Master’s in Information Science Students Broaden STEM Representation on Wikipedia
Original article can be found at https://infosci.arizona.edu/news/msis-students-broaden-stem-representation-on-wikipedia
Photo by Timon, courtesy Adobe Stock.
As part of an assignment in the Foundations of Information Science course, students in the University of Arizona’s Master of Science in Information Science program have contributed to a Wikipedia national effort to improve representation of historically excluded figures in STEM.
The efforts of two MSIS students—Gillian McGinnis and Tushar Vimal—were recognized this summer on the Wiki Edu blog: “Small edits, big impact: Students improve coverage of historically excluded figures in STEM.”
MSIS student Gillian McGinnis updated the entry for atmospheric chemist Susan Solomon to include her prestigious Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur.
The students made small but significant edits to existing Wikipedia biographies, enhancing visibility for underrecognized scientists. McGinnis updated the entry for atmospheric chemist Susan Solomon to include her prestigious Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur, while Vimal added a key honor to computer scientist Lixia Zhang’s article, recognizing her election to the National Academy of Engineering.
These contributions are part of a broader initiative by Wiki Education, supported by the Broadcom Foundation, which empowers students across the U.S. and Canada to improve STEM biographies on Wikipedia. While some student editors create entirely new entries, many, like McGinnis and Vimal, focus on strengthening existing articles—edits that may seem minor but carry lasting impact in making science more inclusive and representative.
Their efforts highlight the powerful role of open-access platforms like Wikipedia in shaping public knowledge—and the responsibility of future information professionals to ensure that knowledge is equitable and complete.
Learn more about the College of Information Science’s top-ranked Master of Science in Information Science, or explore ways to support students in their information science academic pursuits.