On Friday, May 8 at Bass Concert Hall on UT campus, the entire iSchool community gathered, along with scores of friends and family of graduating students, to celebrate the impressive accomplishments and cheer for the future success of the iSchool Class of 2026. Congrats to all who walked the stage to receive an iSchool diploma!
The day’s speeches leaned into themes of change, openness to possibility, and optimism in the face of a rapidly changing information landscape. Interim dean and chair designate Ken Fleischmann led off the event by discussing the iSchool’s transition this summer to become a department in the new School of Computing at UT. He compared this transformation to the shift graduating students will experience this spring and summer, as they move into new jobs or towards further academic studies.
“I believe that great things are ahead for the iSchool, just as I see great things ahead for all of you, in your careers and your lives,” Fleischmann said.
Fleischmann went on to congratulate each cohort individually. First, he praised undergraduates for joining what was then a fledgling program – the iSchool’s B.A/B.S program launched in Fall 2021. “I knew we would attract outstanding students who would make us all proud, and we have been able to bring in an excellent group and provide them with a world-class education,” he said. “I'm so proud of what each and every one of you accomplished during your time here in the iSchool.”
Fleischmann added words of praise for the MSIS students, who impressed the entire iSchool community with their research at the recent Capstone poster event, and the MSISP students focused on information security and privacy, saying, “Texas, your data is truly in good hands.” Of the graduating Ph.D. class, many whom are set to become research leaders on AI and related technologies, he added, “You've learned from experts, but now, in your specialty, you are the experts.”
Returning to the theme of change, Fleischmann expressed confidence that the iSchool had prepared graduating students for long careers in a dynamic field undergoing frequent major and exciting disruptions. “Please keep in mind that you've all received an education, not just training,” he said. “Technology will continue to evolve throughout your careers and lifetimes, just as it has evolved a lot during your time here at the iSchool. You're equipped with fundamental understanding of the relationship between people and information technology, and how it can benefit society.”
Keynote speaker Katie Prentice, MSIS ’04 and executive director of the Texas Medical Center (TMC) Library in Houston, sounded similar themes in her speech. She began by describing her path to the iSchool, which began when she was a Peace Corps volunteer in Latvia and was tasked with creating an archive of past Peace Corps projects in the country. Prentice realized through that project that she might enjoy spending the rest of her life in the library and archive field.
“If you already have a plan for yourself, a job lined up and next steps ready to go, that’s great, but if you're not sure, also great,” Prentice said. “Find something to do and pay those bills while you figure it out. How I became the person I am today was a combination of being open to new places and experiences and finding opportunities wherever I could.”
Prentice arrived at the iSchool in 2002, just as faculty voted unanimously to change the name from the Graduate School of Library and Information Science to the School of Information, to better reflect the diversity of issues and the multidisciplinary nature of studies in the information field. It was then as now a time of change for the field, but Prentice was attracted to an aspect of the career that would never change: connecting people and information.
“As I became a librarian, I realized I love the people,” Prentice said. “I love the learners themselves, meeting them where they are, and helping them find what they need and develop skills along the way.”
Still, Prentice encountered doubters who thought human guides and information stewards would be rendered obsolete by progress in technology. “I met people at the time who asked bluntly, ‘Why bother studying information? Why do you want to work in the library? Everything will be free on the internet, and libraries won't be needed,’” she said.
Today, her career proves those doubters wrong on a daily basis. Not only is the TMC Library a lively, dynamic space – Prentice says that foot traffic in her library continues to increase – it’s also a site of crucial research that helps save lives both in the immediate and long term, as care providers and medical researchers depend upon her collections and resources.
“Our library supports the research, education and clinical care efforts of thousands of people who are working to change the world – one student, one patient, one research project at a time,” Prentice said. “Every book, every article, library, database or research project is supported and is part of changing our world.”
As students prepared to walk the stage to the raucous cheers of family and friends, Prentice sounded one last note on the theme of embracing change and finding opportunity – including the opportunity to serve people and make the world better – in an unpredictable landscape.
“It is hard to believe sometimes that the careers that many of you will experience will be in jobs that haven't been invented,” Prentice said. “This is terrifying and amazing, and I know you're going to make the most of it. After my first twenty years in libraries, I can't foresee the next twenty, but I'm glad to be on the journey with all of you.”