Susan Corieri, G’01, DPS ’25, has received a Fulbright Specialist Award, recognizing her expertise in information science and higher education leadership. Through the award, Corieri will travel to Linnaeus University in Sweden to collaborate on a project titled Assessing Interdisciplinarity as Institutional Strategy.
The project will focus on the university’s iInstitute, an innovative academic structure designed to bring together information-related programs, faculty and research without relying on a traditional department, school or college framework. The model enabled Linnaeus University to meet the requirements for membership in the iSchools Organization while taking a unique approach to organizing information science education and research.
Drawing on research from her doctoral studies, Corieri will examine how interdisciplinarity is operationalized through governance, faculty composition, academic programs and research agendas. The project will evaluate the effectiveness of the iInstitute’s structure while exploring its potential as a model for institutions around the world seeking to strengthen information science programs through alternative academic designs.
The opportunity builds on Corieri’s long-standing connection to the Fulbright Program. During her time as assistant dean for enrollment management at the iSchool, she recruited Fulbright Scholars into academic programs and lectured in Syracuse University’s Fulbright pre-academic program hosted by the English Language Institute.
“I was continually inspired by the scholars’ determination to use their educational experiences to improve their home countries and communities,” says Corieri. “Their commitment to service and international understanding exemplified the mission of the Fulbright Program.”
Witnessing the impact of international educational exchange firsthand inspired Corieri to pursue the Fulbright Specialist Program, which aligned closely with both her professional experience and academic interests.
For Corieri, the award also represents the culmination of more than two decades of work in higher education and information science. After earning a master’s degree in information resource management from the iSchool in 2001, she built a career that included roles as a research analyst at the Center for Natural Language Processing and later director and assistant dean of enrollment management. In 2025, she completed the Doctorate of Professional Studies in Information Management.
Corieri credits the DPS program with providing the scholarly foundation that made the award possible.
“Although I have more than twenty years of experience in academic administration, it was through my doctoral studies that I developed the research skills and theoretical understanding necessary to undertake this project,” she says.
Working with faculty advisors Jeff Stanton, John Jordan and Jian Qin, Corieri explored the interdisciplinary history and evolution of information science. That research also informed her participation on the iSchools Organization History Task Force and helped shape the foundation of her Fulbright project.
Looking ahead, Corieri hopes the research will benefit both current and future iSchools by providing insights into innovative organizational models for information science education. She believes the findings could serve as a blueprint for institutions that contribute significantly to the field but lack a dedicated information school or department.
The experience will also influence her work in the classroom. As an adjunct instructor teaching IST 305: Globalization, Collaboration, Culture, Systems, and Data, Corieri plans to bring lessons from her time in Sweden back to Syracuse University students.
“Living and working in Sweden will provide firsthand experience that will enrich my teaching and offer students practical examples of global collaboration, cultural differences and interdisciplinary problem-solving,” she says.
As she enters the next chapter of her career, Corieri hopes the project will contribute to the continued evolution of information science while advancing the Fulbright mission of fostering international collaboration and cross-cultural understanding through education and research.