Nicole Pagowsky earns Ph.D.
Nicole Pagowsky, Full Librarian, Curriculum & Pedagogy, and Liaison Program Lead, graduated from the University of Arizona Ph.D. program in Information with a minor in Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory (SCCT) in spring 2026. "Deepening my understanding of theory and ability to engage with qualitative methodologies in my ongoing research" was a primary purpose for pursing her doctorate degree. "It was eye-opening to experience the student side of the Ph.D. process, and helpful to see how different faculty are teaching in multiple disciplines," she said.
Pagowsky's dissertation, "Materializations of the value gaze: A poststructural analysis of academic library instruction value discourse in policy and practice," can be accessed in the U of A Campus Repository. In April 2026, she also presented on qualitative methods used in her dissertation research for the International Association for Social Sciences Information Service and Technology (IASSIST) qualitative data analysis series. IASSIST is an international organization of professionals working in and with information technology and data services to support research and teaching in the social sciences and beyond.