Information Science

2 minutes with: Averie Dow

Joe Arney — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:20:46 +0000

2 minutes with: Averie Dow Joe Arney Tue, 04/21/2026 - 12:20

Remember those posters that were all over campus in early spring, warning you to upgrade to the new campus Wi-Fi network? Averie Dow (InfoSci’26) helped design them. Her inspiration? Those wet floor signs custodians put out when they’re mopping up. “We needed a visual that was boring—yet so jarring that you couldn’t not see it,” she said. We caught up with Averie about her interests in design and technology.

This conversation edited for length and clarity.

If you didn’t experience an interruption in your Wi-Fi coverage when CU’s new network went online, you can thank Averie Dow’s standout poster design. Photo by Zoë Dauksch.

It’s an honor to get to speak with the person who helped inspire those intense posters.
(Laughs) You have no idea how many people said to me, “Averie, do you know how irritating it is to have to look at that poster?” And I was like, yes, yes I do.

Well, I guess you get the last laugh. I don’t know anyone who wasn’t aware of the new Wi-Fi network. Walk me through your process.
I was involved because I work for OIT, the �鶹��Ѱ��Office of Information Technology. The user experience team was concerned that people would just think the Wi-Fi was down, instead of realizing they needed to take action. As a student, I see so, so many posters on campus. So, I suggested the wet floor sign design, which is why it’s that memorable shade of yellow. Believe me, we know how it looks!

I didn’t end up designing the final poster. But in my graphic design class the next day, we had to redesign a poster we saw on campus. And everyone and their mom wanted to do the Wi-Fi sign—and I had to pretend like I didn’t have anything to do with it.

A graphic designer and a technologist. You must be right at home in information science.
What I love about the info major is how it keeps updating. People will tell you about a class you took a year ago, and it’s changed so much as a result of everything that’s going on.

Where does your interest in tech come from?
Well, in high school, I was a Kode with Klossy scholar…

Code with who?
Kode with Klossy. It’s my favorite thing. There is a very well-known supermodel, Karlie Kloss, and her backup plan, if modeling didn’t work out, was programming. As a young girl, you love to see that, right? You can be a supermodel, and you can be a computer scientist. That’s where I learned to do web and app development.

Sounds like a cool program. Tell me more about the future, since you’re graduating a year early. What are you interested in doing next?
I would love to be on a user experience team, doing design and testing, especially from the lens of accessibility. A big part of my work with OIT is making the internet accessible for people who need a screen reader, or can’t use a mouse. I want to make a world that is accessible to people who weren’t considered when the internet was made—if everyone is online all the time, then everyone deserves to participate.

Wow. That might be the most information science career path I’ve heard.
It is! It’s humbling to design something, and then find people’s expectations to be way off when you do interviews around usability. It’s almost like a game where you have to get someone to do something without telling them what it is. And in redirecting them, you get better ideas of how to make your design more intuitive and accessible.

Joe Arney covers research and general news for the college.

If you knew to update your settings to get on the new campus Wi-Fi earlier this year, you have Averie Dow’s poster design to thank.

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2 minutes with: Kate Davis

Joe Arney — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:12:55 +0000

2 minutes with: Kate Davis Joe Arney Wed, 04/15/2026 - 09:12

Joe Arney

For people in technical fields, HCI is a well-known acronym for human-computer interaction—the study of how people and computers interact to design more user-friendly and efficient technology. For Kate Davis (InfoSci’25), it stands for human-clay interaction: She uses ceramics to tell stories through data. Davis is enrolled in the accelerated master’s program in information science and is the department’s William W. White outstanding senior.

Conversation edited for length and clarity.

She had wanted to attend �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder since she was in the third grade, but Kate Davis didn’t know what she wanted to major in until she discovered information science. ‘I was like, “Oh, this is what I want to do with the rest of my life,”’ she says. Photo courtesy Kate Davis.

So, I know you’re passionate about data visualizations. You have a bar graph emoji as part of your title on LinkedIn. But you’re really into data physicalization.
Yes—it’s where my art practices minor comes in. I am interested in communicating information with a more emotional, human-centered story approach. So, I use qualitative methods to understand data and human stories, then encode that into the qualities of ceramics—its texture, form, color.

A particular project you’re most proud of?
I’m working on a piece that showcases the experience of home loss in the 2012 Waldo Canyon fire. You see a lot of statistics and two-dimensional maps, but I grew up in that area, and those visualizations don’t, to me, reflect the experience of going through that. I want this piece to encapsulate the experience you can take from the data, as opposed to just stats.

So, you’re from Colorado Springs. How did you end up in Boulder?
In third grade, I decided I wanted to go to �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder to be an engineer. Turns out, I didn’t want to be an engineer. But I was touring Boulder and met Jed Brubaker, who told me about information science. And I was like, “Oh, this is what I want to do with the rest of my life.”

Third grade? Really?
We would go camping in Rocky Mountain National Park every year and drive through Boulder, and I would just think what a pretty place it was. (Laughs.)

How important was it to you to be near the outdoors?
The river is a big part of my life—where I go when I’m stressed, or to be social. They’re another place I explore in my work. I did a ceramics project where I created bird whistles—if you fill them with water and hold them at the right spot, they sing. It forces you to be still and requires you to be near water.

I know you’re a lifeguard. And you were president of the kayaking club. Has water always been important to you?
Actually, one of my favorite memories from �鶹��Ѱ��is learning to do a new sport. I know it’s cliche to tell people to try as much as they can in college, but I saw a guy holding a boat at CU’s involvement fair, and said, “That looks fun. I’ll try that.”

You mentioned stress earlier. Who supported you when you felt overwhelmed as a student?
I have received immense support from Evan Peck, my advisor, and Jed. Also Priscilla Hopper. Crissy Bowen—oh my gosh, I cannot express all she does. I got a concussion last year—

A concussion? What happened?
I fell off my bike riding home from class. I know, it’s not even a cool story! But Crissy helped me get a doctor’s appointment. That’s on top of everything else she does.

