Computer Educator of the Year Award

The Computer Educator of the Year is the highest award given by the Association, and competition for the award is keen. Candidates show exceptional research and teaching skills, have made significant contributions to IS and IS education, and enjoy a national or international reputation for their outstanding work throughout the IS community. Recent recipients have included curriculum innovators, leaders in the field of artificial intelligence and IS management, and publishers of learning materials that have significantly impacted the IS educational community. Nominations for the Computer Educator of the Year are accepted from September until March, with selection made in June or July for awarding at the annual conference in the fall.

In searching the records, we have been able to compile a list of Educator of the Year Award recipients with only a few dates coming up blank. It is not our intention to exclude anyone, so if you know of a recipient that is not included, please e-mail me and I will correct the listing. Also, should we have a date or spelling wrong, please send me a correction. As you can see, the list contains educators with global reputations that have made major contributions to Information Systems Education.

To nominate someone for this award, send email to Dary Nord, Executive Director

Note: Detailed records of award recipients more than 10 years back are no longer available, so recipients from 1993 back are listed by name only.

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Recipients

2023

Dr. Ewa Ziemba is a Full Professor at the University of Economics in Katowice, Poland. Her research centers around information systems and technologies for business, and sustainable development. She is recognized as a leader in the development of a multi-dimensional approach to achieving a sustainable information society. Ewa started her career as a software engineer and information system project manager. Ewa has authored over 250 peer-reviewed papers, 3 books, and 26 edited volumes. In 2021, she was recognized on the list of top-cited scientists, ranking among the top 2% cited scientists, a distinction developed by Stanford University, Elsevier, Scopus, and SciTech. Ewa has served as a coordinator and principal investigator for over 40 Polish and international research projects. Currently, she is a coordinator of a 3-year project entitled "Trustable and Sustainable Open Platform for Smart Honey Value Chains," which is funded by the European Union. She is recognized as a research expert by institutions such as the National Centre for Research and Development in Poland, the Academy of Finland, The Malta Council for Science and Technology, the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. She serves as an editor and reviewer on editorial boards of numerous international journals. In 2021, Ewa was elected a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.

2022

Dr. Matthew North is a Professor and the Program Coordinator for Information Systems at Utah Valley University (UVU), where he teaches database development and administration, data analytics, and cybersecurity. He is the Director of Research at the Center for Logic and Business Communication (logicandbusiness.org) and has previously served as a department chair, division chair, ombudsman for students, and chair of the university's Retention, Tenure, Promotion & Appeals Committee. Prior to his academic career, he worked as a software engineer at eBay. Dr. North is passionate about interdisciplinary, high impact teaching practices. He developed and directed a new South American study abroad program, Across the Digital Divide, has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed journal papers with undergraduate student co-authors, and filled a Fulbright appointment at Universidad Tecnológica Nacional in Argentina where he lectured on data analytics for fraud prevention in e-commerce, and consulted on curriculum redesign for undergraduate and graduate programs in Information Systems. He secured funding and led students on a research trip to Costa Rica, using GIS technologies to study the impact of microchip manufacturing on sensitive sea turtle habitats. He currently sits on the Scholarly and Creative Works Committee, which evaluates applications and distributes funding for undergraduate projects. Dr. North is the author of the textbook Data Mining for the Masses, multiple book chapters, and dozens of journal papers, proceedings, and professional presentations. He has twice been named Professor of the Year and is the recipient of the Service Excellence Award and the Achievement of the Year Award at UVU. He is a prior recipient of the Ben Bauman Award for Excellence from IACIS.

2021

Dr. Yogesh K. Dwivedi is a Professor of Digital Marketing and Innovation, Founding Director of the Emerging Markets Research Centre (EMaRC) and Director of Research at the School of Management, Swansea University, Wales, Professor Dwivedi is also currently leading the International Journal of Information Management as its Editor-in-Chief, serves as Associate Editor for numerous other journals, the co-editor of 20 journal special issues and is the founding editor of the Springer Book Series on Advances in Theory and Practice of Emerging Markets. Professor Dwivedi has successfully supervised more than 20 doctoral students and has examined more than 70 doctoral theses at various institutions from numerous countries. Professor Dwivedi has been recognized for many awards including the prestigious Times Higher Education Award in 2017. In Addition, Professor Dwivedi has published more than 400 articles and co-authored more than 20 books on technology adoption, e-government, and Information Systems.

