INFO Fund Descriptions

General Scholarships

Bridging The Gap Scholarship

The Bridging The Gap Scholarship Fund helps INFO students who face unforeseen financial difficulties or extraordinary hardship to stay in school. This fund continues to help students in need only because of the generous contributions of alumni, parents, friends, faculty, and staff of the College of Information. Often just a few hundred dollars can mean the difference between making a tuition payment or withdrawing from school. Your support will ensure that our students can pursue their dream of a college degree despite experiencing financial hardship.

College of Information Alumni Chapter Scholarship

This fund, supported by the College of Information Alumni Chapter, provides financial assistance to any College of Information student enrolled in any degree program. This need based award also recognizes INFO students who stand out through their leadership or volunteer activities.

Undergraduate Scholarships

College of Information Undergraduate Scholarship Fund

Gifts to the College of Information Undergraduate Scholarship Fund provide scholarships, fellowships and awards to our rapidly growing undergraduate student population, enrolled in any of the college’s three undergraduate programs: BS in Information Science, BS in Social Data Science, and BA in Technology and Information Design. These programs provide students with the skills to anticipate the consequences of new information technologies, systems, services and resources. Students learn to design solutions, create systems and lead teams that bring together information, technology, and people to meet critical individual, organizational, and societal needs. By supporting this fund, you are ensuring that the College of Information’s undergraduate students receive the support they need to become future information leaders.

Graduate HCIM Scholarships

Master of Science in Human Computer Interaction

Jenny Preece and Ben Shneiderman Award for Excellence in HCIM

The Jenny Preece and Ben Shneiderman Award for Excellence in HCIM was endowed by and named in honor of these two influential HCI researchers, educators, and thought leaders from the University of Maryland. This award is presented to a member of the Master of Science in Human Computer Interaction graduating class who demonstrates leadership, high ethical values, and meaningful contributions both in and outside of the classroom during their time at the University of Maryland.

Graduate MIM Scholarships

Master of Information Management

Master of Information Management (MIM) Alumni Scholarship

Established in 2012 by the alumni and friends of the MIM program, this scholarship is available to students currently enrolled in the MIM program at the College of Information and who have demonstrated academic excellence.

Graduate MLIS & HILS Scholarships

Master of Library and Information Science / Dual Masters with History

B. Parker Hamilton Libraries of the Future Scholarship

Parker Hamilton served as the Director of the Montgomery County Public Libraries for 12 years and had a career of over 36 years with the County. During her tenure Ms. Hamilton made Montgomery County libraries one of the nation’s leading systems and worked tirelessly to make library services accessible to the increasingly diverse population of Montgomery County. The Hamilton Libraries of the Future Scholarship will support scholarships for MLIS students who champion diversity and promote inclusion and equity in the communities that they serve. As libraries serve many different populations with a wide range of information and other needs, the field must produce MLIS graduates prepared to meet the needs related to issues of race, ethnicity, gender, orientation, disability, geography, socio-economic status, and literacy.

Barbara Van Dongen School Library Media Fellowship

Established by Barbara Van Dongen, an alumna of the College’s School Library Media program, this fund provides support to scholarships for students who are currently enrolled in the School Library specialization (MLIS) in the College of Information.

Bruce Ambacher Archives and Digital Curation Fellowship

This fund will provide financial assistance to a graduate student (MLIS or HILS) enrolled in the Archives & Digital Curation specialization in the College of Information. This fellowship provides significant student support to an important area of 21st century information needs. Highly trained, technical archivists are in demand and this fellowship will both encourage qualified students to pursue a degree in this growing field as well as recognized outstanding work of those enrolled in the specialization. This fellowship will add an important component to an already dynamic program that teaches students how to manage information-textual, multimedia, or digital- vital for society and an informed public.

Frank G. Burke Endowed Fellowship

The Dr. Frank Burke Fellowship provides an annual award to outstanding students enrolled in the History and Library Science (HILS) program in the College of Information. This fund honors the legacy of Dr. Frank Burke, professor emeritus in the college and The Archivist of the United States from 1985-1987.

Mary Lee Bundy Scholarship

The Mary Lee Bundy scholarship was established in March 2007 by William G. Wilson to honor Dr. Bundy’s memory and her outstanding participation and influence in the Library and Information Services profession. Gifts to this fund supports scholarships to MLIS students who are focusing on a career in public libraries and who are currently enrolled in the College of Information.

Myra Wilson Scholarship Fund

Gifts to this fund will support scholarships for currently enrolled MLIS students with an interest in law librarianship, public library reference service, or international librarianship. This scholarship was established in 1999 in memory of Myra Wilson, a graduate from the College of Information, to honor “her respect for education, and her delight in finding answers to myriad, often obscure, questions…” The qualifications of the scholarship winner will reflect those of Myra Wilson: excellent interpersonal skills and a terrific sense of humor.

