SIG-III Mentorship
As a 2nd-year graduate student in the MS in Informatics program at SJSU’s iSchool, I believe making the most of one’s academic and professional development is crucial. Opportunities to develop as an aspiring professional in one’s field(s) of interest are abundant and come in various forms including participating in internships/externships; working in student assistantships, assisting with research, and being mentored.
Thus, I was enthused when I came across a mentorship opportunity provided by the Research Wing of the Special Interest Group for International Information Issues (SIG III), one of the 17 SIGs of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T). Though I thought it would be a long shot of me being chosen as a mentee, I enthusiastically applied because I was excited about learning from a field expert and participating in research activities. When it came to selecting a field of interest, I selected Health Informatics due to my background in nursing and my brimming interest in technology.
In April 2024, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had been selected as a mentee and paired up with a field expert whose expertise aligned with my interest in health informatics. So far, being mentored by Dr. Lubna Daraz, Assistant Professor in the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Montreal, has been an engaging and intellectually stimulating experience that has provided me with research and writing opportunities.
See below for more details regarding my mentorship thus far:
ASIS&T SIG-III (International Information Issues) Mentorship 2024-2025
· Meeting Frequency & Format: Monthly hour-long virtual sessions
· Mentor’s Research Themes: information needs, mis/disinformation, conspiracy theories related to COVID
· Research/Writing Opportunities: Short article and short paper
If you have an interest in being mentored by a field expert related to any of the SIGs and/or are eager to undertake research and writing opportunities, I highly recommend applying for next year’s SIG III mentorship program.
Call for Nominations — Join the ASIS&T SC Executive Committee 2024-2025
SJSU’s Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) Student Chapter invites you to self-nominate for a leadership role with our Executive Committee. In addition to gaining leadership skills and networking with iSchool students and faculty, you’ll have the opportunity to further explore the technical aspects of diverse disciplines within the realm of Information Science. Such experiences will not only enhance your resume as an inspiring information professional but can also assist in fulfilling competencies for one’s e-Portfolio.
All roles may assist in acquiring evidence for the following competencies:
D – Planning & Management
H – Current & Emerging Technology
M – Leadership & Communication
Note: While EC Assistants do not need to be ASIS&T members, all other roles require active ASIS&T membership. If you’d like to self-nominate yourself for an ASIS&T EC role(s), please use the following self-nomination form: https://forms.gle/gHuWBcBtyka2B6A1A
Note: The application period will remain open until all positions are filled or until further notice. Feel free to let us know if you have any questions via our email sjsuasist@gmail.com or on any of our social media channels (i.e. FB, IG, LI, i.e.).
Happy self-nominating, and we look forward to connecting and collaborating with you! 
Greetings from ASIS&T Student Chapter – Fall 2023
Welcome students, faculty, and friends to Fall Semester! We’re very excited for the start of this new year. The ASIS&T student chapter is hoping to build up our school and chapter community this year. There are a few notable tasks we are undertaking.
- Exploring the iSchool Pathways
- A once-a-month webinar series through zoom, put together by the executive committee to help students understand what the pathways are, what kinds of work they correlate to, and how to get the most from them.
- Weekly drop in writers’ meet up
- Starting Thursday August 31st from 5-7pm, this weekly meet up will be a 1-2hr drop-in session in the SJSU ASIS&T Discord. 1st hour will be dedicated to writing time, while the 2nd hour will be open for discussion, questions, advice, and if there is interest supportive critique. All iSchool students are welcome. Feel free to drop by when you can and stay as long as you’d like. Join our discord server here: https://discord.gg/e5jKAgCynf
- More consistent blog & social media updates
- Blog post will be a mix of LIS technology-based news, topic summaries related to information science or technology in libraries and highlighting upcoming events. While our social media accounts will promote these events and celebrate our communities’ achievements.
The executive committee currently consists of our Chair – Kay Lee, Vice Chair – Cathi Okamura, and Webmaster – Chris Reynolds. There are more openings on the committee for students who are interested in gaining experience with leadership. We encourage any student interested in joining us to contact us directly with any questions or come by the iSchool student group fall Meet & Greet Thursday September 14 from 6-7 pm (Pacific Time).
Good luck this semester and we hope to see you at some of our events!