Intellectual Autobiography (1996)

My academic interests and present concern with the topic of transforming scholarly communication systems have been shaped by three areas of life experiences.  

The first area was my undergraduate education at Rice University.  My classes in philosophy and extended discussions with my professors gave me profound appreciation for the ongoing dialogue of scholars through history.
 
The second area was my graduate program in library science at the University of Texas at Austin.  This theoretical background helped to shape both my career and my interest in the dynamics of the information production cycle within the publishing and media industries, and the effect of these dynamics on academia and society.

The third area has been my professional experience as a librarian.  I have participated in a variety of projects that have directed my interests. My involvement in university-wide initiatives such as the Electronic Studio Project and the Campus Wide Information System development at Rice University made me keenly aware of the issues involved in fostering communities in an electronic environment.  Perhaps most pivotal was my fellowship, sponsored by the United States Information Agency, to provide leadership in automating the national university library of the former Soviet Republic of Estonia in 1994. All of these experiences developed my interest in pursuing a more involved study of the process of transforming scholarly communication.