New faces will be on the San José State University School of Information’s full-time faculty roster in fall 2022 with the hiring of five assistant professors. Dr. José Aguiñaga, Dr. Jessica Bushey, Dr. Ulia Gosart, Dr. James Hodges and Dr. Norman Mooradian have all demonstrated “evidence of a commitment to equity and inclusion through their research, teaching, and/or service,” a requirement listed in the job posting. Their official start date is July 20.

Dr. Anthony Chow, director of the School of Information, stated that each new hire is part of an “outstanding group of faculty members whose expertise is closely aligned with the vision and mission of the iSchool and who will help propel us to even greater prosperity and impact on the field.”

The new assistant professors are providing expertise in several areas of information science, including collection management, archives, and library services to Latinx and Indigenous communities. They also bring expertise in digital data, information, records in a changing digital environment, as well as UX interaction design.

Aguiñaga’s focus is on Latinx library services and providing to the Latinx/Hispanic community. He earned his PhD at Northern Arizona University with his dissertation focused on Latino culture affecting leadership styles. Aguiñaga has been teaching part time at the School of Information since 2020.

Bushey earned her PhD in Library, Archival and Information Studies from the University of British Columbia. Before joining the San José State University faculty, she worked as an online sessional instructor at the University of Victoria. Bushey’s focus is on digital archives and born digital records. Bushey has also presented and written about social media as a form of digital archiving.

Gosart has experience working with Indigenous people and doing library outreach in Indigenous communities. Gosart’s research is “informed by my advocacy and professional engagements supporting Indigenous rights, personal experiences (my family descended from Udmurts, Russia), and my teaching,” according to her teaching statement. Gosart earned her PhD from UCLA with the completion of her dissertation, “Protection of the Traditional Knowledge of the Indigenous Peoples.”

Hodges’ expertise is in forensic analysis and digital preservation with a specialty in video games. Hodges earned his PhD from Rutgers University in Communication and Information. He has received several fellowships and awards for his work, including Outstanding Continuing Doctoral Student in Library and Information Science from Rutgers University.

Mooradian complements the faculty with a background in information ethics, information privacy and virtual/augmented reality. Mooradian completed his PhD from Ohio State University. Mooradian has been a lecturer at the School of Information since 2017. His teaching statement shows a commitment to celebrating students’ differences as he attempts “to create an environment in which students with different cultural and educational backgrounds will feel valued and empowered.”

The hiring of these five new assistant professors, brings the full-time faculty to 32. Additional instructors lend their knowledge and professional experience as part-time instructors for the numerous elective courses offered in the online master’s degree programs.