SIG-III Awards & Honors
SIG-III celebrates the following outstanding achievements of its members, committees, and the group in general. Congratulations to the Awardees!
Bhakti Gala Elected as One of the ASIS&T Directors-at-Large
Congratulations to Dr. Bhakti Gala, current Chair of SIG-III, for being elected as one of the ASIS&T Directors-at-Large at the 2023 ASIS&T Board Elections.
Dr. Bhakti Gala is an Assistant Professor at the School of Library and Information Science, Central University of Gujarat, India. She has a doctorate from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India. She has been actively teaching and researching in the areas of information literacy, digital cultural heritage resources, metadata, and open content.
She is currently the Chair of SIG-III and has previously worked as an SIG-III IPC Jury member in 2020. She has been part of the South Asia Chapter since its inception in the year 2018. In the South Asia Chapter, she has volunteered in different positions viz., Secretary in 2018-19, Chair-elect in 2019-20, and Chair in 2020-21. She has also participated as member of the AM22 Program Committee, Poster Co-chair.
She will assume the role as a new ASIS&T Board Member after the 2023 ASIS&T Annual Meeting in London, October 29-31.
Read her short biodata here: https://www.asist.org/2023/06/06/bhakti-gala/
Watch her interview here: https://youtu.be/B6LvmBg024s
Read the Election Results here: https://www.asist.org/2023/07/14/2023-board-election-results/
Nosheen Fatima Warraich to Receive the ASIS&T 2023 James M. Cretsos Leadership Award
The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) is delighted to announce that Prof. Nosheen Fatima Warraich, Director, Institute of Information Management, University of Punjab, Lahore-Pakistan, is the 2023 recipient of the ASIS&T James M. Cretsos Leadership Award. The award’s purpose is to recognize a new ASIS&T member who has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities in professional ASIS&T activities.
Candidates are assessed based on the following four criteria: participation in the ASIS&T annual meeting as an organizer, moderator, speaker, discussant, etc.; participation in programs and activities of Special Interest Groups (SIGs), chapters, and/or student chapters; services on ASIS&T committees; and recruitment of new ASIS&T members and/or retention of existing members.
Prof. Nosheen Fatima Warraich has been serving as Director Institute of Information Management, University of the Punjab, Lahore since 2021. She is a young academician and has got Fulbright Post-Doc, SUNY at Albany (2015-2016) NY. She has authored more than 85 publications, including scholarly journal articles, conference proceedings, and book chapters. She is the Editor of the Pakistan Journal of Information Management & Libraries. Prof. Warraich is a visionary leader and believes in collaboration and inclusiveness. She served as co-chair SIG-ED in 2017-18, and as recruitment officer SIG-SM for two years 2018 and 2019. In 2022, she was elected as chair SIG-InfoLearn and co-chair-elect of SIG-III. Recently, she is also serving as panel co-chair in ASIS&T 2023 Mid-year conference. She has made commendable efforts in raising the number of ASIS&T memberships in Pakistan. She served in different leadership positions in SIG-III, SIG-ILS, and SIG-SM. She organized an international conference in Pakistan with the collaboration of ASIS&T in November 2022. She also has been working to recruit new students and professional members in Pakistan. She is a very passionate and kind team leader and always motivates and encourages her students and colleagues to participate in ASIST activities. Dr. Nosheen has been actively engaged with SIGs, Chapters, and other ASIS&T committees and also served four years on the IPC jury of SIG-III 2018-22. As the chair of the IPC jury, she always guided young researchers to submit their submissions and help them get published in good journals.
Upon learning of her selection as a 2023 Cretsos Award winner, Nosheen said, “I am incredibly honored and humbled for this recognition to receive the James M Cretsos from ASIS&T. ASIS&T provided me opportunities to network, collaborate, and work with wonderful people. For me, ASIS&T is like a family that supports, motivates, and inspires me in my academic and professional career, giving me a sense of ownership and training me as a leader. Receiving this award has not only filled me with a sense of accomplishment but has also reinforced my commitment to making a positive impact in my field. I am also grateful to my colleagues, mentors, students, and supporters who have played a pivotal role in shaping my professional journey. Their guidance, encouragement, and collaboration have been invaluable, and I share this award with them as well. I am deeply appreciative of the recognition bestowed upon me, and I am motivated to continue my professional endeavors with even greater determination and enthusiasm. Thanks, ASIS&T for its inclusiveness and generosity! Keep growing and shining!”
Warraich will receive the award at the 2023 ASIS&T Annual Meeting to be held 27-31 October, in London, UK.
