Munich Honors

(Above: Bentley Professor Jane Fedorowicz with Professor Helmut Krcmar of the Technical University of Munich. The pair served as co-chairs of the 2019 International Conference on Information Systems, which was held before the spread of the coronavirus.)

Faculty members from Bentley’s Information and Process Management, Computer Information Systems and Accountancy departments traveled to Munich, Germany, for the 40th annual International Conference on Information Systems, the most prestigious gathering of information systems academics and research-oriented practitioners in the world.  

In addition to attending workshops, Bentley faculty served on the conference’s planning committee — most notably, Jane Fedorowicz, the Chester B. Slade Professor of Accounting and Information Systems, as the event’s co-chair — and were recognized for their academic contributions. 

In contrast to long-established disciplines like mathematics and history, Information Systems is a relatively new field of study. It focuses on interactions between humans and technology, with a particular focus on how businesses collect, store, analyze, create and distribute data. As information technologies have evolved, so, too, have the opportunities and challenges they bring; understanding and responding appropriately to each is the conference’s guiding principle. 

This year’s conference, which was attended by more than 2,000 scholars, practitioners and business professionals from around the globe, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the birth of the Internet and the countless digital innovations it has facilitated. Workshops explored a variety of topics, from artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to design science research and the future of digital learning environments, while keynote sessions addressed process mining — the use of data analytics to optimize business performance — and cloud-based data storage solutions. 

A third keynote session, moderated by Fedorowicz and featuring female executives from the German divisions of CEO Atos and Microsoft, highlighted the importance of inclusive leadership in an increasingly digital world. “Sharing the viewpoints of two high-ranking female executives about the challenges and opportunities they face in their own companies helped to bring this topic front and center,” Fedorowicz says. “It emphasizes the importance of embracing diversity, equality and inclusion in all aspects of our lives, not just in our research.” Her commitment to leveling the playing field was recognized by her peers with two conference honors: the Women’s Network Mentorship Award and the Service Award, Special Interest Group on Social Inclusion. 

Other Bentley faculty were also recognized. Xinru Page, assistant professor of Computer Information Systems, was named Best Associate Editor, Human Computer/Robot Interactions and Interfaces Track, while Jeff Proudfoot, assistant professor of Information and Process Management, received the award for Best Associate Editor, Digital Learning Environment and Future IS Curriculum Track. Heikki Topi, professor of Computer Information Systems, was honored as a Distinguished Member – Cum Laude of the Association for Information Systems, the conference’s sponsor. 

Faculty members also assisted with planning the conference. Monica Garfield, professor of Computer Information Systems, served as review system coordinator, while Martin Weiner, assistant professor of Information and Process Management, was co-chair of the Junior Faculty Workshop, and Proudfoot served as webmaster.