KENT, Ohio – Jose Benitez, Ph.D., joins the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship as the inaugural Chair of the new Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics and is appointed the Bridgestone Chair of International Business, and professor of Information Systems. This appointment will be effective on August 1, 2023.
The Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics is new to the college and resulted from splitting the former Management and Information Systems Department into two new departments effective July 2023. Given the growth in the business analytics program, it is now part of the name of the new department Benitez will lead.
“It means a lot to me to have the opportunity to join the inaugural Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics at Kent State,” Benitez said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in contributing to the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship by preparing students for future careers, providing world-class research, and developing an engaged scholarship with companies.”
Benitez previously served as professor of Information Systems at EDHEC Business School and Rennes School of Business in France, and the University of Granada, Spain. He holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Granada in Spain. He is a renowned Information Systems scholar whose research has been published in leading Information Systems journals such as MIS Quarterly, Journal of Operations Management, Journal of Management Information Systems, Journal of the Association for Information Systems, European Journal of Information Systems, Journal of Information Technology, Information & Management, Decision Support Systems, Decision Sciences, and the Journal of Business Research.
Benitez was recognized as an Association for Information Systems (AIS) Distinguished Member Cum Laude in July 2021 and received the AIS Sandra Slaughter Service Award in December 2022. He serves as Senior Editor of the European Journal of Information Systems, Information & Management, and Decision Support Systems and as Associate Editor for the Journal of the Association for Information Systems. In addition, he has served as Guest Editor of Decision Sciences. His areas of expertise include managing digital business transformation, digital innovation, the business value of digital technologies, IT management, IT strategy and theory development and quantitative research methods in IS research. He has previously taught Information Systems courses at the Ph.D., Executive MBA, Global MBA, MIM, and BBA levels.
Benitez is a passionate speaker who enjoys working with students, colleagues, and executives to positively impact the business world and society. He also provides consulting services focused on IT development and digital transformation projects with many leading companies worldwide.
“The Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship is pleased to welcome Dr. Benitez to lead the new Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics,” said Deborah F. Spake, Ph.D., Dean of the college. “His research expertise and administrative experience made him an excellent choice to lead a department focused on these crucial areas of interest to employers and students. Furthermore, his areas of research expertise include international business, making him the right choice to also hold the Bridgestone Chair of International Business professorship in the college.”
About Kent State University’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship
Kent State University’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship is among the fewer than 1% of business schools worldwide to obtain dual accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in both business and accounting. The college offers 11 undergraduate majors, 14 minors, and an undergraduate Professional Sales Certificate. Graduate programs include the MBA; master’s degrees in accounting, business analytics and economics; four graduate certificates and a Ph.D. program with concentrations including Information Systems. For more information about Kent State’s Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, visit www.kent.edu/crawford.