ISSIP Service Innovation Weekly Speaker Series

1. Pipelines & Pathways into the
Information Professions
Lessons Learned from the iSchool inclusion Institute (i3)
February 10, 2016
Michael Depew | Director, iSchool Inclusion Institute (i3) | University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences | mdepew@pitt.edu
Leona Mitchell | Visiting Professor of Practice | University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences | leonam@pitt.edu
i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g

2. The Talent/Skills Gap
WHAT WE HAVE
 50.8% of U.S. residents are female (Census)
 37.9% of U.S. residents are minorities (Time)
 -12% drop, since 1991, in the number of computer
science degrees earned by women in the U.S. (Wired)
 Black and Hispanic students took home 4.1% and
7.7% of bachelor’s degrees in computing and
engineering; double the average number hired by the
biggest tech firms (Wash. Post)
 84% of professionals in U.S. science and engineering
jobs are white or Asian males (NSF)
WHAT WE NEED
 8.65M – U.S. STEM workforce by 2018 (BLS)
 34% increase in yearly production of undergraduate
STEM degrees to match the demand forecast for STEM
professionals (BLS)
 35% of 38,000 worldwide employers reported
difficulty filling jobs due to lack of available talent
 39% of U.S. employers (HBR)
 500,000 tech jobs sit open in the U.S. (Wired)
i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g

3. Industry and
government
respond…

4. Pipelines vs.Pathways
PIPELINES
 Traditional approach of recruiting and
developing talent
 Primary focus on increasing pool of
candidates
 Suffers from points of high attrition
 Does not account for structural barriers
 Ex: promotion and review processes, family
barriers, lack of formal mentoring and
professional development programs, schedule
inflexibility
PATHWAYS
 Creates options and flexible models for
advancement
 T-focused and interdisciplinary approach
 Casts a wider net and recruits from a
richer pool of resources
 Recognizes and accounts for variety in
student backgrounds and skills
 Accounts for structural barriers
 Proven results
i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g

5. iSchool Inclusion Institute (i3)
i3 is an undergraduate research and leadership development
program that prepares students from underrepresented populations
for graduate study and careers in the information sciences
i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g

6. Objectives
1. Build awareness of the breadth and depth of opportunities for careers in the information
sciences
2. Gain hands-on research experience and strengthen discipline-based skills and multi-
disciplinary communications skills (T-shape)
3. Develop a network of mentors who encourage and assist i3 Scholars throughout their
studies and careers
4. Develop a sense of community among i3 Scholars that sustains itself beyond the
program
5. Collaborate with industry partners to expand available pathways for underrepresented
students to enter academic, research, and professional careers in the information
sciences
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7. Program Structure
i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g
Introductory Institute
4 Weeks, Summer 1, Hosted at Pitt
 Special-topics workshops; professional development seminars
 PhDTeaching Fellows lead modules on research design and programming
 Form project teams and create research proposals
Team Research Project
Yearlong Project, Completed Remotely
 Interdisciplinary projects
 Gain experience with project management processes and software
Concluding Institute
2 Weeks, Summer 2, Hosted at Pitt
 Create a research poster and present findings
 Prepare work for conference publication

8. i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g
Female
58%
Male
42%
Gender
Asian
9%
Black
50%
Hispanic/Latino
26%
Middle Eastern
2%
White
13%
Race & Ethnicity
Gender & Race/Ethnicity (Cohorts 1-5)

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34
21
18
13
10
9
3
2
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Information & Computer Sciences
Social Sciences
Business & Economics
Engineering
Communications
Liberal Arts
Natural Sciences
Mathematics & Statistics
Undergraduate Majors by
Discipline (Cohorts 1-5)
i3 Scholars are interested in solving information and
technology problems … and they approach those
problems from unique perspectives
18
2
2
1
1
1
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Information Science
Game Design
Public Policy
Education
Criminal Justice
Business & Economics
Graduate Degrees by Discipline
(Cohorts 1-5)
The breadth of the information sciences matches
students’ desire for interdisciplinary research and careers

