Remembering the Legacy of Elizabeth (Liz) DuRoss Liddy

Elizabeth (Liz) DuRoss Liddy, dean emerita of the School of Information Studies (iSchool) and former interim vice chancellor and provost, passed away on Aug. 21. A pioneering scholar and researcher in natural language processing, she was 81.

Liddy G’77, G’88 was a native of Utica, New York. The starting point of her career can be traced to 1975, she told the iSchool’s Connections Magazine in 2015. When her oldest child started kindergarten, she volunteered to sort books in his school library. Realizing how much she thrived in that environment, she enrolled in Syracuse University’s master’s degree program in library science the next day.

She earned a master’s degree and became the faculty librarian at Onondaga Community College, but her educational journey was not yet complete. In 1982, she was accepted as the iSchool’s first part-time Ph.D. student. When approaching each challenge, from the master’s program to University leadership, her mantra was always “why not” instead of “I can’t.”

Liddy earned a Ph.D. from the iSchool in 1988 and was teaching and working on a National Science Foundation grant even before completing her dissertation. Her research in natural language processing generated a vast amount of scholarship in information extraction search, data mining, question-answering and cross-language retrieval and summarization.

She established a startup company, TextWise, and then went on to found the Center for Natural Language Processing. Liddy authored more than 110 research articles and led over 70 research projects. Her eight technology patents have been applied to a wide range of sectors throughout society, including security, crisis management, business, travel, health care and public utilities.

Liddy was appointed dean of the iSchool in 2008. During her tenure, undergraduate enrollment grew by 71%, graduate enrollment rose by 66% and she raised over $26 million in research funding. She established New York’s first graduate certificate in data science and introduced a data analytics minor. She led initiatives that provided unique entrepreneurial experiences for students and bolstered the school’s national profile and international reach.

From 2012 to 2014, she chaired the iSchools Organization, a consortium with three initial member information schools, including Syracuse University. The organization now includes nearly 100 information schools around the world. Liddy was a strong proponent of increasing female student engagement in IT.

In 2015, Chancellor Kent Syverud appointed Liddy as interim vice chancellor and provost. In that role, she led the development of the University’s first Academic Strategic Plan, a pivotal framework charting the University’s future course.

“Liz Liddy was a remarkable leader whose influence touched many parts of the University,” says Chancellor Syverud. “I will always remember her cheerful outlook, her entrepreneurial spirit, her openness to new ideas and her unwavering faith in people.”

Liddy returned to the iSchool deanship in 2016.

“Liz meant a lot to me personally. When I was finishing my Ph.D., she encouraged me to apply for a faculty role here, and she always made time when I had questions or ideas. She pushed me to try things like the iSchool poster day, which is still part of who we are,” says iSchool Interim Dean Jeff Hemsley. “The way she supported students and colleagues has become a model for me, and I think of her often in my own role now. I’ll miss her warmth and spirit.”

Barbara Kwasnik, professor emerita and a friend and colleague of Liddy’s, says that Liddy was a natural educator. “While it’s true she served in many leadership roles, my deepest appreciation was for her skills as an educator. Her classes were challenging, but almost always ranked the highest in student evaluations,” she says. “Her Ph.D. advisees form an honor roll of national awards, professional success and impactful contributions. She herself won ‘the trifecta’ of awards for her proposal and dissertation, so she knew what it took to pay attention to all the details that make for the highest quality work. I know it was not just a random thing because I observed the levels of preparation she put into every presentation, making it seem easy.”

Liddy was a mentor, dean and friend to Jeff Rubin, the University’s senior vice president for digital transformation and chief digital officer and a longtime iSchool faculty member. “She inspired generations of students and educators around the globe. She was a true pioneer in natural language processing and an extraordinary advocate for our library science program,” he says. “She leaves behind a remarkable legacy.”

Liddy is survived by her children, John (Jen) Liddy, Suzanne (Mike) Terry and Jennifer Liddy (Tony Sereno); four grandsons, Cormac Terry, Nolan Terry, Owen Gette and Jack Liddy; and three brothers, Jim (Cynthia) DuRoss, Gil DuRoss (Maria Sabatini) and Frank (Liz) DuRoss. She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Margaret DuRoss, and her sister, Margaret (Peggy) Ashton.

A visitation will be held at 10 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30, at St. Ann Catholic Church, 3535 Park Road, Charlotte, North Carolina, 28209. Burial will follow at Forest Lawn East Cemetery, Matthews, North Carolina.

Memorial donations may be made to the Elizabeth D. Liddy Endowed Student Support Fund in the iSchool.

A celebration of life will be held in Hendricks Chapel on Monday, Sept. 29, at 4 p.m. To share remembrances of Liddy, visit the iSchool website.