The Association for Information Science & Technology has named Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Library and Information Science Nicholas Belkin the inaugural recipient of the ASIS&T Fellow Award. 

“This award,” wrote ASIS&T, “recognizes individuals who have made substantial and sustained contributions to ASIS&T and the broader field of Information Science. ASIS&T Fellows have made a significant contribution to one or more of the following areas of information science: research, products, teaching, and service to the profession, the association, and other entities such as government, industry, etc. Fellows must uphold ethical and professional standards to be appointed and to maintain the honor.”

SC&I Teaching Professor and Director of the Master of Information degree program Lilia Pavlovsky said, “I am so happy that Nick got this recognition!  He has earned and deserves every bit of it!  His work continues to be foundational to all students in the field of information science.”

Belkin's groundbreaking work involving ‘cognitive viewpoint’ in information science has been guiding scholars and practitioners working in the areas of information behavior for decades.

ASIS&T said Belkin was nominated for the award by former SC&I faculty member Chirag Shah, who is now professor, lab director of the InfoSeeking Lab, and co-founding director of the Center for Responsibility in AI Systems & Experiences (RAISE) at the University of Washington in Seatle. He is also the editor-in-chief of Information Matters.

Shah wrote about Belkin, “There are very few scholars in our field with the breadth and depth of scholarly impact that Prof. Nick Belkin has shown over his storied career spanning many decades, multiple continents, and a spectrum of challenging issues, methodologies, and outcomes. I can see no better candidate deserving the prestigious ASIS&T Fellows Award.”

In its announcement of the award, ASIS&T wrote, “Belkin is one of the most distinguished scholars in the field of information science and technology. His groundbreaking work involving ‘cognitive viewpoint’ in information science has been guiding scholars and practitioners working in the areas of information behavior for decades. He is the co-author of one the first books to explicitly investigate and describe the process of interactive information retrieval. In addition, Belkin has authored or co-authored over 200 journal articles, conference proceedings and book chapters, and has been identified variously as the first or second most highly cited scholar in Library and Information Science. Belkin has conducted ethnographic, sociological, behavioral, and experimental research, including twelve years in the TREC Interactive Track.

Belkin has been identified variously as the first or second most highly cited scholar in Library and Information Science.

“Over his career spanning multiple decades and institutions, Belkin has advised and mentored countless students. These students themselves have done groundbreaking work in the field of information science and technology.”

Belkin’s research has been supported by many agencies, including NSF, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Google, DARPA, NIST, U.S. Department of Education, the British Library Research and Development Department, and NATO.

His current research project, characterizing and evaluating whole session interactive information retrieval, is supported by the National Science Foundation.

Read the full ASIS&T announcement on its website.

Learn more about the Library and Information Science Department at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information on the website.