10. Current Obstacles for Students
Entry into Graduate Study
 Student loans, undergraduate debt
 Limited access to, and experience applying for, financial resources
 Lack of mentors with graduate study experience
 Uninformed or unsupportive social networks (family and friends)
Retention in Graduate Study & Professional Careers
 Perceived consequences of being underrepresented
 Exclusion and conflict with faculty, peers, or supervisors; explicit discrimination
 Lack of community within one’s program or department
 Family and work-life barriers
 Lack of formal mentoring and professional development
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11. i3:Expanding Pathways & Improving Retention
1. Partner with iSchools to offer scholarships
2. Create a network of academic and professional mentors
3. Increasing the pool instead of shifting
 5 minority faculty recruited to University of Florida from Clemson
4. Recruiting non-STEM majors
 74 % of those with a bachelor's degree in STEM are not employed in STEM occupations (U.S.
Census Bureau)
5. Provide opportunities for culturally-relevant and interdisciplinary projects
 Contextualized computing education
6. Partner with industry leaders to develop career pathways
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12. Program Successes
 110 students have participated in i3 since
2011
 Diverse
 Interdisciplinary
 Advanced Education
 6 iSchool partners offer scholarships for
graduate school
 Carnegie Mellon University
 Drexel University
 Syracuse University
 University of Michigan
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
 University of Pittsburgh
 16 research projects presented at
conferences
 Qualitative and quantitative methods
 Social media data analysis, sentiment analysis
 User studies
 Systems analysis
 Social informatics
 Winner of the 2015 University of Pittsburgh
Chancellor’s Affirmative Action, Diversity,
and Inclusion Award
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13. Where i3 Scholars Complete Their
Graduate Degrees
Drexel University, Masterof Library and Information Science
New York University, Master of Fine Arts in Game Design
Rutgers University, PhD in Communication
Texas State University, Master of Merchandising and Consumer
Studies
University of Arizona, Master of Library & Information Science
University of California at Berkeley, Master of Information
Management and Systems
University of California at Irvine, PhD in Informatics & Computer
Science
University of Illinois, Master of Library Information Science
University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Master of Public Policy
University of Michigan, Master of Science in Information
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Master of Library and
Information Science
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Master of Library and
Information Science
University of Pittsburgh, Master of Information Science
University of Southern California, Master of Educational
Counseling
University of Southern California, Master of Interactive Media
and Games
University of Texas at Austin, Master of Information Studies
University of Washington, Master of Library and Information
Science
Washington State University, Master of Criminal Justice and
Criminology
Syracuse University, Master of Information Management
i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g

14. Current Projects
Virtual Patient Computer Simulations
Virtual patients are computer simulations of clinical encounters where the learner plays the role of a healthcare provider by interacting with an on-screen
patient. The team is implementing Bayesian networks using medical data to drive agent behavior within the second iteration of design of a virtual patient
simulator.
The Role of Cognitive Maps in Familiarity and Wayfinding
The team is investigating familiarity in terms of cognitive maps. By exploring the formation of a cognitive map over time, the team will examine the
relationship between cognition, familiarity, and wayfinding success.
Immigrant and Refugee Integration Through Online Communities
The team is examining how immigrants and refugees can increase their sense of belonging in new communities through the use of information systems,
especially neighborhood-based hyper-local online communities such as EveryBlock, Front Porch Forum, and NextDoor.
Social Media Consumption & Health Information Seeking Behavior
The team is investigating how teens’ usage of social media has impacted their information seeking behavior in regards to safe sex.
Mobile Application Use in Social Activist Organizations
The team is investigating information needs of social activist groups, specifically Ban the Box / Fair Chance. Analysis of information networks and
organization needs will be utilized in the design of a mobile application prototype.
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15. Help Needed
 Engage i3 alumni in research projects or internships
 Present a workshop highlighting company research at i3 2016 (June/July 2016)
 Sponsor a research project(s) for the 2016 cohort (June 2016 – June 2017)
 Mentor a student
 Other suggestions?
Contact: Mike Depew (mdepew@pitt.edu)
i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g

