Alan Dennis
AUSTIN, Texas – The Association for Information Systems presented Alan R. Dennis, professor of information systems and the John T. Chambers Chair of Internet Systems at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, with its lifetime achievement award.
Dennis received the LEO Award at the Association for Information Systems’ annual International Conference on Information Systems on Dec. 13 in Austin, Texas.
Established in 1999, the LEO Award is named for the world’s first business application of computing — The Lyons Electronic Office. It recognizes the lifetime achievements of truly outstanding individuals in the field of information systems. All recipients are scholars or practitioners who have made a global impact on the field of information systems.
“I am deeply honored to receive the LEO award. I am grateful for the mentors, colleagues, and students who have taught me so much over the years,” Dennis said. “As a recipient of this award, my goal is to give back to the IS community through continued research, teaching, and service, so that together we can prepare the next generation of scholars.”
A Kelley faculty member in the Department of Operations & Decision Technologies since 2000, Dennis has written more than 150 research papers, most of which have been co-authored with doctoral students. He has chaired 16 dissertations.
“Alan Dennis’ contributions to his field as a highly productive researcher and mentor to rising scholars are notable and this recognition is most deserving,” said Idalene “Idie” Kesner, dean of the Kelley School and the Frank P. Popoff Chair of Strategic Management. “He is well known for his work showing how computer systems enable people to work together – whether they are in the same room or around the world. This honor, as well as others he has received, speak to Professor Dennis’ effectiveness in action as a scholar and teacher.”
Alfonso Pedraza Martinez
Alfonso Pedraza Martinez, chairperson and associate professor of operations and decision technologies and the John and Esther Reese Professor, added, “Alan is not only an outstanding researcher, but also a very collegial scholar. He generously mentors junior researchers and PhD students in operations and decision technologies and actively provides constructive feedback in our brownbag seminars and research seminars. He is also a fantastic teacher and a great person to be around. We are lucky to have Alan in our department.”
In 2012, Dennis was named a Fellow of the Association for Information Systems. His research focuses on four main themes — team collaboration; fake news on social media; cybersecurity; and artificial intelligence – and he has won numerous awards for his theoretical and applied research.
Dennis is ranked as the third most published Information Systems researcher over the last 30 years and a 2021 citation analysis placed him in the top 1 percent of the most influential researchers in the world, across all scientific disciplines. His research has been reported in the popular press almost 1,000 times, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, The Atlantic, CBS, Fox Business Network, PBS, Canada’s CBC and CTV, and the UK’s Telegraph and Daily Mail.
He has written four books: two on data communications and networking and two on systems analysis and design. He received the AIS Award for Outstanding Contribution to IS Education in 2013, and the Distinguished IS Educator Award from Association of Information Technology Professionals in 2012.
Dennis served as president of the Association for Information Systems during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as vice president for conferences in 2015-2018. He was the founding publisher of MIS Quarterly Executive from 2000 to 2015. He is of Scottish descent and is the 20th Baron of Cowie. His son Alec is pursuing his Ph.D. at the University of Maryland, and they have co-authored two articles together.