New Head for Library and Technology Services

John Unsworth
John Unsworth

John Unsworth, a leader in library and information science education, joined Brandeis as vice provost for library and technology services and chief information officer in mid-February. He succeeds Perry Hanson, who last April announced his plan to retire.

Since 2003, Unsworth had served as dean of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the top-ranked professional library and information science program in the nation. Under his leadership, the school doubled its budget and its research funding, and the number of enrolled students grew by nearly 50 percent.

In naming Unsworth to the job, Provost Steve A.N. Goldstein ’78 commented, “John impressed the search committee and the Brandeis community with his intelligence, deep expertise, collaborative approach and easy manner. Smart, innovative approaches to technology and the library are integral to the university, and John will bring a tremendous focus and wealth of experience to help us build for the future.”

A 1981 graduate of Amherst College, Unsworth received an M.A. in English from Boston University in 1982 and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Virginia in 1988.