Jade E. Davis, associate university librarian for teaching, learning, and research at the University of Iowa Libraries, was selected to serve as the interdisciplinary area director of digital learning impact and libraries for HASTAC, the world’s first and oldest academic social network.

HASTAC (Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Alliance and Collaboratory or “Haystack”) is a virtual platform that includes more than 18,000 people and 400 affiliate institutions and encourages members to invent new ways to collaborate, form groups, post blogs, and leave comments.

Davis is joining the HASTAC leadership team based at the CUNY Graduate Center and is one of two area directors, a new volunteer role. The service opportunity will leverage her expertise in digital knowledge production and access.

“HASTAC exemplifies how learning should work: as a distributed network of curious, motivated people creating together. One of my joys at the University of Iowa has been meeting many who have engaged with HASTAC as scholars, mentors, or participants,” says Davis. “I look forward to collaborating with colleagues at Iowa and across the country to explore innovative and distributed forms of knowledge creation, particularly for students.”