Md. Anwarul Islam Receives the ASIS&T 2023 Lois Lunin Award
The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) is delighted to announce that Md. Anwarul Islam of the University of Dhaka, Dhaka Bangladesh is the 2023 recipient of the Lois Lunin Award. This award recognizes individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to the practice of Information Science and Technology through leadership, mentoring, and innovation.
Dr. Islam is an Associate Professor of Information Science & Library Management at the University of Dhaka. Islam started his career in the Telco industry and later moved to academia. He received his PhD from the School of Knowledge Science from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), Japan. His research interests lie primarily in the areas of Knowledge Management, Information Behaviour and Informetrics. Islam is a VLIR-UOS Fellow 2012, University of Antwerp, Belgium; ACRC Fellow 2013, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; DRF Fellow for the PhD program in the School of Knowledge Science, JAIST-Japan (2013-2016); ACU Fellow 2016 (UK), University of British Columbia, Canada.
Upon learning of his selection as the 2023 Lois Lunin Award winner, Islam said, I am delighted to receive the prestigious Lois Lunin Award 2023 from ASIS&T. It is an exemplary honor for me given by ASIS&T. I am grateful to ASIS&T and the jury for believing in me and my work. Joining ASIS&T AM in 2015 was one of the important milestones in my career which enabled me to build a new professional home and put me in a network junction. Since then, I am obliged to ASIS&T for making it my professional home. I am grateful to my mentors for guiding me on the right path, and peers for supporting me in all ways. I promise to continue my contributions and involvement in ASIS&T to make this association more welcoming for newcomers.”
The Lois Lunin Award was named in honor of long-time ASIS&T member and newsletter editor Lois Lunin. The award recognizes early or mid-career individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to the practice of Information Science and Technology through leadership, mentoring, and innovation.
Islam will receive the award at the 2023 ASIS&T Annual Meeting to be held 27-31 October, 2023, in London UK.
Bhakti Gala to Receive the ASIS&T 2022 James M. Cretsos Leadership Award
The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) is delighted to announce that Bhakti Gala, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Library and Information Science, Central University of Gujarat, is the 2022 recipient of the ASIS&T James M. Cretsos Leadership Award.
The award recognizes a new ASIS&T member who has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities in professional ASIS&T activities.
Candidates are assessed based on the following four criteria: participation in ASIS&T annual meeting as organizer, moderator, speaker, discussant, etc.; participation in programs and activities of Special Interest Groups (SIGs), chapters and/or student chapters; services on ASIS&T committees; and recruitment of new ASIS&T members and/or retention of existing members.
Gala is an Assistant Professor at the School of Library and Information Science, Central University of Gujarat, India. She is the past chair of the South Asia Chapter and presently the Chair-elect for ASIS&T SIG-III. Dr. Gala has led the ASIS&T Special Chapter Project with members from the South Asia and Asia Pacific Chapters for the duration of June 2021 to May 2022.
Upon learning of her selection as a 2022 Cretsos Award winner, Gala said, “I am greatly honored to receive the James M Cretsos award from ASIS&T whose membership has given me many opportunities to enrich my professional career. Ever since I joined ASIS&T in 2015, this membership has brought me in touch with experts who have guided me in my academic journey. ASIS&T has also given me a chance to make friends from across the globe. I thank all who we
Gala will receive her award at the 2022 ASIS&T Annual Meeting to be held October 29 through November 1, 2021, in Pittsburgh, PA.
ASIS&T Chapter Member of the Year (2022) - Bhakti Gala
Bhakti Gala is an Assistant Professor at the School of Library and Information Science, Central University of Gujarat, India. She is the past chair of the South Asia Chapter and presently the Chair-elect for ASIS&T SIG-III. Dr. Gala has led the ASIS&T Special Chapter Project with members from the South Asia and Asia Pacific Chapters for the duration of June 2021 to May 2022.
As Chair of the South Asia Chapter, she steered the South Asia Chapter to win the ASIS&T Special Project Fund of $7000 in 2021-22 for the project on ‘Dealing with COVID-19 and saving people’s lives in South Asia (SA) areas & beyond - A health informatics promotion project’. The chapter also won the 2021 Chapter Innovation of the Year Award in her tenure as the Chair.
