Professor Tanya Rosenblat has been named the new academic program director of the Bachelor of Science in Information program at the University of Michigan School of Information. Rosenblat is a professor of information at UMSI and a professor of economics at the U-M College of Literature, Science and the Arts. 

The Bachelor of Science in Information (BSI) is an upper-level undergraduate degree program. The program consists of two pathways, Information Analysis and User Experience Design, with opportunities to focus in areas like social media, entrepreneurship, digital humanities and consulting.

“Professor Tanya Rosenblat is an ideal selection for BSI academic program director,” says Interim Dean Elizabeth Yakel. “She has been active in the BSI since its inception. She has helped to shape the information analysis path, designed and taught BSI courses, and been on the BSI committee multiple times. I am very pleased that she has accepted this role."

Yakel says Rosenblat’s qualities and leadership experience make her an ideal fit for this role. “She previously co-chaired the UMSI Diversity Committee and co-organizes the SBEE Seminar series. At the university level, she has been part of the University of Michigan Behavioral Sciences Initiative since 2018.”

Rosenblat earned her PhD in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and studied mathematical methods in the social sciences and economics at Northwestern University, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Her main research interest is in behavioral and experimental economics. She has worked on trust and learning in social networks as well as biases that affect labor market outcomes.

Rosenblat says UMSI is one of the few truly interdisciplinary academic institutions. This is particularly important in a time when more and more specialization “often lets us not see the forest for the trees.” In her role as academic program director for the BSI program, Rosenblat says it’s important to continue to adapt and innovate. “Not just innovation in a single discipline, but innovation across all the disciplines that contribute to the BSI.”

“When we break down boundaries between disciplines we can learn from each other and approach problems holistically,” says Rosenblat. “The BSI is a truly interdisciplinary program and reflects the wealth of skills and experiences at the School of Information. I look very much forward to working with our amazing students, our wonderful staff and faculty.”

Rosenblat’s appointment was effective beginning September 1, 2022.