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Associate Professor and Associate Dean in the College of Information Science

leads the Student Affairs teams in the College of Information Science as Associate Dean, bringing a creative, student-centered approach to both her teaching and leadership. As an award winning instructor, CUES fellow, and Associate Professor of Practice, Dr. Daly has guided students in media creation through the iVoices media lab since 2020. She approaches learning as a deeply human experience, and boasts an incredible academic expertise in the fields of pedagogy, participatory culture, online media connections, and social media. Outside of academia, she is known for her warmth, advocacy, and collaborative spirit.Ìý

Why did you choose to work in higher education/at the U of A?

I chose Higher Education because I wanted to inspire people, and the world, to change.Ìý

What is your favorite part of your job?Ìý

I love creating media with students – like podcasts and Open Educational Resources, which are online books anyone can use. Media production is a great way for students to share what they know, and to tell stories about their experiences.

What’s one thing you wish more students knew about your role? Ìý

I’m not only an instructor. I’m also an Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for our college – that means I’m an advocate for them. I help decide who gets awards, and I try to meet every student who wins one to ask them how the program was for them and how we can make it better. I also meet with students if they need help or another perspective, like for academic integrity violations when they appeal. I'm part of processes designed to support them, and even if I don't change the outcome, I try to help them in other ways if I can.

What’s one class, campus resource, or opportunity you think every student should take advantage of?

I think every U of A student should check out CATalyst studios and our makerspaces. They are amazing!

If you could give every Wildcat one piece of advice for thriving in college, what would it be?

I know that in higher education, grades are important, but I wish sometimes students would think beyond them. What are you learning? Is it new? Is it challenging? It should be.

What excites you most about your current research or projects?

Recently I've been creating theatrical sketches to help change how people respond to disinformation. I do that work with a coauthor I met when we were in improv theater together, who then worked with me as a student. I also create media with generative AI, and study the output, because when you ask Large Language Models to create performances, they reveal things about how they think that they might not show in more direct responses to questions. What excites me most about this kind of work is breaking away from using only words. Words miss a lot, and what excites me are the many ways to communicate information that go beyond words.

How did you first get interested in your field?

Information Science is an incredibly diverse, broad field. I got interested in it when I realized that there was this core connection between the picture books I read to my kids that really transformed their understanding, and the computing innovations that were transforming the world. That connection was information and it is magical. I'm still fascinated by the information floating among us and doing so much all the time.

What’s one question you wish more students would ask you during office hours?Ìý

I wish students in Zoom office hours would ask if I'd rather they have their camera on. Many leave it off. They don't realize how humanizing it is to see someone's face when we're talking to them. I don't care if you're in your PJs.

Students can be afraid of failing. Do you have advice for students who might be worried about trying something new?Ìý

Failure is a key part of growing. When you get out of college, it becomes harder to fail and keep trying, although I still do it as much as I can. But being in a learning space like this university is a unique opportunity to make mistakes and try again. Fail first, and when you learn from your mistakes and improve, people are impressed with you.

When you’re not working, what do you like to do?Ìý

When I'm not working I like dancing, hiking, and throwing squeaky toys to my dog Rita Perrita. She's my queen.

What advice would you offer to a first-year Wildcat starting their journey here?Ìý

Put yourself out there and join the world. Meet people, be curious, and try to learn at least one skill or insight from every person you meet. People are our most extraordinary sources of information!Ìý

Ready to learn from inspiring faculty like this? Apply to the Â鶹´«Ã½ today!Ìý

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