ANN ARBOR—Two University of Michigan professors received awards from the American Society for Information Science (ASIS) during a special ceremony at the ASIS 1999 annual conference in Washington, D.C., in November.

Jos-Marie Griffiths, professor in the School of Information, the University’s chief information officer, and executive director of the Information Technology Division, received the Award of Merit, the Society’s highest honor. David Blair, professor in the School of Business Administration, received the Research Award for his research in information science literature.

The Award of Merit is presented to an individual “who has made noteworthy contributions to the field of information science, including the expression of new ideas, the creation of new devices, the development of better techniques, or substantial research efforts, or outstanding service to the profession of information science.”

Griffiths was responsible for the design of one of the first truly functional numeric metadata systems developed, and numerous technology studies ranging from implementation in organizations to several statewide networks. More recently, she has successfully led large technology organizations through major change. She contributes to information science education through a continuous commitment to teaching and sharing of knowledge in academic and professional settings.

Nationally recognized, Griffiths has extensive experience in information systems and networking. She has appointments to the U.S. National Commission of Libraries and Information Science, and the National Research Council (NRC) Computer Science and Telecommunications Board‘s project on the Information Technology Strategy for the Library of Congress. She is a member of the Secretary of Defense’s Advisory Subcommittee on Naval History, the White House Y2K Roundtable on Higher Education, and the Michigan Information Technology Commission.

“Dr. Griffiths has made significant contributions to information science through her research, furthering the knowledge and applications of new technologies, education and leadership,” says Richard Hill, executive director of the American Society for Information Science. “It is her strong combination of vision, collaborative approach, extraordinary communication abilities, advocacy and explicit values that have become the hallmark of her leadership and her contributions to the information sciences.”

The ASIS Research Award recognizes individuals or organizations for outstanding research contributions in the field of information science. In conferring the award on Blair this year, ASIS stated that “he has himself on two fronts that are not usually combined. First, as an empirical researcher he has conducted one of the most heavily-cited series of experiments in the information science literature. Second, and perhaps even more important, he has been concerned for many years with developing information retrieval theory?in particular, the theory of representation?in light of the philosophy of language.”

Blair is preparing his second book, which promises to be a major statement on the relevance of information science. One of his referees called him “a person of integrity and vision, someone who is able to bring a deeper philosophical dimension to his work.”

“Both Jose and David are true assets to the University,” says U-M Provost Nancy Cantor. “Jose is a distinguished scholar and teacher who shares her knowledge both in the classroom, and throughout the University community. As the University’s chief information officer, she contributes daily to our understanding and use of information technology.

“David balances his exceptional talents as researcher, writer and instructor with his involvement in University service,” says Cantor. “His contributions to research and academia are extraordinary.”

The American Society for Information Science’s membership represents a broad array of professionals working in the frontiers of information science and technology. ASIS counts among its members some 4,000 information specialist from such fields as computer science, management, engineering, librarianship, chemistry, linguistics and education. ASIS members continue to lead the information profession in the search for new and better theories, techniques, and technologies to improve access to information through storage and retrieval advances. Members are called upon to help determine new directions and standards for the development of information policies and practices.

National Commission of Libraries and Information ScienceNancy Cantor