91´«Ã½

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Jessie Mannisto, a graduate student at the University of Michigan pursuing her master’s degree in Information, will serve as the for the 91´«Ã½’s Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP).

The 2011 Fellows will spend 10 weeks this summer at Google’s in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Toronto and Ottawa working on Internet and technology policy issues. including free expression, privacy, security and intellectual property.

Prior to graduate study, Mannisto served for two years as a language teacher for the JET Program, Shiga Prefectural Board of Education in Shiga, Japan. She received her undergraduate degree in English from Kalamazoo College.

Dr. Alan Inouye, director of OITP, says Mannisto’s experience and academic achievements will be an asset to the 91´«Ã½ during her time as a fellow.

“The Google Policy Fellowship Program enables early-career professionals to obtain direct experience in national policy making,” Inouye said. “As the digital evolution continues to unfold, policy debates will only intensify, and so will the need for information professionals with Washington savvy.”

Mannisto will begin her fellowship on June 6, 2011 and will focus broadly on public policy and electronic access to content, including e-books and how the ever-increasing velocity of communication affects how people interact with information.