Smith Sponsors Leading Information Systems Conference

Smith professors Anand Anandalingam, Ritu Agarwal, Anil Gupta, and Joseph Bailey helped welcome leading information technology researchers from around the world to the 25th anniversary session of the prestigious International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) in Washington, D.C., December 12-15, 2004 at The Grand Hyatt Washington.

According to Joe Valacich, chair of the ICIS executive committee, ICIS remains the reference for academics and researchers in the information systems discipline. From its first meeting held in Philadelphia 25 years ago, the conference has been central in nurturing the emergence of the information systems community of scholars. Over 1300 scholars are expected at this years conference

Smith School Dean Howard Frank had the honor of making the opening address on December 13, and Smith -- as the lead academic sponsor -- holds central roles, including program co-chair, held by Ritu Agarwal, professor and Smith School of Business Dean's Chair in Information Systems. Anil Gupta, professor and chair of the management and organization department, was a panelist in a discussion on Linking Information Technology and Dynamic Capabilities: The Elusive Dancing Partners? Joseph Bailey, research associated professor and director of the Center for Electronic Markets and Enterprises, was a discussant on a panel on electronic markets.

This years conference is special, because it celebrates 25 years of continued impact on the information technology sub-sector by ICIS. The conference has produced thought provoking ideas on the current changes in the IS profession, particularly the trend toward offshore outsourcing, and seeks answers to important questions, such as what is the future nature of the IS profession and what are the educational/curriculum implications that ensue from these changes? says Valacich.

Washington was chosen as the perfect complement for this years theme Capital Exchange: Crossing Boundaries and Transforming Institutions through Information Systems. The theme reflects the profound effect information systems have had and continue to have on promoting free and unfettered exchange of information across organizational, national, and global boundaries explains Valacich. Washington was chosen for its enduring role as the symbol of democratic thought and action.

The highlight of the 25th anniversary celebrations was the recognition of the Silver Six, a select group who have attended every ICIS since the first meeting in Philadelphia in 1980. The silver six are Gordon Davis, one of the pioneers of information systems as an academic discipline now retired from the University of Minnesota; Michael J. Ginzberg, dean and Chaplin Tyler Professor of Business at the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics at the University of Delaware; Blake Ives, Ourso Family Distinguished Professor of Information Systems, E. J. Ourso College of Business Administration at Louisiana State University; Ephraim R. McLean, Regents' Professor and George E. Smith Eminent Scholar's Chair at Georgia State University; Burton Swanson, faculty director of the Center for Management in the Information Economy (CMIE) at UCLA; and Robert W. Zmud the Professor and Michael F. Price Chair in MIS, University of Oklahoma. Collectively, they have chaired eight ICIS conferences and contributed in many ways to the success of the conference.

Putting together a program for ICIS is a logistical challenge but nonetheless an extremely enjoyable undertaking, says Richard T. Watson president of Association for Information Systems (AIS). In addition to being an opportunity for scholars to meet and discuss teaching and research, ICIS is an opportunity for vendors to display their latest books and software, a placement service, and a venue for making and renewing friendships. ICIS has become more than a conference. It is the core of an ecosystem that embraces a range of interrelated activities, he says.

Ritu Agarwal concurs with this view, saying, We received 525 total submissions, including 502 research paper submissions and 23 panel submissions. Given the large number of excellent submissions, but limited number of slots on the program, the task of selecting papers and panels for presentation was challenging, to say the least.

Other key events at the conference included The AIS Fellows and Leo Awards, which were presented during the plenary sessions. The Leo Award for Lifetime Exceptional Achievement in Information Systems honors outstanding individuals who have contributed to the information systems community. The AIS Fellows recognizes colleagues who have made an outstanding contribution to the development and maintenance of the international community of information systems academics.

Future conferences are scheduled for Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2005; London, England, in 2006; and Montreal, Canada, in 2007.

For more information and highlights, visit the ICIS Web site www.terry.uga.edu/conferences/ICIS2004.

Smith Media Group, Priscilla Mwangi, MBA Candidate 2006