Carol Tenopir

Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus Carol Tenopir during her year (2016-17) in Helsinki, Finland, when she was the Fulbright-Nokia Distinguished Chair in Information Technologies.

In Conversation

Episode 8 Carol Tenopir
Chancellor’s Professor Emerita

In conversation with Carol Tenopir, Chancellor’s Professor Emerita at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. She discusses her non-traditional path to librarianship, progression from consultant to professor to dean, editorship of Library Journal, Fulbright fellowship, and move from Hawaii to Tennessee to Michigan. She addresses the issues of being a parent while working and shares how her broad range of interests led to her wide-reaching career.

Trailer (1:01)

Trailer – In Conversation with Carol Tenopir

Interview (01:25:27)

Full interview with Carol Tenopir

Timecodes

00:00:00 – Introducing Carol Tenopir

00:02:21 – Story in her own words

00:04:07 – Her library career

00:05:01 – Start in consulting in a small company

00:08:02 – Move to University of Hawaii

00:10:06 – Move to Illinois to pursue PhD

00:11:00 – Start with Library Journal

00:12:00 – Move back to University of Hawaii; joining faculty

00:13:26 – Meeting husband at ASIS&T

00:14:00 – Move to University of Tennessee

00:16:01 – Appointment to administrative role

00:18:00 – Childhood

00:23:11 – Retirement in Michigan

00:27:49 – Biggest events in career

00:35:17 – Role of serendipity in turning points of her career

00:38:40 – Defining information science and role in the LIS field

00:45:53 – People who influenced her work

00:48:20 – Books that influenced her work

00:49:30 – Fulbrights and international connections

00:52:00 – Key skills that have helped over the years

00:55:04 – Personality (shyness and introversion) and ASIS&T involvement

00:57:10 – Biggest successes

01:00:00 – Resilience and difficult times

01:07:10 – Impact of COVID

01:10:00 – Something she wishes she knew earlier in life

01:14:00 – Life principles and values

01:15:00 – What happiness means to her

01:17:17 – Living internationally

01:18:20 – Retirement

01:20:18 – Mentoring advice

01:22:15 – Misinformation

01:24:10 – Retirement

More about Carol Tenopir The University of Tennessee Knoxville | Google Scholar

This interview was supported by the COCIS Innovation Fund at Simmons University.

Michael Buckland

Michael Buckland and Naresh Agarwal - ASIS&T 2018 Annual Meeting

In Conversation

Episode 7 Michael Buckland
Emeritus Professor

In conversation with Michael Buckland, Emeritus Professor and former Dean at the University of California, Berkeley, and stalwart of the information science field,  with his 1991 paper on seeing Information as a thing cited more than 2500 times. He talks about his journey from Oxford to Sheffield to the University of Lancaster Library in England, a move to the United States in 1972, leadership roles, visiting professorships, and what keeps him going as an active researcher until today.

Trailer (0:59)

Interview (01:45:24)

Timecodes

00:00:00 – Introducing Michael Buckland

00:01:58 – Story in his own words

00:04:30 – His library career

00:30:47 – On starting a new career as a professor

00:36:47 – Travelling around the world

00:41:09 – Retirement

00:42:21 – Role of serendipity in turning points of his career

00:47:11 – Defining information science

00:51:58 – People who influenced his work

01:00:54 – Key skills that have helped over the  years

01:03:12 – biggest successes

01:09:45 – Resilience and difficult times

01:13:52 – Biggest challenges

01:15:54 – Something he wishes he knew earlier in life

01:16:37 – Life principles and values

01:18:12 – Current goals

01:24:24 – Mentoring advice

01:30:39 – On what keeps him going

More about Michael Buckland Wikipedia – Michael Buckland | Google Scholar

This interview was supported by the COCIS Innovation Fund at Simmons University.

Brenda Dervin

In Conversation

Episode 6 Brenda Dervin
Professor Emeritus of Communication, Theorist, Methodologist

In conversation with Brenda Dervin, Professor Emeritus of Communication, Ohio State University, Fellow and first Female President of the International Communication Association, famous for her Sense-Making Theory and Methodology, which has been widely adopted and applied by researchers in library and information science, communication, and other disciplines, who talks about her life including misogyny, contempt, neck injury, disability, and her refusal to be slotted or to slot people into categories.

