New Leader Awards Announced
The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) is delighted to announce that Dimaz Ardhi, Kayla Burt, Satyam Kumar, Jannatul Muna, and Dwi Sari are the recipients of the 2026 ASIS&T New Leaders Award. The award’s purpose is to engage and retain new members and to identify potential for new leadership in the Association.
Dimaz Cahya Ardhi, a PhD candidate in Information Science at the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity (CEHC) at the University at Albany (UAlbany), State University of New York. Dimaz’s primary specialization is in Information Assurance, followed by secondary specialization in Data Analytics. Prior to pursuing a doctoral degree at UAlbany, he completed an MS in Data Analytics at Johnson and Wales University and a BS in Computer Science at Gadjah Mada University. Dimaz’s research focuses on cybersecurity and cyberattacks in the public sector, open data, and digital government. Currently, Dimaz is working on his dissertation on the implementation of cybersecurity clinics focused on government organizations. Dimaz is an active member of the HackIoT & PCCRT Lab at the UAlbany. From 2025 to 2026, Dimaz had an opportunity to serve as co-chair of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) UAlbany Graduate Chapter.
Dimaz is grateful to be selected as a recipient of the 2026 New Leaders Award. Looking back on this achievement, he shared, “I am honored to receive this award. This recognition reinforces my commitment to advancing cybersecurity and information science through research, leadership, and service, while supporting communities and helping prepare the next generation of scholars and practitioners."
Kayla S. Burt (KB) is a PhD student in the Information Science program at the University at Buffalo, works in the Office of Institutional Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is a Research Associate with Reflective Educational Research. Her research examines information behavior, technology use, and credibility in K-12 and higher education. KB is especially interested in how access to technology, trusted information, and social networks shapes decision-making and opportunity. She has worked in higher education throughout her career, held leadership roles with the National Council on Measurement in Education, and carries her commitment to access and opportunity into coaching, student access initiatives, and volunteer work.
Upon learning of her selection, Burt said "Wow! I am thrilled to receive the ASIS&T New Leader Award and am so grateful to the committee for selecting me. I’ve been fortunate to learn from leaders who are hard-working, curious, creative, good listeners, and, perhaps most importantly, able to maintain a sense of humor when the work gets challenging. I am also grateful to the many communities that have shaped me: the city of Buffalo, NY, family and friends, colleagues, managers, coaches, professors, conference friends, and student group chats, all of whom keep me energized and joyfully busy. You make this work more meaningful and fun than I ever could have imagined! I’m excited to keep learning from ASIS&T and to someday give back in the same spirit."
Satyam Kumar is a Library Professional Trainee at the Nalanda Library, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar, with prior internship experience at IIT Delhi. He holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the Central University of Gujarat, an undergraduate degree in Political Science, an additional degree with a year in Library & Information Science, and a Diploma in Computer Applications. Actively involved in professional leadership at ASIS&T, he serves as the Membership Officer for the South Asia Chapter and Treasurer for SIG-III. His professional and personal interests include cataloguing, metadata, digital libraries, Hindi literature, and webinar hosting. He has been awarded at various public speaking competitions.
Upon learning of his seleB.ction, Kumar said “Receiving the ASIS&T New Leaders Award is a great honour and encouragement to me. The Association has given me a platform to learn, serve, and grow alongside a remarkable community of scholars and practitioners. I am grateful for the support of my mentors and peers, and I look forward to contributing to ASIS&T while developing the leadership skills needed to make a positive impact on the field.”
Jannatul Islam Muna is a Junior Assistant Librarian at Ayesha Abed Library, BRAC University, with professional responsibilities in e-resource management, research and scholarly communication support, and reference services. She is also an M.Phil student in the department of Information Science and Library Management at the University of Dhaka where she completed her B.A. (Honors) and Master's degrees. Her research focuses on information literacy, information behavior, data and information management, social informatics, artificial intelligence, digital humanities, and social media. Her M.Phil. thesis aims to evaluate competencies of workplace information literacy among the public library professionals in Bangladesh. Muna has contributed to several UGC-funded research projects and previously served as a research Assistant at the National Book Centre, Dhaka. She currently serves as secretary of the ASIS&T South Asia Chapter and Social Media Officer of SIG LIB (2025–2026). She actively publishes in Scopus-indexed journals and presents her research at national and international conferences.
Upon learning of her selection, Muna responded, "I am delighted and honored to receive the New Leaders Award from ASIS&T! This recognition provides a valuable opportunity to learn from ASIS&T’s global expertise, take on meaningful responsibilities, and further contribute to the field of information science through collaboration and continuous professional growth. I am deeply grateful to my supervisor, advisors, officials of the South Asia Chapter, SIG-LIB, and the wider ASIS&T community for their support and encouragement.”
Dwi Puspita Sari is a PhD candidate in Information Science at the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany, State University of New York. She holds an MS in Data Analytics from Boston University, a BS in Information Technology from Deakin University, and a BS in Information Systems from UIN Syarif Hidayatullah. Her primary specialization is in Information, Government, and Democratic Society, with a secondary specialization in Data Analytics. Her research focuses on open government initiatives, open government data, digital government, and artificial intelligence. Her dissertation examines the use of Artificial Intelligence technologies in the public sector, particularly AI-based chatbots, to promote and increase the use of open government data. While pursuing her doctoral studies, Dwi is working as a Graduate Assistant at the Center for Technology in Government at the University at Albany. Her responsibility is to support a variety of digital government research projects. During the 2025–2026 academic year, she served as chair of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) University at Albany Graduate Chapter.
Dwi is honored to receive the 2026 New Leader Award. Reflecting on this recognition, she shared, “Being selected as a recipient of the 2026 New Leader Award is both an honor and an exciting opportunity. I view this recognition as the beginning of a meaningful journey to learn, contribute, build professional connections, and engage with mentors within the information science community. I look forward to giving back to the information science profession and supporting future generations of scholars and practitioners.”
About ASIS&T
The Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) is the only professional association that bridges the gap between information science practice and research. For nearly 90 years, ASIS&T has been leading the search for new and better theories, techniques, and technologies to improve access to information.