We are thrilled to announce new appointments to the iSchool faculty leadership: Carsten Osterlund as the new Assistant Dean for Research, Megan Oakleaf as the new Program Director for Library and Information Science, Michael Fudge as the new Program Director for Information Systems, and Jennifer Stromer-Galley as the permanent (was previously interim) Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accountability (DEIA).
At the iSchool, our leadership team is committed to driving innovation, positioning the iSchool as a top-ranked institution that is at the forefront of advances in information, technology, and data studies.
Osterlund, the new Associate Dean for Research, received his Ph.D. from MIT’s Sloan School of Management (2003) and a M.A. in social psychology and social anthropology from University of Aarhus and University of Copenhagen, Denmark on top of other academic achievements. Osterlund’s areas of interest include distributed & virtual work, organizational learning and knowledge, communication practices, and medical informatics.
“Happy researchers tend to be productive researchers,” said Osterlund. “Yet, we have gone through several tumultuous years with the pandemic, changes in leadership, and loss of beloved colleagues to other universities and retirement. Now is a good time to reinvigorate our research community at the iSchool by stimulating the excitement and joy we get out of doing research. I hope to do so by helping build stronger and vibrant research labs, centers, and clusters, increase UG, MS and PhD student involvement in research, and organize regular research days. Furthermore, we need to make it easier for faculty to make their research accomplishments visible and access research resources at the school and university. In the coming months I hope to meet with all members of our research community at the iSchool to flesh out these ideas in a way that will work for everybody.”
Oakleaf, the new Program Director for Library and Information Science, served as the Director of Instructional Quality and the Director of Online Engagement at the iSchool. Her research interests include library value and impact, outcomes assessment, learning analytics, evidence-based decision making, information literacy instruction, and information services.
“I’m delighted to come on board in this position after the generous and able leadership of Dr. Jian Qin,” said Oakleaf. “We’re continuing to fully realize our new curriculum focused on information justice, equity, and community engagement, preparing for our upcoming ALA accreditation process, and welcoming new faculty this year. It’s an exciting time to be program director!”
Fudge, the new Program Director for Information Systems, received his bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science from the State University of New York at Oswego (1993). He also received a master’s degree in Information Management from the Syracuse University School of Information Studies (2006). Fudge’s areas of study center around digital transformation and the impact of information technology on society.
“One of the reasons I got my degree in information systems was because I was very technology focused in my career, and I wanted to have a better understanding of how to be a leader in the IT space,” said Fudge. “In order to lead you have to inspire other people and motivate them to be contributors in your plan which you inspired them to take on. As a leader I want to listen, collect data, and then get buy-in from key stakeholders to make sure that we all agree this is something we want to work on going forward.” When asked about the role, Fudge said he is excited to meet and work with students, “That’s what really gets us excited about being faculty in the first place.”
Stromer-Galley, the new Director of DEIA, received her Ph.D. from the Annenberg School of Communication, University of Pennsylvania (2002). In addition to being Director of DEIA, she is a Professor in the School of Information Studies and the Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs.
“My motivation to serve in this role stems in part from what my students have taught me,” said Stromer-Galley. “For example, I advise and mentor doctoral students, and one of my former advisees has cerebral palsy and is black. While he was pursuing his doctorate, he confided in me the challenges he experienced here at Syracuse, both in the iSchool and at the university. His experiences and insights underscored for me that I have an obligation as a person in leadership to do everything I can to support our students, faculty, and staff who come from diverse backgrounds, abilities, and identities so that they can be their fullest selves while they are here. Over this coming year, I will be heavily involved in our strategic planning efforts in the school as well as for the university. I will challenge us to consider the structural inequalities that exist at the university and identify ways to dismantle them to support access and equity for all.”
