Provost Martha E. Pollack has appointed an advisory committee to search for a new dean of the School of Information. The search process is underway.
Yan Chen, the Daniel Kahneman Collegiate Professor of Information and professor of information, School of Information, and research professor at the Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research, is chairing the committee charged with conducting a broad search and presenting an unranked slate of recommended candidates.
In an email to faculty and staff at the school, Pollack wrote that Dean Jeff MacKie-Mason stepped down July 31 to become the university librarian and chief digital scholarship officer at University of California, Berkeley. Tom Finholt was appointed interim dean of the School of Information in August 2015.
Additional members of the search committee include:
• Mark Ackerman, the George Herbert Mead Collegiate Professor of Human-Computer Interaction, professor of information, School of Information; and professor of electrical engineering and computer science, College of Engineering.
• Eytan Adar, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science, CoE; and associate professor of information, SI.
• Jola Bolaji, master’s degree student, SI.
• Nicole Ellison, professor of information, SI.
• Barry Fishman, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, professor of education, School of Education; and professor of information, SI.
• Rebecca Frank, Ph.D. candidate, School of Information.
• Clifford Lampe, associate professor of information, SI.
• Mark Newman, associate professor of information, SI; and associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, CoE.
• Becky O’Brien, director of research administration, SI.
• Martin Philbert, dean and professor of toxicology, School of Public Health.
• Kenlee Ray, School of Information Campaign Council co-chair; alumna (Master of Arts in library science), SI; retired senior information officer, World Bank.
• Kentaro Toyama, the W.K. Kellogg Professor of Community Information and associate professor of information, SI.
• Tiffany Veinot, associate professor of information, SI; and associate professor of health behavior and health education, SPH.
In her July email, Provost Pollack noted MacKie-Mason’s contributions to the school. “He has been an inspirational leader and generous colleague,” Pollack wrote. “We will miss his enthusiasm and insightful contributions.”
To nominate prospective candidates or ask questions of the committee, send an email to information-dsac@umich.edu. For more information about the school, go to si.umich.edu.
