Announcing our New College of Information Dean

Dear colleagues and College of Information community, 

I am pleased to announce that John Bertot has been named the new Dean of the College of Information. His appointment will begin on July 1, 2026.

As dean, Dr. Bertot will lead the college in fulfilling its mission to improve lives and opportunities for people through information. In this role, he will advance a forward-looking vision for the impact of information, data and technology on society. He will promote impactful scholarship, expand interdisciplinary collaboration, advance innovative academic programs, and further strengthen the college’s position as a nationally-ranked leader in information science, education and research. Leading a vibrant and talented community of more than 3,000 faculty, staff and students, Dr. Bertot will build on the college’s leadership in developing solutions that help people access, use and benefit from information.

Dr. Bertot has been a member of the UMD community for nearly two decades and currently serves as Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and a Professor in the College of Information. Well known for his collaborative and visionary approach to transforming the faculty experience, Dr. Bertot has significantly expanded the offerings and impact of the Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) over the past ten years. He has developed excellent relationships and a strong reputation across campus and among peers throughout the Big Ten Academic Alliance and the Association of American Universities.

Under Dr. Bertot’s leadership, OFA supports all aspects of faculty experience at the university, including managing the APT process, overseeing professional development opportunities for faculty, facilitating human resource functions, and advocating for faculty interests and perspectives in the leadership of the university. During his tenure, the office has launched multiple leadership development programs, including Fearless Unit Leadership for academic leaders and Fearless Leadership Foundations for faculty new to administrative responsibilities. OFA also partners on professional development with the Big Ten Academic Alliance and hosts numerous faculty forums and workshops throughout the year to support faculty development.

Dr. Bertot has led significant PTK faculty-focused initiatives, such as forming the PTK Faculty Working Group and PTK Advisory Group; issuing a series of administrative reforms related to contracts, compensation and promotion; creating more systematic appointment and promotion processes; and leading the creation of a new instructional PTK faculty workload policy. He is also steering current efforts to propose revisions to the university’s APT policy to align UMD’s rewards and incentive structures with the institution’s values. In addition, recognizing the need for additional faculty support in the face of external challenges, OFA has worked with numerous campus partners to create a new Faculty Support Team and develop guidance for evaluative activities in the face of disruptions. 

Dr. Bertot joined UMD as a professor in 2008 and has also served as co-director of the Information Policy and Access Center and director of the Master of Library and Information Science program. Before UMD, he held faculty roles at Florida State University, the State University of New York at Albany and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

A prolific scholar with multiple best paper awards, Dr. Bertot’s research spans information and telecommunications policy, public service innovation, digital government, and library planning and evaluation. Much of his work has focused on the roles of public libraries in building digitally inclusive communities and the development of digital and open government policies and practices. He has authored seven books and nearly 100 journal articles, has had his research cited in a Supreme Court decision, and received funding for his scholarship from national organizations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the American Library Association and the National Science Foundation.

He currently serves as an editorial board member of Information Policy, International Journal of Public Administration in the Digital Age and Government Information Quarterly. He received his B.A. and M.A. in communications from the State University of New York at Albany and his Ph.D. from the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University.

It has been both a privilege and an honor to work alongside Dr. Bertot. His deep respect for his INFO colleagues has shaped every aspect of his leadership in faculty affairs. I’m confident that Dr. Bertot’s forward-looking vision for a college grounded in collaboration, inclusion and societal impact will mark yet another important chapter for INFO’s impressive rise. I look forward to celebrating and championing the many accomplishments of its faculty, students and staff.

I’m grateful for the work of the search committee, led by Dean Dawn Jourdan, to identify an exceptional pool of candidates. I also offer my sincere gratitude to Dr. Doug Oard for his service as interim dean over the last nine months. 

Please join me in congratulating John Bertot on his new role.

Sincerely,