A Florida State University business professor who studies the collection, processing, storage and dissemination of information needed to carry out the functions of management has received two of the biggest honors in his field.
Joey George, who holds the title of Thomas L. Williams Eminent Scholar in Management Information Systems at Florida State, was recently elected a fellow of the Association for Information Systems (AIS) — one of fewer than 50 people worldwide to have been so honored since the AIS was founded in 1994.
Not long after being named an AIS fellow, George received a second surprise: He was nominated for and subsequently elected president of the organization, which has 25 chapters located all over the world and serves as the premier global organization for academics specializing in information systems.
He will start his term as president-elect in July and become president in 2010.
"I am very humbled to have been recognized by my peers, who first awarded me the title of AIS fellow," George said. "It really is a great honor in my field, and I am a bit overwhelmed to have received the award. I could not have advanced in my career as I have been able to do without the help and support of many people, but I would especially like to thank my wife for supporting my career all these years.
"As for the AIS presidency, I am excited to have been elected, and I am looking forward to serving as the leader of the association," he said.
A member of the Florida State faculty since 1993, George has developed expertise in three areas related to management information systems (MIS). They are: Learning how to detect deception in computer-mediated communication, such as e-mail and Instant Messenger;
Understanding the interaction between information technology and work groups; and
Systems analysis and design, i.e., the methods and practices used to develop and build information systems in a business setting.
"Dr. George’s induction as an AIS fellow and his subsequent election as president are clear and undeniable indicators of his position in the global information systems academic community," said David Paradice, the Sprint Professor of Business at Florida State and chairman of the Department of Management Information Systems. "Being selected as a fellow is an honor that goes only to the leading information systems academics who have demonstrated superior abilities on an international level. His election as president of our global organization recognizes his leadership capabilities.
"He has distinguished himself in research, teaching and service on an international scale, and our peers recognize that," Paradice said. "In addition to all of this, he is a great colleague."
George said this is an exciting time to be involved in MIS because of the many professional opportunities that exist.
"The MIS field is facing a shortage of qualified employees," he said. "The field is facing large-scale retirements over the next few years, and many students who should have studied MIS did not due to fears of jobs disappearing overseas. These shortages are one of the reasons high-tech companies are clamoring for an increase in the number of H1B visas, so they can bring in employees from outside the United States to fill some of these vacant jobs.
"Also, the information technology (IT) industry is not hurting as much as other industries due to the current economic downturn," George said. "Now is a very good time to consider a career in IT."
As president of the AIS, George will have many opportunities to speak at conferences and universities around the world on behalf of the organization — and as an ambassador for The Florida State University. "For example, I will be attending conferences in China and India this summer, and I will address the attendees as the president-elect of AIS," he said. "And they will all know that I am a professor at Florida State."