CIRI Research and Innovation Activities

Dr. Michele A. L. Villagran Co-Authors New Article on Emotional Intelligence and Happiness in Academic Librarians

10/14/2026

Dr.  Villagran and collaborators recently published the article “Emotional Intelligence and Happiness in Academic Librarians: A Cross-Sectional Analysis” in the Journal of Academic Librarianship.  The study examines the relationship between emotional intelligence and happiness among academic librarians, contributing to research on workplace well-being and the personal and professional factors that shape librarians’ experiences. 

Dr. Jeongwon Jo Presents Research on Knowledge Management in Community-Based Social Service Organizations

10/7/2026

Dr. Jeongwon Jo presents “A Systematic Review of Knowledge Management in Community-based Social Service Organizations” at CSCW 2026, the ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing. The study reviews 25 HCI and CSCW studies to examine how knowledge is created, lost, and shared within community-based social service organizations. It identifies challenges related to funder-mandated documentation, staff turnover, and organizational silos, and proposes a human-AI teaming framework designed to support rather than replace frontline workers’ professional judgment. Read the open-access article: https://doi.org/10.1145/3816895 

Dr. Michele A. L. Villagran Co-Authors New Article on BIPOC Students’ Perceptions of Librarianship

9/5/2026

Dr. Michele A. L. Villagran and iSchool alum Kristie Barlas recently published the article “BIPOC Become Librarians: A Qualitative Study of Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions of Librarianship” in The Library Quarterly. The qualitative study examines how undergraduate BIPOC students perceive librarianship as a profession, contributing to broader discussions about representation, recruitment, and pathways into library and information science.

Dr. Norman Mooradian Publishes New Article on Virtuality, Ontology, and Value

8/7/2026

Dr. Norman Mooradian’s article, “Finding Meaning in Virtual Places: Virtuality, Ontology, and Value,” was recently published online in Philosophy & Technology. The article examines how the ontological status of virtual reality objects and environments shapes the ways they are understood and valued, contributing to broader discussions about meaning, experience, and value in virtual spaces.

Dr. Michele A. L. Villagran Presents Research at the XXVIII International Congress of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology

7/7/2026

Dr. Villagran presented “From Awareness to Action: Applying Cultural Competence in Library and Information Science Research and Practice” at the XXVIII International Congress of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology in Leuven, Belgium. Drawing on the Culturally Competent Research in Library and Information Science (CCRLIS) project, the presentation examines how culturally competent research frameworks can strengthen research team development, methodological design, and community engagement across contexts. The session shares findings from 2025 interviews and surveys with library professionals and previews 2026 collaborations with cultural experts, offering practical guidance for researchers seeking to implement culturally competent principles across disciplines.

Dr. Michele A. L. Villagran Presents Research at the 39th Annual IACM Conference 

7/7/2026

Dr. Villagran delivered a presentation titled “From Methods to Meaning: The Hidden Negotiations of Culturally Competent Research Practice” at the 39th Annual International Association for Conflict Management (IACM) Conference in Vienna, Austria. Drawing on findings from the Culturally Competent Research in Library and Information Science (CCRLIS) sabbatical project, the presentation examines research as a sustained site of negotiation in which differences in values, power, identity, and epistemology must be continually managed. The work explores how culturally competent research practices shape team formation, decision-making, and the prevention and management of conflict across the research lifecycle.

MLIS Student Judith Lin Publishes Article on Faculty Adoption of Generative AI

7/6/2026

MLIS student Judith Lin recently published an article in The Journal of Academic Librarianship titled, “Factors Influencing Faculty Adoption of GenAI: Emerging Opportunities for Information Professionals.”

The paper grew out of Lin’s work in Dr. Norman Mooradian’s AI, Data, and Ethics course in Spring 2026, where students were invited to pursue a course-related topic for their term project. Building on that opportunity, Lin developed the project into a scholarly article for publication. The study examines factors influencing faculty adoption of generative AI and highlights emerging opportunities for information professionals.

Dr. Norman Mooradian Publishes New Article on Knowledge Management, Epistemology, and AI

7/6/2026

Dr. Mooradian’s article, “KM Knowledge Models and Epistemologies: Implications for AI Integration Strategies,” was recently published online in Philosophy of Management. The article examines the relationships among knowledge management, epistemology, and artificial intelligence, with particular attention to their implications for AI integration strategies. 

Dr. Michele A. L. Villagran Presents at the 2026 GAIL Conference

7/6/2026

Dr. Villagran, alongside Jennifer Perez Lara, Kristie Barlas, delivers a presentation titled “Cultural Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence in LIS: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” at the 2026 Generative AI in Libraries (GAIL) Conference. 

The presentation focuses on Dr. Villagran’s CCRLIS sabbatical project and examines the relationship between cultural intelligence and artificial intelligence in library and information science. The session contributes to broader conversations about how generative AI is being used in libraries and how librarians can critically engage its opportunities and challenges in practice

Dr. Michele A. L. Villagran Presents at the 2026 American Library Association Annual Conference

7/6/2026

Dr. Villagran presented at the 2026 American Library Association Annual Conference with iSchool students and alum Jennifer Perez Lara, Kristie Barlas, Ashley Flores. Their presentation was titled “From Research to Practice: Translating Culturally Competent Research into Everyday Library Work”. They shared findings from the Culturally Competent Research in Library and Information Science (CCRLIS) project and explored how culturally informed research practices can strengthen library services, community engagement, and professional practice.