16. i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g

17. References
Bessen, James. (2014). “Employers Aren’t Just Whining – the “Skills Gap” Is Real.” Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2014/08/employers-arent-just-whining-
the-skills-gap-is-real/
“Census Bureau Reports Majority of STEM College Graduates Do Not Work in STEM Occupations.” (2014). U.S. Census Bureau.
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2014/cb14-130.html
“Deloitte Millennial Survey 2016: Winning over the next generation of leaders.” (2016). Deloitte. http://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-
deloitte/articles/millennialsurvey.html
Figueroa, Tanya and Hurtado, Sylvia. (2013). “Underrepresented Racial and/or Ethnic Minority (URM) Graduate Students in STEM Disciplines: A Critical Approach to
Understanding Graduate School Experiences and Obstacles to Degree Progression.” Association for the Study of Higher Education.
http://www.heri.ucla.edu/nih/downloads/ASHE2013-URM-Grad-Students-in-STEM.pdf
Guzdial, Mark. “Contextualized Computing Education Increasing Retention by Making Computing Relevant.” http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/mediaComp-
plan/uploads/1/Contextualized-Computing-Education.pdf
Kang, Cecilia and Frankel, Todd C. (2015). “Silicon Valley struggles to hack its diversity problem.” Washington Post.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/silicon-valley-struggles-to-hack-its-diversity-problem/2015/07/16/0b0144be-2053-11e5-84d5-
eb37ee8eaa61_story.html
Lapowsky, Issie. (2015). “Obama Has a $100M Plan to Fill the Tech Talent Shortage.” Wired. http://www.wired.com/2015/03/techhire-initiative/
National Science Board. (2015). “Revisiting the STEM Workforce: A Companion to Science and Engineering Indicators 2014.” National Science Foundation.
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2015/nsb201510/nsb201510.pdf
Ouimet, Maeghan. (2015). “5 Numbers That Explain Why STEM Diversity Matters to All of Us. Wired. http://www.wired.com/brandlab/2015/05/5-numbers-explain-
stem-diversity-matters-us/
Pepitone, Julianne. “How diverse is Silicon Valley?” CNN Money. http://money.cnn.com/interactive/technology/tech-diversity-data/?iid=EL
“STEM crisis or STEM surplus? Yes and yes.” (2015). Bureau of Labor Statistics: Monthly Labor Review. http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2015/article/stem-crisis-or-stem-
surplus-yes-and-yes.htm
Sanburn, Josh. (2015). “U.S. Steps Closer to a Future Where Minorities Are the Majority.” TIME. http://time.com/3934092/us-population-diversity-census/
Watson, Jamal. (2014). “University of Florida Takes Giant Step Onto Center Stage.” Diverse Issues in Higher Education. http://diverseeducation.com/article/63916/
White, Judith S. (2005). “Pipeline to Pathways: New Directions for Improving the Status of Women on Campus.” Liberal Education. https://www.aacu.org/publications-
research/periodicals/pipeline-pathways-new-directions-improving-status-women-campus
i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g

