My teaching in IST focuses on the context within which information and communication technologies (ICTs) are developed, sold and used.
I believe the classroom experience is enriched by my combination of research, professional and 
personal experiences. These include international and interdisciplinary research collaborations, that enable me to guide students from diverse fields. My research with international organizations, government agencies and firms also provides important insights. I also draw on my experiences living and working in western Europe and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as professional experience in both the telecommunications and development sectors.
Courses
IST 110H: Introduction to Information, People, and Technology
Summary: This introductory honors seminar aims to introduce Schreyer scholars in the College of Information Sciences and Technology, across all our majors, to the College and one another. Students learn fundamentals of information technology systems as well as processes of innovation and research, together with an understanding of their organizational and social impacts.
IST 504: IST Integration of Theory and Methods
Summary: This introductory course in IST’s in-residence master’s program provides a survey of IST faculty research while integrating basic concepts of research design and conduct. Through weekly writing assignments, students learn to read and synthesize academic literature and write concise summaries. Throughout the semester students prepare a research proposal that provides important practice toward developing their master’s thesis or project.
IST 442: Information Technology in an International Context
Summary: This course provides students with a forum to integrate knowledge gained in previous IST and foreign cultures courses with IT-related international context concepts in order to improve strategies for the design, dissemination and use of information technology. This course is typically offered in the spring and fulfills 3 of ISTs’ 6 credit foreign cultures requirement. Through readings from international organizations such as the UN Broadband Commission, the ITU and the OECD, students learn about international infrastructure, the role of governments in shaping markets for IT services, and the ways in which social and cultural factors impact IT design use.
IST 402: Information and Communication Technologies for Development
Summary: This course provides students with an introduction to development theories and then surveys the literature on ICT development initiatives in both developing countries as well as right here in Pennsylvania. Students learn how development theories shape ICT-based development interventions, best practices for increasing the likelihood of success, as well as critical perspectives on the roles of ICTs in development.
IST 301: Information and the Organization
Summary: Students in this course learn about organizations from an information processing perspective. They gain skills in organizational analyses, able to identify elements of structure, strategy and culture. Students also learn about technology management, including the role of IT in an organization’s overall strategy as well as creating strategy for IT.
IST 445H: Globalization Trends and World Issues
Summary: In this course students learn to (1) approach local, national, and international problems with an understanding of how major global trends (such as: demography, technology, environmentalism, and the shift from an industrial age to e-commerce and a knowledge era) influence U.S. policy-making, and (2) create answers to the thematic question, “What role does the U.S. have in tomorrow’s new world?” In general, students will learn how to appraise developing trends, consider their impact, and shape selected policy decisions in government and the private sector to meet the increasingly complex challenges that leaders face in the 21st century. The course includes a two day trip to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. (see picture above) Staff from CSIS work with students to further their analytic skills and provide valuable feedback on student policy recommendation in a session at University Park.