The Syracuse School of Information Studies (iSchool) will host a celebration honoring former dean, Ray von Dran who died one week before his 61st birthday in 2007. The “Forever 60 Celebration” catered by Dinosaur Bar B Que will be held on Friday, July 30, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. in Hinds Hall. The event supports the Raymond F. von Dran Fund.
The event will feature door prizes, a cash bar, the iBand, and a silent auction of arts and crafts items created by members and friends of the iSchool. A minimum donation of $100 is requested per guest and includes a dinner consisting of ribs and pulled pork, coleslaw and cornbread and dessert. A vegetarian option can also be requested.
Von Dran served as dean of the iSchool from 1995 until 2007. He stepped down as dean in June 2007 and planned to return as a professor following a year of administrative leave, but passed away in July 2007.
During von Dran’s tenure, the number of faculty and students in the iSchool nearly tripled and the school’s sponsored research increased five-fold. Seven of the school’s research centers were launched under his leadership, and several academic degree programs were instituted. The school’s success under von Dran’s leadership was recognized by U.S. News & World Report, which ranked the school first in information systems, second in digital librarianship, third overall among Library and Information Science schools, and fourth in school media. Von Dran was also instrumental in increasing the school’s endowment, helping to secure the largest gift in its 110-year history.
Dean von Dran spearheaded the iSchool movement with leaders from four other information schools. This expanding group, now called the iCaucus, adopted his vision of focusing on the relationship between information, technology, and people. His legacy is embedded not only in the success of the iSchool at Syracuse, but also in what many of the other iSchools have become.
Donations from Forever 60 will benefit the Raymond F. von Dran Fund for scholarships, research, and entrepreneurial and technological initiatives at the iSchool. To RSVP, go to https://ischool.syr.edu/forever60 or contact Gisela von Dran at 315-443-2086 or gmvondra@syr.edu.