Dr. Jeff Jenkins, Assistant Professor in the BYU Marriott School of Business Department of Information Systems, was recently recognized for his contributions to the field of information systems by receiving the Association for Information Systems (AIS) Early Career Award.
Jenkins was one of five winners in 2017, given at the AIS Conference held in Seoul, South Korea. The annual conference is the most prestigious gathering of academics and practitioners in the IS discipline and provides a forum for networking and sharing of the latest research ideas. Each year more than 1,000 IS professionals from around the world participate.
“Very few people receive the AIS Early Career Award. I feel very honored to be a part of this group. I feel thankful for my mentors and colleagues that have made this possible over the years,” said Jenkins.
The award honors individuals within seven years of receiving their PhD who have already made outstanding research, teaching, or service contributions to the field of information systems. According to the AIS, nominees should be global contributors to the discipline as well as local contributors in the context of their country and region.
In 2016, Jenkins ranked No. 3 for most publications among information systems professionals worldwide. Over the five year span from 2012-2016, he ranked No. 20. His research analyzes how people use the computer mouse, touchscreen, keyboard, and other computer input devices to detect the user’s cognitive and emotional states.
Jenkins’ success has impressed BYU IS Department Chairwoman, Dr. Bonnie Anderson: “Not only did he have an amazing year in 2016, but he’s also top 20 in the entire world for a running five-year period. And that’s comparing with professionals who have been out in the field for twenty or thirty years. There are prolific scholars who have built a reputation over a long career. Jeff has just jumped right in and hit the ground running.”
Among Jenkins’ accomplishments are his 19 peer-reviewed journal articles and 50 conference publications. He has also served in a variety of different panels, groups, and committees relating to the field of information systems.
“Most people hardly have any top publications in their first five years. Working in academia, it takes a long time to build that reputation. How Jeff jumped in and is right there is amazing. And people are recognizing that,” says Anderson.
Jenkins credits much of his success to the help received from the BYU IS department and faculty.
“The BYU IS program has been an awesome support. I can’t express my gratitude enough to the faculty, staff, and students for their help and assistance. The department has given me the resources and opportunities to do well on my research. I have several great colleagues that have really helped me along the way, and they have been great co-authors on papers.”
In winning the award, Jenkins joins fellow BYU IS professor, Dr. James Gaskin, who won the inaugural award in 2015. BYU now tops all schools worldwide with two AIS Early Career Award winners.
“It’s unheard of. But the thing is, Jeff is amazing and unheard of,” says Anderson.