Student, Faculty, Staff & Alumni Profiles

Jennifer Rochelle joined the college in 2022 as an assistant professor of practice and faculty advisor for the Master's in Library and Information Science. Holding a law degree from CUNY and her U of A MLIS degree, her community work includes humanitarian aid on the U.S.-Mexico border, while her teaching covers copyright and intellectual property and ethics.

Academic Advisor Jessica Chung, who advises InfoSci main campus students, joined the college in the spring of 2024 after serving as an advisor at the University of Chicago. In this profile, she shares her joy in helping students achieve their academic goals; her love of music, food and games; and the value of goal-setting for students.

Danielle N. Cunes, a a post-traditional student and mother of two, is navigating the demanding journey of earning a BS in Information Science and minors in Mathematics and Spanish. Juggling coursework, family and professional development hasn’t been easy, but Danielle draws strength from a strong support network and from her passion to inspire other working women in tech.

Dr. P. Bryan Heidorn directs the Center for Digital Society and Data Studies in addition to his roles as professor and associate dean for research and graduate academic affairs. With a diverse background in iSchools leadership and information science research, he is passionate about getting information to scientists, policymakers and general citizens worldwide to make informed decisions about our environment.

Allison McNally graduated with her BA in Information Science and eSociety and BSBA (Business Management) in 2020. Originally from Tucson, Allison has used the skills gained in her dual degrees to help students thrive in the University of Arizona’s W.A. Franke Honors College.

Master of Science in Data Science student Kashyap Sai Prasad Nadendla came to the U of A from Chennai, India, where he earned an undergraduate degree in software engineering. As a student employee at the Institute for Computation and Data-Enabled Insight’s AI Core, he explores the latest advancements in artificial intelligence technology to develop innovative solutions and products

Dr. Nitika Sharma, an assistant professor of practice, joined the college in Fall 2024 following two postdoctoral fellowships at UCLA. Her research bridges ecology, evolution, mathematics and data. Learn more about Professor Sharma, including her advice to students about data science and public interest.

Dr. Liangming Pan, who holds a PhD in Computer Science from the National University of Singapore, joined the college in fall 2024. His primary research focuses on natural language processing and machine learning—artificial intelligence—and specifically how to build large language models that are logical, truthful and safe. Learn more about our newest assistant professor in this profile.

Dr. Marie Saldaña, an assistant professor with a PhD in Architecture, joined the College of Information Science in fall 2024 because of its transdisciplinary approaches. Her research focuses on cultural heritage informatics, and she is currently serving a fellowship with the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Tavia Szostek joined the College of Information Science as our new manager of graduate enrollment and retention in 2024. In that role, she stewards students through the enrollment process, ensuring they find the best graduate program fit for their needs. Learn more about Tavia's work with prospective and current InfoSci graduate students as well as her family, culinary and artistic passions.

Sophia Kingsley, who won the college's Spring 2024 Outstanding Master’s Student Award, graduated from the Master's in Library and Information Science program before joining the global law firm Sidley Austin in Los Angeles as a full-time research analyst. Read her fascinating alumni profile to learn about her passions for research, rock climbing and more.

Meredith V. Parker joined the College of Information Science in April 2021 after working as a K-12 counselor and instructional designer. She advises all of the college’s online undergraduate students from her connected home office in Alabama, though she travels across the country and around the world when she can.

Dr. Tyler Millhouse, who joined the college in 2023, specializes in the philosophy of science, with an emphasis on the philosophy of data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence. Learn more about his interests in AI, ethics and astronomy in this faculty profile.

Julie Swarstad Johnson, a lifelong Arizonan who “fell in love with Tucson’s quirky charm” when she first came to the university as an undergraduate, is the archivist and outreach librarian at the U of A Poetry Center as well as an award-winning poet who recently completed a “mission” to the moon.

Bailie Wynbelt, the College of Information Science's Spring 2024 Outstanding Senior, came to U of A from Michigan because of our welcoming campus and expansive undergraduate research opportunities. As a BSIS student, they pursued the Data Science emphasis area, finding a dynamic new way to address both local and global issues such as climate change.