The Strength of a Network: How Black Professionals, Academics, and Students Are Improving the Information Field

In celebration of Black History Month, BLISTS (Black and Latinx Information Science and Technology Society) will be hosting this discussion.

This event will give students from underrepresented backgrounds an inside look at graduate programs at the iSchool, and how students from similar backgrounds channeled the support, skills, and network gained at the iSchool into successful careers. We will highlight BLISTS and its mentorship, support, and networking efforts that have spanned multiple decades, and empowered hundreds of Black and Latinx students to pursue careers in Information and Technology.

The event will include a presentation about the academic programs and opportunities at the iSchool, and a panel discussion featuring black professionals, academics, and students. Our guest panelists will discuss the value of a network, and the impact it has had on their experiences in the iSchool and beyond. They will also share insight on how they have navigated the Information Technology field, the lessons they learned while continuing their education, and how they give back to the communities they represent.

We hope to inspire you to pursue graduate school opportunities in data, information, and technology, and gain authentic perspective on what your career could look like at the iSchool and beyond.

Learn more about BLISTS at www.blists.org

Our panel includes:

Beth Patin
Assistant Professor, Syracuse University iSchool

Rah Thomas ’02; Accenture
Managing Director, Cloud Transformation and Operations
B.S. Information Management & Technology

Jamar Smith G’16; Adobe
Senior Data Architect, Adobe
M.S. Information Management, CAS in Information Security

Daniel Scott ’20 G’22
Current Graduate Student
B.S. in Information & Technology; M.S. Applied Data Science

Cayla Dorsey ’20, Microsoft
Content Designer
B.S. Information Management & Technology

Aminata Sanogo G’22
Current Graduate Students
M.S. Applied Data Science