Trailer (1:01)

Interview (02:17:35)

Timecodes
00:00:00 – About the interview
00:00:46 – Introducing Brenda Dervin
00:05:20 – Her Childhood
00:08:23 – Misogyny in her academic life
00:13:00 – What led to her career in academia
00:47:17 – Significant turning points in her career
01:00:53 – Thoughts on context
01:09:15 – Things she’s good at
01:14:19 – Role of serendipity in turning points of her career
01:16:39 – Perspectives on information science field
01:24:18 – Contribution to LIS and Communications fields
01:28:38 – Biggest successes
01:36:54 – People who have influenced her work
01:46:57 – Books that have influenced her
01:48:30 – Key skills that have helped over the years
01:52:06 – Something she wishes she knew earlier in life
01:54:46 – Life principles and values
01:58:52 – What happiness means
02:02:24 – Current Goals
02:06:38 – Mentoring advice
02:17:32 – Bloopers and Pictures

More about Brenda Dervin Wikipedia – Brenda Dervin | Wikipedia – Sensemaking | Google Scholar

This interview was supported by the COCIS Innovation Fund at Simmons University.

Tom Wilson

Digital Campus Magazine, University of Murcia, 2015

In Conversation

Episode 5 Tom Wilson
Professor Emeritus, Former Head of Department, Information Scientist

In conversation with Tom Wilson, Professor Emeritus and former Head of Department at the University of Sheffield, UK, a holder of two honorary doctorates, founder of two journals, and the person behind the famous “Wilson’s models of information behavior”.

Trailer (0:56)

Interview (01:53:19)

Synopsis
Professor Emeritus Tom Wilson talks about his life from being born in a railway station, losing his father early, to a 60-year career contributing to the information field, spanning several countries and continents

Timecodes
00:00:00 – Introducing Tom Wilson
00:03:48 – Story in his own words
00:40:00 – Retirement
00:52:00 – Childhood
01:03:11 – Role of serendipity on important turning points in his career
01:07:58 – Important turns of his career
01:11:06 – Describing information science field and his role in it
01:17:37 – Own role in history of information science
01:20:15 – On creating models in information science
01:23:24 – People who most influenced his work and life
01:28:34 – Books that have influenced him
01:33:28 – Most significant things that had a huge influence on him
01:36:32 – Key skills developed that helped him over the years
01:41:23 – How hard times have influenced his life purpose
01:44:52 – Something he wished he knew earlier in life
01:46:27 – Life principles/values that guide him
01:49:03 – What happiness means to him
01:49:55 – What his goals are now
01:52:31 – Mentoring advice for people following in his footsteps
01:53:00 – Bloopers

Contact Tom Wilson University of Sheffield | Wikipedia – Thomas D Wilson | Google Scholar

This interview was supported by the COCIS Innovation Fund at Simmons University.

Featured Photo Source: Digital Campus Magazine (2015, November 4). Documentary Filmmaker Thomas Wilson Stars in a New Meeting with our Doctors Honoris Causa. University of Murcia.

Note: Towards the end, when talking about Professor Ranganathan, Professor Wilson said “Sheffield”. He meant to say “Newcastle”.

Toni Carbo

Toni Carbo and Naresh Agarwal after the interview at Brown University, Providence, RI on Dec 1, 2018.

In Conversation

Episode 4 Toni Carbo
Professor Emerita, Mentor, Leader

In conversation with Toni Carbo, Professor Emerita and former Dean at the University of Pittsburgh. The interview was recorded in Providence, Rhode Island on December 1, 2018.

Trailer (0:53)

Interview (41:47)

Synopsis
Professor Emerita Toni Carbo talks about her life from wanting to be an astronaut, to her involvement in the civil rights movement, and half a century of work, leadership, and mentorship in information science & technology.

Timecodes
00:00 – Introducing Toni Carbo
02:17 – Story in your own words
07:15 – Childhood
11:44 – People that had significant influences
17:27 – Involvement in the Civil Rights Movement
19:40 – Bringing people together
23:26 – Biggest challenges
25:16 – Meaning of happiness
27:35 – Drive and motivation to be a mentor
32:33 – Reflections on career journey
37:34 – Current goals
39:31 – Mentoring Advice

Contact Toni Carbo LinkedIn

The editing of this video was supported by the COCIS Innovation Fund at Simmons University.

