Advance IS knowledge through design science and empirical research.
Quick Facts
One of a few information systems departments in a school accredited by AACSB and have a B.S. program accredited by ABET.
AIS Research Rankings listed VCU #46 in research in the Americas for the period 2020-2022.
Rankings based on Association for Information Systems’ (AIS) List of High-quality Journals. Journals used: ISR, MISQ. Period: 2020-2022, http://www.aisresearchrankings.org, Accessed date: March 31,2023.
Information Systems Internship Class: Students can receive credit and mentoring while completing a relevant internship.
Advisory Board: The department advisory board provides input on the curriculum and facilitates communication with the regional technology community.
Mission
1) Produce well-rounded, ethical information systems graduates who blend business acumen, technology skills, and knowledge to meet the needs of our constituents and who are prepared for lifelong learning;
2) Nurture and sustain scholars who make major and distinctive contributions to the information systems discipline emphasizing design and qualitative research; and
3) Sustain and develop value-based information systems contributions to meaningful community engagement.
STUDENT DEPARTMENT AWARDS
Student of the Year: The Student of the Year Award is presented to a senior or graduate student who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in scholarship and leadership.
Distinguished Service Award: The Distinguished Service Award is presented to a student who has provided distinguished service to the department, university and community.
Student of the Year: Mahnoor Imran
Mahnoor has demonstrated an uncommon commitment to her studies and extracurricular activities making her a true asset to the university community. As the WebMaster of ISO and treasurer of Women in Business, she has demonstrated excellent leadership skills and unwavering commitment to enhancing the student experience on campus. As a transfer student, Mahnoor integrated herself into the university community. Her academic performance has improved consistently as she has taken more IS classes, and she was selected for the accelerated BS to MS program. She volunteers as a technology associate at Bridging Tech and is an intern at Synergy Technical while completing her master's degree.
Distinguished Service Award: Kahlil Banning
Kahlil was elected the first president of the Information Systems Organization (ISO), the revamped information systems student organization at VCU. He led a team of officers to create a series of events designed to benefit the careers of students. Under his leadership, the organization established a webpage, Instagram account, and started developing a podcast. He maintained regular contact with the department's industry advisory board and leveraged their help to enhance the student experience. He contributed his time to help promote the major to prospective students at open houses. Kahlil graduated in December 2022 and is an associate consultant with IBM.
Student of the Year: Neema Tahmasebi
Neema is a transfer student who has moved quickly and successfully through the information systems major. He is an extremely focused student and has maintained a 4.0 GPA. He transferred to VCU two years ago and has completed all of his information systems courses at VCU by taking summer classes and maintaining full-time enrollment. Neema is interviewing for consulting and data analytics roles at consulting firms and financial institutions.
Distinguished Service Award: Nana Owusu
Nana serves as the Information Systems Organization (ISO) Professional Development Chair. He is also an outstanding student with a 3.83 GPA. He was a resident assistant at VCU for two years and has served as a career coach for 7th graders at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School through the Supporting Tech Achievement for Richmond Students (STARS) program. Following graduation, Nana plans to pursue a career in data analytics or IT consulting.
Student of the Year: Leandro Torrico
Leandro has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in scholarship and leadership, with a 4.0 Information Systems GPA. In addition to his academic achievement, he is an active member in AITP and instrumental in coordinating professional development events such as "Networking Night,” where students learn about internships and job opportunities from local business professionals, and the Ethics Alive through Creative Communication 2021 Competition. He has worked as an audio-visual assistant for the School of Business, supporting the successful transition to online education for the 2020-21 school year. After graduation, Leandro plans to pursue a career in cybersecurity, working as a Security Engineer or a Data Security Analyst.
Distinguished Service Award: John Archie
John is the current President of the VCU Student Chapter of the Association for Information Technology Professionals (AITP), providing vital project management and leadership skills to support AITP’s operations. He is also a graduate of VCU’s Lead Program, a two-year living-learning community at VCU that affords students the opportunity to grow their leadership capabilities through experiential learning and volunteering. Currently, John is searching for an IT support role that is both client-facing and requires solving complex problems. He is also working to obtain certifications in AWS and Hyper-V so he may better understand Cloud and Virtual Machines.
Student of the Year: Giovanni N. Knight
Giovanni is an outstanding student, with exceptional academic record and accolades from her instructors. In addition to her extraordinary classroom performance, she has been an actively involved in professional development activities which include serving as President and Secretary of the student chapter of the Association for Information Technology Professionals (AITP). As President, she organized workshops, outside speakers, networking events, and increased the membership of AITP with her enthusiastic leadership style and engagement. She is also a Mentoring Coordinator for the Office of Student Engagement where she has been instrumental in gathering and analyzing data that is used to improve the mentoring program. Following graduation, Giovanni is looking forward to becoming a full-time IS/IT professional.
Distinguished Service Award: George K. Akpakli Jr.
George is an exceptional student who, in addition to being on the Dean’s List academically, is very actively involved in the VCU Student Chapter of the Association for Information Technology Professionals (AITP), serving as Vice President of Operations. He has been instrumental in coordinating special events such as “Networking Night,” where students learn about internships and possible job opportunities from business professionals working in the Richmond metropolitan area. Members learn the importance of gaining IS/IT experience to give them a competitive advantage when seeking a job. George has organized 10 professional events for the organization this academic year alone. Additionally, he has maintained the AITP website for community marketing and membership recruitment through SquareSpace and has kept the calendar of events up to date. George has also served the Information Systems Department as a Network Technician, maintaining the IS Department’s computer networks for enhancing performance and user access, troubleshooting Oracle Database to ensure system security, configuring and maintaining 16 servers for student and faculty software needs, and providing IS majors technical support and problem-solving. His impressive ability to multitask allowed George to balance his academic studies, service commitments to AITP, and maintain an internship with New Market Corporation as a User Support Intern. Upon graduation, George plans to secure a job in cyber security.
