Catherine Brooks Featured in The Education Magazine Among Deans Transforming Information Science and Digital Innovation
Catherine Brooks served as the director of the School of Information from 2019 to 2023 and has served as the interim dean of the College of Information Science since its founding in 2023.
Photo by Michael McKisson.
College of Information Science Interim Dean and Professor Catherine Brooks is featured in The Education Magazine’s “The 10 Deans Transforming Information Science & Digital Innovation, 2026.”
Brooks is the cover story for the publication’s special feature that includes an in-depth profile of the InfoSci interim dean: “Catherine Brooks: How Human Questions Still Guide the College of Information Science.”
In the feature, Brooks’ path is traced from communication studies and instructional technology to information science and academic leadership. Her successful approach to leading a college that spans fields from artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and data science to game design, information science and library science is also explored.
At the center of the profile is Brooks’ emphasis on preparing students not simply for changing technologies, but also to think critically about those technologies’ broader societal implications.
“We are preparing students not simply to use technology, but to understand it, question it, design with it and lead responsibly in environments shaped by technology,” she says.
The feature also looks at the College of Information Science’s continued growth, its interdisciplinary approach to research and education, the 2025 integration of the College of Applied Science and Technology, and Brooks’ vision for strengthening student success, research excellence and access.
Looking toward the future of the field, Brooks returns to questions that extend beyond any single technology: Who has access to information and technology? How can trust and privacy be protected? And how can innovation broadly benefit communities? These questions, she says, are essential to preparing students not just to navigate rapid technological change, but also to help shape that change responsibly.
Explore “The 10 Deans Transforming Information Science & Digital Innovation, 2026.”