Desouza named associate dean for research with ASU's College of Public Programs

Information management scholar Kevin Desouza has joined ASU’s College of Public Programs as associate dean for research and associate professor of public affairs, effective Aug. 16.

Desouza’s research involves leveraging the power of computational and communication technologies to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. Through this work, he is engaging researchers across the nation and around the world to tackle complex problems and realize opportunities for systemic changes in how we design cities, organizations and policies. 

“Kevin Desouza has broad areas of interest that relate to work being done in every unit of the college,” said Jonathan Koppell, dean of the College of Public Programs and director of the School of Public Affairs. “His core interests in strategic management in the public interest – particularly that of information systems, intelligence operations and crisis management – are highly compelling and will build on the college’s successes in scholarship, student learning and civic engagement in these areas.”

“Dr. Desouza is exceptionally creative and innovative, and an ideal person to lead efforts to advance the college’s research enterprise,” Koppell added.

In his new role, Desouza will facilitate opportunities for collaboration, help form connections across academic units and centers, and link individuals with complementary interests and expertise to expand the college’s collaborative research agenda and external funding opportunities.

“My goal will be to serve as a catalyst to bring faculty, students and leaders from industry, government and communities together to work on grand challenges as opportunities for innovation,” Desouza said. “We can tackle complex problems at the College because we have broad interdisciplinary strengths, a keen focus on public value, a culture of entrepreneurship, and a depth and breadth of expertise that is unmatched.”

Desouza said ASU’s reputation as “a leader in defining what it means to be a public university under the leadership of President (Michael) Crow, make it a coveted place to be.”

“I have known of the many spectacular research programs within the College of Public Programs for some time now, and when presented the opportunity to lead the research enterprise at the college, I could not turn it down,” he said.

Desouza was recruited from Virginia Tech University, where he was director of the Metropolitan Institute within the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, School of Public and International Affairs. He previously served as associate professor with the Information School at the University of Washington. At UW, he co-founded and directed the Institute for Innovation in Information Management (I3M); founded the Institute for National Security Education and Research; and held adjunct faculty appointments with UW’s College of Engineering and Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs.

A prolific researcher, Desouza has received more than $1.4 million in research funding from both private and government organizations.

Additionally, he is the author, co-author or editor of nine books, including "Intrapreneurship: Managing Ideas within Your Organization" (University of Toronto Press, 2011) and more than 125 articles in prestigious practitioner and academic journals. His work also has been featured in publications such as the Sloan Management Review, Businessweek and Computerworld, among others. Desouza has advised major international corporations and government organizations on strategic management issues, and he is frequently an invited speaker on business and technology for industry and academic audiences worldwide.

Desouza received his undergraduate degree in accounting and information and decision sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 2000 and his doctorate in Management of Information Systems from UIC in 2006. To learn more about Desouza, visit his website.

SOURCES:
Kevin Desouza, Kevin.Desouza@asu.edu