Last question. What’s next for you?
I love my research. I hear a PhD program whispering to me, but after I graduate this December, I want to work in the industry for a few years before I figure out my next move.

Joe Arney covers research and general news for the college.

Celebrating the Class of 2026

Kate Davis pairs her loves of art and data visualization to create functional ceramics that tell stories. She was named outstanding senior in the information science department.

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2 minutes with: Radio 1190

Jayden Fortner — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:09:34 +0000

2 minutes with: Radio 1190 Jayden Fortner Mon, 04/06/2026 - 11:09

Jayden Fortner

Get to know Radio 1190, the student-operated radio station at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder

KV�鶹��Ѱ��Radio 1190 is the student-operated radio station at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, producing journalism, amplifying community voices and sharing great music. The station has a new home beneath Carlson Gymnasium. We sat down with Iris Berkeley (Jour'01), the general manager, and Ella Krelovich, a student manager in her final year of studying information science, to learn more about the station.

Ella Krelovich operates the radio station's soundboard in preparation for her live show. Both photos by Hannah Howell.

Responses edited for length and clarity.

Favorite part of Radio 1190?

Krelovich: My favorite moments are probably getting into the DJ booth and teaching people when they say they want to know what it's like to run a show.

Wait, you DJ?

Krelovich: Yes, I'm also managing about 95 DJs. We have about 91 shows on the air right now. It's a crazy jigsaw puzzle to get together, but anyone who comes here and wants a show can have an hour slot once a week.

Fascinating. Are you interested in a radio career?

Krelovich: No, but working with people and figuring out the best way for DJs to operate are transferable skills I can take into my future career. I’d like to do something in user experience design.

What does this club mean to its members?

Berkeley: Even after something like 25 years of being on the air, I still really love getting behind the board and the mic and sharing music with our listeners. Watching these students do this every single day with so much creativity and dedication is just magic.

Speaking of magic—you host a prom?

Krelovich: Yes, Radio Prom is my favorite Radio 1190 event of the year! Last year's event was' 80s-themed, and my favorite memory is seeing everyone all dressed up.

Tell me more about the community.

Krelovich: If you're a playlist nerd or if you just need people to hang out with, this is the place for you. Maybe you haven't found your people yet, but they're here. I mean, this is a place for everyone. We have a punk show that's actually done by a professor.

A professor hosts a punk rock show?

Krelovich: We know him as Bodhi around the station, but his real name is Shane Melnitzer. He’s an alumnus who teaches in the philosophy department.

OK, one last question for you both. What word describes Radio 1190?

Berkeley: Our brand is chaos, and we love it.

Krelovich: You'll never hear the same thing twice—you can hear a pop show followed by a death metal show.

Interested in getting involved? Radio 1190s hosts meetings every night of the week at 6 p.m., along with weekly volunteer meetings. You can also stop by during the day; there is always someone hanging out in the station.

Jayden Fortner is pursuing degrees in journalism and strategic communication at CMDI, with a minor in sports media. She covers students and student news at the college.

Students from every major and interest at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder find a welcome home at Radio 1190.

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If you generate it…

Joe Arney — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:15:01 +0000

If you generate it… Joe Arney Mon, 03/09/2026 - 09:15

Joe Arney

Photos by Patrick Campbell, Kimberly Coffin (CritMedia, StComm’18), Nathan Thompson (Jour’24)

When Averie Dow tells the parents of prospective �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder students that she’s studying information science, one of the first questions she typically gets is around generative artificial intelligence.

“How A.I. is used in the classroom is their biggest concern, because they don’t want to send their kids here to just have them use A.I. for everything,” said Dow, a senior and university tour guide. “They tend to be grateful when I tell them our faculty acknowledge A.I., and that they have policies around when and how to use it. Because you can’t let it do your work for you, but you also can’t pretend it doesn’t exist, or you’ll graduate into a workplace where you’re the only one who can’t use it.”

“The way we learn about (A.I.) helps makes it a smaller problem. I’m seeing the advantages that comes from using it responsibly and ethically.”

Averie Dow

Finding that balance has been especially important to a discipline like information science, which incorporates ideas from computer science, social science and the humanities to reimagine how technology can unlock possibilities and better work for people.

A.I. is nothing new to faculty in the information science department of the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information, but the proliferation of tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude—and the scramble by businesses to search for cost-saving innovations—have meant constant curricular course corrections to keep pace with shifts in the market: In February, the University of Colorado system announced a $2 million licensing deal with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to all students, staff and faculty.

But rather than focusing on particular tools, CMDI faculty teach students to think critically about the problem they’re trying to solve, as well as the benefits and limitations of the tools at their disposal.

Robin Burke

“Not every problem needs the biggest hammer,” said Robin Burke, a professor who studies recommender systems and teaches an undergraduate course on applied machine learning.

In that course, “we do talk about deep learning technologies, but we spend a lot of time on other machine learning techniques, because it’s important to know that range of possibilities,” he said. “You only get that if you understand what’s going on under the hood.”

Students who are technically oriented said they appreciate the real-world use cases where they can see what using A.I. looks like at work. Kaeden Stander is pursuing a master’s in information science to go with the bachelor’s degree he’s on track to earn in December. Thinking about how to use A.I. tools in the college’s Digital Legacy Clinic has helped him with his entrepreneurial aspirations; he’s the founder of PublishPoint, a content generation platform for WordPress sites.

‘A.I. is in every aspect of the workplace now’

“You input your information and the A.I. learns from your brand,” Stander said. “Then it’s able to make recommendations, generate blogs, social media captions, podcasts and even help create detailed data visualizations.”

His real-world experience using A.I. has helped him appreciate how to use it in class. In courses he takes for his philosophy minor, Stander said, no A.I. use is permitted, “so I don’t use it, but it’s not realistic—A.I. is in every aspect of the workplace now.”

“Why gatekeep something and put people behind when they should be ahead coming out of college? It’s something the information science program does well.”

