Shani Evenstein

Shani Evenstein Sigalov is an educator, researcher and free knowledge advocate, focusing on bridging gender, language and social gaps in free knowledge projects. Shani is currently finishing her PhD at the Technology & Learning Program, School of Education, Tel Aviv University, with her research focusing on the Semantic Web as a learning platform, specifically on Wikidata as a case study. As part of her work at Tel Aviv University, she served as an EdTech Innovation Strategist at the School of Medicine for a decade, and since 2013 has been a lecturer in various courses on campus, designing and leading academic courses focusing on Wikimedia projects. In 2013 she opened the first for-credit course in the world focusing on medical content on Wikimedia projects, with her students contributing over 13% of Hebrew Wikipedia’s medical content. In 2015 she opened a second academic course focusing on using Wikipedia as a platform to gain skills and have social impact, which is available to all undergraduates at TAU, and in 2018 she opened the first academic course in the world to feature Wikidata. Shani is an Azrieli Foundation PhD Research Fellow, and also serves as a Visiting Researcher at Digital Humanities Research Hub, School of Advanced Study, University of London. Besides contributing to Wikimedia projects, Shani serves as Chief Editor and Chairperson for Project Ben-Yehuda, a free online library of Hebrew writings.

Shani is entering her second term as a Wikimedia Foundation trustee and serves as a Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees. During her first term, she founded and served as the Chair of the Community Affairs Committee – a Board committee designed to strengthen the relationship between the Wikimedia Foundation and the Wikimedia communities in working toward the joint mission and vision of the Wikimedia movement. She is also an active member of the Product & Technology Committee since its inception, the Governance Committee, and also serves as Board  Liaison to the Affiliations Committee and the Movement Charter Drafting Committee. Prior to joining the Board of Trustees, Shani served as the Chairperson for both Wikimedia Medicine and Wikipedia & Education User Group. She is also a founding member of the Wikipedia & Libraries User Group, and a former board member of Wikimedia Israel.

Profiles — Perfiles

Other members of Board of Trustees

Mike Peel
Trustee, Board of Trustees
Jimmy Wales
Jimmy Wales
Trustee, Board of Trustees
Dr. Dariusz Jemielniak
Trustee, Board of Trustees

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