The iSchool at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Welcomes Shana Ponelis to its Faculty

 

Dr. Shana Ponelis has been appointed Assistant Professor in the School of Information Studies (SOIS) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) where she is teaching and expanding research she began while earning a PhD in information technology from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. “I’m very happy to be able to join SOIS in a different capacity and continue working with the students and expanding my contributions,” Ponelis said.

 

Ponelis has a strong background in consulting and information technology. She previously worked as an IT consultant with Andersen and KPMG Consulting, advising various organizations located in Africa on management information systems and for a major financial institution. “I think the industry experience that I have can really be a benefit to students,” she said. Ponelis was also a senior lecturer with the Department of Informatics at the University of Pretoria before joining UWM as full time lecturer in 2009.

 

Her research focuses on how information is handled and used to make decisions by a variety of businesses. “In my doctoral research I looked at how small businesses use information for decision making, so I’m hoping to expand on that and also look more broadly at how information technology is adopted in organization and in communities,” Ponelis said. “It’s very interesting for me to see how it differs between large businesses and how the challenges are also the same with small businesses.”

 

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The School of Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee offers several degree programs including the Bachelor of Science in Information Science and Technology, Master of Library and Information Science (accredited by the American Library Association), and Ph.D. in Information Studies. With a growing student body of more than 900 students, SOIS strives to meet the demand for technology and information professionals at all levels in corporations, libraries, archives, government agencies, schools, non-profits, and in higher education. SOIS is a leader in online education and currently enrolls students from all regions of the United States and from around the world. For more information about the School, its faculty and its programs, see ischool.uwm.edu or call 1-888-349-3432.