there is still room in the inn! The 2006 TLA Conference in will be here before you know it, so make sure you reserve your hotel room if you have not already done so. Online housing is available at the TLA website. For more information, please contact TLA or Kathy Pustejovsky, conference manager, via email or phone 328-1518, ext. 14.

Friday, May 5, 2-3 PM, Tower Garden, UT Remembers. At the university's annual "UT Remembers" memorial program, students, faculty and staff who died in the past year are remembered. Family and friends are invited to the public ceremony where Tower bells toll as each person's name is read. We ask your help in reviewing the list of students and current and retired faculty and staff who died in the last twelve months. The list is available on the Web and can be sorted by name, classification or department. If you are aware of an omission, please contact the person below who has responsibility for the categories noted. Your prompt response will help us make sure each family receives an invitation to UT Remembers:

For more information or special questions, please contact the UT Public Affairs office at 471-7753.

Friday-Sunday, May 19-21, Syracuse, NY, Bringing Together Emerging Information Studies Researchers: A Doctoral Conference in Information Studies. Connections 2006, aka the 11th Annual Great Lakes Information Science Conference, is a forum for doctoral students in information studies to meet one another, exchange ideas, present research and attend workshops and panels in a collegial and receptive atmosphere. In keeping with a tradition of convening Connections in a city near the Great Lakes, Connections 2006 will be hosted by Syracuse University's School of Information Studies in Syracuse, New York, from May 19-21. Our goal is to attract doctoral students working in one of three broad areas:
* Library and information science (LIS)
* Information systems (IS) and management information systems (MIS)
* Information and telecommunications policy
Doctoral students working in these areas are invited to submit abstracts for presentations, workshops and panels. Students at all stages of their program, from first year through ABD, are encouraged to participate. For more information on how to join the conference listserv, for the conference schedule, for and more detail on submissions please visit the Connections 2006 Website or contact the Conference Chair, Joe Rubleske.

IMPORTANT DEADLINES & CONTACTS

* February 24: Deadline for submitting a proposal to participate as a presenter, as a workshop leader and/or as a panelist
* March 17: Notification of acceptance
* March 20: Registration period begins
* April 21: Deadline for shortened and revised abstracts
* April 28: Registration period ends
* May 19-21: Connections 2006 is convened

Saturday, May 20, 9-11 AM, Bass, Graduate School Convocation.

Thursday, June 1, 7-8 PM, HRHRC, Ed Nowotka, The Origins of Writing. Ed Nowotka, is a book critic and writer. He will host a panel discussion, An Ode to Typewriters, of writers who compose on typewriters. For more information please visit the HRHRC Programs Website .

Thursday, June 29, 7-8 PM, HRHRC, Dr. Barry Powell, Alphabetology. Dr. Powell is a Professor of Classics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He will focus on the nature and origin of the Greek alphabet. For more information please visit the HRHRC Programs Website .

Thursday, July 27, 7-8 PM, HRHRC, Dr. Mark Van Stone, The Interaction of Pen, Paper, and Scribe: The Technical and Aesthetic Forces that Shape our Letterforms. For more information please visit the HRHRC Programs Website .

Friday-Thursday, Nov 3-9, Hilton Austin, ASIST Conference. The 2006 ASIST conference "Information Realities: Shaping the Digital Future for All" will be in Austin this year November 3-9 at the Hilton Austin. This is a unique opportunity you will not want to miss. ASIS&T 2006 challenges us to explore this moment in the history of information science as people seamlessly move between their physical and digital worlds to create information realities for themselves and others. Submissions by researchers and practitioners are solicited on a wide range of topics.

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.

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.

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

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.

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 or "mini proposal" to be accepted by the student's committee. This committee (perhaps, it should 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. Ron Houston and Don Drumtra have volunteered to post their comps as two different examples of what was required. Their exams were open book and emailed to them on Monday at 8 AM with a response was due by Friday at 5 PM. But since the exams are student and committee dependent, another student's may be completely different. Ron and Don have volunteered to answer any questions you might have about their experiences.

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.

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:

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.