2026 James M. Matarazzo Rising Star Award Recipients Announced
The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) is delighted to announce that Erin Gray, Dilhani Munasinghe, Lingzi Hong are the recipients of the 2026 ASIS&T James M. Matarazzo Rising Star Award.
This award recognizes individual members of the Association who show exceptional promise of leadership and contribution to the association and profession.
Erin Gray has been an active member of SLA and now ASIS&T since attending the SLA Conference in 2024. Her leadership has greatly influenced the growth of the Students & New Information Professionals (SNIPs) group in SLA, and she has been the driving force in ensuring that SNIPs survived the transition over to ASIS&T and continues to gain momentum. She values community and is valued for her quiet determination and dedication to SLA and now ASIS&T, serving on the conference committee for two years. She has a wealth of knowledge about working in an academic library and uses anecdotal experiences to inform larger ideas and issues in the academic library field. She is always willing to share her time and energy to see a project through to the end and to step up and take on additional responsibilities, while also knowing how to set professional boundaries so that the value of involvement in a professional organization is not lost. This comes through in her engagement with SNIPs, on the conference committee, and with the individuals who have been lucky enough to work alongside her and get to know her as a passionate and reliable peer.
Upon learning of her selection as the award winner, Gray said, “Receiving this award is an incredible honor, and I’m especially grateful for the recognition from my colleagues. My work with ASIS&T’s Students and New Information Professionals, along with two years of conference planning for ASIS&T and SLA, has shaped my growth as a leader while allowing me to support and learn from others entering the profession.”
Dilhani Munasinghe's contributions to ASIS&T reflect both scholarly promise and a deep commitment to professional service. Ms. Dilhani first demonstrated her research excellence by securing second place in the SIG-III International Paper Contest in 2024, a highly competitive achievement for an emerging scholar. She has since grown into an active contributor to the community, serving as a jury member for the SIG-III International Paper Contest in 2025–2026, where she evaluated submissions, offered constructive feedback, and helped identify impactful research. Her leadership potential is further evident in her selection to the ASIS&T Publication Committee for 2026–2027, a role that involves shaping the Society’s scholarly communication and future publication practices. In addition, she is serving as a reviewer for the ASIS&T Annual Meeting 2026, underscoring her ongoing engagement with academic quality and peer review. What distinguishes Ms. Dilhani is her ability to excel in these demanding roles while maintaining her primary professional responsibilities. Her trajectory shows maturity, initiative, and sustained dedication to the field of information science and technology.
Upon learning of her selection, Dilhani said, "I am incredibly grateful to the Award Jury and ASIS&T Board of Directors for this prestigious recognition. This award reflects the collaborative spirit of our field, and I am excited to continue advancing research and practice in information science."
Dr. Lingzi Hong has established herself as an emerging leader whose work reflects both intellectual distinction and strong potential for long-term impact on the profession. Her scholarship sits at the intersection of information science, artificial intelligence, and human-centered computing, with a particular focus on how computational systems can better respond to users’ information and communication needs in socially significant contexts such as crisis informatics and health communication. Through this work, she has demonstrated not only a strong research trajectory but also a clear vision for how information science can address pressing societal challenges. Her ability to connect rigorous research with real-world information problems reflects the kind of leadership and forward-looking perspective that this award is intended to recognize. She has taken on important academic leadership roles, including directing academic programs and research initiatives, while also mentoring students and junior scholars. Her work consistently shows initiative, creativity, and a commitment to advancing the field in ways that are collaborative, inclusive, and practically relevant. Equally important are Dr. Hong’s contributions to ASIS&T, which have been substantive and sustained. She has been an active member of the association since 2020 and has taken on several leadership roles, including SIG Cabinet Deputy Director beginning in 2026, Panel Track Chair of the ASIS&T Annual Meeting 2026, Panel Vice Chair of the ASIS&T Annual Meeting 2025, Co-Chair of the ASIS&T IDEA Institute since 2023, and Chair of the Special Interest Group on Social Media in 2024. Her involvement in ASIS&T reflects a genuine commitment to strengthening the association as a space for intellectual exchange, community building, and professional development.
Receiving the news of the award, Lingzi said: “I am truly honored and deeply grateful to receive the James M. Matarazzo Rising Star Award. This recognition is a wonderful encouragement for me. I sincerely appreciate the support and trust from my collaborators, students, and the broader professional community. I will try my best to keep rising, continue growing, contributing, and serving the ASIS&T community with greater dedication and purpose.”
These recipients will receive their awards during the ASIS&T 2026 Information Science Summit & Special Libraries Conference (ISS/SLC26) which will be held 6-9 June 2026 in Albuquerque, NM.
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.