Emily Knox Ph.D. ’12 has been appointed interim dean of School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

A professor on the school’s faculty, Knox’s research interests include information access and intellectual freedom and censorship.

Her most recent book, “Foundations of Intellectual Freedom” won the 2023 Eli M. Oboler Prize for best published work in the area of intellectual freedom.

Her previous book, “Book Banning in 21st Century America,” is the first monograph in the Beta Phi Mu Scholars’ Series.

Knox has been interviewed by media outlets such as NPR and The New York Times and she has also testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on book banning.

Knox serves on the National Coalition Against Censorship Board of Directors and is the editor of the Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy.

Knox earned her Ph.D. from SC&I in 2012; an M.S. in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 2003; an M.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 2000; and a B.A. in Religious Studies from Smith College in 1998.

Learn more about the Ph.D. Program at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information on the website.