ProfessorDiane Sonnenwald

Collaboration is an integral component of many research, work and educational settings where complex and dynamic goals, problems and tasks require expertise and other resources from different disciplines, organizations and countries. Yet collaboration can be challenging as individuals with different expectations, knowledge, language, resources, work practices, and personalities try to bridge their differences to effectively share information and achieve their goals. I conduct and supervise research on collaboration in a variety of contexts. This includes: investigating how socio-organizational practices and technology impact collaboration; examining information behaviour in collaborative situations; and, the design and evaluation of technology to facilitate collaboration. The overall goal of my research is to enable more effective collaboration. I also conduct research in digital humanities. Rare historic books are national and international treasures that provide unique insights into everyday life, art, literature, cultures as well as technology and design across time and geographic locations. It is important to allow individuals access to rare books so they can experience their beauty and craftsmanship, expanding their appreciation and understanding of the past and, ideally, construct new understandings and practices in today's society. Yet most individuals never have an opportunity to touch a rare book, and current digital, virtual and mixed reality book systems ignore a book's materiality which conveys meaning and is an essential component of engagement and learning. The goal of this research project is to increase our understanding of human-rare book interaction in order to develop motivation and, ultimately, design requirements for the development of a system which supports the creation of physical-virtual renderings of rare books that provide integrated haptic, audio, olfactory, visual and cognitive human-rare book interaction. Funding Awarded Technology & Policing in 21st Century Ireland, with Padraic Conway, Motorola Foundation, 2010-2012 Creating ePracticums to enhance undergraduate learning, with C. Fulton, NDLR Leanring Innovation Projects Grants Scheme, 2010 Evaluating Remote Collaborative Knowledge Work in Industry and Academia, Research Council Grant, University of Borås, 2009 Shaman Project for Long-term Data Archiving, EU Framework / Programme, with 12 institutions, 2008-2009 Center for Collaborative Innovation, with O. Forsgren, University of Borås President's Strategic Fund, 2006, 2007 Sharing and Building Knowledge through the Design of a Collaboratory for LIS Research and Education, European Science Foundation, Exploratory Workshop, 2006 Creating a Library and Information Science Collaboratory: An initial investigation, Stiftelsen FöreningsSparbanken Sjuhärad, 2005-2008 3D Telepresence for Medical Consultantation: Extending expertise throughout, between and beyond Hospitals. G. Welch, PI. H. Fuchs, Cairns, Mayer-Petal, Sonnenwald, co-PIs. National Library of Medicine, 2003-2009 Supporting Scientific Collaboration across Distances through Technology. National Science Foundation, 2001 NSF Science & Technology Center for Environmentally Responsible Solvents and Processes, Center Co-Directors: J.M. DeSimone, UNC; R.G. Carbonell, NCSU; Coordinator of Collaborative Efforts: D. Sonnenwald, 1999-2004, Renewed in 2004 Interactive Graphics for Molecular Studies and Microscopy: Development of a Scientific Collaboratory, PI: Fred Brooks, Co-PIs; Sonnenwald, Superfine, Taylor, Jeffay. National Institutes of Health (NIH), 1998-2002 Microsoft Faculty Research and Outreach Grant, 2000 E-Mentoring Under-Represented Students: Training Tomorrow's Scientists , NCNI Student Fellowship Support, Partnership for Minority Advancement in Biomolecular Sciences, 1998-2002. PI: Bollenbacher; Project Leader, E-mentoring (Electronic mentoring for undergraduate students in lower socio-economic areas): Sonnenwald. Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Matching Funds: Ortho Clinical Diagnostic Systems, Johnson & Johnson, 1999 Towards a Taxonomy of Fundamental Collaborative Team Performance Functions, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, 1997 Spanning International Boundaries in Information and Library Science Research and Education, UNC University Center for International Studies and USDE Workshop Grant, 1997-1998 Developing a Collaborative Model for Corporate and University Partnerships, Hoechst-Celanese Corporation Seed Grant, 1996-1997 , Renewal Grant, 1997-1998 Evaluation of an Internet Multimedia Studio, UNC Chancellor's Task Force on Instructional Technology, Co-principal investigators: B. Dempsey, S. Haas, H. Tibbo, 1996-1997 Strategies and Tools to Support Collaboration Across Boundaries, UNC University Center for International Studies and USDE Course Development Grant, 1996-1997 Optimizing Collaboration for Battalion Staff Elements, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, 1996 National Science Foundation's Program for Long- and Medium-Term Research at Foreign Centers of Excellence, 1993 - 1996 National Science Foundation - NATO Postdoctoral Fellowships in Science and Engineering, 1994 - 1995 Bellcore Support for Doctoral Education Award, 1991-1993