Dr. Abebe Rorisa elected as President-elect of ASIS&T, 2021-2023
Congratulations to Dr. Abebe Rorisa for his election as President-elect of ASIS&T for the period 2021-2023. Dr. Abebe Rorissa is currently Professor and Director of the iSchool (School of Information Sciences) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (as of July 1, 2021). Prior to joining the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, he was Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Development in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity, University at Albany, SUNY. Between 1988 and 2005, he worked in four countries as a lecturer and practitioner. He has also consulted for academic institutions, national governments, and international organizations on various topics.
For more information on the Board of Directors Election Results, visit the ASIS&T website.
Dr. Abebe Rorissa to Receive the ASIS&T 2021 Watson Davis Award for Service
The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) is delighted to announce that Dr. Abebe Rorissa of the University of Tennessee Knoxville is the 2021 recipient of the Watson Davis Award for Service. The award’s purpose is to recognize an individual member of the Association who has shown continuous dedicated leadership in and service to ASIS&T and made substantial and lasting contributions to ASIS&T governance, chapters, SIGs, committees, and publications. Candidates are assessed based on 3 criteria: dedicated service to ASIS&T as evidenced by the amount and length of participation in, leadership of, and support to ASIS&T programs, chapters, SIGs, committees, publications, etc.; sustained, active involvement in ASIS&T; and engagement in activities that create a meaningful impact on ASIS&T communities, such as in high attendance numbers for events, attracting significant news coverage of a publication or event, attraction of new members, and/or positive financial impact for the Association, SIG or Chapter. The award is named after Watson Davis, President and founder of the American Documentation Institute (ADI), a precursor to ASIS&T.
Dr. Abebe Rorissa is Professor and Director of the iSchool (School of Information Sciences) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (as of July 1, 2021). Prior to joining the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, he was Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Development in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity, University at Albany, SUNY. Between 1988 and 2005, he worked in four countries as a lecturer and practitioner. He has also consulted for academic institutions, national governments, and international organizations on various topics. His research interests include multimedia information organization and retrieval, scaling of information needs, use/acceptance/adoption and impact of ICTs, and data analytics. He is published extensively in leading international journals such as the Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, Information Processing & Management, and Government Information Quarterly and served on program committees of international conferences. He is (or was) on the editorial boards of six (6) scholarly journals/publications.
Upon learning of his selection as the 2021 ASIS&T Watson Davis Award for Service, Dr. Rorissa said, “I am grateful and honored to be among the illustrious recipients of the ASIS&T Watson Davis Award for Service. ASIS&T is the premier professional association in our field, and it has been my primary professional home for over 20 years. I promise to continue my contributions and involvement for another 20 years! I will use this Award as a motivation to work even more to make ASIS&T a more welcoming, inclusive, and thriving association.”
Dr. Rorissa will receive his award at the 2021 meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) which will be held October 29-November 2 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Dr. Md. Anwarul Islam to Receive the ASIS&T 2021 Crestos Leadership Award
The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) is delighted to announce that Dr. Md. Anwarul Islam, Associate Professor, Department of Information Science & Library Management at the University of Dhaka in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is a 2021 recipient of the ASIS&T Cretsos Leadership Award. The award recognizes a new ASIS&T member who has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities in professional ASIS&T activities.
The award is named in honor of James M. Cretsos, long-time member and leader in ASIS&T. Cretsos served as President of ASIS&T in 1997 and was also an active leader and contributor to the Southern Ohio Chapter, SIG-CON, SIG-MED, and the Awards & Honors Committee. He is perhaps best remembered for the role he played in mentoring emerging leaders in the field of information science. Candidates are assessed based on the following four criteria: participation in ASIS&T annual meeting as organizer, moderator, speaker, discussant, etc.; participation in programs and activities of Special Interest Groups (SIGs), chapters and/or student chapters; services on ASIS&T committees; and recruitment of new ASIS&T members and/or retention of existing members.
Upon learning of his selection as a 2021 Cretsos Award winner, Dr. Islam said, “I am delighted and honored to get this prestigious James M. Cretsos Leadership Award from ASIS&T. Since 2015, ASIS&T has become my professional home and I got so many opportunities to grow as a leader, researcher and dreamer in the scholarly community. During this journey, I am ever grateful to my mentors and other peers who have helped me to break out of my nervousness. Staying in a developing country and stepping out to become a good researcher is often not easy. For me, ASIS&T helped harness many opportunities and I aim to continue my journey with more involvement. Finally, I am thankful to the jury members for having believed in me and my work.”
