Shimelis Getu Assefa

Associate Professor

Faculty
Morgridge College of Education

http://mysite.du.edu/~sassefa

Katherine A. Ruffatto Hall, 1999 East Evans Avenue Denver, CO 80208-1700

What I do

At the University of Denver, I leverage my expertise in information science, data, and technology to prepare future leaders of library and information science and amplify the societal impacts of my research and service, while providing personalized mentoring and advising to empower students thereby contributing to the mission of my program and that of DU.

Professional Biography

Dr. Shimelis Assefa is an Associate Professor in the Department of Research Methods and Information Science at the Morgridge College of Education, University of Denver. He specializes in teaching and research within the Library & Information Science (LIS) program, focusing on the intersection of information science, data science, and technology. His scholarly work examines the diffusion of knowledge from research to practice, national innovation systems, and the transformative role of data for development and well-being, particularly within the African context.

Dr. Assefa's extensive body of work includes publications in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, books, and book chapters, and he regularly presents his findings at both national and international forums. With over two decades of diverse international experience, he has held roles as a systems librarian, lecturer, network administrator, and faculty member. Dr. Assefa holds a B.Sc. in Library & Information Science (major) and Computer Science (minor) and an M.Sc. in Information Science from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. He earned his doctorate in Information Science from the University of North Texas, Denton. His academic journey is further distinguished by multiple international fellowships in South Africa, the U.K, and the U.S.A.

Degree(s)

Certificate, Teaching and Learning, University of Denver, 2012
Ph.D., Information Science, University of North Texas, 2007
Certificate, Computer networking, Microsoft, 2003
Certificate, Medical Informatics, Fogarty International Center/New England Medical Center, 2001
Certificate, Library Management System, University of East Anglia, 2000
Certificate, Backbone Internetworking, Internet Society, 1999
MS, Information Science, Addis Ababa University, 1998
BS, Library and Information Science, Addis Ababa University, 1994

Licensure / Accreditations

The Data Scientist's Toolbox
Microsoft Certified Professional
International Training in Medical Informatics
Library Management System
Training on developing materials using digital techniques for medical education
Backbone Internetworking Training

Professional Affiliations

American Society for Information Science and Technology
Association for Library and Information Science Education

Research

One strand of my research focuses on methods, models, and best practices of diffusion of scientific knowledge from upstream research institutions to downstream knowledge consumers, the public. Through the diffusion of knowledge, I investigate the characteristics of national and regional innovation systems and innovation clusters in promoting economic progress and improved human conditions. The second strand of my research agenda focuses on data for development and data for well-being. Using the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a baseline, I investigate big data as infrastructure to support development activities and as an input to evaluate and monitor the attainment of the numerous goals and indicators in agriculture and healthcare - all in the context of Africa.

Areas of Research

Knowledge production

Knowledge diffusion

national and regional innovation systems

data science

reproducibility research

and data for development.

Featured Publications

Assefa, S. G., & Rorissa, A. (2013). A bibliometric mapping of the structure of STEM education using co-word analysis. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. No, 64(12), 2513 - 2536. Retrieved from https://www.wiley.com/

Rorissa, A., Assefa, S. ` G., & Alemneh, D. G. (2016). Characteristics of tweets about African cultural heritage. In J. W. Arns (Ed.), Annual Review of Cultural Heritage Informatics (pp. 129-147). Lanham, MD, U.S.A.: Rowman & Littlefield.

Assefa, S. G., Alemneh, D. G., & Rorissa, A. (2014). Diffusion of scientific knowledge in agriculture: The case for Africa. Agricultural Information Worldwide. No, 6, 34-47. Retrieved from https://journals.sfu.ca/iaald/index.php/aginfo/article/view/652/578

Assefa, S. G., & Gershman, L. (2012). 21st Century Skills and science education in K-12 environment: Investigating a symbiotic relationship. Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue. No, 14(1&2), 139-162. Retrieved from https://www.infoagepub.com/contact.html

Oguz, F., & Assefa, S. G. (2014). Faculty members' perceptions towards institutional repository at a Medium-Sized University. Library Review. No, 63(3), 189-202. Retrieved from https://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=0024-2535

Assefa, S. G., & Stansbury, M. C. (2018). Information seeking behavior of the poor: The study of parents' school choice decisions. Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, 67(6/7), 377-395. Retrieved from https://www.emeraldinsight.com/2514-9342.htm

Assefa, S. G. (2009). Human conceptual representation and knowledge structure in the UMLS: A coherence analysis. Saarbrucken, Germany: VDM Verlag. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Human-Conceptual-Representation-Knowledge-Structure/dp/3639205235/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333213567&sr=8-1

Assefa, S. G. (2009). Coherent knowledge structure and theory-based approach to categorization. Wiley: Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology.

Rorissa, A., Gelaw, D., Hawamdeh, S., Assefa, S., Helge, K., & Elise, L. (2018). Open Science and Open Data for Sustainable Development: A Global View. Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Knowledge Management . Retrieved from https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1393798/

Assefa, S. G. (2012). Unfulfilled promises of globalization: Global knowledge production and Africa. In K. -ming Wu (Ed.), Globalization Dynamics: Psychological, Economic, Technological, and Cultural - Volume I: Problems, Cultural Intercourse (Vol. 1, p. 18). New York, USA: Nova Science Publishers. Retrieved from https://www.novapublishers.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=29513

Presentations

Assefa, S. G. (2017). Data and Information Literacy: Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Africa. 2nd African Library and Information Associations and Institutions Conference & 4th Africa Library Summit. Yaoundé, Cameroon: 2nd African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA).

Assefa, S. G. (2016). Research and Scientific Impact. Ethiopia: Mekelle Institute of Technology, Mekelle University.

Assefa, S. G., & Olmos, A. (2014). Technology in Education: The measure of success. American Evaluation Association Annual Conference. Denver, CO: American Evaluation Association.

Assefa, S. G., Alemneh, D. G., & Rorissa, A. (2013). Diffusion of scientific knowledge in agriculture: The case for Africa. International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists World Congress. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University.

Assefa, S. G., Alemneh, D. G., & Rorissa, A. (2012). Content divide: Africa and the global knowledge footprint. 75th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology. Baltimore, MD.

Assefa, S. G. (2021). Digital Readiness Assessment of Countries in Africa : A Case Study Research. 84th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology. Salt Lake City, UT: ASIS&T.

Assefa, S. G., Alemneh, D. G., Hawamdeh, S., Chang, H. -C., Rorissa, A., & Swen, K. (2020). Open access in the age of a pandemic. Association for Information Science and Technology. VIRTUAL: ASIS&T.

Assefa, S. G., Rorissa, A., Matusiak, K., & Alemneh, D. (2014). Open Access: The Global Scene. Association for Information Science and Technology. Seattle, WA: SIG International Issues in Information and SIG Information Policy.

Assefa, S. G., Fisher, K., & Lilley, S. (2020). 2020 ALISE Virtual Academy. The diversity mindset: A guiding principle for leadership in the information fields. Teaching and Pedagogy Cluster. Association for Library and Information Science Education. VIRTUAL: ALISE.

Caidi, N., Dali, K., Assefa, S. G., Thompson, K. M., & Goulding, A. (2021). "Put Your Mask on First before Helping Others": Faculty Members as a Neglected Population During COVID. Association for Library and Information Science Education. vIRTUAL: ALISE.