Professor Jed Brubaker, center, of the Digital Legacy Clinic, which challenges students to help members of the community make plans for their digital estates. Photo by Patrick Campbell.

Burke’s research on recommender systems aims to enhance the fairness of algorithms by removing the biases that systems may inherit, whether from engineers’ design decisions or from the data used to train them. Right now, he’s interested in how to give users more control over what content or products the algorithm serves up.

You might expect him to be an A.I. evangelist, but Burke is more measured about the likely impact these tools will have.

“The hype is absurd,” he said. “I want students to focus on the proven capabilities of these technologies, as opposed to the claims people make about them.”

In fact, the critical perspective information science faculty bring to A.I. is one of the reasons students appreciate the degree. Dow, a self-described theater kid and art lover, said she came to college “as an A.I. hater, almost”; when she was given an assignment to use ChatGPT as part of an assignment, she was the only person in her class who hadn’t used it before.

“A.I. honestly scares me a little bit, when you think about it as this huge behemoth,” Dow said. “But the way we learn about it—here’s this tool, here’s what it can do, what do we think is wrong with it, what does it do poorly—helps make it a smaller problem. I’m seeing the advantages that come from using it responsibly and ethically.”

The ethical challenges A.I. poses are an important dimension for faculty, as well. That’s especially true at a college like CMDI, which prepares professionals for success in journalism, advertising, design and other creative fields. Because large language models have been trained on reams of copyrighted creative work, there is understandable hesitancy to adopt these tools.

Casey Fiesler

It’s why Casey Fiesler, the William R. Payden endowed professor in information science, leaves room for the “conscientious objectors” in her teaching; her public scholarship—which includes TikTok videos and standup comedy, as well as traditional thought leadership—is deeply concerned with the ethical dimensions of these tools.

She’s piloting a course this spring, A.I. and Society, that challenges students to examine broader societal implications around jobs, creativity, education and environmental impact as they relate to A.I.

“I don’t want students to not take this class because they have an ethical objection to using A.I.,” Fiesler said. “I wanted to create space for students who are really excited about A.I., and should think critically about it, and for those who need to learn how it works even if they’re critical of it.”

A counter to moving fast, breaking things

Chris Carruth approaches such challenges and perspectives from his artwork, which he calls “a slow, contemplative resistance” where he uses technology to “interrupt, interrogate and agitate conventional, normalized systems.”

That work, he said, is intended to run counter to the tech industry’s mantra of moving fast and breaking things.

“I get where Mark Zuckerberg was coming from when he said that, but that attitude incurs an ethical debt, which is what we’re trying to avoid,” said Carruth, an assistant teaching professor.

Rather than lecture at his students, Carruth challenges them to learn about topics like automation, policing and surveillance, and digital labor, and bring researched ideas to class for open discussion and debate. In doing so, he hopes to cultivate a sense of empathy among his charges.

“Ethics in computer science and computer science education should not be a feature. It should be the foundation.”

Chris Carruth, assistant teaching professor, information science

“I’m not saying we need to hit some big red stop button—and you’d probably get fired if you’re at work and pushing not to use A.I. at all,” he said. “To understand how this might actually work in your career, you need to bring a voice not of dissent, but of empathy, of nuance. So, be able to say, let’s not stop, but let’s pause, let’s think about impact before we roll these things out.

“Ethics in computer science and computer science education should not be a feature,” he said. “It should be the foundation.”

For Bryan Semaan, associate professor and chair of the information science department, the need for ethics in this space is expressed through the critical perspectives he studies in his research, which focuses on the interplay of race, media and technology. The Center for Race, Media and Technology that he manages has welcomed speakers like Ruha Benjamin, of Princeton University, and Timnit Gebru, formerly of Google, to encourage more critical thinking around the development of large language models and A.I.

Bringing their own identity, thinking

Bryan Semaan

In his class on race and technology, Semaan asks his students to write an essay reflecting on the benefits and harms of particular technologies. But before they start writing, they feed that prompt into ChatGPT.

“It’s a chance to think critically about what the A.I. returns to them,” he said. “What it’s written tends to not reflect the experiences my students have had. So, it becomes a way for them to see that it’s just giving them something, but they need to make sure their identity and thinking are infused in it.”

Something that makes information science at CMDI unique, he said, is that instead of rolling out countless new courses—which could quickly become dated by the speed of change in A.I.—the department has sought to integrate these tools into each course it offers.

“You won’t see A.I. in every course name, but we bring A.I. to every conversation we’re having, whether that’s data visualization, user-centered design or machine learning,” Semaan said.

As the technology becomes more integrated into students’ lives, those conversations are going deeper and deeper into their coursework.

“When I taught information ethics and policy at the graduate level, we started with a week on A.I. Then it was two weeks on A.I.,” she said. “Now, there’s no weeks on A.I., because it’s everywhere in that class and every other one. In almost everything we teach, A.I. is relevant to the topic.”

Joe Arney covers research and general news for the college.

By integrating generative A.I. into each course, the information science department is attracting students who want to be challenged to use A.I. effectively—and ethically.

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Announcing the fall 2025 dean's list

Ellie Chase — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 22:57:57 +0000

Announcing the fall 2025 dean's list Ellie Chase Wed, 01/28/2026 - 15:57

More than 800 CMDI students were named to the dean's list for the fall semester. To qualify, students must complete at least 12 credit hours of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder coursework for a letter grade and achieve a term grade point average of 3.75 or better. Each receives a notation on their transcripts and a letter from the dean. Congratulations to all honorees!