Nancy and Daniel Balz MLIS Scholarship for Returning Students

Gifts to the Nancy and Daniel Balz MLIS Scholarship for Returning Students support scholarships for returning students in the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) Program in the College of Information. Nancy and Dan established this scholarship because of the positive experience Nancy had taking classes in the MLS program in the early 1990’s. While working as a researcher for the Oxford University Press’ Oxford English Dictionary, she updated her 1972 masters in library science education with the computer skills and technical knowledge being taught to LS students at that time. The support of the UMD faculty gave her confidence to pursue her further goal of working in a public library. She spent the rest of her career working in the Montgomery County Library System as a children’s librarian at four successive libraries.

Noyes Library Association Scholarship

The Noyes Library Association of Kensington Maryland established this scholarship to award financial aid for students in the College of Information.

Beyond These Walls: Student Travel and Research Fund

Beyond These Walls provides essential funds for College of Information masters students to attend regional, national and international conferences by offering assistance for registration fees, travel and lodging costs. This fund enables students selected to present research, lead workshops, participate or have a leadership role in important professional experiences. Students share their work, build their network and benefit from the unique experiences at these information conferences. Their presence also increases University of Maryland visibility among all attendees.

College of Information Undergraduate Student Travel Fund

Gifts to the College of Information Undergraduate Student Travel Fund provides financial support to undergraduate students at the College of Information for travel and research.

Anne Scott MacLeod Children’s Literature Endowed Fund

The Anne Scott MacLeod Children’s Literature Lecture Fund makes possible events, hosted by the College of Information, that present scholarly issues in the field of children’s literature. This series fosters the dissemination of research and/or knowledge to broad audiences, gathering of expertise in the field, and dialogue about current and future issues. Professor MacLeod is a widely recognized scholar and professor emerita of the College of Information. The MacLeod Children’s Literature Lecture series is made possible by the generosity of alumni and friends who feel strongly about the importance of children’s literature and the legacy of Dr. MacLeod.

Human-Computer Interaction Lab Fund

The UMD Human Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL) has a long, rich history of transforming the experience people have with new technologies. From understanding user needs, to developing and evaluating these technologies, the lab’s faculty, staff and students have been leading the way in HCI research and teaching. The lab is jointly supported by the College of Information and University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS). This fund supports ground breaking research, including UX/design methods, accessibility, information visualization, privacy and security, creativity and collaboration tools, learning technologies, and new media such as wearable computing and AR/VR. This fund also makes possible opportunities for students to engage in this research.

Undergraduate Research Experiences Fund

A generous Terp established the “Research Enabled Education Current-Use Graduate Fellowship in the College of Information” in November 2023. This fund provides support for graduate students in the College of Information to assist with the planning and implementation of undergraduate research experiences. Note, when giving to this fund, the name to list on the giving page/form is “Research Enabled Education Current-Use Graduate Fellowship in the College of Information.” See link to the giving page/form on the bottom of this page.

KidsTeam Research Fund

The College of Information and the UMD Human Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL) have been co-designing technologies for children, with children, for over 20 years. The technology design team, known as KidsTeam, brings together children (6-14 years old) and adult designers and researchers to brainstorm, prototype, and evaluate existing and emerging technologies for youth. Over the past 22 years, KidsTeam has contributed to the design of interactive learning experiences, websites, and apps with institutional and industry partners such as the U.S. National Park Service, Nickelodeon, the Library of Congress, Carnegie Hall and Wonder Workshop. KidsTeam brings together youth with designers and researchers from the fields of human-computer interaction, learning sciences and education, computer science, art, architecture, information science, environmental science and more. Their approach, “cooperative inquiry,” is a design process that enables children and adults to share ideas in ways that maximize idea elaboration yet minimize differences in age, ability, and communication styles. KidsTeam research enhances the understanding of intergenerational design techniques and and design techniques shaped to children’s unique interests and needs.

Laurence B. Heilprin Memorial Fund: Best Student Paper

The Laurence Heilprin Award honors the late Dr. Laurence Heilprin, professor emeritus of the College of Information. Dr. Heilprin served on the faculty from 1967-1976, and continued teaching until 1992. This annual prize is awarded to a graduate student in the college for the best student paper.

College of Information Excellence Fund

Gifts to the College of Information Excellence Fund provide support to the college where the need is greatest, most often directed toward student aid, travel and research funding. Donations help the Dean respond quickly to the growing needs of our students and faculty, as well as offer opportunities to enhance the educational experience with expert lectures, conference visits and college outreach activities.

College of Information Undergraduate Programs Fund

The Undergraduate Programs Fund provides general support to enhance the department’s undergraduate programs and undergraduate student experience, where it is most needed. These funds further undergraduate student research opportunities, make possible experiential learning experiences, and attract world-class faculty who are interested in leading innovative programming. The College of Information offers three undergraduate programs: BS in Information Science, BS in Social Data Science, and BA in Technology and Information Design. These programs provide students with the skills to anticipate the consequences of new information technologies, systems, services and resources. Students learn to design solutions, create systems and lead teams that bring together information, technology, and people to meet critical individual, organizational and societal needs.