A staging site Reviewer

Stacy Surla is Vice President of MetaMetrics Inc., a veteran-owned, family consultancy that provides UX and evaluation services in support of a democratic and open-market world. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland iSchool, was a twice-elected officer of the IA Institute, and is on the editorial board of the Journal of IA. She also pulls together Poster Night at IAC. Here are some words to introduce Stacy.

What’s been your favourite moment as an IA (so far)?

Too many to name! But becoming one with the IA community through karaoke is definitely one of my high points every year.

What made you decide to volunteer for IAC?

I was invited by Abby Covert to curate the Poster Session last year, and I found it a really fun, non-stressful, and high impact way to support the community. Apparently it’s now my ongoing gig.

What does the theme mean to you – what are you hoping to see, hear, sense or share in New Orleans?

I was raised in New Orleans during my very youngest years, and those experiences embedded a riotous abundance of semi-tropical sensation and memory into my being. I look forward to loud, crowded gatherings in high-ceilinged rooms, warm rain and the swish of rushing cars on shiny streets, and joining serious diners from all walks of life in eating amazing food in the lowest dive restaurants.

Where can people find you?

linkedin.com/in/stacysurla

Chiara is helping to deliver the scholarship program for IAC20. As always, we want IAC to welcome new practitioners to the IA community. The IA Conference Scholarship is designed for students new to the field, and is open to individuals in the US as well as other countries. You can find out more in the Scholarship page. But first, meet Chiara.

What’s been your favourite moment as an IA (so far)?

Whenever I see a search interface that needs improvement or content that is begging to be structured I can’t help but get excited. So much of what IAs do is not sexy – it’s not overly visual with animations and wiz-bangs that draw the eye. But it’s so fundamentally important. I love when I can help a client understand the value and power in structuring their information.

There’s usually at least one person on the client team who’s eyes will light up when I start talking about controlled vocabularies and metadata schemas, which always feels great. I know I can help them take control of their information and do more with it.

What made you decide to volunteer for IAC?

The IA community are my peeps! I’ve found this community to be very supportive, caring, smart, and engaging. I always learn something and have interesting conversations with super awesome people. Some of those people have been friends for 20+ years now. I want to do my part to make sure that the IAC continues to be a place where people can come to learn, grow, have fun, and connect with their tribe. Volunteering is a great way to give back to a group that has given me so much.

What does the theme mean to you – what are you hoping to see, hear, sense or share in New Orleans?

To me, making sense of the world is fundamentally what IA is all about – helping to turn data and information into knowledge. It will be interesting to hear all the different interpretations in the various sessions and posters. Given that we will be in New Orleans, I’m definitely looking forward to sensing some great jazz and beignets.

Where can people find you?

I can usually in be found in San Francisco, covered in cat hair. I sometimes tweet at: https://twitter.com/chiaraogan and often post photos at https://www.instagram.com/chachicatt/.