2020

Dr. Joseph "Rene" Corbeil has 37 years teaching experience in public and higher education and has specialized in online education for the past 20+ years. He is a Professor of Educational Technology at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) and is the Program Coordinator for the Master of Education and the Faculty Lead for Doctoral Specialization in Educational Technology. His work as program coordinator and faculty lead has contributed to the growth and recognition of both programs at the state and national level. In May 2020, UTRGV recognized Dr. Corbeil as Outstanding Graduate Program Coordinator for spearheading the highest enrollment growth of an online program. Dr. Corbeil has over 50 publications in the areas of educational technology and e-learning. He has earned several awards for excellence in distance education teaching and learning, including a 2012 Regent's Outstanding Teaching Award, and a 2019 Best Practice Award from the Association of Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) - Division of Organizational Training and Performance. In 2017 and 2019 respectively, his work in online education was recognized for an Effective Practice Award by the Online Learning Consortium for Integrating Competency-Based Micro-Credentials into Stackable Graduate Degrees, and for, Digital Badges: Motivating Learners to Excel While Adding Professional Value to their College Degrees. We congratulate the 2020 Computer Educator of the Year, Professor Joseph "Rene" Corbeil, for his outstanding record of achievement, his scholarship, and his contributions to his profession, the university, his students, and his community.

2019

Dr. Richard V. McCarthy is a Professor of Computer Information Systems in the School of Business at Quinnipiac University. For many years, prior to his academic career, Professor McCarthy worked in industry. He first served as Programmer Analyst for Aetna Life and Casualty, Project Leader for Bath Iron Works, and Information Systems Director for Travelers Insurance Group. In 1991, he was designated a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter. He began his academic career as an Associate Professor at Central Connecticut State University in 1999 and accepted an appointment as Professor of CIS at Quinnipiac University in 2001. During his career Professor McCarthy has been a prolific researcher and writer, publishing more than 50 academic manuscripts, including 15 book chapters, case studies and instructor manuals, and more than 40 conference proceedings. He has also done 5 book reviews, served on 7 doctoral dissertation committees, completed 11 external faculty reviews for tenure and promotion, and completed three external university program reviews. Service includes serving on more than 30 university wide and college committees, serving as Associate Dean from 2008 - 20012, currently serving as Director of the MS in Business Analytics program, serving as President of the International Association for Computer Information Systems, serving on the Board of Directors of Enterprise Architecture Body of Knowledge, a federally funded research and development center, and serving as an Advisory Board member for Procedia Computer Science Education. We congratulate the 2019 Computer Educator of the Year, Professor Richard V. McCarthy, for his outstanding record of achievement, his scholarship, and his contributions to his profession, the university, his students, and his community.

2018

Dr. Jean Pratt, Professor, Information Systems, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, WI.

Professor Pratt began her teaching career at Utah State University, and after several years joined the IS faculty at UWEC. Currently, Professor Pratt serves as Interim Associate Dean of the College of Business, and teaches Data Base Management Systems, Systems Analysis and Design, and Information Use and Systems. During her tenure at UWEC she has been active in campus governance, serving as a member of the University Faculty Senate for four years, Chair of the Academic Policies Committee, and Chair of the IS Industry Advisory Committee. She has been active in her profession, serving as President of IACIS, Associate Editor of the International Journal of Innovation and Learning, and Editor of the International Journal of Management in Education. She has also served on numerous Editorial Review Boards, and designed, developed and maintained a web site for IACIS. Professor Pratt has published more than 50 research manuscripts, and has presented her research at conferences throughout the world. UWEC honors and awards include: The Excellence in Teaching Award; The Excellence in Advising Award; The Excellence in Service Learning Award, and she is also the recipient of the 2014 Ben Bauman Award for Excellence.

2017

Dr. Suhong Li, Professor, Bryant University, Smithfield, RI

Professor Li has been a member of the Bryant University, Smithfield, RI faculty since 2001. During her time at Bryant, Dr. Li has received the Teaching Merit Award, the Research Merit Award (twice), the Outstanding Research Award, and several conference best paper awards. She has authored almost 40 scholarly publications and over fifty conference proceedings. Her conference participation includes over 50 referred presentations and several invited presentations in both the United States and Asia. For many of the conferences, she also served as a track chair, session chair, and panel co-organizer or discussant. Professor Li is a SAP Certified Associate, Certified SAP ERPsim instructor and Certified Teradata Professional. She has attended numerous SAP and Teradata training workshops and has participated in many on campus faculty development programs. She is on the Editorial Board of several journals and serves as a reviewer for more than a dozen journals and scholarly publications. Professor Li has a remarkable record of scholarship, teaching, and service, and we congratulate her on receiving the 2017 Computer Educator of the Year Award.

