Dean Liz Liddy Retires

connectiONS 24 THE iSCHOOL @ SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY T he pathways and processes of learning, discovering, and doing have always been satisfying and grounding for Elizabeth “Liz” Liddy, who retired in May as dean of the iSchool.

As a child she accompanied her father and siblings on weekly library visits. As a college student she earned a degree in English Language and Literature. As a young mom she volunteered in the school library, then enrolled in Syracuse University’s Library and Information Science master’s program. She became a college librarian, then returned to the classroom herself, taking doctoral courses part-time while maintaining her full-time job. Goals Undeterred As a researcher, Liz believed that linguistic principles could be applied to computer language learning and text retrieval processes. Though status-quo thought leaders were skeptical then, Liz was undeterred. Her dissertation won awards before she even completed her doctorate, and she became a pioneer in the new field of natural language processing.

Appointed to the iSchool faculty, she also built a company from her patentable findings. But being CEO kept her from the classroom more than she wanted. She sold the company and returned to teaching, founding the Center for Natural Language Processing. She continued leading-edge NLP, text mining, and information retrieval research and contract work for government agencies for many years. When Liz became dean at her alma mater, she led the school to huge enrollment growth, leading roles in innovation and entrepreneurship studies and promoting technology careers and education for women, and a heightened global profile. Later, at the Chancellor’s request, she diverted temporarily to serve as interim vice chancellor and provost for the University for a year and a half before returning as iSchool dean. At every stage of her career, her devotion to discovery, continual learning, meeting challenges head-on, and doing new, interesting things drove personal stretch goals and iSchool academic strength. Liz succeeded—and excelled—at every turn. Time for Family and Self In transitioning to retirement, Liz may find herself in an unfamiliar place for a woman who has been immersed in business and academia since she was a teen. But the next chapter promises more time for family; service on five educational and business boards; and favored athletic and outdoor pursuits.

Apart from her stellar professional achievements, Liz’s legacy as friend, mentor, role model, cheerleader, teacher, trusted associate and inspiration to hundreds stands intact. Some of those folks toast her here. Doctoral Cohort Members “What really struck from the beginning was her brilliance. Her insights, her research on linguistic understanding and knowledge, and the mechanisms applied to information were the best in our field. If she had done nothing else, her research legacy was huge. The other thing Liz had was this innovation entrepreneurship side. She really has been a glass ceilingbreaker her whole life. There’s nobody quite like her in all the things she’s done.” MICHAEL EISENBERG, DEAN EMERITUS AND PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON ISCHOOL “She’s data driven down to her fundamental level. Her way of working is to get in and work out problems, letting the solutions arise from tireless analysis, testing, and exploration; she has continued that into all other parts of her life. Whatever the challenge, she goes for it with sheer curiosity and perseverance. She’s just intrepid. Liz was a pioneer, and with her contributions natural language processing went on to become an everyday tool.” BARBARA KWAŚNIK, PROFESSOR EMERITA Professional Associates “You have led the iSchool with grace, integrity, and a passion for innovation. The programs you have spearheaded will benefit students for years to come.” BARBARA SETTEL, RETIRED ISCHOOL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS “You brought me into research and guided my progress, with a most appreciated respect for my needs and choices. You’ve supported my career changes all along the way.” EILEEN ALLEN, FORMER ISCHOOL RESEARCH ADMINISTRATOR “You are an innovative information scientist and academician who does not see boundaries, only new possibilities.” ANNE TURNER, PROFESSOR, HEALTH SERVICES/ BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS AND MEDICAL EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON iSchool Graduates “From helping me start my career, to finding a new city to call home, the iSchool has forever changed my life.” ZACH WILDER, ’18 “You cultivated a community of people passionate to help students learn, grow, and push boundaries. You personally made sure that students felt welcomed and had a place to nurture their talents.” HAILEY TEMPLE, ’15 “The love and family feel that the iSchool has starts at the top. You’ve created an environment where students thrive, learn, and continue to push the boundaries of the college experience.” DAVID ROSEN, ’11 G’12 Liz Liddy:A Brilliant Innovator, Inspiring Teacher, Energizing Leader Retires

Academic Credentials

B.A., English Language & Literature, Daemen College, 1966 M.S., Library and Information Studies, Syracuse University, 1977 Ph.D., Information Transfer, Syracuse University, 1988

NLP Innovation l One of the earliest researchers in natural language processing and text mining l Faculty career began 1983 l Dissertation earned: ISI Dissertation Proposal Award; ASIS&T Doctoral Dissertation Award; ALISE Doctoral Dissertation Award for proving the utility of NLP for information science

Research Leadership l Led 70 projects; authored 110 papers l Presented at hundreds of conferences around the world l Her chapter on NLP in the Encyclopedia of Library & Information Science in 2001 is a staple in many computer science courses l Founded and directed the iSchool’s Center for Natural Language Processing

Entrepreneur/CEO l Founded startup company TextWise, 1984 l Holds 8 software patents l Grew company to 50 employees before selling it l Continued confidential research work for U.S. Government intelligence agencies for many years

Academic Achievement l 35+ years as faculty member, researcher and administrator l Led iSchool to No. 4 ranking among LIS schools (U.S. News and World Report – 2018/Best Graduate Schools rankings) l Led iSchool to 2nd for information systems, 4th in school library media, 4th in digital librarianship in Library and Information Science category specialization rankings (U.S. News and World Report/2018 rankings) l Led iSchool to No. 17 for bestonline degree programsfor graduate computer information technology; No. 6 ininformation technology programs for veterans

Momentum for Growth l Boosted iSchool undergraduate enrollment by 71% l Increased graduate student enrollment by 66% l Initiated New York State’s first graduate certificate program in Data Science l Initiated a new undergraduate minor in Data Analytics l Raised $26.2 million for funding research and development

Promoting Women in IT l Founded Women in Technology student organization to promote female iSchool enrollment and success l Led 8 years of the It Girls Overnight Retreat, an annual weekend to interest high school junior and senior girls in tech educations and careers Liz Liddy was awarded the Chancellor’s Citation for Lifetime Achievement in April at SU’s One University Awards event by Chancellor Syverud, pictured. The award, first presented in 1979, recognizes outstanding achievement in teaching, scholarship, and creative work.

l Boosted females enrolled at the iSchool to 42% of total undergraduate enrollment in 2018 l Achieved female undergraduate enrollment of 47% in the undergraduate class of 2022

Leading-Edge Entrepreneurship l Pioneered connections to leading innovators/entrepreneurs in the IT field l Led internal and university-wide student entrepreneurship competitions l Helped bring Blackstone Launchpad to Syracuse University l Began Syracuse Student Sandbox incubator and Information Technology, Design, & Startups minor l Created iSchool immersion-learning programs: EntreTech NYC, Innovate Ireland, MLB Challenge, Peak2Peak Pacific Northwest, Spring Break in Silicon Valley, TechTrek Chicago, and several regional road trips

Administrative Leadership l iSchool Trustee Professor l Interim iSchool Dean, 2007-2008 l Dean 2008 – 2015; again May 2016 - May 2019 l Served 17 months as Syracuse University’s Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost l Awarded Chancellor’s Citation for Lifetime Achievement (May 2019)