An Afternoon with Dr. Albright

By Charlotte Bishop

What do a member of a Ugandan wedding party, former rock musician and mother of four daughters have in common? They are all on the life resume of Dr. Kendra Albright, an associate professor in the School of Library and Information Science. While Dr. Albright is known for her prestigious awards and published works, she rarely draws attention to her professional accomplishments. She does have impressive scholarly achievements, but she prefers to consider her greatest accomplishments in life those that are more personal and close to her heart.

“Kendra is one of those rare academics who understands all the theoretical constructs for our field yet is able to translate the theories into practice” says SLIS director, Dr. Sam Hastings. “She genuinely cares about what happens to people on our planet and believes that information and access to valid information is the key to our success.”

Dr. Albright holds a Ph.D. in communications, a master’s degree in library science, and a bachelor’s degree in human development from the University of Tennessee. She puts her degrees into practice through her research on discovering how information and communication serve as tools to solve social and cultural issues in various parts of the world. In Uganda, Dr. Albright and her research team worked to gain a better understanding of communication’s role in the dissemination of HIV/AIDS information.

She was commissioned by the US National Commission on Library and Information Science to develop a study, “The Role of Libraries in HIV/AIDS Information Dissemination in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Dr. Albright noticed through her research that many students were graduating from SLIS programs in Africa, but had no libraries to work in, so she helped develop a foundation to increase visibility of the SLIS profession. The Information Science Foundation of East Africa was born as a result of Dr. Albright’s research findings and focuses on the importance of elevating awareness of library and information science professions.

While in Uganda, Dr. Albright also invested her time in her colleagues’ lives; she was even invited to be in the wedding of one of her Ugandan associates. While Dr. Albright maintains an extensive list of academic achievements, her extracurricular activities are impressive as well. At the age of 12, Dr. Albright entered a church talent show where she sang and played her guitar and was invited to join a band on the spot. Music is one of her greatest passions, and she has played in country or rock bands for the past 38 years, including performing at the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville.

Dr. Albright has traveled extensively and lived in Sheffield, England, but when asked about her favorite place to live she said, “Oak Ridge, Tenn., but Columbia is coming up fast!”

Q & A
What do you consider your “Top 10” accomplishments in life?
1. My daughters!
2. Having a career I love
3. Working with excellent colleagues
4. Bringing students to the doctoral program at USC
5. Working with students at all levels
6. Working with colleagues in Africa
7. Opportunity to live/travel overseas
8. Opportunity to understand the similarities and differences between people all over the world
9. Seeing synergies across multiple disciplines
10.  Playing in a rock band

What do you value most in life?
Family.

What has been your most rewarding experience in your profession? 
The opportunity to work on problems critical to the quality of life for people in challenging conditions.  This includes investigating the way information has helped reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Uganda, to exploring the ways information can improve economic growth for small businesses. 

What do you consider your most rewarding life experience outside of your profession?
Having healthy and happy kids.

Explain the wedding you were a part of in Uganda.
It was the wedding of my former Ph.D. student at the University of Tennessee, Dick Kawooya, and his wife, Betty, in Masaka. I was honored to participate in the wedding ceremony, which lasted four hours. My part lasted about five minutes, but it was thrilling. 
 
What is your favorite part about being a professor in SLIS?
There are so many things; it’s hard to choose. Great students, wonderful colleagues, lots of research and teaching opportunities. SLIS is already a nationally ranked program but I’m pleased to be a part of its increasing visibility and contribution to the profession and to the people of South Carolina.