Fulbright Fellowship in Finland (2004-2005)
For the academic year of 2004-2005, I was on a Fulbright Fellowship at the Department of Information Studies and Interactive Media at the University of Tampere, Finland. Tampere is an inland city about two hours west, by car, from Helsinki. It is the home of the second largest university in Finland, the University of Tampere, and a major LIS program.
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The Research Group on Information Seeking is a collaborative work group based at the Department of Information Studies and Interactive Media at the University of Tampere, Finland. Members are furthering scholarship in the area of information seeking and use. My collaborators are pictured above: Sanna Talja (second from left), Reijo Savolainen (middle), Jarkko Kari (second from right) and Pertti Vakkari (far right).
From the Acknowledgments of my Dissertation
"Foremost, I am thankful to Professor Sanna Talja of the Department of Information Studies at the University of Tampere, Finland. Since I met Sanna at a conference in 2003, she has gracefully worn many hats--as mentor, dissertation committee member, discussion partner, and friend. I will always aspire to the high standards and originality of her work. Sanna’s painstaking comments on my manuscripts and moral support have been critical ingredients in this study."
"Eighteen months of my doctoral studies were spent as a guest of the Department of Information Studies at the University of Tampere, Finland. My second trip to Finland, on a Fulbright Fellowship, was sponsored by The Fulbright Center in Helsinki, Finland. Executive director Terhi Mölsä and program manager Terhi Topi, along with their wonderful team, served as gracious hosts. I am also thankful to the International Institute of Education, which administrates the Fulbright Program from the United States. The year in Finland was the pinnacle of my student career, and in my lifetime I will never forget the cold lakes, glistening winters, and eerie sunny nights of this beautiful northern country."
"At the University of Tampere, Finland, I was fortunate to be amidst some of the field’s leading scholars within my research specialty of Information Seeking and Use. I am indebted to this community for the warm welcome and intellectually stimulating and productive environment. My project always leapt forward after discussions within the Department’s Research Group on Information Seeking (ReGIS). Especially, Reijo Savolainen helped clarify the main concepts in my study and meticulously reviewed early drafts. Reijo’s theoretical articles will remain touchstones and personal favorites. In Tampere, I met my most like-minded collaborator, Jarkko Kari. We discovered a shared interest in the informational features of pleasurable and profound life experiences. Over working lunches at the university cafeteria, we crafted a research umbrella that grounds and unifies our projects. What is more, Jarkko invited me along for enjoyable outings with his family ~ he is a treasured partner and friend. Many other people made my tenure overseas wonderful. Administrator Raija Aaltonen helped me settle into a new office, city, and culture. Harri Laitinen, the department’s resident techie, was a guide to local entertainment during off hours."
"Eighteen months of my doctoral studies were spent as a guest of the Department of Information Studies at the University of Tampere, Finland. My second trip to Finland, on a Fulbright Fellowship, was sponsored by The Fulbright Center in Helsinki, Finland. Executive director Terhi Mölsä and program manager Terhi Topi, along with their wonderful team, served as gracious hosts. I am also thankful to the International Institute of Education, which administrates the Fulbright Program from the United States. The year in Finland was the pinnacle of my student career, and in my lifetime I will never forget the cold lakes, glistening winters, and eerie sunny nights of this beautiful northern country."
"At the University of Tampere, Finland, I was fortunate to be amidst some of the field’s leading scholars within my research specialty of Information Seeking and Use. I am indebted to this community for the warm welcome and intellectually stimulating and productive environment. My project always leapt forward after discussions within the Department’s Research Group on Information Seeking (ReGIS). Especially, Reijo Savolainen helped clarify the main concepts in my study and meticulously reviewed early drafts. Reijo’s theoretical articles will remain touchstones and personal favorites. In Tampere, I met my most like-minded collaborator, Jarkko Kari. We discovered a shared interest in the informational features of pleasurable and profound life experiences. Over working lunches at the university cafeteria, we crafted a research umbrella that grounds and unifies our projects. What is more, Jarkko invited me along for enjoyable outings with his family ~ he is a treasured partner and friend. Many other people made my tenure overseas wonderful. Administrator Raija Aaltonen helped me settle into a new office, city, and culture. Harri Laitinen, the department’s resident techie, was a guide to local entertainment during off hours."
River Stone Trinkets
These are trinkets I created for friends and colleagues in Tampere. The rocks are known to landscapers as Mexican River Stones. The words are Finnish and English terms in the field of information studies, as well as names of the research groups active in the department. Photos by Harri Laitinen.
Photography Contest in Tampere, Finland
At Tampere, on November 12th, I participated in the University's "Moonlight Photography" contest, as a member of the team "Lumen." We had 6 hours to take photographs related to 6 clues. It was a cold but fun night, and Lumen won the competition.