Nationally Recognized Technology Researcher Appointed Billingsley Chair In Information Systems

Fayetteville, Ark. - Viswanath "Venki" Venkatesh, an internationally recognized professor and researcher in information technology acceptance, has been appointed to the George M. and Boyce W. Billingsley Chair in Information Systems in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas.

The George M. and Boyce W. Billingsley Chair in Information Systems was established with a $1.5 million charitable remainder trust from Boyce and the late George Billingsley of Bella Vista in 2004. The gift has been matched by $1.5 million from the $300 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation. When the trust matures, the chair will be supported by a $3 million endowment.

UA Chancellor John A. White said, "This is another outstanding example of how important private support is to the University of Arkansas. The Billingsleys' philanthropy is well-known. We are indebted to George and Boyce for establishing a legacy that impacts significantly the University of Arkansas. I particularly appreciate Boyce's commitment to carry on their shared spirit of generosity."

Walton College Dean Doyle Z. Williams said, "Dr. Venkatesh will help the Walton College make significant progress toward its goal of becoming one of the top business schools nationally in the area of information systems. His innovative teaching programs and industry-leading research are already benefiting our undergraduate and graduate students as well as the business community."

Venkatesh came to the Walton College from the University of Maryland in June 2004 where he was previously the first Tyser Fellow, an associate professor, and director of M.B.A. consulting in the department of decision and information technologies at Robert H. Smith School of Business. He received a Bachelor of Engineering from PSG College at Bharathiar University, India, in computer science and engineering in 1991 and did graduate course work at Temple University from 1991-93 prior to joining the doctoral program at the University of Minnesota in 1993. He received a Ph.D. in 1998 from the University of Minnesota in information and decision sciences with a minor in psychology.

Venkatesh's research addresses such issues as predicting and explaining why people accept new information technologies; determining how information technology can support collaboration among distributed knowledge workers; establishing principles for the successful deployment of information technology applications such as electronic commerce, wireless mobile services, and sales force automation; and understanding the role that gender and age differences make in shaping people's reactions to information technology.

Fred Davis, the David D. Glass Chair in Information Systems and chair of the Information Systems Department, said, "Venki is recognized internationally as an innovative researcher and educator in the information systems area. His research deals with how to harness the tremendous and growing power of information technology to solve critical problems in business, government and society.

"He is one of a handful of information systems faculty whose research quality and productivity moved the University of Maryland's Smith School of Business to the rank of No. 1 nationally among business schools in 2001," Davis added. "In addition, Venki's dedication to teaching has been recognized with five major teaching awards at the University of Maryland."

In the classroom, Venkatesh encourages students to play an active role in original research and the creation of new knowledge. He is working with Walton College Honors students on applied research projects that will become their honors theses. He has also accepted responsibility for revamping and transforming the Walton College's Ph.D. program in information systems toward world-class competitiveness.

During his career, Venkatesh has attracted more than $10 million in organizational sponsorship for his research. He has a strong track record in forging partnerships with corporations to solve their most pressing problems, while at the same time discovering and scientifically validating new leading-edge business practices. The knowledge he has created through such synergistic partnerships has been published in a wide variety of academic and trade publications, including Personnel Psychology, Journal of Marketing, Management Science, International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. His research findings have been cited in local and national newspapers including the Washington Post. He serves as an associate editor for Information Systems Research and served as an associate editor at MIS Quarterly. He has served as an ad-hoc reviewer for a large number of professional and business information systems publications. In 1999, he received MIS Quarterly's Reviewer of the Year award.

Venkatesh said: "The Walton College has outstanding scholars in every functional area. That leads me to believe that there will be great opportunities for cross-disciplinary research. Equally important was the opportunity to take a leadership role in the information systems Ph.D. program and with the help of a great group of colleagues, propel it into national prominence in the next few years."

In an interview with the online publication, in-cites, an editorial component of ISI Essential Science Indicators, Venkatesh said, "The biggest challenge is finding questions to work on that are relevant to business practices. That is the philosophical foundation of my work: most, if not virtually all, of my research is field research."

The Billingsleys pledged nearly $8.4 million to the U of A to fund scholarships, endowed chair positions in four colleges and support athletics. The late George Billingsley, who earned a bachelor's degree in history at the U of A in 1957, served as chair and chief executive officer of Pacific Resources Export Limited and as president of International Tours of Northwest Arkansas. While working for the late John A. Cooper in the 1960s, George Billingsley was instrumental in developing Cherokee, Bella Vista, and Hot Springs retirement villages. He died in 2002. He and Boyce, a 1955 graduate in finance and banking, were both charter members of the Chancellor's Society, contributed to the restoration of Old Main, and have been active supporters of the Arkansas Alumni Association and intercollegiate athletics. George was a member of the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century Steering Committee, where he served as campaign vice chair. Boyce is currently an active member of the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century Steering Committee.

The Billingsleys previously made a $1.15 million gift that established a program for international music preservation in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences to support several distinguished scholars. In September 2000, the UA music building was renamed in their honor. They also have been generous benefactors to many organizations in Arkansas, including Bentonville schools, Arkansas Children's Hospital, and homes for battered women and abused children.