Co-written with her husband, Attorney John Nelson, Dr. Nelson explores how “brave space” practices can help institutions support both free speech and diversity without treating them as competing values. “Brave spaces” are defined as a learning environment where the goal is truth-seeking and open dialogue, and participants are expected to engage honestly and respectfully across differences. In these spaces, discomfort is accepted and often necessary for meaningful conversations about identity, power, and inequality.

The Nelsons argue that “intentional brave spaces are needed to fully include diverse individuals”. Their work outlines the legal foundations of free expression in public settings while emphasizing the importance of open dialogue in diverse communities. By using strategies such as “calling in” instead of “calling out”, acknowledging harmful speech, and encouraging participation, brave spaces can strengthen both inclusion and free speech.

Read the full article here: 

Watch the webinar: 

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Designed for librarians, students, educators, and information professionals, the guide aims to help people make informed decisions, understand emerging issues, and stay current with how AI is shaping libraries and the field of information science. 

The guide is freely and openly available at .

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The research article, titled “Methodological and ethical considerations in LGBTQ-focused online ethnographic research: A systematic review and a human-centered framework,” was published earlier this year. It examines prior scholarly research on LGBTQ communities in online spaces, highlighting areas for improving the quality and impact of future research.

The article can be viewed here:

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The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee School of Information Studies is pleased to announce two faculty researchers, Dr. Wonchan Choi and Dr. Hyerin Bak, recently won an award for a paper published in 2024.

The presented the award at their annual meeting in November 2025. The award included a certificate from ASIS&T and a cash prize.

The paper, “College students’ credibility assessments of GenAI-generated information for academic tasks: An interview study” was coauthored with four other researchers and published in the Journal the Association for Information Science and Technology. This paper explored how college students assess the credibility of artificial intelligence-generated materials, including how they use them in their own academic tasks, such as writing and programming.

Through interviews with 25 students, Dr. Choi, Dr. Bak, and their coresearchers analyzed the transcripts and offer theoretical and empirical data to determine how students view using tools such as ChatGPT in their academic work. A link to the study by can be found .

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This is UW Flexible Option’s first-ever ranking, based on feedback from more than 10,000 students evaluating satisfaction, support, cost, and overall success.

We’re especially proud that the is one of the programs included in UW Flexible Option—making this recognition a win for our students, faculty, and staff.

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For more than a decade, Nonprof-IT has helped nonprofits strengthen their capacity while giving students real-world experience working with mission-driven organizations. The CBS 58 feature showcased how the program is making a difference for both students and community partners—most recently helping one crime victim survivor promote healing, understanding, and community action.

The segment includes an interview with Debra Gillispie, Founder of , who partnered with Nonprof-IT students last semester to build a new website for her organization, Mothers Against Gun Violence. The collaboration provided Gillispie’s organization with a vital online platform to support its mission of healing, advocacy, and community action.

Watch the full story here:

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The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee’s Dr. Xiangming (Simon) Mu, associate professor in the School of Information Studies, and Ph.D. student Manman Luo have been selected as awardees in the Fall 2025 cycle of the Student Scholars program.

Their funded project, “Enhancing Entity Sentiment Analysis in Multi-Entity Contexts Using an Ontology-Based Approach,” aims to advance techniques to accurately detect sentiments expressed towards specific entities (e.g., products, brands, or organizations) when multiple entities co-occur within the same text. The research explores innovative methods based on an ontology that models multi-entity relationships in the product review context by capturing key multi-entity relationship types –work that has applications across information science, artificial intelligence, and other fields that rely on precise data interpretation.

Through the NMDSI Student Scholars program, Luo will receive a $2,500 stipend to support her research over the Fall 2025 term. The program is designed to accelerate student engagement in data science and related research projects while fostering interdisciplinary applications of data-driven solutions.

Dr. Mu said he is excited to collaborate with Luo on this project, noting that the work will “help bridge and advance the application of data science within the field of information and library science.”

The NMDSI is a collaboration between 51����, Marquette University, and Northwestern Mutual, with a mission to advance southeastern Wisconsin as a national hub for data science research, education, and talent development.

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In 2013 Adam Hudson, Teaching Faculty at 51����’s School of Information Studies (SOIS), was looking for ways to incorporate real-world, hands-on learning for students along with a way to better connect 51���� and SOIS to the nonprofit community.  Working closely with Richard Kessler, the school’s development officer, and with the help of the now shuttered Center for Urban Initiatives and Research, the Nonprof-IT program was born.  

The purpose of Nonprof-IT is to deliver real world experience to information science and technology students at 51����. By partnering with local nonprofits, usually a new one each semester, alongside a variety of business mentors dedicated to helping students learn, Nonprof-IT has grown into an important program within the College of Community Engagement and Professions, one with a massive portfolio of qualitative and quantitative improvements for local organizations.  

“The University of Wisconsin’s Nonprof-IT program is an invaluable gem—for both the students who participate and the non-profit organizations they serve. It creates a unique space where learning meets real-world impact, bridging the gap between education and community need,” says Sue Barthelemy, a business mentor from HSA Bank in Milwaukee. 
 

