Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President

Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Richard "Rick" Will

Name

Richard "Rick" Will

College

College of Business

Department

Information Systems and Decision Sciences

Undergraduate Degree

BS Engineering Technology

From

College of Technology, University of Houston

Graduate Degree

MBA Masters of Business Administration

From

College of Business, University of Houston

Doctoral Degree

PhD

From

College of Business, University of Houston

Previous Post(s)

Occidental Petroleum: Systems Manager, Houston Division
Cities Service Oil and Gas Corporation: Systems Engineer, Houston Division

Published Works

“President and Mrs. Carter: Meet The Kids” - multimedia Presentation at the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site: Education Program, NPS Plains, GA

Area of Specialization / Research

Systems Analysis and Design
IT Project Management
Technology Innovations in Education

Current Course Offerings

Systems Analysis and Design
Advanced Systems Analysis and Design
Project Management
Multimedia Applications

How and when did you first become interested in your field of study?

As a US Marine, I was assigned a role in communications intelligence. The importance of information and the supporting information systems was extremely evident in that venue. However, my first application of information systems was in the area of computer graphics. In the oil and gas industry, I was able to apply computer graphics to a variety of areas including geological, geophysical, engineering, and financial planning systems. The common denominator was information systems.

What made you decide to pursue a career in higher education?

At the time I moved from industry to academia, the decision was not that easy. I was either going to stay in industry and continue my career there or take a chance in higher education. My teaching assignments at the University of Houston provided an incredibly rewarding experience and I felt that I could actually make a difference in this setting.

Why did you choose to be a part of the academic community at USF?

Again, this was a tough decision. The market was very good for PhDs in Information Systems when I graduated in 1988. I had other offers but after the site visits, it was an easier choice. USF just felt like home.

What do you enjoy about teaching the students of USF?

There is one big issue that I always share with my students about Information Systems (IS)... Change. If what brought them to the field of IS is the fact that it is new and different and challenging... they better keep that in mind... because in 20 years it is still going to be new and different and challenging. Every year, every semester, and each class is new, different and challenging. I mostly teach at the graduate level and get to work with some outstanding Masters and PhD students. Many of the Masters students bring current real world experiences into the classroom where we can leverage that knowledge. Those real-time industry concerns really add richness to the educational experience. Occasionally I will get to work with undergraduate students (some with industry experience) and we get a refreshing look at some old and new problems.

What do you like about the university community?

The university community provides a constant source of potential growth. It is a place where students and faculty alike can continue to learn and grow. There is always the opportunity to do some interesting research in emerging areas, to bring new ideas and concepts into the classroom, and to do some incredible community service like the multimedia projects with President Jimmy Carter. This is truly an environment for exercising one’s passion for research, teaching, and service.