Two UNC School of Information and Library Science (SILS) faculty members recently took on new roles and responsibilities for the School. Ron Bergquist has been named Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and Ryan Shaw has been appointed Undergraduate Program Coordinator, effective July 1.
A retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, Bergquist earned his MSLS and Ph.D. from SILS. He joined the faculty in 2006 and has served as Undergraduate Program Coordinator since 2013. He has been recognized for his outstanding teaching at SILS twice, first in 2007 when he received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award as an adjunct, and in 2016 when he received the same honor, now known as the Deborah Barreau Award for Teaching Excellence, as a full-time faculty member.
“Dr. Bergquist has led our undergraduate program with distinction,” said Gary Marchionini, SILS Dean and Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor. “He has a deep familiarity with our graduate programs and will do an outstanding job of managing our curriculum and maintaining the high academic standards at SILS.”
Among other duties, Bergquist will be responsible for developing the course schedule each semester, working with the faculty to review and revise the curricula, and administering the financial aid offered by SILS. He succeeds SILS Professor Barbara Wildemuth, who stepped down from the associate dean position this summer in preparation for her retirement in 2017.
Shaw has taken Bergquist’s previous role as Undergraduate Program Coordinator. Shaw joined SILS in 2010 and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses focusing on information organization, Web architecture, and digital humanities. He is co-PI of the Editors' Notes project and co-PI of the original PeriodO project as well as its expansion, PeriodO 2, which received funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) earlier this year.
As the Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Shaw will help maintain and further develop the Bachelor of Science in Information Science (BSIS) degree program and the Information Systems minor offered by SILS. In addition to teaching courses, advising students, and working with committees on curriculum changes, he will actively promote the programs to both prospective students and to employers who can benefit from the skills and expertise of SILS graduates.
“Dr. Shaw has been an active participant on the undergraduate curriculum committee and has been very involved with educating and inspiring our BSIS students,” Marchionini said. “We look forward to his leadership as we continue to grow the BSIS program.”