Alejandro Abarca
Matt Abatangle
Saroon Abayenh
Marlo Abrahamson
Shea Ackman
Emilio Adams
Phillip Adams
Tassilo Adams
Quinn Ahrens
Lucy Alagna
Maria Alali
Rosie Aldridge
Caitlin Alexander
Kenzi Alipit
Sophie Allaway
Anthony Allen
Trinity Alvord
Saleh Alzamil
Alexandra Anaya
Bridgette Anderson
Molly Anderson
Lila Angelopoulos
Sierra Anguiano
Jaxon Archer
Mia Archuleta
Jazmin Armijo
Remy Arnold
Sydney Arnold
Natasha Arzt
Kaylee Austin
Niles Ayer
Ben Babson
Roxanne Bachana
Alexia Bailey
Owen Balboa
Austin Balconi
Tyler Bales
Cadyn Banerian
Jose Banuelos
Katie Barcroft
Evan Bardinelli
Caleigh Barletta
Julia Barlow
Thomas Barrett
Marina Barretto
Tomas Barrientos
Maddy Barth
Owen Barton
Kate Bashore
Mekdes Bass
Ellena Bassoukos
Leah Baumann
Klaire Bautz
Katie Baxter
Juliana Beans
Lily Becker
Savy Behr
Johnna Belveal
Jane Bengston
Tess Betman
Eliot Bevier Dill
Charlie Bickham
Jack Bigelow
Ezra Billig
Teagan Bischoff
Korinne Bishop
Katie Bixler
Mary Black
Miley Black
Kenna Blank
Sam Blatt
Miranda Bleau
Riley Blomstrand
Sophia Bobier
Sophia Bolich
Piper Bolin
Anvitha Bompalli
Matthew Boothroyd
Carmen Boyle
Reed Bracero
Anna Bradburn
Norah Brady
Kate Branscomb
Antonio Bravo
Elizabeth Brechtel
Olivia Brehm
Keeley Brei
Hannah Brennan
Adeline Briggs
Erin Brinkman
Jack Bronchetti
Elly Brooks
Mia Brosterhous
Samantha Brouhard
Addison Brower
Olivia Brown
Chase Browne
Lili Brownell
Callie Browning
Emma Browning
Eva Bruce
Tessa Buchanan
Tyler Buchanan
Ashley Budy
James Bui
Morgan Burcar
Alena Burris
Parker Burt
Tyler Byrne
America Cabral
Luke Cadenaro
Carli Camens
Claire Cameron
Evan Caplan
Rhiannon Cargo
Jessie Carlin
Gemma Carlson
Gabriella Carnevale
Laila Casanueva
Meredith Case
Madison Cashin
Kathryn Castanoli
Mia Castro
Dominic Celaschi
Zachary Chagnon
Isabella Chan
Emily Chang
Madelyn Chang
Connor Chase
Ellie Chase
Hayden Chedid
Cameron Cheney
Avery Childs
Kate Cho
Anika Chowdhury
Megan Chung
Coco Ciardelli
Malaya Cimino
Abi Clayton
Kay Clifford
Annalia Clifton
Avery Clifton
Emme Clymer
Morgan Coffin
Ava Coffman
MacKenzie Cole
MacKenzie Cole
Jaci Collins-Falcon
Joanna Conforti
Andrew Conley
Sarah Connor
Breah Conradson
Sophie Coombs
Zenden Copeland
Avery Corliss
Susie Cormack
Gilberto Corral
Amelie Couret
Sarah Cowell
Findlay Coykendall
Marissa Crenshaw
Elizabeth Cropper
Maddie Crosier
Chloe Cross
Heidi Crowther
Eryn Cryer
Kaylie Cunningham
Gracyn Custin
Cody Cutone
Liz Cutting
Avery Czachor
Teresa Da Silva
Clara Dailey
Abby Dalrymple
Abikael Daniel
Maya Dank
Olivia Darby
John Davis
Katherine Davis
Mason Davis
Turner Davis
Billy Dayton
Ramon De Arcos Tapia
Brandon De Pena
Olivia DeGregorio
Bella Demartin
Maddy Demmert
Luca Denicola
Rune Denolf
Helena Desoto
Charles Deutser
Leo Dienstfrey
William Dinh
Quinn Dobbs
Sydney Dobriner
Connie Dolati
Lexi Dolsak
Luke Donis
Eric Donjuan
Hunter Donovan
Brodie Dorko
Emily Doskow
Sydney Dossa
Daniel Doupe
Averie Dow
Brady Dowd
Lucas Drager
Irene Drapszo
Baylee Drevno
Kayla Drumke
Emma Dudley
Wyatt Duesenberg
Rowan Dulfer