Addressing critical needs

This sentiment was seconded by Christina Chronister, communications specialist at the Dominican Center in Milwaukee. “One pivotal contribution was a comprehensive cybersecurity initiative, complete with staff training, that has transformed how we protect data and collaborate as a team. Each project has directly addressed a critical need.”  
 
Over the years, Nonprof-IT students have also built a website for the Dominican Center’s community association, Armani United. “The website now serves as a digital gathering space where residents can access resources, stay informed, and even watch community meetings live,” says Chronister.  
 
Currently, Adam Hudson and Julie Walker anchor Nonprof-IT. Hudson who has taught at 51���� since 2011, has commented on the pride he felt watching the program grow over the years.  

“In the beginning, there were no assigned class times to the Nonprof-IT course, which made it difficult for me to manage schedules and projects,” says Hudson, Nonprof-IT’s Director and a senior lecturer in SOIS.

Grant spurs growth

In 2016, Nonprof-IT received a generous grant from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. That allowed Nonprof-IT to hire a graduate assistant and to expand the program. “So we grew from assisting two nonprofits with six students in Fall 2014 to the now sustainable level of 32 students and 8-10 nonprofits.” 

When Walker came aboard in 2016, she immediately helped to implement the business mentors, “which have been hugely successful,” adds Hudson. Each business mentor has a handful of touchpoints with students during the semester and will eventually host the cohort at their own business for further engagement.  

“Nonprof-IT allows students who are not able to participate in an off-campus internship gain real-world experience as part of their coursework,” says Walker. By hosting the students at each individual business, the mentors help students network, gain new skills, receive feedback, and brainstorm new ideas for business solutions or nonprofits to assist.  

Cindy Larson, Senior Product Manager at the Crisis Prevention Institute, serves the program as a business mentor. She says that not only do students gain hand-on experience through Nonprof-IT course work, but they also end up teaching everyone involved.  

“They broaden my network, and they come from such diverse backgrounds. Depending on what specifically they are studying, where they came from, or where they want to go, they help me see digital products through new and fresh lenses,” Larson says.  

A big impact on students

The importance of this program is not lost on its student participants. Ryan Olow, a Fall 2024 semester participant, offered his reflection on working in the Nonprof-IT program.  

“The technology sector can make all the difference in how a business is performing. When we were brought onboard to redesign the website for Ophelia Speaks, we wanted to share the nonprofit’s story in an empathetic way.” Ophelia Speaks is a local Milwaukee nonprofit working to prevent human trafficking and help survivors recover.  

“The work they are doing is incredibly important, and having a website that speaks to their work can be a massive benefit. It was an incredible opportunity to share our IT expertise with those who needed it. When an organization may lack the direct knowledge to implement the technical solutions themselves, Nonprof-IT steps in and helps.”  

The students completely redesigned the Ophelia Speaks website. With the advice of the business mentors, this project included a complete overhaul: replacing stock images with photos of Ophelia Speaks events, a personnel and contact page, a page dedicated to resources for those who have been trafficked, a donation page, and more.  

At the end of the semester, the group presented their final product in a poster show. “The reactions to this program have been very positive,” says Hudson. “51����’s Chancellor, Mark Mone, has been an advocate for the program and attended the end-of-semester showcase since 2016.” The next showcase will be Tuesday, May 6^th, on 51����’s campus, and is sponsored by HSA Bank.  

Ongoing impact

But Nonprof-IT’s work does not necessarily end when the semester ends. For example, Vangthy Lee, who worked with Olow on the Ophelia Speaks project, has continued to volunteer with the organization after the semester ended. “This March, I volunteered every Saturday for four weeks, developing and teaching an IT-focused curriculum for youth,” says Lee. “We covered topics like coding, web design, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and public speaking.”  

“Student and alumni exit data have demonstrated great outcomes from participation in Nonprof-IT,” says Hudson. Nonprof-IT is one of only a few similar programs in the nation, according to Hudson. “Participants have reported that Nonprof-IT and the work involved have helped graduates to land first jobs out of college, team-building and teamwork skills, improved public speaking abilities, and much more,” reports Hudson.  

“All in all, Nonprof-IT is a must-take program, especially for IST majors,” says Lee. “It equips you with both technical and interpersonal skills, and it’s a fun, community-connected experience. As someone born and raised in Milwaukee, giving back to my community through this program was incredibly fulfilling.” 

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• Creating a Culture of IT Innovation
• Information Technology Change Leadership
• IT for Good

Through roundtable dialogues, students actively engaged with over 100 CIOs and executive IT leaders, gaining valuable insights into networking, career development, and hiring trends. This experience allowed them to connect their classroom learning with real-world executive discussions while representing SOIS as future professionals in the industry.

For more information on the event, visit: .

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Dr. Nelson researches oral information and the American reality storytelling movement, including slam and open mic performances. A seasoned storyteller, she has performed at fringes, festivals, and slams across the country. She has also served on the boards of the Georgia Storytelling Network and the National Storytelling Network and currently hosts the Wright House Concerts at her home in Whitewater, Wisconsin.

The Women’s Storytelling Festival, produced annually by Better Said Than Done, celebrates women and gender nonconforming spoken-word artists. The 2025 festival took place from March 20 to 23, with in-person and virtual events.

Sarah Beth Nelson on Women’s Storytelling:

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