Dr. John Lewis to discuss doctoral dissertation research

Dr. John Lewis, collection services librarian, will discuss his doctoral dissertation research, which focused on leadership competencies that promote change, at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25 in the McKillop Library’s special collections room.

Change is a constant in many fields, including information technology and academic librarianship. Advances in technology, shifting demands of faculty and students, declining budgets and transformations in publishing and in other methods of acquiring scholarly research all contribute to this evolving environment.

Information technology professionals and academic librarians working in this environment must cope with continuous change while still providing research support to their primary clientele: faculty and students. Lewis will present his dissertation findings, which focused on determining which leadership competencies were most successful in supporting change and promoting a healthy and productive working environment for employees.

Lewis recently completed his Doctor of Management degree at the University of Maryland’s University College. His research focused on leadership competencies in rapidly changing environments such as academic libraries, information technology, nursing and the military.