Carolyn Dunlap
Nicollette Dunn
Etienne Dunoyer
Emily Duvall
Abby Dwyer
Ryan Dye
Ryann Dyk
Esperanza Edwards-Satragni
Avery Ehrig
Riley Eisenstein
Molly Elert
Ryan Elliott
Jenny Ellis
Kaoutar Elouadi
Libby Emery
Ava Esposito
Lucy Esquivel
Felix Estes
Angel Estrada Zarco
Quinn Etheridge
Morgan Evans
Emma Evars
Sienna Fahey
Maddy Farmer
Nolan Farrar
Liam Fehlau-Barton
Aysla Fenner
Peyton Fenner
Anika Fergis
Clare Finnigan
Carolyn Fish
Elena Fisher
Maddie Fisher
Marli Fisher
Tate Fitzgibbons
Emma Flanagan
Aiden Fliszar
William Flockton
Soleil Floyd
Delaney Flynn
Joe Fogler
Callie Forrest
Ellie Foster
Rhen Fowler
Tatum France-Kelly
Natalie Free
Ellis French
Jayne Frey
Rylee Frey
Isabelle Friedrich
Adelene Frymoyer
Colette Gagliano
Kaija Galins
Cassidy Gallagher
Jacalyn Gamble
Lydia Gammon
Gaby Garcia Armendariz
Katelyn Gardner
Abigail Garza
Caitlyn Garza
Zoey Gassner
Samson Gear
Nick Gehring
Carly Gelfand
Piper George
Alex Gertzen
Olivia Gewanter
Hannah Giacomin
Orion Gibbs
Ink Gibson
Caroline Gilchrist
Lauren Gillespie
Danny Gillis
Gigi Gittelman
Graham Givan
Anna Gledhill
Jessie Gleitsman
Arlie Goldman
Susannah Goldsmith
Deborah Gomez
Karlyn Gonsalves
Max Goodman
Salem Goodman
Bella Goodson
Drew Gorman
Avery Goss
Chloe Graham
Kylie Graham
Nora Graham
Ariana Grant
Sophia Graup
Rachel Greenberg
Logyn Greer
Willow Gretsch
Erica Griffiths
Tristan Grosam
Caitlin Grossman
Vivan Guida
Grayson Guinan
Griffin Gurewicz
Owen Guzik
Aric Gyekis
Anthony Haberkorn
Trey Haggarty
Paxton Haines
Hanna Hale
Sabina Hall
Alsa Halquist
Norah Hampford
Nate Hankins
Audrey Hansen
Ella Harris
lanier Harvey
Tyler Harvey
Nick Haseman
Josie Hayes
Keeley Haynes
Brooke Haynie
Skyler Haynie
Madison Hays
Lorraine Healy
Will Henrickson
Vanessa Hernandez
Jane Hershberger
Carter Hessen
Kainoa Hiatt
Tyler Hibri
Bella Hill
Cassidy Hill
Hannah Hillen
Hannah Hoffman
Jason Hoffman
Cruz Hoitsma
Ella Holden
Dylan Hommes
Max Hostetter
Taylar Houck
Mira Hougen
Donavon Houston
Owen Houtakker
Brooklyn Howard
Taylor Hoyt
Oleksa Hryciw
Haley Hubbard Godfrey
Kendra Hudgins
Livia Hughes
Ronan Huizar
Ellie Hultgren
Wyatt Humble
Camille Hunt
Susanna Imhof
Maxine Inman
Samantha Isaacson
Jules Isenberg
Grace Jackman
Grant Jackson
Paige Jaeger
Monroe Jasper
Alana Jenks
Grace Jenks
Alexis Jennings
Annika Jobanputra
Mia Jochamowitz-Endersby Chikhani
Addison Johnson
Tanner Johnson
Liv Johnstad
Neda Jonaitis
Gianna Jordon
Max Julian
Danielle Jung
Emma Kaiser
Nina Kanavati
Chase Kanger
Faith Kaplan
Kush Karamcheti
Lola Karimi
Bailey Karraker
Brooklyn Karraker
Skye Karsh
Ty Keeley
Nicole Keffer
Thomas Keller
Audrey Kelley
Henry Kelty
Charlotte Kendall
Rachel Kennedy
Riley Kenny
John Kerklo
Grayson Kern
Riley Kerstiens
Josh Kesner
Amy Kibort
Madeleine Kiel
Hannah Kijner
Kenzie Kimball
Myra Kirk
Marin Kirkman
Avery Kissinger
Ian Kligora
Ally Klinefeldt
Leia Kliska
Jackson Knapp
Maggie Kocher
Alexa Kofman
Cameron Kolinchak
Jon Kolvereid
Colton Kominski
Alden Koskoff
Kristin Kraml
Riley Krane
Quinn Kreck
Ella Krelovich
Katie Krochalis
Carey Kronhart

Viktoriya Kukarekina
Justin Kulas
Brayden Kurzawa
Emily Kwon
Amy Labontu
Bentley Labrecque
Genevieve Lacey
Devin Lafave
Ella LaMura
Kadence Landis
Skyler Landry
Dalton Lanham
Delaney Lantz
Ben LaPlante
Leighton Larsen
Blake Larson
Maddie Lasker
London Lawrence
Sarah Lawrence
Alex Lazarou
Kaija Lazda
Camille Leach
Lauren Leclair
Lou Leclercq
Alice Lee
Skyler Lee
Chloe Legere
Asher Leish
Aubrey Leneweaver
Brian Leuthold
Charlotte Levine
Kara Liguori
Jasmin Lin
Ahnnali Lindgren
Isabelle Lingo
Joe Lingold
Mia Lioudis
Alexander Lipka
Margaret Lipscomb
Lucy Lloyd
Aramis Loma-Guzman
Luke Lommatzsch
Leif Lomo
Skyler Longerbone
Lauren Lopez
Deborah Loseke
Katelyn Love
Lexi Lower
Stella Lowery
Janie Ludington
Julia Luther
Bailey Luts
Maille Lyon
Claire Macaluso
Molly Machoskie
Julia Maclean
Natalie Madeira
Maxwell Majors
Carly Malamut
Julianna Maldonado
Devon Malling
Mel Malloy
Patrick Mancuso
Lily Maniotes
Emelia Mantz
Alexis Manzo
Nicholas Marcin
Kea Margolis
Annaliese Markel
Isabella Marquez
Sedona Marshall
Taylor Martin
Mia Martinez
Maggie Marusin
Eloise Masciola
Carolyn Mason
Keely Matthews
Alden Mazur
Grace Mcanany
Finn Mccarthy
Evan Mccormick
Elizabeth Mccoy
Wyatt McCune
John Mcdermott
Teague Mcdonald
Maeve Mcerlane
Andrew Mcfadden
Lucia Mcgetrick-Dima
Fiona Mcginnis
Delaney Mckernan
Abbey McMahon
Margaret McQueen
Ava Melen
Alex Melvin
Jenna Mendelssohn
Claire Mercer
Ava Merias
Olivia Meyers
Allison Miller
Channing Miller
Creed Miller
Ellen Miller
Hailey Miller
Maggie Miller
Morgan Miller
Ashley Mohrbach
Camryn Montgomery
Gigi Montgomery
Justice Montoya
Bronte Moore
Emily Moore
Felipe Moore
Jenna Morley
Chaney Morris
Maya Morse
Scout Mortenson
Nathan Mosley
Madison Moss
Trevor Mueller
Ally Murphy
Reese Murphy
Rue Murray
Mason Mutz
Becca Myers
Emma Myers
Aahana Nandy
Caitlin Neil
Remi Netupsky
Natalie Newmann
Taylor Nickerson
Matthew Nielsen
Maximillian Noble
Charlotte Norton
Anna Novak
Lila Nuttle
Remy O'Connell
Nora O'connor
Olivia O'Haver
Addie O'Neil
Brinley O'neill
Ashlyn Oklesh
Taylor Oldenburg
Annabelle Olson
Sofia Olsson
Alexandra Organa
Annika Ort
Maddie Osterkamp
Max Osterman
Alina Ouligian
Emmett Owenby
Josie Pachla
Phoebe Paletta
Aly Pardo
Katy Parks
Macie Parsons
Lauren Paschke
Liliane Patrick
Kaya Patterson
Audrey Patton
Izzy Pell
Caroline Pellerito
Ava Pelster
Lily Pemberton
Mia Pendergast
Paige Pennell
Annie Peragine
Jaclyn Pereira
Kennedy Perez
Brisa Perkins
Emma Perlmutter
Eliza Perry
Isabelle Perry
Quetzal Peterson
Patrick Pethybridge
Ellie Phillips
Bell Piccirillo
Norah Pietras
Mackenzie Pinksa
Macy Place
Alison Plagge
Nico Plaisted
Skye Platto
Liliana Poast Soler
Lilly Polak
Katharine Polep-Sawyer
Ella Policastri
Ashley Pomeroy
Lyla Ponce
Norah Pope
Elle Pottinger
Dax Prata
Bradley Pratt
Addisson Pribble
Elle Price
Giana Pritchard
Taylor Pulley
Sutton Raeburn
Jacob Rainsberger
Samantha Ramirez
Olivia Randazzo
Maya Raulf
Nick Rauscher
Huston Rawls
Madelyn Ray
Rachel Ray
Cameron Reed
Hailey Reed
Jenna Reed
Molly Reed
Katrina Reghitto
Anna Rehak
Jack Remington
Jake Reuss
Katie Reuter

