About
The Ensemble
Last updated 07.18.2008
A cutting-edge exhibition in cultivating creativity through art and intellect, JAG-wire is the personal-professional ensemble of Jeff Ginger, a graduate student in Sociology and Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois. Through this site, Jeff seeks to share his talents and most passionate interests in different realms of his life: academic, creative, and professional.
Academic
As an aspiring young graduate student Jeff has only just begun his studies. His Masters work in Sociology focused on Social Informatics; namely how Social Networking Services like Facebook relate to identity and impression management, race and ethnicity, campus climate at UIUC, gender roles and sexism, information and communication, and more. This work was summed up in The Facebook Project, a collaborative research website. His interests have been newly expanded to include community informatics, "an emerging set of principles and practices concerned with the use of information and communication technology (ICT's) for the personal, social, cultural or economic development of and within communities" (Wikipedia). This site is home to both Jeff's academic curriculum vitae, academic portfolio, as well as his best and latest projects and publications.
Professional
Though thoroughly entrenched (actually more bounding about joyfully) in Academia for now, Jeff is considerably interested in engaging the nonprofit and altruistic professional world during the summers. His resume should thoroughly betray his skills and interests.
Creative
Though forced into a secondary role Jeff's artistic side finds a home here as well in the form of his latest work and projects from the portfolios. By far and above his best work is evident in his experience weaving the web and is reflected in his web portfolio where he strives for beautiful, audience-oriented design, and the balance of form and function. Beyond this Jeff has accumulated a small graphic art and photography portfolio as well as an array of advertisements from previous student organization work. And perhaps the least professional and most fun aspect of the group is Jeff's audio-visual portfolio, where he shares a bunch of videos and recordings he's created or been involved in over the years.
History
JAG-wire was created in 2007 by Jeff Ginger as a collected representation of his best academic, professional, and creative work. JAG-wire currently serves as the professional front to Jeff's most recent and best scholarly work, invention, and ingenuity. The precursor and basis of JAG-wire, JAG85.com, was started in 1999 in Jeff's first and only formal web design class in high school. Since then JAG85 has undergone countless evolutions and is currently on its 6th generation. Beginning in 2002 Jeff began to include web sites for organizations as a part of JAG85 until it reached its present day state of laying host to over two dozen academic, organization, and personal web sites.
Philosophy
We as humans by nature are multifaceted beings. To represent only one aspect of who I am and what I do would be a disservice to my abilities and persona. JAG-wire, consequently, reflects the many sides of myself. Passion, intensity, creativity, and activity comprise my life and JAG-wire is a conceptualization of this reality.
My philosophy, therefore, is detailed in several areas of expertise:
- Teaching Philosophy
- Research Philosophy
- Professional Resume Mission & Personal Summary
- My Principles of Web Design
Personal
Jeff Ginger is a first year PhD student studying and library & information science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also attended UIUC for both his Bachelor's and Master's degree where he fostered his love for sociology and disdain for math-focused computer science. He comes from a Science and Technology Studies (STS) anti-disciplinary background (the insurgents of sociology), has gobbled up a rather hefty helping of race/ethnicity studies (supplemented by intergroup dialogue), and is perhaps most famous for his Masters research on Facebook.com. His current studies revolve around social & community informatics, battling the digital divide, and human-computer interactions (HCI) and his dissertation will likely be some blend of the three.
Jeff also occasionally makes websites, pretends to be an artist, records fun noises, and likes to teach.
About the REAL Me
I find that one of the coolest questions you can ask someone is "Who are you?"
Some people define who they are by their studies, their jobs, their friends, their physical characteristics, or perhaps just their simple name. Our identities are complicated and always changing - yet static in some sense.
So who am I?
I am a loving, passionate individual who yearns to make a difference in the world - in the lives of others as well as my own. Intensity and enthusiasm flows through my veins. A friend once put it quite aptly - I'm a creator and a connector. I see leadership as service, and take point often - I conspire to inspire, even if it means I risk rejection. I'm also active and assertive - in more than one sense. I'm a thinker, a dreamer, and still yet a realist with a pinch of curiosity.
Activities
Inline Insomniacs, Double Hitters Anonymous (DHA) Volleyball, Positive Event Chain, and I used to be involved in many more organizations... I occasionally revisit.
Interests
Informatics, sociology, web design, volleyball, recording, rollerblading, singing badly, computer gaming, graphic design, photography, ice skating, DDR, gender studies, biking, hacking, hiking, running, [bboy] breaks, skiing, kayaking & rafting, writing, public speaking, listening to music, theology, spirituality, kick_ball, psychology, race and ethnicity, cooking, human sexuality, philosophy, Legos, politics and, most of all, people.
