Sabherwal Receives LEO Award for Lifetime Exceptional Achievement

Grant Schol

Rajiv Sabherwal, chair of the Department of Information Systems, was honored with the LEO Award for Lifetime Exceptional Achievement by the Association of Information Systems.

Rajiv Sabherwal, Distinguished Professor, Edwin & Karlee Bradberry Chair and chair of the Department of Information Systems at the Sam M. Walton College of Business, was honored with the AIS LEO Award for Lifetime Exceptional Achievement by the Association of Information Systems. Sabherwal received the award at the 2022 International Conference on Information Systems in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December.

"I am humbled and honored to receive the AIS LEO Award, whose recipients include the founders of the field of information systems and individuals who have both shaped the research and practice to positively impact the world," Sabherwal said. "I received this award due to tremendous contributions from numerous people during my 38 years in academia: my family, teachers and mentors, collaborators, colleagues (especially at the University of Arkansas), students and friends in academia and beyond."

The LEO Award for Lifetime Exceptional Achievement recognizes individuals who make exceptional contributions to the information systems community. The award, named after the Lyons Electronic Office, the world's first business application of computing, recognizes information systems scholars who make exceptional global contributions to the industry, serve as role models and exhibit personal and professional integrity throughout their careers.

"Although this is a lifetime achievement award, I am currently working with doctoral students, recent graduates and faculty across the world on numerous exciting projects on the impacts of emergent information technologies on both individuals and organizations," Sabherwal said. "I hope to continue to create and disseminate knowledge in this important area in the years to come." 

Matt Waller, Walton College dean, expressed his pride in Sabherwal's accomplishments, saying, "This prestigious honor is given to only the most outstanding scholars who have made significant contributions to IS on a global scale. Rajiv is a longtime valued member of my executive team and has consistently helped raise the bar for the Department of Information Systems. He has led his team to become some of the most cited researchers in the world."

During Sabherwal's tenure as department chair, the department received more than $200 million in gifts and founded the Blockchain Center of Excellence. His research focuses on the management, use, and impact of information technologies and has been published in MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, Management Science and Organization Science. He has served as an editor for IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, MIS Quarterly, Journal of AIS, Decision Sciences, Information Systems Research, MIS Quarterly Executive and Journal of Information Technology. Sabherwal has authored textbooks on business intelligence and knowledge management. 

Prior to joining Walton College as the departmental chair in 2011, Sabherwal served as a faculty member of the University of Missouri (St. Louis), Florida State University, Florida International University, Fulbright-Research Chair at Queen's University and National University of Singapore. Sabheral received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Bhopal University (India), an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management and a Ph.D. in information systems from the J.M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh.

About the Association for Information Systems: As the premier professional association for individuals and organizations who lead the research, teaching, practice and study of information systems worldwide, the Association for Information Systems serves society through the advancement of knowledge and the promotion of excellence in the practice and study of information systems. AIS is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and includes members from approximately 100 countries around the world.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.