UNC School of Data and Information Sciences

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UNC School of Data and Information Sciences SDIS conducts research and scholarship across the data and information life cycle, with an emphasis on human-centric, ethical and applied approaches.

Using data and information to advance society; home to top-ranked information and library science programs; host to Carolina Health Informatics Program + CITAP. The School of Data and Information Sciences (SDIS) was founded in 2026 by joining the School of Information and Library Science (1931) and the School of Data Science and Society (2022). SDIS brings together longstanding excellence in information and library science with leadership in data science, including computational and statistical methods and societal applications. Home to a top-ranked library and information science program, SDIS is recognized for strong teaching, research and service and is the host to the Carolina Health Informatics Program (CHIP) and the Center for Information, Technology and Public Life (CITAP). The School teaches and trains undergraduate and graduate students in data science, health informatics, information science and library science, as well as offers certificates for adult learners. Committed to data, information and AI literacy for all Tar Heels, SDIS faculty are tackling our communities’ most pressing needs and our world’s most intractable challenges.

Celebrating the freedom to read! 📚🩵 Members of the Carolina community gathered on the steps of Manning Hall yesterday fo...
10/08/2026

Celebrating the freedom to read! 📚🩵

Members of the Carolina community gathered on the steps of Manning Hall yesterday for our annual Banned Books Reading, hosted in partnership with the UNC-Chapel Hill Library and UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media as part of UNC’s 17th annual First Amendment Day.

Students, faculty and staff took turns reading excerpts from banned and challenged books, highlighting the importance of free and open access to information.

Thank you to all our readers and everyone who joined us! 📖

Meet today’s SDIS Student Spotlight: Kaiyi Sun! 🐏📊 Originally from Shanghai, Kaiyi is pursuing a B.S. in Data Science at...
10/08/2026

Meet today’s SDIS Student Spotlight: Kaiyi Sun! 🐏📊

Originally from Shanghai, Kaiyi is pursuing a B.S. in Data Science at Carolina. She values the interdisciplinary nature of the field and the opportunity to explore multiple areas of interest while strengthening her data analytics skills.

This semester, Kaiyi is putting those interests into action as she takes on a leadership role with the upcoming UNC Solve-a-thon, happening Nov. 6-8. She’s looking forward to the new opportunity to build her management and logistics skills through her role with the event. 💻

Beyond the classroom, Kaiyi is interested in applying data science to global health and environmental contexts and using her skills to make an impact. She believes turning large datasets into meaningful stories for a wider audience is an essential part of data science, especially when those insights can help inform policy and decision-making.

We’re excited to see Kaiyi continue putting her leadership skills into action at Carolina! 🩵

🔗 Learn more about the UNC Solve-a-thon at https://sdis.unc.edu/uncsolveathon/.

10/08/2026

Library Discovery Hour returns tomorrow, Oct. 9, at 12 p.m. Join the Library for a deep dive into Carolina's campus itself ahead of University Day.

University Landscape Architect Daniel Widis and University Archivist Nicholas Graham will discuss the campus landscape and what the archival record tells us about it.

The virtual event is free and open to the public, but you'll need to complete a quick registration to join. Sign up now: https://calendar.unc.edu/event/library-discovery-hour-671

Five SDIS faculty members are advancing research in AI, health and data science with support from four new National Scie...
10/08/2026

Five SDIS faculty members are advancing research in AI, health and data science with support from four new National Science Foundation (NSF) grants. 🔬📊

Ziyu Chen, Harlin Lee, Ziping Xu, Hang Zhou and Can Chen are leading and collaborating on NSF projects ranging from a patient-specific computer model that could improve treatment for people living with Parkinson’s to new mathematical foundations for AI and machine learning.

These awards build on a growing portfolio of NSF-supported research across SDIS and are helping our faculty pursue discoveries with the potential for impact across data science, technology and health care.

🔗 Learn more about the projects and the faculty behind them: https://go.unc.edu/SDISNSFAwards

Curious how AI could fit into your field of study? 💻 Learn how UNC’s new minor in artificial intelligence can complement...
10/07/2026

Curious how AI could fit into your field of study? 💻

Learn how UNC’s new minor in artificial intelligence can complement your major and prepare you to use emerging technologies in your future career.

Join our virtual information session on Thursday, Oct. 8, to explore what you’ll study in the minor, from understanding how AI works and using current tools to examining real-world applications and the societal impact of AI.