2016

Dr. Christopher G. Jones, Professor and Associate Dean, David Nazarian College of Business and Economics, California State University - Northridge.

Professor Jones has also served as Director, Master of Science in Accountancy, Cal State Northridge; Department Chair, Information Systems and Technology, Utah Valley University; Associate Professor, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah; Director of Computer Information Systems, Woodbury University, Los Angeles; and has held several other academic appointments during his career. Business experience includes serving as a senior consultant with Arthur Anderson & Company; Director of Accounting for Lockheed Finance Corporation; Senior Consultant with Bain & Company; and Partner, Huffman, Jones & Company, Certified Public Accountants. During his academic career Professor Jones has authored numerous referred publications, five books, several book chapters, and more than 25 Conference Proceedings. He has also received several grants from the College of Business and the Internal Auditor Research Foundation. Over the years Professor Jones has made many presentations to the American Accounting Association, IACIS, The Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges, The Consortium for Computing in Small Colleges, ISECON and others. Professor Jones has a remarkable record of service to his university and profession, an impressive scholarship, research and publication record, and has gained recognition as an outstanding teacher. We congratulate Professor Jones on being selected the 2016 IACIS Computer Educator of the Year.

2015

Dr. Robert Skovira, University Professor, Computer Information Systems, Robert Morris University.

For over three decades Professor Skovira has brought his knowledge and insight into the Robert Morris classroom, challenging students, advancing knowledge through research and publication, and sharing his knowledge while serving as Visiting Professor at two European Universities. During his long and distinguished career, Professor Skovira has made a significant impact on Information Systems scholarship and education, and we congratulate Professor Robert Skovira on being selected 2015 IACIS Computer Educator of the Year.

2014

Dr. Carl Case, Professor, Chair of the Department of Management and Marketing and Director of the China Studies Program, St Bonaventure University, Bonaventure, N.Y.

Professor Case had been an Information Systems consultant and a university faculty member for 16 years before joining the St. Bonaventure faculty in 1999. While serving as a university faculty member he has led the initial development and implementation of an Information Systems major at three different universities, and has authored more than 60 referred research and professional manuscripts. Professor Case has been awarded numerous grants supporting emerging technology course development, community outreach and student centered Business Information Systems Club service projects. Over his academic career of researching and presenting at national and international conferences he has received a Best Paper Award 11 times and Distinguished Research Award 8 times. Dr. Case has truly made a significant impact on Information Systems scholarship and education, and we congratulate Professor Carl Case on being selected the 2014 IACIS Computer Educator of the Year.

2013

Dr. Joanna Paliszkiewicz, Professor, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.

A truly accomplished scholar, Dr. Joanna Paliszkiewicz has dedicated her career to advancing knowledge. She has published over 120 scholarly papers in various international journals. She has also published three books. Her publications are in three different areas: intellectual capital management, knowledge management, and trust management. She is actively involved in participating and presenting research results at international conferences. Dr. Paliszkiewicz serves as the deputy editor in chief of the international journal, Management and Production Engineering Review. In addition, she serves as a member of editorial board of several international journals such Expert System with Application and the Journal of Computer Information Systems. Dr. Paliszkiewicz currently serves as the director of PhD study in the Faculty of Economics at Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Poland. She is the recipient of the Rector's research achievement awards from the Technical University of Czestochowa and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences for her numerous scholarly accomplishments.

2012

Dr. Lynn R. Heinrichs, Associate Professor of Computing Sciences and Business, Elon University, Elon, NC, USA.

For more than 25 years Professor Heinrichs has devoted her career to innovation in information systems education, and has worked to develop leading-edge curricula for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Her collaboration with colleagues in business, as well as the arts and sciences, has significantly enriched student learning experiences throughout her university. While at Western Carolina, Dr. Heinrichs implemented the innovative program "techTrek," a week long summer camp for girls that combines adventures in nature and technology. At Elon she developed a NSF-funded scholarship program supporting students in the computing sciences. Professor Heinrichs has authored more than 50 academic papers, regularly attends and presents at academic conferences, and has served in leadership roles for her institution and her profession. She serves on the editorial board for several international journals, has been awarded a number of teaching-related grants, several Distinguished Research Awards, and received the Southwest Decision Sciences Institute 2010 Distinguished Service Award.

2011

Dr. Rick L. Wilson, W. Paul Miller Professor of Business Administration, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.

