UMD College of Information INFO

𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀:

INFO Lecturer 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗟𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 (center), 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗻 (Postdoc) (left), and Professor 𝗝𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗸 (right) presented “A Digital Architecture of Belonging: Tracking Physical Community Formation Through Email Communications” at the ACM Web Science Conference. 🌐

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: https://dl.acm.org/doi/full/10.1145/3795766.3799751

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲? 🤖

INFO Assistant Professor Cody Buntain is developing tools that help analysts, journalists, and humanitarian organizations interpret conflict-related information shared across social media. His research explores trust, misinformation, open-source intelligence, and the challenges of using AI to understand events when access to the ground is limited.

𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 ➡️ https://brnw.ch/21x35FA

Professor 𝗠𝗲𝗴𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗺 recently took the stage in Jakarta📚, delivering a public lecture on bridging digital divides through community-centered digital literacy initiatives.

Hosted as part of the 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗮’s 46th anniversary celebration, the event drew an audience of more than 1,000 attendees eager to explore the future of digital inclusion. 🫂

UMD's Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL) made a major impact at CHI 2026 🌍💻 INFO students and faculty contributed 19 papers, four workshops, and a poster at one of the world’s leading human-computer interaction conferences in Barcelona.

Research explored , , privacy, education, , disability, and ethical technology design—and two papers earned Honorable Mention recognition, placing them among the top 5% of submissions.

Explore the innovative work shaping the future of at the link ➡️ https://brnw.ch/21x2U4R

From late-night study sessions to graduation day - the INFO Class of 2026 finished in fashion! 🎆

That's right, it's Tuesday, yet we’re still celebrating the future designers, data analysts, researchers, librarians, technologists, and innovators set to leave their mark on the world. We couldn’t be prouder of everything you’ve accomplished.

See someone you know? Tag them below and help us celebrate our newest INFO alumni! ☝🏽

Successfully compiled. 🎓📊

​Huge congratulations to the College of Information Class of 2026! 🥳

You’ve spent the last few years analyzing data, designing user experiences, and navigating complex systems and now your hard work has officially paid off!

​May your code always run on the first try, your databases remain uncorrupted, and your post-grad life be full of high-bandwidth success. 🤞🏼

We are so proud of you! 🤩 (Now go do something AMAZING)

Big news! Join us in celebrating graduating InfoSci senior Jason Laucel ’26 (Universities at Shady Grove), our UMD Commencement Student Speaker! 🎓

From working in teen construction to studying AI ethics at UMD, Jason's journey is driven by community-centered impact. This summer, he joins Whiting-Turner as a project manager building data centers in Northern Virginia with a focus on environmental and social ethics.

Whether mentoring peers at USG's Macklin Learning Center or advocating on the Dean's Student Advisory Council (DSAC), Jason has dedicated his college career to lifting others up.

Jason on his approach to Information Science: "The way information flows—who can access it, who understands it, who feels included within it—depends on how thoughtfully it is built."

We are incredibly proud of his leadership, humility, and brilliance. Please join us in congratulating Jason on this incredible honor! 🐢

Professor Mega Subramaniam’s (center) globetrotting continues ✈️🌏this time landing in Melbourne, Australia 🇦🇺

She shared information on Marylanders Online and Ready NOW at the The University of Melbourne (Centre for AI and Digital Ethics) and the Monash University (Department of Human-Centred Computing) 💡

literacy goes global 🌍 INFO Professor Mega Subramaniam (centered-right) delivered two talks at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, sharing insights on preparing learners for an AI-shaped world.

Designing for impact in action! ✨ INFO Lecturer Dr. Heera Lee’s (bottom-centered) INST 408B showcase spotlighted student projects built through research, collaboration, and fast-paced design sprints to serve real community needs.