With deep roots in the Bay Area, Dr. Anthony Chow is eager to bring his leadership, academic, professional, and personal experience and background to the San José State University School of Information as its new director. Chow makes his way to the #1 Most Transformative University from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he was an associate professor in the Department of Library and Information Science. His appointment as the iSchool’s director officially begins July 20, 2021, filling the open position previously held by Dr. Sandra Hirsh, who was promoted to associate dean for the SJSU College of Professional and Global Education in March 2020.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Anthony Chow as iSchool director. The search committee was overwhelmingly impressed with his qualifications that will surely benefit our school, college, university, and the information professions. This is an exciting time for our school!” says Dr. Linda Main, chair of the search committee.

Chow’s academic career spans 21 years during which time he has worked as a faculty member; served as coordinator/director of online learning; published two books and two book chapters and 141 peer-reviewed publications, proceedings, presentations and posters; and received over $3 million in grants and contracts to fund research projects. He has a steep record of service and leadership at all levels of academia and the library and information science field and takes “deep pride in contributing to any team or group I am part of,” he affirms. Chow holds a PhD in Instructional Systems Design and an MS in Educational Psychology from Florida State University.

“There is no greater privilege than to impart knowledge and skills to students and help mentor them towards successful lives and careers.” – Dr. Anthony Chow 

On the faculty at both the University of North Carolina and Florida State University, Chow’s teaching areas included web design and usability, leadership and management, instructional design and technology, social media, and technology integration. He has experience teaching in various formats and considers online learning an area of expertise. “I am 100% committed to the immense value of online education as a complex interchange between student needs and organizational capabilities to deliver a seamless and high-quality learning experience and system,” Chow says.

He has been published in journals, such as Library Quarterly, Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, Library Leadership & Management, American Journal of Distance Education, Tech Trends, and many others. Most recently, he participated in two presentations at the 2021 ALA Annual Virtual Conference, with one advocating internships for graduate students, and the other addressing literacy and access for Native American children and families. Funded by a $707,537 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services through 2023, Chow’s Reading Nation Waterfall research project presented at ALA Annual is a prime example of his commitment to “break down barriers to information access at a societal and organizational level.”

“I am committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all that I do.” — Dr. Anthony Chow 

In addition to publishing, Chow is shaping the LIS field as an active member and leader in the American Library Association, Association for Library and Information Science Education, Association for Educational Communications and Technology, American Educational Research Association, and International Federation of Library Associations. He has also taken on leadership roles at the university level and founded the newly formed Asian and Pacific Islander Caucus, which he says “brought together API faculty and staff across the UNC system in response to the increasing anti-Asian sentiment and xenophobia being experienced nationally and in North Carolina.”

As the iSchool’s director, Chow says he will “lead with optimism, energy, and passion in the conviction that our teaching, degrees, and higher education in general leads to a higher quality of life for our students, increased value for the organizations that hire them, and that our faculty research and service helps study and solve problems and transforms the communities that we are part of.”

With Chow in the director role, Main will return to her position as associate director. She has served as interim director for the past 16 months.