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NEWS & EVENTS

Scholarships awarded for BSIS major

Oct. 28, 2009 — Two $1,000 scholarships awarded for newly admitted undergraduate students have gone to Brittany Hayes and Grant Harrison. The students are entering the Bachelor of Science in Information Science (BSIS) program at the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in spring 2010.

"Brittany and Grant were selected based on their high grade point averages, compelling essays and their interest and understanding of the field of information science," said Dr. Barbara B. Moran, interim dean of SILS. "We are delighted to welcome them to SILS and wish them only the best as they begin the program in information science."

The Margaret Kalp Merit Scholarships, which were awarded to the students, are named for a former dean of the School who was held in high regard by both her students and her professional colleagues. The Kalp Scholarships are a continuing reminder of Dr. Kalp's many years of service and of her loyalty to the School. 

In her essay, Hayes described the importance of information accessibility. Along with an impressive grade point average, she has also worked in a public library setting in high school and plans to pursue a master's degree when she completes the BSIS program.

"I am truly honored to have received one of the Kalp scholarships," said Hayes. "This support has encouraged me immensely as I enter into the field of information science; I know that the award will be of great help as I begin my studies."

Harrison's essay explained how he selected information science as a career field and discussed his plans to specialize in database management in the health care area. In addition to an excellent academic record--receiving several awards, he also participates in extracurricular activities, including tennis. He was named the 2008 North Carolina State 1A High School Tennis Singles Champion. 

"It's a great honor to be chosen for the Margaret Kalp Scholarship by the
School of Information and Library Science at UNC at Chapel Hill," said Harrison. The information science program at UNC is the only BSIS program in North Carolina. "The program at UNC is rated number one nationally in the field. To be selected for this award shows that if I work hard, the sky is the limit."

Two $1,000 scholarships will once again be offered for the fall semester for newly admitted students in the BSIS major who meet the criteria. (Please watch our Web site for application deadlines - normally admissions happen in February). Undergraduate students who have completed at least the first semester of their sophomore year may apply for admission.

About the BSIS Program

The BSIS curriculum is the only program of its kind in North Carolina and one of only a few nationwide. It is one of the fastest growing fields in the nation.

Information science (IS) combines working with people, designing technology and developing information content. For example, as an IS major, a student might be involved in designing/developing the Web site that reports the scores of the Tar Heel teams. The student would be concerned with the people trying to view the site (True Blue Fans), the technology used to support the site (the Web and perhaps a database behind the site) and the game scores (along with relevant quotes from the players, news items, etc.).

The BSIS program draws on our faculty's strengths in fields like usability, human-computer interaction, open source development, database design, information retrieval and human-information behavior and is designed to prepare graduates for a variety of careers in the information industry. Graduates go into positions of:

Graduates go on to work at organizations such as Progress Energy, SAS, CISCO, the Department of Homeland Security, Aetna, Lulu Enterprises and the United States Census Bureau, to name just a few.

According to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 30 fastest-growing occupations from now until 2016 include a number of information science occupations. The field of network systems and data communications is listed as the number one fastest growing occupation in the nation. Occupations like computer software engineers, systems software developers and database administrators are included on the list that require a bachelor's degree are included on the list as well.

Some of the exciting, emerging and growing fields of information science that students may wish to explore include:

For more information about programs, contact us by calling 919-962-8366 or sending e-mail to ismajor@ils.unc.edu or minor@ils.unc.edu or by visiting the Web at: sils.unc.edu/programs/bsis/index.html