Claire Morville, BSIS ’21, became immediately enthralled with everything the UMD community had to offer. At first, she had her sights set on a degree in computer science, but once she learned that it wasn’t a perfect fit, she landed in the UMD College of Information Studies’ (iSchool) new Bachelor of Science in Information Science (BSIS) degree program where she was able to explore her long-standing interests in information science and design.
After her first tour of the University of Maryland, College Park campus, Claire Morville, BSIS ’21, became immediately enthralled with everything the UMD community had to offer. At first, she had her sights set on a degree in computer science, but once she learned that it wasn’t a perfect fit, she landed in the UMD College of Information Studies’ (iSchool) new Bachelor of Science in Information Science (BSIS) degree program where she was able to explore her long-standing interests in information science and design.
During her time at the iSchool, Claire took full advantage of the BSIS program’s interdisciplinary structure to truly customize her undergraduate experience. The forward-thinking nature of the program allowed her to explore the implications of technology on ethics and culture, and provided her with the skills to design and build new innovations that benefit everyone.
Claire is interested in designing better preparedness and response solutions to crisis situations, including the measures taken to address the needs of victims during and after a crisis. She is also especially keen on discussing the information architecture of gender norms and how language, classification, and structure can help or harm the transgender community. She believes that information architecture professionals “can help restructure the ways we think about gender by working to avoid restrictive labels and taking the time to consider who is being affected by the language we use.”
“It is not only about developing something new, but also considering the ramifications of what you are putting out in the world, and the dangerous ways it can be used, even if that was not the initial intent.”
In Fall 2019, Claire became the first-ever student co-chair of the Information Architecture Conference (IAC), a position she pitched to the conference organizers as a first step towards more student involvement with the conference. Claire recruited Rebekah Bruesehoff, a 14-year-old transgender activist, to be the opening keynote speaker at IAC 2021 to discuss the implications of information architecture on the transgender community and [says] “to show that students can be leaders, speakers, attendees, and/or volunteers has been such an honor.” She also worked with iSchool Dean, Keith Marzullo, on sponsoring iSchool students who wanted to attend IAC.
Claire currently works as a User Experience Design intern for the Federal Aviation Administration. She’s also a researcher for the Crisis Technologies Innovation Lab at Indiana University where she’s working on a mesh networking project to assist in dynamic asset tracking and search and rescue operations. Her career goal is to work at the intersection of emergency management and user experience design.
During her free time, Claire enjoys spending time with friends and family and with their dogs, Asha and Cinder. Recently picking up an interest in cooking, Claire has been exploring with new recipes including Indian, Asian, and Thai cuisines. So far, her favorites are Baja Fish Tacos, Pad See Ew, Steamed Bao Buns, and Butter Chicken.