David Seaman
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost Michele Wheatly today announced that the search for the next dean of the School of Information Studies (iSchool) has been extended. In addition, Wheatly announced the appointment of Dean of Libraries and University Librarian David Seaman, to the interim position of iSchool dean. Seaman will take on the additional responsibilities upon the retirement of longtime iSchool Dean Liz Liddy later this month.
鈥淒avid is uniquely qualified to serve both the libraries and the iSchool at this critical time,鈥� says Wheatly. 鈥淗e has been chairing the Dean Search Committee for the iSchool since last November and is fully aware of the qualities needed in its next leader. David鈥檚 breadth of experience in a collaborative academic environment, his work ethic and willingness to step up and step into an additional role are just what the iSchool needs right now as it transitions to new leadership.鈥�
Seaman will step down as chair of the search committee while it continues its work into the next academic year. Wheatly will announce a new search committee chair in the coming weeks. Additionally, Wheatly says she expects many of the current search committee members will continue serving on the committee.
One of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 most prestigious colleges, the iSchool is nationally recognized for innovative programs in information policy, information behavior, information management, information systems, information technology, information services, data analytics and enterprise data systems. Reporting to the provost, the iSchool dean collaborates with the 12 deans of the University鈥檚 other schools and colleges and oversees 50 tenure-track faculty members, professors of practice and teaching faculty, along with about 50 staff.
鈥淭he iSchool is at the forefront of transformative change in the digital age,鈥� says Seaman.聽 鈥淭he next Dean must be the kind of leader who can shepherd the school during a time when its disciplines are in increasingly high demand by undergraduate, professional and graduate students. I am honored to serve in an interim capacity and to work with deans and faculty across the campus to advance the research agenda and ensure academic excellence at the iSchool.鈥�
Seaman was appointed University librarian and dean of the 黑料不打烊 Libraries in June 2015, after nearly a decade at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He was also previously executive director of the Digital Library Federation in Washington, D.C., a consortium of 40 major academic libraries and organizations dedicated to using digital standards and technologies to extend their collections and services.
Wheatly notes that Seaman鈥檚 leadership of the libraries has involved building collaborative relationships and strong academic and scholarly connections between the University鈥檚 libraries and its schools and colleges. 鈥淥ur libraries and the iSchool are tremendous resources for the entire 黑料不打烊 community. David has led a skilled library staff in delivering the services necessary to drive 21st-century research, teaching and learning, and to provide innovative spaces for study, collaboration and innovation.鈥�
Consistently ranked among the top five programs of its kind in the country by聽U.S. News & World Report, the iSchool offers degree programs at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels; master鈥檚 programs are available both on campus and online.