Ella Revivo
Peyton Rhodes
Katie Ridgway
Jackie Rivera
Eliza Roberts
Caniya Robinson
Ella Robinson
Michael Robinson
Abby Robison
Gabrielle Rodriguez
Cole Rogers
Laura Rogers
Salome Rojas
Lauren Romero
Diana Romero Bermudez
Brynna Roscoe
Jenna Rose
Sophia Rose
Sierra Rosen
Alison Rosenbaum
Eli Rosenthal
Sierra Rossman
Piper Roth
Taylor Roth
Ava Rotman
Giova Rubenstein
Sophie Rubinstein
Reagan Russell
Sam Russo
Brenna Rutherford
Emme Rutherford
Catherine Rutman
Jessica Ryanczak
Brooklyn Sadler
Sosan Safi
Rylee Sahl
Joaquin Salinas
Yahir Sanchez Diaz
Lydia Sarbacker
Ramey Sattich
Christopher Schepers
Riley Schermerhorn
Carly Schiller
Stephanie Schmitt
Addie Schneider
Emma Schneider
Jaimie Schoenke
Sydney Schrader
Teagan Schreiber
Willow Schulz
Aubrey Schwartz
Ben Schweiger
Ella Scolnick
Grace Scott
Madeline Scripp
Olivia Scussel
Grace Seaback
Veronica Seal
Ella Seevers
London Selah
Michael Seward
Krish Shah
Jack Shand
Ava Shanrock
Marissa Sharon
Danny Sheedy
Jenna Shenbaum
Daniel Sher
Cody Shoelson
Zoe Showalter-Flowers
Rainna Shrull
Aaron Siegel
Matthew Silver
Harrison Simeon
Gannett Simonton
Ella Skoloda
Mac Skudlarczyk
Cj Slattery
Moe Slintak
Marie Slotnick
Ella Smith
Matthew Smith
Ryan Smith
Jack Snyder
Eli Sobel
Edgar Soberon Munoz
Sevi Solari
Ewan Sookswat
Noel Sookswat
Madelyn Speights
Sophia Spheeris
Simon Spillane
Matthew Spivack
Samantha Spiwak
Bella Stamper
Kaeden Stander
Brady Stark
Kate Starke
Ashlin Stasswender Swasey
Trent Steffen
Alexander Stein
Zachary Steiner
Evan Stellino
Cole Stephan
Ariele Stern
Sarah Stern
Samuel Stevens
Jordyn Stewart
Braden Stirrett
Stella Stone
Anna Stout
Mary Strasser
Ava Strauss
Xander Sucich
Elizabeth Suffian
Luke Suitts
Lucy Suja
Aoife Sullivan
Clara Sullivan
Olivia Sullivan
Taylor Sutton
Dennis Swanson
Jackson Swartzendruber
Leah Szabo
Willow Tachna
Harper Tagg
Emi Takaoka
Nano Takeda
Mira Talusani
Sophia Tambascio
Jack Tannenbaum
Annie Tanner
Natalie Tapia
Raquel Tapia
Tyler Tatman
Hailey Taylor
Sarah Taylor
Skylar Taylor
Cecelia Tecu
Jordan Teicher
Josie Terry-Lloyd
Annabelle Thomas
Sage Thompson
Channing Thomson
Sol Tirado - Jensen
Brooks Tolany
Grace Toomey
Zohair Toor
Annabelle Torgove
Clio Torrance
Alexa Tovar
Hendley Tracy
Eduardo Trejo Trinidad
Carly Tremaine
Ricky Tuka
Jazzy Tung
Audrey Turley
Braden Turner
Caroline Valdes
Christian Valentino
Ann Vanderveen
Maya Vanvleet
Celia Vargas
Maddie Veasey
Sydney Venetsanopoulos
Bella Vetta
Holden Vincent
Andrew Vogt
Saanvi Vookanti
August Vrielink
Fiona Wachter
Ashtyn Waddle
Chloe Walsh
Catherine Ward
Lauren Ward
Kieran Warger
Evie Warner
Kadyn Warner
Valerie Warszawski
Ryder Watkins
Kylee Watrous
Leila Watters
Liam Watters
Jordan Watts
Greta Wattson
Taylor Weatherwax
Jenna Weil
Kennedy Weiss
Erin Wheeler
Kennah White
Ella Whittall
Abigail Williams
Jackson Williams
Ranney Willis
Piper Wills
Holly Wininger
Emma Winkelbauer
Amanda Winslow
Mia Winstead
Trent Wobschall
Zachary Woodbury
Alexandra Woodland
Lily Wright
Owen Wright
Jackie Wynne
Maggie Yalmokas
Gabrielle Yates
Savannah Yates
Nate Yearous
Hannah Young
Elsie Zerega
Emily Zhou
Matt Zimmermann

More than 800 CMDI students were named to the dean's list for the fall semester.

