The Buhl Foundation endowed the chair at the University of Pittsburgh. Named in honor of Doreen Boyce, the Buhl Foundation president, the chair is one of the few established specifically for library and information science in the nation. At the time of its endowment in 1998, the Boyce Chair was believed to be one of the first in the country funded by a foundation in honor of a professional staff member. It also was the first chair in Pitt's School of Information Sciences.

"We are delighted to have someone with the outstanding international reputation and qualifications of Dr. Griffiths join the faculty of the School of Information Sciences," said Dean Toni Carbo.

Griffiths also has been named the first director of the Sara Fine Institute for Interpersonal Behavior and Technology. The Institute was established to provide a forum for scholars and professionals to address issues relating to the human aspects of an increasingly technological society. Griffiths also will be an associate of the University's Learning Research and Development Center and additional joint appointments with other schools are
anticipated.

"I am excited by the opportunities at the University of Pittsburgh for interdisciplinary scholarship on the human experience with technology," said Griffiths. "After spending the last nine years in academic and information technology administration, I have developed a wealth of practical knowledge about the development, management, and use of technology. Now I'll be able to consider in more detail how people develop and use technology and how technology availability and use affects people as individuals, in groups, and communities. This will include research into the psychological, social, political, legal, and ethical needs and consequences of an increasingly technological society. In effect, I'll be exploring the human experience in today's technology-driven and -dependent society."

Griffiths' previous positions include: vice chancellor for Information Infrastructure and director of the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee; vice president of information systems: planning, design & development, for King Research, Inc. of Rockville, Maryland; adjunct professor at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.; and visiting professor at UC Berkeley.

Included among the many honors and awards bestowed on Griffiths are; US National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) appointment by President Clinton and confirmation by the U.S. Senate; Award of Merit, and Research Award, American Society for Information Science (ASIS); Top 25 Women on the Web (WoW) Award; Special Libraries Association special recognition for research; Outstanding Faculty Member, University of Tennessee; and several National Communicator Awards.

Griffiths holds a B.Sc. in physics and a Ph.D. in information science, both from University College London. Griffiths has written eight books and has published numerous book chapters, journal articles, and technical reports. A sought-after speaker, she has given countless presentations throughout the United States and overseas on such subjects as managing university and business alliances, information technology and the future of higher education,
promises and perils of the Information Age, 21st-Century telecommunications, medical education and the Internet, and e-commerce in higher education.