18. i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g
Background

19. Former Projects
Crowdfunding: Applying Collective Indexing of Emotions to Campaign Videos| To be presented at CSCW 2016
The Customer Is Always Right: Analyzing Existing Market Feedback to Improve TVs | To be presented at iConference 2016
Effects of Social Networking Sites on User Experience | http://hdl.handle.net/2142/73702
Entering the Boys' Club: An Analysis of Female Representation in Game Industry, Culture, and Design | http://hdl.handle.net/2142/47355
Hacked: A Qualitative Analysis of Media Coverage of the Sony Breach | To be presented at iConference 2016
iDiscover: Inspiring youth to pursue STEM | http://hdl.handle.net/2142/41282
iGo Green: A Life Cycle Assessment of Apple's iPhone | http://hdl.handle.net/2142/73760
Information Occupation: Using Information Science to Explore Occupy Wall Street | http://hdl.handle.net/2142/42045
The Path from New to Viral: Understanding What Makes Videos Go Viral | http://hdl.handle.net/2142/47367
"Our Experiences Are Not Unique": An Exploratory Study of Common Motivators and Inhibitors For Latinas in STEM Fields. | http://hdl.handle.net/2142/73733
#ReproHealth: A State-Based Investigation of Reproductive Health Rights Policy and Social Media Activity | To be presented at iConference 2016
Sex Offenders and Interoperability in E-Government: A qualitative analysis of SORNA compliance in Florida and Texas | To be presented at iConference 2016
Social Network Identity: Facebook, Twitter and Identity Negotiation Theory | http://hdl.handle.net/2142/47365
Tweet for Democracy: Examining the Monitorial Citizen | ttp://hdl.handle.net/2142/47334
Utilizing Social Networks to Analyze Needs of Caregivers of Autistic Individuals | http://hdl.handle.net/2142/73693
i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g

20. Oliver Haimson (i3 2011)
UC Irvine,PhD Student in Informatics
Carnegie Mellon University,BS in Economics
i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g
Information Occupation: Using Information Science to Explore Occupy Wall Street
Global social movements of 2011 like the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street were unprecedented in their use of
social media as an organizing tool and communication technique. To further explore the role of mobile/social
technologies in these movements, we analyze information diffusion in Occupy Wall Street by means of social
media over a nine-month period beginning in September 2011 as well as describe the movement’s information
ecosystem. Specifically, we perform a network visualization and analysis of Twitter data sets and analyze Twitter
volume over time to understand OWS’ information practices. Multi-site, participant observation is utilized to
observe these information practices.
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/42045
“Before i3 I did not really know what information science
was or what opportunities were available for graduate
school and careers. i3 educated me […] and helped me to
realize my passion for IS. i3 is the reason that I am pursuing
a PhD in Information and Computer Sciences.”

21. Oliver Haimson (projects cont.)
UC Irvine,PhD Student in Informatics
Carnegie Mellon University,BS in Economics
DDF Seeks Same: Sexual Health-Related Language in Online Personal Ads For Men Who Have Sex With Men OL Haimson, JR Brubaker, GR Hayes
ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems 2014, 1615-1624
Disclosure, Stress, and Support During Gender Transition on Facebook OL Haimson, JR Brubaker, L Dombrowski, GR Hayes
ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing 2015
Using Depression Analytics to Reduce Stigma via Social Media: BlueFriends OL Haimson, KE Ringland, S Simpson, CT Wolf
iConference 2014
Information Occupation: Using Information Science to Explore Occupy Wall Street OL Haimson, J Cartagena
iConference 2013, 733-737
Evaluating a Collaborative iPad Game's Impact on Social Relationships for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder LE Boyd, KE Ringland, OL Haimson, H
Fernandez, M Bistarkey, ...
ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS) 7 (1), 3
Between the Lines: Reevaluating the Online/Offline Binary S Vieweg, OL Haimson, M Massimi, K O'Hara, EF Churchill
Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference Extended Abstracts on Human ...
Facebooking in Face: Complex Identities Meet Simple Databases MJ Handel, R Bivens, JR Brubaker, OL Haimson, J Lingel, S Yarosh
Proceedings of the 18th ACM Conference Companion on Computer Supported ...
On Vintage Values: The Experience of Secondhand Fashion Reacquisition AE Bowser, OL Haimson, E Melcer, EF Churchill
ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems 2015
Online inspiration and exploration for identity reinvention OL Haimson, A Bowser, E Melcer, EF Churchill
ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems 2015
Exploring Gender, Race, and Sexuality with Social Media Data OL Haimson, A Menking, J Eschler, I Erickson, GR Hayes
iConference 2015
User Response to Facebook’s Custom Gender Options OL Haimson, JR Brubaker, C Loder, L Dombrowski, GR Hayes
iConference 2015
i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g

