Two OPIM professors, known for their scholarship and groundbreaking work in the classroom, were honored with prestigious awards by the Information Systems Society at its annual conference in San Francisco earlier this month.
Professor Xinxin Li received the 2026 ISS Distinguished Fellow Award, recognizing her scholarly contributions, intellectual leadership and commitment to mentoring and developing the next generation.
Professor Wei Chen received the 2026 ISS Haim Mendelson Teaching Innovation Award in recognition of his GenAI teaching innovation and the creation of a textbook, Generative AI for Business (https://www.genai4all.org/), which is being widely adopted by business schools internationally.
Awards Recognize Commitment to Excellence
“Both awards reflect the department’s commitment to excellence in research and teaching,’’ said professor Cuihong Li, head of the department. “We are very proud to see Xinxin’s and Wei’s accomplishments recognized by the Information Systems Society.’’
“At UConn, Xinxin has played a pivotal role in fostering a strong research environment through a sustained record of high-quality scholarship, mentoring PhD students and junior faculty, and interdisciplinary collaboration,’’ Li said. “During six years as MSBAPM Academic Director, Xinxin guided the program through an important period of transition, including the establishment of concentrations across multiple domains and expansion into the AI space.
“Xinxin’s years of leadership as a senior editor at MIS Quarterly, with a strong commitment to scholarly rigor and quality, have also helped shape the field and earned the trust of peers,’’ she said.
Meanwhile Chen’s award reflects an innovative approach to teaching and a commitment to preparing students for a rapidly changing technology landscape, particularly in AI, she continued.
“Wei has been at the forefront of research and teaching on generative AI in the information systems field, including co-authoring two books and numerous papers on this rapidly evolving technology,’’ she said. “At UConn, Wei offered one of our earliest courses on generative AI and is developing a new course focused on AI workflows.’’
Recognitions Bring Greater Visibility to UConn Research Community
Both faculty members said they are extremely honored but also said their peers at UConn were instrumental in their success.
“I am truly humbled and deeply honored to be included among distinguished scholars recognized for their outstanding intellectual contributions to the information systems discipline,’’ (Xinxin) Li said. “I am grateful to UConn, my academic home for the past 21 years, and to my colleagues and students whose support has made this achievement possible.
“I hope this recognition will bring greater visibility to our research community and open doors to new collaborations and opportunities for our faculty and students,’’ she added.
Chen said he is proud that he and his colleagues are advancing business education.
“Generative AI is changing how business gets done. And business education needs to help students understand both its possibilities and the judgment it requires,’’ he said. “At UConn, my goal is to help students apply AI to business problems while critically evaluate its results.’’
“This award recognizes that work through my textbook and the teaching materials I share with fellow educators. I’m honored that this award brings national recognition to UConn’s work in generative AI business education,’’ he said.