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INFO alum, Googler joins CMDI Advisory Board, teaches new social justice course for Union Theological Seminary

Allyson Maturey — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:56:30 +0000

INFO alum, Googler joins CMDI Advisory Board, teaches new social justice course for Union Theological Seminary Allyson Maturey Fri, 01/09/2026 - 17:56

Shamika Klassen (INFOSciPhD‘24) started to serve as an Advisory Board Member for the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information (CMDI) this fall. She served on a career panel during the annual Board Meeting. Klassen is a UX Researcher for Google in California.

This summer, Klassen taught a new online course, “The Technowomanism in Praxis: Critical Engagement at the Intersection of Social Justice and Technology” for Union Theological Seminary in New York City. The course took students across liberation theologies and their community struggles and triumphs with technology. Students learned about technowomanism, an ethical framework grounded in womanism that focuses on social justice issues in and around technology, as a tool for critique and assessment.

“One of my biggest takeaways from this course is a deeper understanding of how technology, theology, race, gender, sexuality, and ecology intersect in ways that shape both oppression and liberation. I especially appreciated how the course centered Black feminist, womanist, and Indigenous perspectives, pushing me to think critically about whose voices are amplified and whose are silenced in digital spaces and technological innovation. The class helped me connect systemic issues of power and access with everyday technologies and the broader narratives they perpetuate.”
Student feedback from course evaluation

Shamika Klassen (INFOSciPhD‘24) started to serve as an Advisory Board Member for CMDI this fall. Klassen also taught a new online course this past summer for Union Theological Seminary in New York City.

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Celebrating students at our fall 2025 showcase

Allyson Maturey — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:33:04 +0000

Celebrating students at our fall 2025 showcase Allyson Maturey Fri, 01/09/2026 - 17:33

Photos by Kimberly Coffin

INFO’s Fall Showcase was on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, in the UMC 235. The event is an opportunity for students taking information science courses to share their class projects and research with the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder community. This science-fair-like experience illustrates how students’ passions, such as boosting mental health, interacting with music, and working to protect the environment, tie into their study of technology.

INFO seniors presented their capstone projects - aspects of their portfolios. Below are several examples from capstone groups - the groups put their data science, research, AI, and UX design skills to work!

BeanStrata: A knowledge base and community hub that connects coffee lovers to each other and recommends new combinations, pairings, etc based on their existing interests. (Nin Kongla, Mitchell Rheins)

ENFP Connect: An interactive career guidance website that supports high schoolers who want to understand what industries their skills are applicable to. (Enya Bayaraa, Nate Habteyonas, Petros Tareke, Fnan Yonas)

Raven: A web extension that provides resale buyers with comparisons to the rest of the market to make better buying decisions. (Katherine Davis, Nick Haseman, Ely Cariveau, Alex Williams)

Sensed: A sensory and emotional music journal that turns sound into color, texture, and shared experiences. (Nathanael Elias, Luke Lommatzsch, Patrick Mancuso, Emelia Mantz, Inaki Sayrols)

Spotter: A computer vision model that tracks workout performance (specifically squats) and provides real-time tips on how to improve. (Matthew Cicero, Gilberto Corral, Cephas Kim, Finn Sargent, Christian Valentino)

Kate Davis, an INFO senior, explains about Raven, a web extension that provides resale buyers with comparisons to the rest of the market to make better buying decisions, to fellow students.

Emelia Mantz (middle) explaining Sensed, a sensory and emotional music journal that turns sound into color, texture, and shared experiences.

Gilberto Corral explaining Spotter, a computer vision model that tracks workout performance (specifically squats) and provides real-time tips on how to improve.

Hilna Yonas, an INFO student, sharing about the Religious Engagement Survey he designed in INFO 4603 Survey Research Design this Fall.

INFO Senior Lauren Ward shares about redesigning Delbert Hunter Arboretum and Botanical Garden’s website to a Showcase participant.

Students share feedback on a project for INFO 5609 User-Center Design.

The INFO Showcase is an opportunity for students taking information science courses to share their class projects and research with the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder community.

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INFO PhD student spends summer with LAS and SCADS Conference, work spurs $130,000 LAS grant

Allyson Maturey — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:16:37 +0000

INFO PhD student spends summer with LAS and SCADS Conference, work spurs $130,000 LAS grant Allyson Maturey Fri, 01/09/2026 - 17:16

Joshua Paup [INFO PhD student] spent his summer at the Summer Conference on Applied Data Science (SCADS) at North Carolina State's Laboratory for Analytic Sciences (LAS) in Raleigh, North Carolina. Over an 8-week period, Paup collaborated with fellow academics, industry, and government partners to tackle the grand challenge problem of generating tailored daily reports (TLDRs) for knowledge workers within the U.S. Intelligence Community. Some of the projects he engaged with included identifying pain points within intelligence analyst workflows for Large Learning Models (LLM) and recommender systems interventions and evaluating the performance of recommender system outputs.

Paup’s work from this summer program later informed the project,"Capture and Recommendation of Analysis Workflows for AI." Paup and Professor Robin Burke were awarded $130,000 from the LAS at NC State for 2026. The project explores information seeking and analysis workflows through a collaboration with the students and faculty in the JRNL 4572/5572 News Corps capstone course here at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder!. The goal is to build tools to capture and represent analytic activities and generalize them into workflows that can be shared with others performing similar tasks and monitored by more experienced managers. The research team will focus particularly on AI tools since norms around their use are not well-established.