22. Amana Kaskazi (i3 2012)
Rutgers University,PhD Student in Communications
University of Michigan,MS in Information
i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g
Social Network Identity: Facebook, Twitter and Identity Negotiation Theory
The use of social networking sites (SNS) has had implications in traditional areas of communication such as
identity and relationship construction. This study explores how identity is expressed on Facebook and Twitter, the
top two most trafficked SNS (Brenner, 2013). Specifically, this study reports the finding of a survey of young adults
who use these sites. Respondents were asked questions about what prompts them to choose how they express
their identity on Facebook and how/if it differs from identity expression using Twitter. In addition this study
examines how Facebook and Twitter can be understood through the sociological theory of identity negotiation.
Implications for the connection between social digital identity and "catfishing" are provided and discussed.
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/47365
“i3 was a wonderful opportunity that
allowed me to expand my horizons and
explore new areas of research.”

23. Amana Kaskazi (project cont.)
Rutgers University,PhD Student in Communications
University of Michigan,MS in Information
i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g
19th Century Acts
Digital humanities project designed to create a visually interesting and interactive screen that tracks the life, travels, performances,
cultural context and repertory of the 19th century actor Ira Aldridge; display includes geo-spatial mapping of Aldridge’s journeys,
images of historical documents, network schemata, and video recordings of gestures that document 19th century acts
http://19thcenturyacts.com/index.html
Visualizing 19th Century Acts: Informatics, Design, Theatre and History Collaborate
Panel Presentation at the 2014 Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities (a2ru) National Conference. November 5-8, 2014
Organizational Communication Analysis of the University of Michigan Library
Contextual inquiry analysis of the University of Michigan Library that identified strengths and weaknesses of organizational
communication; conducted interviews and observations of various employees and presented findings in a technical report to the
operational manager of the library
‘With Class’: Exploring Black Female Identity and Cultural Expression on Twitter and Instagram
Workshop Presentation at the 2015 iConference, Exploring Gender, Race, and Sexuality with Social Media Data session. March 24-
27, 2015

24. Jamar Smith (i3 2012)
Syracuse University,MS in Information Management
University of New Mexico,BS in Statistics
i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g
Tweet for Democracy: Examining the Monitorial Citizen
In the 2012 US presidential election, there was concern about voter turnout. Since Obama for America's use of
social media during 2008 Presidential elections, there has been growing speculation of social media becoming a
medium for re-engaging citizens in politics. Hence, social media's role in political engagement and the nature of
political engagement were examined via three analyses of Twitter data (i.e. network posting frequency, sentiment
analysis, and social network analysis) and one survey study. The results showed that Twitter's impact on political
engagement is simply about spreading awareness -- it still depends on whether open-minded, and politically and
civically interested users see the politically relevant tweets.
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/47334
“I have a greater understanding of teamwork and I feel more
prepared to lead a research project or group. I am also more
familiar with technology that can enhance and enable teamwork.”

25. Mandi Gonzalez (i3 2013)
University of Michigan,MS in Information (HCI Concentration)
UNC Chapel Hill,BS Library and Information Science
i S c h o o l I n c l u s i o n I n s t i t u t e ( i 3 ) | w w w . i s c h o o l - i n c l u s i o n . o r g
Entering the Boys' Club: An Analysis of Female
Representation in Game Industry, Culture, and Design
Numerous studies have examined the role of gender in game
design, game play and game experience and conclude that
women are often excluded and objectified in character design,
appearance and behavior. Game and gender studies scholars
encourage further research in these topics. However, in the
analysis and critique of these findings, there is little to no
emphasis on a plan of implementation or suggestions made
concerning a change in the approach of stereotypes used in game
and character design, sexism in game culture and inclusion of
women in STEM related fields. This paper provides insights into
the importance of gender roles and character design and
representation in video games in relation to creating inclusive
gaming environments for women.
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/47355