Congratulations to Maung Sein for being named an AIS Fellow.
Maung was named a Fellow for many reasons - his scholarship, his ideas, and his impact. He is a leader of the Information Systems discpline - touching young scholars' lives with his generosity and methodically laying a foundation for Design Science research in the Information Systems Discipline.
Maung touched my life as a student - when I first read his papers on learning styles and how they shaped users' interaction with technology. His thinking on personality shaped my work on personality, stress, and innovation with technology.
Maung touched my life as a young faculty member - when I attended the SIGCPR conference in Norway. It was my first foray to Europe - and I recall thinking - that I had never dreamed that I would ever visit Europe. He was a generous host - ensuring everyone was welcome - and remembering each participant - in the many years to come.
Maung touched my life as an Association leader. He nudged me to be open-minded, reminded me that there are many IS research styles, and told me that many people were not well-represented by leaders in the Information Systems field. Amongst the many competing voices, his gentle nudges to keep my eye on the prize and do what was right were welcome and gave me courage.
Maung's touch goes far beyond me. While others have been chatted up as founders of Design Science, those who really know recognize that Maung laid the foundation for that work - carefully nurturing ideas, creating frameworks, and building the community necessary to sustain conversations about how to reframe how we think about building information systems.
This year, I was surprised to see Maung at our field's conference - I wondered why he'd run the risk of coming to the States - amid a pandemic.
Maung never said why - he smiled, shook my hand, and introduced me to a young scholar - continuing his life's work of building relationships and creating opportunities for others.
Only later did I learn that Maung came to the States to be honored for a lifetime of contributions - and I was so happy - that the discipline recognized his reach went far beyond Kristiansand and his impact was global.
Congratulations Maung! I can't wait to congratulate you when we next meet! I look forward to your handshake! And to your gentle nudges to keep doing what is right!
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