Department of STEM Education & Professional Studies
Innovative Faculty
Dr. Julaine Clunis earned her MLIS, MS, and PhD from the iSchool at Kent State University. Her research interests span knowledge organization, health informatics, ontologies, the semantic web, linked data, metadata, data curation, cultural heritage informatics, and knowledge representation. She is deeply engaged in addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with information access, data harmonization, and interoperability. This includes the application of knowledge organization standards and practices across diverse contexts. Her methodology integrates advanced data analytics, including text mining, natural language processing, database management techniques, and semantic analysis, to refine and expand the utility of information systems.
Amber Matthews (she/her) holds a PhD in Library and Information Science from Western University. Her doctoral study titled "Advancing Anti-Racism in Public Libraries for Black Youth in Canada” was the first comprehensive study of Black youth experiences in Canadian public libraries. In this project, she explored how collaborative equity-based approaches to youth education and learning programs could be applied in public library contexts. Through her broader research and teaching, Dr. Matthews utilizes community-based frameworks to envision enhancements to public library programs and services to build stronger relationships with equity-deserving youth and communities. She is a past recipient of the Jesse H. Shera Award for the Support of Dissertation Research (2022) from the American Library Association. At Western University, she also held a prestigious Canada Graduate Scholarship (Doctoral) from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. In addition, her research has received awards from the Canadian Association for Information Science, the Ontario Library Association, and the Association for Library and Information Science Education. Prior to completing her doctoral studies, Dr. Matthews had a nine-year career in community and fund development where she worked collaboratively with communities to make tangible improvements to non-profits, healthcare, and community services in Canada and abroad.
Dr. Luo’s scholarship revolves around technology integration and training, organized into two main strands: a) social media and technology integration, and b) professional development in instructional design and technology (IDT). Holding the rank of associate professor, Dr. Luo has authored 58 referred journal articles, one co-edited book, two referred book chapters, and one invited journal article. She is active in professional organizations having delivered 25 presentations at both national and international conferences alongside students and colleagues. Dr. Luo is grant active having secured over $500,000 in funding from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Academic Library Consortium.
Dr. Julaine Clunis earned her MLIS, MS, and PhD from the iSchool at Kent State University. Her research interests span knowledge organization, health informatics, ontologies, the semantic web, linked data, metadata, data curation, cultural heritage informatics, and knowledge representation. She is deeply engaged in addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with information access, data harmonization, and interoperability. This includes the application of knowledge organization standards and practices across diverse contexts. Her methodology integrates advanced data analytics, including text mining, natural language processing, database management techniques, and semantic analysis, to refine and expand the utility of information systems.
Amber Matthews (she/her) holds a PhD in Library and Information Science from Western University. Her doctoral study titled "Advancing Anti-Racism in Public Libraries for Black Youth in Canada” was the first comprehensive study of Black youth experiences in Canadian public libraries. In this project, she explored how collaborative equity-based approaches to youth education and learning programs could be applied in public library contexts. Through her broader research and teaching, Dr. Matthews utilizes community-based frameworks to envision enhancements to public library programs and services to build stronger relationships with equity-deserving youth and communities. She is a past recipient of the Jesse H. Shera Award for the Support of Dissertation Research (2022) from the American Library Association. At Western University, she also held a prestigious Canada Graduate Scholarship (Doctoral) from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. In addition, her research has received awards from the Canadian Association for Information Science, the Ontario Library Association, and the Association for Library and Information Science Education. Prior to completing her doctoral studies, Dr. Matthews had a nine-year career in community and fund development where she worked collaboratively with communities to make tangible improvements to non-profits, healthcare, and community services in Canada and abroad.
Dr. Luo’s scholarship revolves around technology integration and training, organized into two main strands: a) social media and technology integration, and b) professional development in instructional design and technology (IDT). Holding the rank of associate professor, Dr. Luo has authored 58 referred journal articles, one co-edited book, two referred book chapters, and one invited journal article. She is active in professional organizations having delivered 25 presentations at both national and international conferences alongside students and colleagues. Dr. Luo is grant active having secured over $500,000 in funding from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Academic Library Consortium.
