Dr. Sandra Hirsh Elected ASIS&T President

News

Today, the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) announced that Dr. Sandra Hirsh, director of the School of Library and Information Science at San José State University (SJSU SLIS), will serve as the organization’s president. Hirsh will start her term as president elect during 2014, and will serve as ASIS&T president during 2015.

“I’m thrilled to be selected to serve as ASIS&T president,” said Hirsh. “ASIS&T has always played a key role in my professional and scholarly activities throughout my career.”

Hirsh has served ASIS&T in many capacities since joining in 1994, including as chair of the Information Professionals Task Force, on conference organizing and program planning committees, and as a frequent conference presenter.

Hirsh also serves as faculty advisor for the ASIS&T Student Chapter at SJSU SLIS, which was named ASIS&T Student Chapter of the Year in 2012. The SJSU information school reactivated the student chapter in August 2011. During its inaugural year, the chapter created an impressive array of resources and virtual networking opportunities for SJSU SLIS students, who live around the globe while earning a degree in one of the information school’s fully online graduate programs.

As president elect and president, Hirsh plans to help ASIS&T attract new members from across the globe, increase the association’s visibility, and continue to demonstrate the value of the information profession. “I’m also eager to find new ways to engage students with ASIS&T, as I’ve done at the SJSU information school,” said Hirsh. “Students can bring new ideas and energy to our association, and they play a pivotal role in the future of our association and our profession.”

Since joining SJSU SLIS in 2010, Hirsh launched the Center for Information Research and Innovation (CIRI), a virtual research center aimed at developing research-based and innovative products for the information profession. In addition, Hirsh is a founding partner of the Library 2.0 conference series, an online, open global forum for academics, students, and information professionals to discuss the future of libraries. She is also an advocate for redefining the information professional.

Before joining SJSU, Hirsh held professional positions at leading global companies, including serving as a senior user experience manager at Microsoft and director of the Information Research Program at HP Labs.

To view the ASIS&T election results, please visit: http://asist.org/elections/