Dr. Islam will receive his award at the 2021 ASIS&T Annual Meeting to be held October 29 through November 3, 2021, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Prodip Roy to Receive ASIS&T (2021) Inaugural Lois Lunin Award
The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) is delighted to announce that Prodip Roy of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Bundoora, Australia, is the inaugural recipient of the Lois Lunin Award. This award recognizes individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to the practice of Information Science and Technology through leadership, mentoring, and innovation.
The Lois Lunin Award was named in honor of long-time ASIS&T member and newsletter editor Lois Lunin. The award recognizes early or mid-career individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to the practice of Information Science and Technology through leadership, mentoring, and innovation.
Originally from Bangladesh, Roy is currently Library Officer (Monograph and Digital Collections) and Ph.D. candidate RMIT. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Librarian Times, the first-ever and only professional weekly news bulletin in Bangladesh for the library and information profession; established The Library Times (TLT) Foundation to promote library professional development; and has inaugurated several awards to encourage library professionals and current Library and Information Science students. Roy has been an active member and leader in the Australian Library and Information Association AALIA (DCP); the ASIS&T Special Interest Group- International Information Issues (SIG-III); National Tertiary Education Union, Australia; Creative Commons Global Network and Australia Chapter.
Upon learning of his selection as a 2021 Lois Lunin Award winner, Roy said, “I am honored to receive the Lois Lunin Award, which was established this year for the first time to commemorate a long time ASIS&T member and pioneer in both the association and information science and technology fields.” Like, Lois Lunin, I have always been enthusiastic about collaborating with the international LIS Associations like ASIS&T to promote library and information professionals, academics, and their engagement in building a knowledge-based society. I hope the award will be an encouragement to continue to contribute to the LIS community and the ASIS&T. I dedicate this achievement to the librarian times family members who are working for free for professional development in Bangladesh.”
Roy will receive his award at the 2021 ASIS&T Annual Meeting to be held October 29 through November 3, 2021, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
ASIS&T SIG of the Year (2020) - SIG III
The SIG III has been active and highly effective all year. Their officers have engaged with their students/colleagues in recruiting/retaining members. The officers were successful in getting new members to join and communicating to others on the benefits of ASIST. The SIG-III Chair (Ashraf) distributed the InfoShare Award Certificates to Pakistani and Kenyan winners. One of the certificates was given at Nairobi National Park in Nairobi, Kenya. Ashraf also introduced ASIS&T to some 20 librarians in this internationally-known park. The SIG sponsored the Pakistan Library Club Annual Convention in Karachi, Pakistan.
The plan included SIG-III Chair’s presentation on ASIS&T and its benefit to the professional community. They were expecting to recruit new members during the event, but it was cancelled due to COVID-19. SIG III was very active at the AM in Melbourne, Australia, and has maintained frequent communication and news shring using iConnect, Facebook, Twitter and the ASIS&T/SIG-III website.
ASIS&T SIG Member of the Year (2020) - Devendra Potnis
Devendra Potnis has chaired the International Paper Contest (IPC) for three consecutive years. He invited and formed a jury of eight researchers and practitioners from China, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Turkey, and Zimbabwe to work on the IPC committee which approved the review criteria, ethical guidelines, and overall review process for the competition developed by Devendra. In the spirit of recognizing and awarding researchers in developing countries, Devendra also proposed a new criterion of limiting the paper contest to the researchers and practitioners living and working in developing countries alone, which also was approved by the IPC committee. He developed a new mechanism of information sharing on Google Spreadsheets, wherein all members of the IPC recorded the venues (e.g., professional listservs, websites, personal emails) where the call for IPC was advertised, which avoided the replication of outreach efforts and would inform the future paper contests.
For the last three years, he individually communicated the qualitative feedback provided by the IPC jury to over 30 authors of paper contest submissions so that they can improve their work. Thus, the IPC served as a way of receiving feedback on research for several researchers and practitioners in developing countries. Devendra also coordinated email communications with the ASIS&T office for seeking certificates for the winners. He has documented the best practices for conducting IPC, which can be used in the future.
ASIS&T SIG Publication of the Year (2020)- SIG-III Newsletter, March 2020
The newsletter has a vibrant layout and new design, interesting content and a comprehensive coverage of SIG III activities. The marketing strategy of sharing the newsletter with a larger audience was adopted, and most importantly the newsletter was published at a time when the whole world was facing COVID-19.
In March 2020 there was uncertainty, fear and anxiety around the globe, still SIG III officer motivated the community with a timely publication, furthermore the note from the newsletter officer encouraged the audience particularly LIS professionals to play their role during this uncertain time.
Read the Newsletter Here: SIG III Newsletter Mar 2020