In an email to the Rutgers University–New Brunswick community, Chancellor of Rutgers–New Brunswick and Distinguished Professor Francine Conway and Saundra Tomlinson-Clarke, Professor and Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Rutgers University–New Brunswick, notified the Rutgers community that Professor of Library and Information Science Marie Radford has been awarded the Chancellor Award for Excellence in Mentoring. Radford’s award “honors a faculty member for their exceptional contributions toward mentoring post-doctoral researchers and/or early or mid-career faculty, and toward advancing the next generation of scholars.”

A 1993 graduate of SC&I’s doctoral program, Radford joined the Rutgers School of Communication and Information Library and Information Science (LIS) faculty as Associate Professor in 2004. She served her first term as Department Chair in 2012-2014, and second term from 2019-2023. She also served as SC&I’s PhD Program Director from July 2014–June 2017. Radford has mentored numerous tenure track, tenured, and non-tenure-track faculty as well as doctoral and post-doctoral graduates.

In the main nomination letter, Associate Professor of Library and Information Science and Chair of the LIS Department Rebecca Reynolds and Teaching Professor Nancy Kranich wrote, “We offer our strongest endorsement for Professor Marie L. Radford to receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring. Prof. Radford personifies ideal mentorship qualities including an energetic spirit of positivity and encouragement; generosity with time and expertise; and direct provision of networking and professional leads. She serves as a superlative role model for the importance of mentoring in academia for the LIS Department’s newer cohorts of advancing faculty.”

Reynolds and Kranich’s letter included overwhelming support for Radford’s nomination from colleagues, alumni, and current students. Teaching Professor of Library and Information Science and Director of the Master of Information Program Lilia Pavlovsky wrote, “I have never experienced a Department Chair so devoted to her faculty. She formally mentored every faculty member in the LIS Department (approximately 23 people) and connected new faculty members to more established ones. As Chair during the challenging times of the pandemic, she succeeded in onboarding every new faculty member and mentored others facing important tenure decisions while remaining fully available to the faculty and administration…Radford embodies the ideal characteristics of a model mentor accentuated by her compassion, care, and honesty.”

In their letters of support, Distinguished Professor of Communication and Former SC&I Dean Jonathan Potter noted how impressed he was with the work Radford put into “generating a supportive and attentive culture” and her leadership during the pandemic when the department “continued to flourish despite the health and isolation crisis.” Associate Professor of Library and Information Science Charles Senteio noted, “She exemplifies mentorship at all levels of research, teaching, and service, from the school to the institution to the individual. I can think of no more deserving candidate.”

Reflecting on this honor and her career, Radford wrote,

I am ever curious and gregarious. I thrive on helping others to succeed in their dreams. Across my career, I have dedicated myself to promoting research excellence and encouraging researchers. I always endeavor to be a positive role model for others, demonstrating that it is possible to be a highly productive and successful scholar, yet also to take the time to be a kind and caring person. I love sharing my expertise and experience regarding the research process, writing, analysis, and publication. I embrace mentorship in all of its dimensions, and always feel that I look forward to talking to students and faculty about research and helping them to achieve their goals. Part of my philosophy of mentoring is that the brilliant faculty and students I mentor already know what they need to do to achieve the next step in their research journeys. I try to ask mentees to engage in self-reflection first. Then, I try to partner with them to figure out how I can help them. I’m happy to share my advice anytime. I’m eager to help, and I feel that all of my mentorship effort is extremely rewarding. I learn so much from those I mentor, getting much more than what I give. It is what makes me tick.

Radford and her colleague, Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Khadijah Costley White, were the two SC&I faculty members to receive Chancellor and Provost Awards this year. White is the recipient of the Provost Award for Excellence in Community/Publicly Engaged Scholarship, a scholarly inquiry award that “honors a faculty member whose scholarship integrates community engagement as a vital component of their work. Their work centers on community collaboration, benefits the external community, has significant public and scholarly impact, is disseminated through both traditional and non-traditional outlets, and reflects the mission of Rutgers-New Brunswick.”

Interim Dean and Distinguished Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Dafna Lemish wrote in an email to the SC&I community, “These are hugely prestigious awards and we are proud and delighted to see this recognition of Marie’s and Khadijah’s contributions and accomplishments celebrated in this way!”

White and Radford will receive their awards during the Chancellor and Provost Awards for Faculty Excellence ceremony.

Photos courtesy of Amy Jordan