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All together now: 2025 at CMDI

Amanda J. McManus — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 02:22:15 +0000

All together now: 2025 at CMDI Amanda J. McManus Mon, 12/15/2025 - 19:22

In a year where the college’s biggest story was its name change—following its integration with the environmental design department—CMDI’s community also found itself at the center of the biggest conversations shaping our time—from sustainability and A.I., to media literacy and the future of journalism.

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Data plans

Regan Widergren — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 22:03:01 +0000

Data plans Regan Widergren Tue, 11/18/2025 - 15:03

Hannah Stewart

Photos by Kimberly Coffin and Patrick Campbell

When Josie Mahoney’s best friend died in high school, his parents asked for her help with
their son’s social media.

Of course, she said yes, but she didn’t know where to start. Should they delete his account, losing access to the photos he posted and was tagged in? Or archive it as a digital memorial?

“It was distressing,” said Mahoney (InfoSci’25). “I think a clinic would’ve been really great because at least there’s someone to talk to who knows what they’re doing.”

Now she’s one of those people: In her senior year, she joined CMDI’s Digital Legacy Clinic, led by Jed Brubaker, an associate professor of information science.

“The clinic is something you can’t bottle—there’s an energy there,” she said. “It’s the coolest class I’ve been a part of because of how it prepares us for the real world.”

Part of that is how the course is structured. Brubaker builds in collaborative, project-based assignments that mimic the workplaces Mahoney and her classmates will graduate into. But it also comes from the market need for a solution to what happens to our data when we die.

As an academic research collaborator at Facebook, Brubaker helped develop the platform’s memorial account practices, but saw a much larger problem than just social media—photos, videos, text messages, bank accounts and so on. Through a National Science Foundation CAREER Grant, he created a pro-bono, law school-style clinic to help people maintain their digital legacies.

“It felt like a really unique moment where my research, teaching missions and a desire to do public service perfectly overlapped,” he said.

‘Pre-mortem’ support

Many clients come to the Digital Legacy Clinic in search of what students call “pre-mortem” support—getting a handle on what to do with their data now, so their families don’t have as much stress later.

I appreciated the students’ compassion and that they’re thinking about ways to mitigate the overwhelm.”

Corinna Robbins

That was the case with Corinna Robbins.

“I wonder what will happen to all the digital detritus that feels meaningful to us, and I wonder how my family will handle mine, or how I should handle my parents’,” Robbins said. “My son is 16 right now. He may not be interested in my inner life at this moment, but I bet one
day he will be.”

Unlike her mother, who had a drawer or two full of family photos, Robbins said she had thousands of unorganized photos on about 25 hard drives. That alone felt daunting, but equally disappointing was losing a blog she kept as a young adult, filled with personal essays and photography.

With help from the students, she learned about different cloud solutions to organize her photo collection, as well as the Wayback Machine, an online archive where she was able to recover most of her blog.

“It was lovely to be reconnected with those artifacts of my younger, former self,” Robbins said. “I appreciated the students’ compassion and that they’re thinking about ways to mitigate the overwhelm.”

Students in the Digital Legacy Clinic provide client support while researching how different platforms treat user data after death.

‘A measly number’

Part of the clinic’s effort is dedicated to fieldwork, in which students review platforms’ policies for specifics on user accounts and data after death. They’ve found that only 13% of platforms offer functional support, “a measly number for something that will happen to 100% of us,” Brubaker said.

The rest of their time is spent on client cases and building out the clinic’s functionality. Jack Manning (CTD’24), an information science master’s student, built a chatbot to push students’ boundaries, ensuring they encounter a range of situations and build their confidence for working with clients who may be grieving.

“These are undergraduate students, not mental health professionals,” he said. “And there’s potential for harm in those sensitive communications.”

Manning, like Mahoney, joined the clinic in the fall and repeated the class last spring. While the first semester was spent developing the framework and assessing clients’ needs, the second focused on creating a knowledge base and onboarding system—like the chatbot—to benefit future students.

As part of her portfolio project last fall, Mahoney focused on leadership and outreach—so on top of helping clients, she also developed a mini knowledge base with resources to train future students to be sensitive in working with the public.

“Now I can say I was a team leader, a project manager and in charge of the timeline and what we were doing,” she said.

Students said that real-world emphasis shows up in other ways, too.

“I’ve learned how to work with people on different teams and bounce ideas off each other,” said Oliver Kochenderfer (InfoSci’25). “I’ve gotten so much teamwork experience, and it’s been cool to have a teacher who acts as a manager guiding us toward one big goal.”

Brubaker said it’s important to remember that although college is a time of exploration and experience, one of its main responsibilities is preparing students for life after graduation.

“I hope the clinic remains a place that has a public impact while also being a place for both my students and me to learn,” he said. “I love taking humanistic or social science issues and thinking about how to implement that in the code. We’re human-touch first. More than a solution, people need to be heard.”

Learn more about the clinic

The Digital Literacy Clinic

Hannah Stewart graduated from CMDI in 2019 with a degree in communication. She covers student news for the college.

Photographer Kimberly Coffin graduated from CMDI in 2018 with degrees in media production and strategic communication.

When Jed Brubaker established the Digital Legacy Clinic—to help people make a plan for their data after their deaths—he saw it as a perfect blend of teaching and public service.

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Fall 2025

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Information Science

2 minutes with: Averie Dow

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2 minutes with: Kate Davis

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2 minutes with: Radio 1190

Get to know Radio 1190, the student-operated radio station at �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder

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If you generate it…

‘A.I. is in every aspect of the workplace now’

A counter to moving fast, breaking things

Bringing their own identity, thinking

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Announcing the fall 2025 dean's list

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INFO alum, Googler joins CMDI Advisory Board, teaches new social justice course for Union Theological Seminary

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Celebrating students at our fall 2025 showcase

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INFO PhD student spends summer with LAS and SCADS Conference, work spurs $130,000 LAS grant

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All together now: 2025 at CMDI

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Data plans

‘Pre-mortem’ support

‘A measly number’

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Get to know Radio 1190, the student-operated radio station at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder