Robinson alumnus Andrew Burton-Jones has been named editor-in-chief of MIS Quarterly (MISQ), the leading academic journal in the information systems field. Burton-Jones completed his Ph.D. in computer information systems at Robinson in 2005. His appointment to such a coveted position just 15 years after completing his Ph.D. is no small feat, and prompts us to pause and reflect on his career.
In fall 2000, Burton-Jones had been working as a consultant at PwC for more than a year, and met with his advisor from undergraduate school (The University of Queensland) to brainstorm next steps: specifically, a list of doctoral programs to which he should apply. His advisor urged him to select programs with top-of-the-line faculty. In 2001, Burton-Jones started his doctoral studies at the Robinson College of Business—one of his top choices.
“I felt like a kid in a candy shop,” he said. “At Robinson, there are so many famous professors to work with and learn from.”
After finishing his Ph.D., Burton-Jones joined the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, where he rose to associate professor. In May 2012, he returned to the University of Queensland as professor of business information systems.
Throughout his career, Burton-Jones has volunteered his time to scholarly journals and conferences. He has participated in MISQ’s editorial operations for more than a decade—as associate editor from 2009-2012 and as senior editor since 2013. Burton-Jones was largely influenced by his mentors, who stressed the importance of service and training. His Ph.D. dissertation committee comprised Detmar Straub (who was MISQ editor from 2008-2012); Dan Robey; and Arun Rai, who still sits on Robinson’s faculty as Regents’ Professor and is MISQ’s current editor-in-chief. He will collaborate with Burton-Jones to ensure a seamless transition, which officially occurs in January 2021.
“Andrew has consistently excelled in all his editorial roles,” Rai said. “He has a powerful vision and a deep understanding of the diversity of information systems scholarship that will take MISQ to new heights.”
Burton-Jones’ current research focuses on how effectively organizations use information technology, specifically in healthcare. His other research specializations include the improvement of IT analysis and design, as well as the refinement of methods and theories employed by IT researchers.
“Robinson’s Department of Computer of Information Systems has always had an incredible culture of openness, excellence, and strength-through-diversity,” Burton-Jones said. “I knew I was lucky to be there from my first day as a student, and those feelings have only increased since then.”