John Gathegi

John N. Gathegi is a Professor at the School of Information, University of South Florida, with expertise spanning information law, policy, intellectual property rights, and internet governance. His work bridges legal frameworks with emerging technologies, focusing on ethical implications and security challenges.

• Education: PhD (Information Studies), JD (Law), MA (Political Science), MLS (Library Science), BA (U.S. International University) – all from the University of California at Berkeley.

Research interests include:

• First Amendment and freedom of speech in digital environments
• Legal aspects of big data and IoT
• Information security policy and organizational culture
• Global LIS education and developing countries

Recent publications analyze:

• Copyright and fair use in tech convergence
• Ethical dilemmas in autonomous systems
• Privacy in cloud computing and big data
• Legal challenges to digital rights

Scientific Awards:

• Fulbright Senior Specialist (Chile)

Dr. Gathegi has held leadership roles including Director of the School of Library and Information Science at USF and Dean at Merritt College. He has taught as a visiting professor in Turkey, Vietnam, Taiwan, and China, and delivered lectures in over 15 countries.