Incoming University of Texas School of Information Associate Dean for Education Dr. Soo Young Rieh was recently announced as the 2019 recipient of the ASIS&T SIG USE Outstanding Contributions to Information Behavior Research Award.
ASIS&T SIG USE is a community for researchers who conduct research on information needs, information seeking, and information use. SIG USE members “are concerned with people’s behavioral and cognitive activities, as well as their affective states as they interact with information.”
Each year, the Awards Committee selects one researcher who has made an outstanding contribution to the information behavior field. The Outstanding Contributions to Information Behavior Research Award recognizes the researcher’s achievements that have made significant impact in the field. Candidates are nominated by their peers and the selection is made by a jury comprised of two past SIG-USE Chairs and one previous award winner.
“I am honored and thrilled to receive this award,” said Rieh. “I am grateful for this recognition from the SIG-USE research community which has been a big and important part of my research journey.”
Rieh has been actively involved in research related to information seeking behavior, web searching behavior, human information interaction, and information literacy. Her research focuses specifically on credibility assessment of online information, credibility constructs in social media content, searching as learning.
Over the past two decades, Rieh has made significant contributions to the information behavior field. She has authored or co-authored 50 articles in top peer-reviewed journals and conference papers, including Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology (JASIS&T), Information Processing & Management, Library and Information Science Research, and Journal of Information Science.
Rieh has received nine best paper awards, including a Best ASIS&T Conference Paper Award (2010), two ASIS&T SIG-USE Best Conference Paper Awards (2007 & 2015), and two Best JASIS&T Paper Awards (2005 & 2011). She is one of only four researchers to have won the Best JASIS&T Paper Award twice. One of her winning papers was selected as one of seven JASIS&T Best Papers of the Decade (2010's). Her 2002 JASIS&T paper titled, "Judgement of Information Quality and Cognitive Authority in the Web," is her most cited paper –and has been cited nearly 900 times.
Rieh is recognized as a leading researcher on credibility assessment of online information and searching as learning. She has received nearly $2 million in funding from several sources including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the MacArthur Foundation, and Brainly, Inc.
“It is not just my sole effort that has brought me here. Indeed, it took a village to reach this milestone in my career,” said Rieh. “I have been blessed to be able to work with my advisor, mentors, senior researchers, peers, and students for whom I have the deepest respect.”
Established in 2005, the SIG USE Outstanding Contributions to Information Behavior Research Award is sponsored by SIG USE and administered by the SIG USE Awards Committee. “We are very pleased to honor Dr. Soo Young Rieh with the 2019 ASIS&T SIG-USE Outstanding Contributions to Information Behavior Research Award,” said Dr. Sueyeon Syn, ASIS&T SIG USE Chair. “Her nomination packet was very strong.”
The award consists of a $500 check and certificate which are presented by the SIG USE Awards Co-chairs at the SIG USE Symposium of the ASIS&T annual meeting. As recipient of this award, Rieh will be inducted into the ASIS&T SIG-USE Academy of Fellows. Her numerous achievements and contributions to the field of information behavior will be celebrated at the 19th annual ASIS&T SIG-USE Symposium on October 19, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia.
Rieh is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School of Information. She will officially join The University of Texas at Austin School of Information as Professor and Associate Dean for Education on August 1, 2019.