ATLANTA – Distinguished University Professor Balasubramaniam (Bala) Ramesh has been appointed to the George E. Smith Eminent Scholar’s Chair in Computer Information Systems (CIS) at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the appointment on May 18.
The George E. Smith Eminent Scholar’s Chair was established in 1987 to advance Robinson’s global reputation in computer information systems. Chair namesake George E. Smith (B.C.S. ’39) was chairman and CEO of Tull Metals (now Ryerson) until his retirement in 1981.
“The chair requires an individual who has an international scholarly reputation, an excellent record of published research, the ability to inspire and interact with the business community, and a leader with the ability to assist the Robinson College in furthering its research, educational, and community service missions,” said Richard Phillips, dean of the Robinson College. “Bala Ramesh’s many achievements throughout his career make him ideal to be the next holder of the George E. Smith Eminent Scholar’s chair.”
Ramesh’s research focuses on supporting knowledge-intensive processes in complex organizational contexts, digital innovation enabled by emerging technologies, responsible artificial intelligence (AI), and the transformation of work practices in complex domains. He has developed widely adopted traceability models and tools that have been incorporated in commercial systems and software engineering tools used worldwide. In addition to teaching and scholarship, Ramesh has received grants funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Army Research Laboratory, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), among others.
An analysis conducted by Stanford University’s Meta-Research Innovation Center identified Ramesh as among the world’s top two percent of scientists for career impact based upon citations in information systems. In 2009, he received the Regents’ Award for Excellence in Teaching, the highest recognition for teaching excellence bestowed by the University System of Georgia.
Ramesh joined Georgia State in 1997 and was appointed CIS Department chair in 2014. He holds a doctorate from New York University and succeeds Regents’ Professor Emeritus Ephraim McLean as holder of the George E. Smith Eminent Scholar’s Chair.