Wilhelm Peekhaus

Wilhelm Peekhaus is an Associate Professor at the School of Information Studies (SOIS) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He holds a PhD (2008) from the University of Western Ontario, an MLIS (2003) from Dalhousie University, and a BA (1992) in Political Science and History from McGill University. His research adopts a Marxist political economic perspective, focusing on information policy, biotechnology regulation, open access publishing, and ICT lifecycle issues. Notable areas include critiques of academic publishing models, South African access-to-information jurisprudence, and seed library initiatives.

Education History:

• PhD, 2008: University of Western Ontario
• MLIS, 2003: Dalhousie University
• BA (Joint Honors), 1992: McGill University

Research Interests:

Dr. Peekhaus examines the intersections of technology, policy, and capitalism. His work on biotechnology critiques the enclosure of genetic resources and intellectual property regimes. In open access publishing, he analyzes faculty attitudes and structural inequities within academic publishing systems. Recent projects address electronic waste and the environmental impacts of ICT lifecycle management.

Publications Trends:

His articles critically assess neoliberal academia’s impact on publishing and information access, with a focus on systemic inequities in South African governance and North American LIS sectors. Earlier work interrogates privacy in health data and biotechnological research ethics.

Professional Background:

Before UWM, he served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Information Policy Research (2010-2011) and at the University of Illinois’s Graduate School of Library & Information Science (2008-2010).