Inaugural BAIS Research Workshop Draws Faculty from 12 Boston-area Institutions
Image by Ed Brennen
05/15/2018
By Ed Brennen
More than 30 information systems faculty members from a dozen local colleges and universities met at UMass Lowell to compare notes on the growth and challenges of their business analytics programs at the inaugural Boston-area Information Systems (BAIS) research workshop.
The half-day workshop, held at the Saab Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center, was created by Manning School of Business Prof. Luvai Motiwalla. He worked with Northeastern University Prof. Yang Lee to coordinate the event for members of the Association for Information Systems (AIS), an international nonprofit organization of educators, researchers and institutions that specialize in information systems development.
Lee said that when Boston-area faculty would see each other at AIS meetings around the country, they’d often say, “Why do we have to go all the way to Timbuktu to meet each other? Maybe we need something in the Boston area.
Image by Ed Brennen
“And Luvai took it seriously and made it happen,” Lee said.
Motiwalla hopes the first BAIS workshop will serve as a catalyst for the creation of a New England AIS chapter.
“With more than 50 universities in the greater Boston area, I always wondered why there was not a local AIS chapter for information systems faculty,” said Motiwalla, a member of the Operations & Information Systems Department. “We hope this can grow and continue in the future, and not be a one-time event.”
The workshop drew faculty from Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern University, Bentley University, Suffolk University, Worcester Polytechnic University, Clark University, the University of New Hampshire, Central Connecticut State University, UMass Dartmouth, UMass Boston and UMass Lowell.
Image by Ed Brennen
“As a public research institution, we pride ourselves on collaborating not only with other colleges within our university and across the UMass system, but also with all of you,” Manning School Dean Sandy Richtermeyer told guests. “Bringing people together like this is exactly the kind of thing we want to do.”
The workshop began with a panel discussion on “Business Analytics Programs — Challenges and Lessons Learned” that included OIS Assoc. Prof. Tom Sloan, program coordinator of the Master of Science in Business Analytics program. Panelists discussed course design and delivery, capstone projects, the importance of collaboration, the role of industry advisory boards and more.
Image by Ed Brennen
A paper session followed, with 10 guests presenting their information system research. OIS Asst. Prof. Ho Cheun Brian Lee presented his paper, “To Hide or Not to Hide? An Empirical Study on the Effect of Firm Identity on the Dynamics of Crowdsourcing.” OIS Prof. Xiaobai (Bob) Li presented his paper “Customer Acquisition via Individual Evaluation and Profile Construction,” which he co-authored with Northeastern’s Xiaoping Liu.
The event wrapped up with a keynote address by Bentley Prof. Jane Fedorowicz on “Research Networks.”
“This workshop gives us the platform to discuss potential collaboration down the road in research and other projects, and even in educating our students,” said OIS Assoc. Prof. and Department Chair Harry Zhu.