I am a PhD dissertator at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee in the School of Information Studies (SOIS). My research is in the area of knowledge organization (KO). I am studying how people gather, organize, share, and describe collections using various systems for organization, such as classifications, taxonomies, folksonomies, and metadata schemas. Their collections may consist of research articles, books, artworks, or even abstract things such as concepts or ideas.
Currently I am finishing up my dissertation proposal and getting ready for the work that will become the basis of the dissertation itself. I will be studying a particular non-academic domain of artists and art lovers and how they have organically developed a knowledge organization system, or KOS, to suit their needs.
When not working or studying, I enjoy running, biking, hiking, knitting, and photography. I began volunteering this past summer at the Urban Ecology Center, working as a Citizen Scientist helping to survey local odonate populations (dragonflies and damselflies). A long-time resident of Milwaukee, I have four children and two miniature schnauzers.
Ann M. Graf 