News Brief
From left to right: Heidi Julien, PhD, Jane Bartley and Hassan Mortada.
Published November 4, 2025
BY DANIELLE LEGARE
GSE faculty, students honored as leaders in information science
Three members of the University at Buffalo Graduate School of Education community will be recognized for their impact in the field of information science at the 2025 Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) Annual Meeting, taking place from Nov.14 to 18 in Crystal City, Virginia.
Heidi Julien, GSE professor of information science, will receive the 2025 ASIS&T Award of Merit—the organization’s highest distinction—for her sustained and influential contributions to information science through scholarship, leadership and mentorship.
Heidi Julien, professor of information science.
“I am deeply grateful to those who nominated me for this award, as I know that effort is significant,” said Julien. “It is humbling to have my efforts honored. My sincere thanks also go to the many teachers, colleagues and friends who have shared their wisdom, encouragement and patience along the way. Most importantly, I deeply appreciate the decades of support from my family. This academic journey has been an amazing adventure, providing opportunities to meet so many interesting, smart and engaged people across the globe. I have learned from colleagues and students everywhere, and it is gratifying to know that my work has been appreciated across multiple disciplines and in many corners of the world.”
Julien’s research focuses on digital literacy, and information behavior and information practices.
According to Dan Albertson, professor and chair of the Department of Information Science, this is a well-deserved honor for Julien.
“The ASIS&T Award of Merit is the highest recognition of the organization and is awarded to those who are at the top of the profession. We’re so happy to see Dr. Julien—one of our own—receive it, he said. “Awards like this also raise the visibility of our department and strengthen our reputation as a leader in information science.”
Emerging leaders with a bold vision
Jane Bartley and Hassan Mortada, both doctoral students in GSE’s Department of Information Science, will also be recognized. They have been named 2025 ASIS&T New Leaders, an international honor that recognizes emerging professionals committed to shaping the future of the field.
Bartley and Mortada are among just five individuals selected worldwide for the 2025 ASIS&T New Leaders Award. The program aims to engage new members and cultivate leadership within the association, which serves thousands of researchers, educators and practitioners across the globe.
Jane Bartley and Hassan Mortada, both doctoral students in GSE’s Department of Information Science.
Bartley, a full-time digital archivist at Virginia Military Institute, studies how disaster response documents—such as standard operating procedures and government regulations—facilitate coordination within and between organizations during crisis situations.“
My area of research is at the intersection of information science and disaster studies,” Bartley said. “ASIS&T is the first organization that introduced me to the field of information science.”
“Attending my first ASIS&T conference in 2022 is actually what ultimately influenced me to apply to the PhD program at UB,” she continued. “I am very honored to receive this award, and I want to actively give back to an organization that has given so much to me. I am excited to begin working with my mentors and greatly look forward to the conference this November.”
Mortada, an Arabic language cataloging librarian at Princeton University, brings a multidisciplinary lens to his research on metadata, equity and global access to knowledge. His dissertation critically examines how the term “immigrant” is defined in library and information systems, probing how classification, biopolitics and power shape identity and access.
“Being selected as an ASIS&T New Leader is incredibly meaningful to me—especially as someone who came to this field with a deep desire to explore how information systems can serve communities more justly and equitably,” Mortada said. “This recognition feels like both an encouragement and a responsibility. I’m excited to be in conversation with others in the ASIS&T community who are asking bold, thoughtful questions, and I look forward to learning, growing and contributing in ways that reflect my values and hopes.”
The recognition of Bartley and Mortada underscores GSE’s growing reputation for cultivating innovative and socially conscious leaders in information science.
“These awards speak to the individual talents and promise of Jane and Hassan as two emerging scholars and future leaders in the field,” said Albertson.
“As one of the newer PhD programs in information science, having not just one but two recipients of the ASIS&T New Leaders Award is truly a remarkable accomplishment,” he added. “Jane and Hassan's success reflects the dedication they bring to their research, and we’re proud to support them on their academic journeys.”
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