Leadership Update and Next Steps for the College of Information Science

Feb. 5, 2026
To: University Employees
From: Office of the Provost
Subject: Leadership Update and Next Steps for the College of Information Science
Date: Feb 05, 2026

Provost Patricia Prelock sent the following message to all faculty, staff, and designated campus colleagues in the College of Information Science, university senior leaders and the Provost Integrated Leadership Team, on Feb. 4, 2026. 

Last summer, the College of Information Science (Information Science) began an important transition with the integration of the College of Applied Science and Technology (CAST) in July.

Interim Dean Catherine Brooks has provided strong, relational leadership throughout this transition, maintaining focus on our academic mission while helping to bring our two colleges together. I am grateful for her commitment to the college's success and her willingness to continue guiding us through this next phase.

This fall, we conducted an open internal search for permanent Information Science leadership. After careful consideration and in consultation with university leadership, we determined that selecting a permanent dean at this time would be premature. We are in the mid-phase of integrating the two colleges and in the early stages of aligning Information Science’s strategic direction with the institution’s key research priorities, particularly in high-impact areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data science.

I appreciate the diligent work and insight of the search committee during this process. While we complete the foundational work that will better position us for a national search, I have asked Interim Dean Brooks to continue serving in her current role.

We expect to launch a national search this spring, with campus visits anticipated in early fall 2026. Additional information about the search process will be shared as plans develop.

Please join me in thanking Interim Dean Brooks for her steadfast leadership. I am also grateful for her continued support of the college community as we chart the best path forward for the College of Information Science.

This message is posted on the Office of the Provost website.

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