📅 Thursday, Oct. 8
⏰ 7-8 p.m.
📍 Online

🔗 Register at go.unc.edu/AIMinorInfoSession or through the link in our bio.

Explore what’s next with a master’s degree in information or library science from Carolina! 🐏 Join our virtual informati...
10/06/2026

Explore what’s next with a master’s degree in information or library science from Carolina! 🐏

Join our virtual information session on Tuesday, Oct. 13, to learn more about Carolina’s M.S. in Information Science, M.S. in Library Science and dual B.S.-M.S. programs and what each has to offer.

Hear about the admissions process, curriculum, special opportunities and financial aid while getting your questions answered about pursuing a graduate degree at SDIS.

️🗓️ Tuesday, Oct. 13
⏰ 6 p.m. ET
💻 Online

🔗 Register: https://sdis.unc.edu/event/information-and-library-science-masters-programs-information-session-2/

Can’t make this session? Save the dates for our next sessions on Oct. 26 and Nov. 18.



UNC-Chapel Hill Graduate SchoolUNC Career Center

Want to know how artificial intelligence is shaping the 2026 midterm elections? 🗳️ Join us for “AI and the Midterm Elect...
10/06/2026

Want to know how artificial intelligence is shaping the 2026 midterm elections? 🗳️

Join us for “AI and the Midterm Elections,” a panel organized by the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life.

Experts and practitioners will discuss how campaigns are using AI to generate content, how voters seek information about candidates and the broader political, economic, labor and environmental implications of AI technologies.

📅 Wednesday, Oct. 7
⏰ Noon-1 p.m.
📍 Freedom Forum Conference Center, Carroll Hall 305

The panel is part of UNC’s First Amendment Day and is free and open to the public. UNC students can earn CLE credit for attending.

🔗 Learn more at go.unc.edu/ai-midterm-elections or through the link in our bio.



UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media UNC School of Law

10/05/2026

⏰ Tar Heels! Tomorrow is the deadline to apply for the B.S. in Information Science at Carolina. 

Take a listen as current student Presley Johnson shares why she chose the B.S. in Information Science path and what she’s enjoying most about the program. 

If you’re ready to take the next step, you have until tomorrow, Oct. 6, at 11:59 p.m. to apply.

🔗 Visit go.unc.edu/BSISapply to learn more and apply now.

Academic freedom takes center stage at UNC’s First Amendment Day. 🏫 Join us for the keynote, “The Shifting Frontiers of ...
10/05/2026

Academic freedom takes center stage at UNC’s First Amendment Day. 🏫

Join us for the keynote, “The Shifting Frontiers of Academic Freedom," featuring Todd Wolfson, Tressie McMillan Cottom and Leah Watson. The panel will explore academic freedom at the intersection of labor, law and higher education.

📅 Wednesday, Oct. 7
⏰ 5:30-7 p.m.
📍 Freedom Forum Conference Center, Carroll Hall 305

The keynote is organized by the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy in partnership with the Center for Information, Technology and Public Life and the UNC-Chapel Hill chapter of the American Association of University Professors.

The event is free and open to the public. UNC students can earn CLE credit for attending.

🔗 Learn more at go.unc.edu/keynote-first-amendment-day-2026.



UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media UNC School of Law

From Carolina to South Korea! 🌎 Congratulations to UNC SDIS students Shelby Kruger (MSLS) and Minseo Kim (MSIS), who pre...
10/05/2026

From Carolina to South Korea! 🌎

Congratulations to UNC SDIS students Shelby Kruger (MSLS) and Minseo Kim (MSIS), who presented their poster, “Bridging the AI Divide: A Collaborative Framework for Critical AI Literacy in Public Libraries,” at the IFLA - International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions World Library and Information Congress in Busan, South Korea.

Their poster highlighted the Community Workshop Series’ AI Basics class, which helps public library patrons better understand generative AI tools and their ethical implications. The project demonstrates how student volunteers and local libraries can work together to support critical AI literacy.

💬 “Attending an international conference was an invaluable experience that highlighted how libraries worldwide, despite geographical and contextual differences, navigate emerging challenges together.” — Minseo Kim

💬 “It was inspiring to hear attendees’ stories of how they started out and found their way to the positions and places that were right for them.” — Shelby Kruger

Congratulations, Shelby and Minseo, on representing Carolina on the international stage!

🔗 go.unc.edu/ifla-2026

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216 Lenoir Drive, CB #3360, 100 Manning Hall
Chapel Hill, NC
27599

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