Professor Wilson has been an Oklahoma State University faculty member for more than 20 years, currently serving as Head of the Department of Management Science and Information Systems. In 2010 he was awarded the Chandler-Frates and Reitz Teaching Excellence Award, was selected the Outstanding MBA Faculty on three separate occasions, was awarded the 2006 Grenier Graduate Teaching Award, along with numerous departmental and college recognition awards during his career at OSU. An active researcher and scholar, Professor Wilson has participated in numerous grant funded research projects, published more than 50 refereed manuscripts in proceedings and journals, and serves as the Associate Editor, Case Studies in Business, Industry and Government Statistics. He also serves on several journal Editorial Boards, and is faculty advisor for Mu Sigma Omicron, Beta Gamma Sigma, and the Association for Information Technology Professionals. A serious sports fan, Professor Wilson is regularly called upon to discuss his statistical analysis of football strategy.

2010

Dr. Raymond Frost, O'Bleness Professor, Honors Tutorial College Director of Studies, and Professor of Management Information Systems, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA

Professor Frost has served as a University Professor for 18 years, 11 of which have been spent at Ohio University. During his time as a member of the faculty and serving as Department Chair at Ohio University, Professor Frost has been recognized and received many awards, including the University’s two highest teaching awards, the Presidential Teacher and the University Professor. Professor Frost is an active scholar and writer, authoring or co-authoring 13 text books and more than 50 academic manuscripts. His leadership in developing and introducing a new and innovative curriculum creating a cultural and content change to broaden the appeal for the Introductory MIS course has been widely recognized throughout the MIS teaching community. He has also been instrumental in developing and implementing a university wide Center for Teaching Excellence.

 

2009

Dr. Alex Koohang, Dean, School of Information Technology, Peyton Anderson Eminent Scholar and Professor of Information Technology, Macon State College, Georgia, USA

Professor Koohang has spent more than 20 years in the academic community, serving as Lecturer, Program Coordinator, Program Director, Division Head and Dean. In addition to an active teaching schedule, Dr. Koohang is the co-author of six books, author or co-author of more than 50 national and international publications, and has made more than 50 national and international research presentations. He also serves as the Editor on several Information Technology Journals. Dr. Koohang has been recognized as a FELLOW of the Informing Science Institute.

 

2008

Dr. Zbigniew Pastuszak, Assistant Professor of MIS, Maria Sklodowska-Curie University, Lublin, Poland

Professor Pastuszak has travelled throughout Europe teaching and consulting, supervised more than 100 Engineer’s and Master’s theses, developed courseware for the Polish Virtual University, served as the Polish partner with the University of Primorska, Slovenia, and helped develop the HRM Strategy for 100,000 Polish Postal Workers. He has published more than 90 manuscripts, has presented his research throughout Europe and the US, and serves as Editor of the Journal of Logistics. In recognition or his outstanding teaching and research, Professor Pastuszak is the recipient of 9 awards for excellence from the Rector of his University.

 

2007

Dr. Frederick Kohun, Associate Dean, Professor of Computer Information Systems, Robert Morris University, Moon Township, PA, USA

Professor. Kohun has been a faculty member at Robert Morris University for the past 31 years. He has led the development of nationally recognized undergraduate and graduate IS programs and has served in various administrative capacities, including Associate Dean. Professor Kohun is a prolific researcher and writer, publishing more than 70 manuscripts, serves on numerous editorial boards, and is an active consultant to business and educational institutions.

 

2006

Dr. Betty A. Kleen, Distinguished Service Professor and University Director of Graduate Studies Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, LA

Professor Kleen has been a faculty member of Nicholls State for the past 27 years and has assembled a remarkable record of teaching, scholarship, and service to the academic community. Professor Kleen has received numerous teaching and research awards during her career, including Outstanding Post-secondary Teacher in Louisiana. While at Nicholls State, professor Kleen has published more than 100 academic articles and made more than 100 presentations to national and international conferences and symposia. She has been active in and held various offices in numerous professional associations and organizations and serves on several editorial review boards for scholarly journals and publications.

 

2005

Dr. Binshan Lin, BellSouth Professor of Business Administration, Louisiana State University at Shreveport, Shreveport, LA.

Binshan has assembled a remarkable record of teaching and scholarship. He has received the LSUS Outstanding Faculty Award seven times, the Outstanding Educator Award from SWDSI, and numerous best paper awards. He serves as Editor or Assistant Editor for 14 International Journals, has published well over 200 manuscripts and research papers, and has served as program chair for IACIS Pacific 2005 in Taipei, Taiwan. He was recently given the honor of being named BellSouth Professor of Business Administration.

 

2004

Dr. Susan Haugen, Professor of Accounting, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI.

