Dr. Barbara Wildemuth named McColl Professor

Dr. Barbara Wildemuth, professor and associate dean for undergraduate programs at the School of Information and Library Science, has been named the Frances Carroll McColl Professor for 2004-2006.

Every two years, SILS selects a full-time tenured faculty member who has demonstrated significant contributions in the areas of research, teaching and service.

“Barbara Wildemuth is a faculty member who excels both inside and outside SILS,” said SILS Dean Joanne Gard Marshall.“She continues to be a leader in the ongoing development of our degree programs, including the undergraduate degree in information science. As a collaborator in important research endeavors, she plays a key role as an experienced methodologist who is familiar with both quantitative and qualitative research. Not least, Barbara promotes a sense of community wherever she goes and this benefits us all.”

The award provides a salary stipend and supports travel and other research expenses. Members of the selection committee were Marshall; Dr. Gary Marchionini, SILS professor; Rick Peterson, director of information services for the College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Alice Boyington, assistant professor in UNC's School of Nursing; and Dr. Bill Balthrop, professor and chair of the communications studies department.

Wildemuth came to SILS as an instructor in 1988, was named full professor in 2000 and appointed associate dean for undergraduate programs in 2002. She has a bachelor's degree in music education from North Central College, Naperville, Illinois; a master's degree in library science from the University of Illinois, Urbana; a master's degree in education from Rutgers University; and a Ph.D. from Drexel University's College of Information Studies.

Wildemuth's research focuses on information-seeking behaviors and information use, design and evaluation of information systems and adoption and use of information technologies. She has received research grants from organizations including the National Science Foundation, the National Library of Medicine and the Frances C. and William P. Smallwood Foundation. Her research has been published in such diverse journals as the Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, The Library Quarterly, The New Review of Information Behaviour Research and Health Promotion Practice.

Wildemuth is a member of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, the Association for Computing Machinery, the Association for Information Systems, the Association for Library and Information Science Education and the Special Libraries Association.

In 2000, the American Society for Information Science and Technology gave her the Institute for Scientific Information Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award and SILS named her Outstanding Teacher of the Year. She has been named Outstanding Alumna by her alma mater, North Central College.

The professorship was established by Hugh L. McColl Jr., who was chairman and chief executive officer of Bank of America. McColl established the professorship in honor and memory of his mother, Frances Carroll McColl, and sister, Frances McColl Covington.

“My mother taught everyone in the family to love books,” McColl said. “We have prospered from having access to them and, perhaps more important, knowing where to turn to find the information we need.”

McColl is a loyal supporter of the university, having co-chaired the steering committee for its bicentennial campaign. He is now an honorary member of the Carolina First Campaign steering committee and the UNC at Chapel Hill Board of Visitors.

Past recipients of the award, which was first given in 1997, are Drs. William Shaw, Robert Losee, Helen Tibbo and Evelyn Daniel.