By Michael Grass
Center for an Informed Public
University of Washington
The ability to connect with and understand others is an important quality for mentorship. It’s something that comes naturally to University of Washington Information School senior research scientist Jason C. Young, who was recently recognized by his peers at the Center for an Informed Public with the 2024 CIP Robert Mason Outstanding Mentorship Award, which is intended to highlight the work of individuals making a significant positive impact on others and the CIP community.
Young, who holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Washington, is the director of the iSchool’s Technology & Social Change Group and helps lead Co-Designing for Trust, a CIP-led multi-institutional research project funded through the National Science Foundation’s Convergence Accelerator program. Co-Designing for Trust fosters a collaboration between academic researchers, librarians, educators, and local organizations who help communities find trustworthy information and reimagine media literacy educational approaches. In addition to researchers at the UW iSchool led by Young, Co-Designing for Trust includes collaborators at The University of Texas at Austin, Seattle Central College, The Silent Task Force, and the Black Brilliance Research Project.
In a nomination letter, Zoë Bermet, a research project manager working with the Co-Designing for Trust team, said that in her 24 years supporting researchers, “Jason stands out as one of the most emotionally intelligent researchers I have encountered. His empathy and genuine concern for others are evident in every aspect of his leadership.”
Young mentors students, including CIP-affiliated doctoral students Zac Murphy and Charles Bugre, and junior scholars in a variety of ways, including providing quick interpersonal guidance and support and helping students navigate the “hidden curriculum” of academia. His stewardship of Co-Designing for Trust, including his work with the project’s rural libraries group, has allowed a large number of students to gain experience in designing, deploying, and writing research projects. The grant funding Young helped secure has financially supported a growing number of junior scholars including three UW doctoral students, two CIP postdoctoral researchers and two junior researchers.
“Jason consistently takes into consideration the individual needs of his team members when making decisions, ensuring that everyone feels valued and supported,” Bermet wrote. “Whether it’s accommodating personal challenges, recognizing individual strengths, or fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment, Jason’s thoughtful approach has not only enhanced our productivity but also created a workplace where people thrive both personally and professionally.”
“Through the Co-designing for Trust Project, I have observed at firsthand how he deals with all research partners and research participants,” Bugre, a third-year iSchool doctoral student from Ghana, wrote in a letter nominating Young. “He is always ready to support and very democratic about decisions that have to be taken.”
CIP senior research scientist Rachel Moran-Prestridge, who also contributed to Young’s nomination letter, noted how Young “has excelled in mentoring a diverse range of researchers and staff to produce a variety of research and community outputs. He demonstrates a high level of respect to everyone he works with and has a unique talent in facilitating success for everyone on the team, even if success looks very different for each team member!”
The CIP Robert Mason Outstanding Mentorship Award, which recognizes outstanding mentorship of students and junior researchers among CIP affiliated faculty, research scientists, postdoctoral scholars, and terminal degree students, is named in honor of iSchool Professor Emeritus Robert Mason, whose own mentorship a decade ago nurtured the work of CIP co-founders Emma S. Spiro and Kate Starbird when they were newly-hired faculty.
Mason’s mentorship played an early, vital role in guiding the work and laying a strong foundation for their research that helped lead to the establishment of the CIP.
“Bob was the first mentor I had at UW. He is an inspirational model of how to guide and catalyze the work of junior scholars. I am thrilled we have been able to establish this award in recognition of his work,” said Spiro, an iSchool associate professor who was chair of the award’s selection committee. “I have learned so much from Jason and his approach to thoughtful collaborative work and community care. As a mentor, he excels at building trust and shared commitments. He has made an impact on the CIP community and will continue to do so.”
In May 2023, Moran-Prestridge received the inaugural CIP Robert Mason Outstanding Mentorship Award. In a joint letter for her nomination, eight CIP-affiliated students wrote that Moran-Prestridge has been “supportive, respectful, and inclusive” in the way she’s fostered the CIP’s student lab culture and “always willing to lend a helping hand, provide practical support, and give thoughtful advice.”
In an interview, Young underscored the importance of mentorship in academic research and scholarship. “I can’t imagine an award that could possibly have more meaning for me – mentorship has played such an important role in my life and career, and it’s so very good to know that I’m able to pass that on to others,” he said.
Young’s research sits at the intersection of technology, society and the environment. In addition to Co-Designing for Trust, Young’s research projects include supporting Indigenous communities in the Arctic and Peruvian Amazon and advocating for library visibility in Africa.
“Throughout all of my work, I measure my success in terms of my ability to positively impact communities and to build their capacity to achieve their own goals. Mentorship is a critical component of this work, whether it be for students, junior scholars, or community partners,” Young said.
Michael Grass is the Center for an Informed Public’s assistant director for communications
Photo at top: UW Information School senior research scientist Jason C. Young speaks with colleagues while visiting the Sámi Education Institute in Inari, Finland.
