Nick Belkin

Nicholas Belkin

In Conversation

Episode 17 Nick Belkin

Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Information Science

In conversation with Nicholas Belkin, Distinguished Professor of Information Science, Emeritus, at the School of Communication and Information, Rutgers University and a stalwart of the information science and information retrieval fields. He talked about growing up speaking Russian in the US during the cold war, forming the Concept of Anomalous State of Knowledge (ASK), his time in the military during the Cuban Missile Crisis, being open to ideas but following your own, and keeping fit.

Trailer (1:02)

Interview (1:22:46)

Timecodes

0:00 Trailer

1:00 Intro

4:29 Nick’s Life and Career

13:11 Formation of the Anomalous State of Knowledge Concept

50:48 Childhood

55:07 Military, Cuban Missile Crisis

56:16 Return to Academia

59:43 Major Turning Points

1:05:26 Brenda Dervin

1:08:38 Key Skills

1:10:53 Biggest Successes

1:13:17 Difficult Phases

1:15:08 What Belkin Wished He Knew Earlier

1:18:03 Life Principles

1:18:51 What is Happiness?

1:20:11 Belkin’s Goals and Health

This interview was supported by the ASIS&T Bob Williams Research Grant 2025.

More about Nick Belkin Rutgers University | Google Scholar | Wikipedia

Madhav Kakkar

Madhav Kakkar and Naresh Agarwal on March 25, 2025

In Conversation

Episode 11 Madhav Kakkar
Seeing India become independent, academia, loneliness in old age

In conversation with Professor Madhav Kakkar, who talks about his childhood in India and seeing India become independent from British rule, moving to the US, career in academia and leadership roles, losing his wife, and loneliness of old age.

Trailer (0:56)

Interview (57:02)

Timecodes

0:00 Trailer

0:53 Introduction

3:13 Childhood

4:50 College

5:45 First Job

6:04 Civil Service Exam

7:36 Teaching in Hindi or English

8:04 Witnessing Independence of India

12:55 Moving to the United States

20:00 Turning Points in Career

23:02 Reunited with Family

26:28 Serendipity

27:46 Influences

35:28 Biggest Success

36:09 Hardest part of his life

38:25 Difficulties of Old Age

51:01 Life Principles

51:56 Meaning of Happiness

This interview was supported by the iSchools Research Grant 2023.

Madhav Kakkar watching his interview on March 25, 2025

Eileen Abels

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.

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