UMSI announces awards for 2023 graduates

At the 2023 graduation ceremony, the University of Michigan School of Information bestowed awards on five graduates across undergraduate and graduate programs. The work, passion and integrity of this group exemplify UMSI’s mission to create and share knowledge so that people will use information — with technology — to build a better world. 

Margaret Mann Award

The Margaret Mann Award is the first and oldest student award at the School of Information. It was established in 1938 to honor associate professor Margaret Mann upon her retirement. Mann was the first external faculty member hired into the department of library science when it was created in 1926.

Each year, this award goes to one or more students who demonstrate exceptional academic ability and professional promise. The Margaret Mann Award recognizes the heritage of UMSI and the deep roots of professional education in the information field at the University of Michigan. The award recognizes future promise through evidence of accomplishment at UMSI.

Honoree: Beatriz Cabrera (Master of Applied Data Science) 

Cabrera was an outstanding student in the Master of Applied Data Science (MADS) Capstone course. Her nominator notes that in her project, Cabrera built a Python library for visualizing data using quipu, a historic Incan system of representing numbers with knots tied in strings. Her work shows technical rigor as well as profound engagement with social and ethical questions in modern data science. 

Cabrera’s clear and expressive writing is another testament to her rigor as a thinker. Cabrera is also active in the MADS community, particularly in the Women in MADS group. 

Honoree: Shannon Li (Master of Science in Information) 

Li has excelled academically in the MSI program, and in the Bachelor of Science in Information (BSI) program before that. Li consistently demonstrates ability and promise based on her years of high-quality research and design work.

Li’s teaching skills demonstrate her capacity for leadership. She has been a mentor and leader in helping her students prepare for careers in interaction design and user experience. Additionally, she has been a leader in programs like Women in Science and Engineering Residence, GLAAD and Girls Who Code. In research groups, Li had often taken a leading role in writing academic papers. 

During her time at UMSI, Li worked with the Community Health Access Initiative at the U-M School of Public Health to develop a website that serves as a resource for LGBTQ+ young people in Washtenaw County. She also worked on the design team for the Online Identity Health Center, a digital literacy-resource that helps marginalized social media users and the public learn about social media content moderation and their rights as users. 

Li is highly motivated, high-achieving, and has strong potential for becoming a leader in user experience/user interface design and specifically, designing for social impact. Li has previously designed for CNN, Sweetgreens and MAC Cosmetics, and is an incoming designer at Nike. 

Edmon Low Award

The Class of 1972 established the Edmon Low Award to honor professor Edmon Low on his retirement. Nominations are solicited from master's students, and the award recipient is chosen by the executive officers of the School of Information Master's Association. Awardees embody the qualities valued by Low: dedication to service, empathy for others, confidence building, industry, interpersonal acuity, responsibility and humor.

Honoree: Chue (Chewy) Lor (Master of Science in Information)

While at UMSI, Lor has demonstrated a deep understanding that change for the greater good can be achieved, and that collaboration is crucial. One nominator noted that Lor “has an exceptional ability to inspire and uplift those around them.” 

Last summer, Lor made the decision to embark on an internship to help Afghan refugees learn digital skills that will help them find jobs and resources in America. By teaching them how to translate their technical skills into the American context, Lor helped provide the refugees with a valuable tool to help them rebuild their lives. Lor’s commitment to helping those who are most vulnerable is a testament to the critical role that information professionals play in our society. 

John L. King Award

To honor the professor who devoted many years to the development of the Bachelor of Science in Information program, UMSI created the John L. King Award in 2015. The award recognizes an outstanding student in the undergraduate program. 

Honoree: Jia-Tong Choo (Bachelor of Science in Information)

The clear impact that Choo has had on the BSI program is undeniable. Choo came to UMSI as a transfer student from Shoreline Community College and brought with her a desire to see other transfer students feel empowered and welcomed at UMSI. 

As the school worked to improve its transfer orientation program, Choo worked to benchmark programming for transfer students at other colleges and universities, to find where there were gaps in support for UMSI students. She also gathered feedback from her peers on how UMSI could improve the experience for students transferring to the School of Information. 

As a returning Information Mentor this year, Choo spearheaded the creation of training materials, assisted in planning and executing Transfer Student Appreciation Week events, and went out of her way to support prospective students. One of her biggest strengths is her ability and willingness to use her experiences to assist future and current students. 

Nikki Candelore Roda Award

The only award at UMSI named for a student was inspired by an exceptional student, Nikki Candelore Roda.

Roda had a significant impact on the school while she was here, showing leadership and initiative and inspiring her peers. Ultimately, Roda made UMSI a better place to be a student.

The Nikki Candelore Roda Student Impact Award celebrates a student who has shown initiative and dedication to service, influenced the culture and climate of the school in positive ways, been an insightful leader and good ambassador, and will leave a lasting legacy. 

Honoree: Josh Horowitz (Master of Science in Information) 

Horowitz has been an advocate for UMSI since he joined the school. Coming out of the pandemic, the student-led School of Information Master’s Association (SIMA) had lost leadership and vision for a way forward. Horowitz stepped up and recruited and built a team of student leaders, all while balancing school work and a graduate student instructor position. 

Horowitz approached his work with SIMA in a collaborative, community-oriented way. Leveraging his role in SIMA, Horowitz made sure current students were involved at orientation, attended faculty committee meetings to share student feedback, and worked to make positive changes for future MSI students. 

Horowitz was highly involved, a visible leader, and deeply invested in changing the School of Information for the better.

 

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To watch the graduation ceremony, visit the School of Information’s 2023 graduation archive.