Gorichanaz to Receive Proquest Doctoral Dissertation Award
The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) is delighted to announce that Dr. Tim Gorichanaz is the 2019 recipient of the ProQuest Doctoral Dissertation Award from ASIS&T for his dissertation titled “Understanding Self-Documentation.” The award’s purpose is to recognize outstanding recent doctoral candidates whose research contributes significantly to an understanding of some aspect of information science. The award is intended to encourage participation of new PhDs in the activities of a professional association by providing a forum for the presentation of their research and assisting them with some travel support.
Dr. Gorichanaz was selected as the winner from among a pool of outstanding candidates who were judged based on these criteria: Importance of the topic to theory development and/or practical applications in information science; soundness of methodology; organization and clarity of the presentation; and quality of data (when applicable).
Tim Gorichanaz earned his PhD from the College of Computing & Informatics at Drexel University, where he is currently Assistant Teaching Professor. Before coming to Drexel, Gorichanaz earned an M.A. from New York University and a B.A. from Marquette University. He works on document theory and information experience, which he explores in domains of personally meaningful activities, such as religious practice and hobbies. His work has appeared in publication such as JASIST and Journal of Documentation. Gorichanaz received the ASIS&T New Leader Award in 2017, served on the SIG Cabinet Steering Committee and as SIG-USE Webmaster from 2017 to 2019, and he is currently Chair-Elect of SIG-HFIS.
In her letter of endorsement, Lorraine Richards, PhD wrote, “In his dissertation, Dr. Gorichanaz engaged in a detailed and thorough examination of phenomenological theory and the methods of critical theory in order to build a strong foundation for his examination of self-portraiture and documentation. This led to the development of an original theoretical account of documentation from the first-person perspective and a framework for attending to the concept of understanding in information science. Dr. Gorichanaz considered the relationship between the newer “selfie” with the more traditional “self-portrait.” The empirical portion built on this foundation; Dr. Gorichanaz worked with seven local artists to document their process creating a self-portrait, discerning the information behaviors and sources that went into the creative process. His dissertation research was highly creative, and it has caught the attention of numerous scholars in information science and technology, not least for its effective combination of conceptual and empirical work.”
Upon learning of his selection as the 2019 ProQuest Doctoral Dissertation Award winner, Dr. Gorichanaz said, I am thrilled to receive this award. And intimidated, too, when I reflect on the list of prior recipients. Since my early days as a PhD student, I have been inspired by ASIS&T publications and nurtured by connections made at the annual meeting. I am grateful, now, to have my work recognized in this way, and I look forward to many years of meaningful involvement with ASIS&T to come.”
Dr. Gorichanaz will receive his award at the 2019 meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) which will be held in Melbourne, Australia, October 19-23, 2019.