The School of Information is grateful for the continued support of our alumni, students, institutional partners, and friends over the past year. As the school grows and develops in response to a rapidly changing world of technology and vast amounts information, so too do our donors’ careers, interests, and passions.
The following stories of alumni giving back exemplify the commitment of our alumni long after they have left South Hall:
Curtis Smith (MLS ’73) became interested in our efforts in cybersecurity after the School’s launch of the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC) in 2015. Curtis graduated from the School of Librarianship, the forerunner of today’s School of Information. He has been concerned about cybersecurity since personal computing became the norm. “Now that the internet is so ubiquitous, it’s even more imperative that a fail-safe system of cybersecurity be developed,” said Curtis. Because of this, Curtis made a significant contribution to establish a fellowship fund which will provide direct support for high-achieving students with an interest or research focus in cybersecurity.
Huney Kong (MIMS ’00), CEO of Wikitree, a Korean social network news service, joined the school in 1998 and was one of the early graduates of the Master of Information Management & Systems program. He remembers being impressed that Berkeley’s newest and most cutting-edge program was housed in UC Berkeley’s oldest and most historic building; to this day, South Hall is a symbol of pride for him. Huney is grateful for the fellowships that allowed him to move to Berkeley with his young family and pursue his degree — especially the knowledge and insights he gained from professors like John Chuang and Doug Tygar. He believes that his time at the school helped him to build a successful social news service business in Korea. This success allowed Huney to make a generous unrestricted gift to the I School this year.
We thank these two alumni for being valued members of the I School community, sharing their stories with us, and helping sustain their I School by giving back. If you would like to join them, please make a secure, online pledge or donation today, or contact us about alternative ways to show your support of the I School.
