解决环境挑战需要解决信息挑战，iSchool研究人员正在正面应对这些挑战。随着科学家使用新技术来测量现场环境数据时，他们创建了难以理解，使用和呈现给决策者和公众的大型数据集。与全球许多人交流的能力使公民科学领域的突破成为解决环境挑战的解决方案。通过有效使用技术和创新合作来吸引大量受众，也意味着能够向公众宣传环境可持续发展的做法。
The Doctor of Philosophy in Information Studies (PhD) program prepares students to address the hardest social and technical problems of today and tomorrow. Working side-by-side with world-renowned faculty and at internationally recognized research centers and labs, students conduct research on pressing information issues, which often entwine social and technical innovation. We draw on core values of information studies, including justice, inclusion, and access, and use these principles to facilitate the discovery of new knowledge. Students also master research methodology/design, interdisciplinary theory, knowledge of previous research in their area, the ability to synthesize and apply this knowledge, and how to create and disseminate original research. With a multidisciplinary faculty focusing on diverse information science research areas such as online communities, information systems, information policy, human-computer interaction, and digital cultural heritage, the UMD INFO College cultivates doctoral students from a wide range of backgrounds. Today's hardest social and technical problems have information at their core. Were seeking PhD students who have hard, unanswered questions about information problems.