Michele Cloonan

Michele Cloonan

In Conversation

Episode 3 Michele Cloonan
Academic, Professor, Dean Emerita, Leader

In conversation with Michele Cloonan, Dean Emerita and Professor at Simmons University, in Boston on August 29, 2018

Trailer (0:58)

Interview (40:22)

Synopsis
Dean Emerita and Professor Michele Cloonan talks about her life from her grandparents escaping Nazi Germany, to stepping down after ten years as Dean, and to her lifelong work in the field of preservation.

Timecodes
00:00 – Introducing Michele Cloonan
01:31 – Story in your own words
06:40 – Career in leadership and administration
08:18 – Stepping down as Dean
13:45 – People who had significant influences
16:47 – Preservation and Conservation
27:10 – Life lessons
31:29 – Meaning of happiness
32:21 – Meaning of fulfillment
34:39 – Valuing each other and showing gratitude
36:16 – Current goals
37:31 – Mentoring advice

Contact Michele Cloonan LinkedIn | Wikipedia

The editing of this video was supported by the COCIS Innovation Fund at Simmons University.

Laila Marouf

Laila Marouf at Simmons

In Conversation

Episode 2 Laila Marouf
Academic, Professor, Administrator, Leader

In conversation with Laila Marouf, Professor and Assistant Vice President for Research at Kuwait University in Simmons College, Boston on August 15, 2018

Trailer (1:00)

Interview (43:37)

Synopsis
Professor and Administrator Laila Marouf talks about her experience going back to school in a different country after ten years of being a full-time mother.

Timecodes
00:00 – Introducing Laila Marouf
01:06 – Knowledge management
05:31 – Story in your own words
14:51 – Childhood
17:41 – People, books, or events that had significant influences
20:54 – Key skills that helped succeed
20:02 – Keeping yourself motivated
22:53 – Managing time effectively
24:03 – Working irrespective of deadlines
25:02 – Biggest successes
27:32 – Being a mother
28:29 – Cultures, Diversity, and Soft skills
31:06 – Resources for success
32:35 – Being a role model to women
34:40 – Emotional intelligence
36:11 – Relating to factors of happiness
36:40 – Strategies for managing personal growth
38:35 – Meaning of happiness
40:05 – Goals now
42:11 – Mentoring advice

Contact Laila Marouf LinkedIn

The editing of this video was supported by the COCIS Innovation Fund at Simmons University.

Eileen Abels

Eileen Abels

In Conversation

Episode 1 Eileen Abels
Academic, Professor, Dean, Leader

In conversation with Eileen Abels, Dean of the College of Organizational, Computational, and Information Sciences and Director of the School of Library & Information Science, Simmons College, Boston on June 25, 2018

Part 1 Life and Inspiration (7:01)

Part 2 On Teaching & Innovation, Social Justice, Design Thinking (9:32)

Part 3 On Successes, Fake News & Critical Thinking, Life Lessons (8:41)

Synopsis
Dean and Professor Eileen Abels talks about life and inspiration, teaching and innovation, social justice, design thinking, successes, fake news & critical thinking, and life lessons a week before retiring.

Contact Eileen Abels Twitter LinkedIn

Why Project Oneness World?

“The enemy is not the other. It is the ego that creates the other.” (March 13, 2018)

The purpose of Project Oneness World is to gather human stories through interviews to inspire other human stories, and to connect people with the knowledge of people and resources to help achieve their life goals.

The people interviewed may be from different fields, speaking different languages and from anywhere in the world. The stories may be of daily survival or of people who are 1) encouraging oneness, diversity and inclusion; 2) working towards personal growth and excellence in a certain field such as arts, science & technology, education, etc.; and 3) working to help improve the human condition by contributing towards a certain cause.

Through these stories, we should be able to learn life lessons, about growth and resilience and about overcoming barriers, and appreciate the basic oneness of all human beings despite our separate struggles in different contexts. Above all, rather than looking at people from the outside-in in terms of the cultures and communities they come from, the project should enable us to look at people from the inside-out, as individuals, based on their stories in their own words.

The stories should inspire other people to strive themselves towards forging connections, achieving excellence and helping others.  The project also aims to document organizations and resources and to link people with each other to further their goals, and for greater knowledge sharing.

Naresh Agarwal

May 7, 2018