Susan has been an active researcher/scholar in MIS, CIS and Accounting, especially on using mobile technologies to deliver distance education to MBA students. Recent leadership roles include serving as a National Director for Beta Alpha Psi, Vice President and Director for the Midwest Business Administration Association and Director and Treasurer for IACIS. As a community leader, Susan has served for 14 years on the Board of Directors of Royal Credit Union—the largest Credit Union in Wisconsin —currently serving as Treasurer of the Board.

 

2003

Dr. Dusan Lesjak, Professor of MIS and Associate Dean, University of Primorska, Slovenia.

Dusan is a prolific researcher and writer with over 100 publications. He served several Fulbright Scholar assignments at U.S. Universities, has been a visiting professor at universities in Malaysia, Sweden, Belgium, Italy and Germany, and has served in a variety of management and administrative roles within his university and the European academic community.

 

2002

Dr. Wallace Wood, Professor of MIS, Bryant College, Smithfield, RI.

Wallace is an active researcher, has published in numerous journals, and was a former Academic Vice President and Dean. He is active in developing innovative Internet delivered courses for military personnel with world wide duty stations.

 

2001

Dr. David Douglas, Professor of Computer Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis, University of Arkansas.

David is recognized for his excellence in teaching, and serves as a member of the Chancellor's Teaching/Mentoring Professors. He is active in grants acquisition and research and publication. He focuses on incorporating problem solving and critical thinking in his coursework.

 

2000

Dr. Jay Nunamaker, Regents Professor and Director of the Center for Management Information at the University of Arizona.

Jay is world recognized for his expertise in collaboration technology and the technical aspects of MIS; the recipient of numerous national and international teaching and technology related awards.

 

1999

Dr. Bert Swanson, Professor of Information Systems at the Anderson School at UCLA.

Bert served as Assistant Dean, Director of the Doctoral Program, UCLA, and is the founding editor of the journal Information Systems Research. He has numerous publications and serves on the editorial boards of several IS journals.

 

1998

Dr. Bill Newman, Professor of MIS at University of Nevada/Las Vegas.

Bill worked in the IS field for the city of Reno prior to entering academics. He serves on several editorial boards, is active in the Air National Guard, Assistant Director of Admissions for Nevada for the U.S. Air Force Academy and is the recipient of the 1986 Federal Humanitarian Service Award.

 

1997

Dr. Doris Duncan, Professor of CIS, Cal State Hayward.

Doris is the holder of numerous professional certifications and has served as a consultant to the telecommunications industry providing innovative monitoring and analysis services. Her record of research and scholarship is extensive, and she has been active in developing the DPMA Model Curriculum.

 

1996

Dr. Jay Liebowitz, Chair, Artificial Intelligence, U.S. Army War College Center for Strategic Leadership and Professor of Management Science, George Washington University.

Jay has published 18 books, edited many academic journals, is an international expert on Artificial Intelligence, and strives to be creative in his teaching, especially in utilizing multimedia technologies.

 

1995

Dr. Tim Cronan, Professor of MIS, University of Arkansas.

Tim is the recipient of the Arkansas Alumni Distinguished achievement in teaching award, and has received numerous teaching awards from his department and university. He serves as co-director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and was selected for the Phillips 66 Faculty Excellence Award in Research.

 

1994

Dr. Roger Hayen, Towle Professor of MIS, Central Michigan University.

During his 26 years of teaching, Roger has received numerous awards from both his university and professional organizations and has held leadership positions in DPMA, ASM and IFPS. He has authored 5 textbooks and over 100 scholarly articles.

1993 Dr. Clyde Holsapple

1992 Dr. Daryl Nord

1991 Dr. David Kroenke

1990 Dr. Karen Forcht

1989 Dr. Jeretta Nord

1988 Mr. Steve Mitchell

1987 X

1986 Dr. Steve Teglovic

1985 Dr. Donald Medley

1984 Dr. Ben Bauman

1983 Dr. Robert Behling

1982 Dr. Marjorie M. Leeson

1981 Dr. Lloyd Brooks

1980 X

1979 Dr. Tom Cashman

1978 Dr. Gerald Wagner

1977 Dr. Richard Rosenbaum

1976 X

1975 Dr. Donald Scriven

1974 Dr. Richard Bassler

1973 Dr. James Whitlock

1972 Dr. Coleman Furr

1971 Dr. E. Dana Gibson

1970 Dr. George J. Brabb

1969 Brother Austin David, FSC

1968 Dr. August Dvorak

1967 Lt. Col William F. Leubbert and Dr. Gloria M. Silvern

1966 Dr. John William Sullivan