Abdul Sesay

Dr. Sesay is an assistant professor in the Management Information Systems Department at the Terry College of Business, University of Georgia. He obtained his Bachelors and Masters of Architecture from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, Master of Community Planning (MCP) from the University of Cincinnati, and a Master of Science (MS) and Ph.D. in Computer Science and Information Systems from the University of Colorado Denver. His research interests are in Human-Machine Symbiosis, Information Technology Governance, Digital Transformation, Technology Affordance-Based Control, and IT for Development (IT4D). His research has been published or forthcoming in MIS Quarterly, Journal of Management Information Systems, Policing and Society, and various conference proceedings.

Prior to joining academia, Dr. Sesay was an International Business Development Representative for the City of Denver, Office of Economic Development, where he developed and managed programs to promote exports, attract foreign investment, increase connectivity, and make Denver a more internationally competitive and welcoming city. He hosted trade and investment delegations from China, Dubai, Germany, U.K., Japan, and Mexico, as well as civic groups from Kenya, Zambia, China, Mongolia, Oman, Malaysia, and young African leaders from the Mandela Washington Fellowship.

Dr. Sesay provided staffing and protocol assistance to the mayor’s office and was the staff liaison for the Mayor’s International Advisory Council. Prior to that, Dr. Sesay was a housing and urban development consultant, providing market advice and feasibility studies to developers, tax credit investors, and syndicators of affordable housing and community development projects throughout the United States.  He served as a member of the Board of Directors for Denver Sister Cities International, Denver Coalition for Integration, and the Denver World Trade Center. In 2012 and 2016, he was designated by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce as a member of the Rocky Mountain District Export Council.

Dr. Sesay is fluent in Mandarin and French.

• PhD, Computer Science and Information Systems, University of Colorado Denver, 2018
• MS, Information Systems, University of Colorado Denver, 2001
• Master of Community Planning, University of Cincinnati, 1997
• Master of Architecture, Tsinghua University, 1995
• Bachelor of Architecture, Tsinghua University, 1993

• Human-Machine Symbiosis
• Organization Theory and Research Methods
• IT Governance and Sourcing
• Technology Affordance-based Organization Control
• Digital Transformation in Organizations & Digital Government
• Information Technology for Development (IT4D)
• Data Modeling and Analytics

Journal Articles

• Sesay, A., Karahanna, E., & Boudreau, M. -C. (in press). Emergence of IT Implementation Consequences in Organizations: An Assemblage Approach. MIS Quarterly, Accepted July 2024.
• Sesay, A., Ramirez, R., Boudreau, M. -C., & Kane, G. C. (2024). Bureaucratizing the Clan: Impact of Technology Affordances on Control. Journal of Management Information Systems, 41(1), 5-38. doi:10.1080/07421222.2023.2301171
• Guzik, K., Sesay, A., Oh, O., Ramirez, R., & Tong, T. (2019). Making the material routine: a sociomaterial study of the relationship between police body worn cameras (BWCs) and organisational routines. Policing and Society, 1-16. doi:10.1080/10439463.2019.1705823
• Sesay, A., & Looye, J. W. (1998). Introducing Diversity into the Planning Curriculum: A Method for Department-Wide Implementation. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 18, 161-170.

• Editorial Review Board, International Journal of Information and Management, 2019–present

• Summer Research Grant - Terry College of Business, University of Georgia
• Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant, National Science Foundation, (Award No. 1656239), Science, Technology, and Society Program, February 2017-2018
• Dean’s Scholarship, The Business School, University of Colorado Denver, 1999 – 2001
• University Graduate Scholarship and Assistantship, College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, University of Cincinnati, 1995 – 1997
• Government/University Scholarship, State Education Commission, People’s Republic of China, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, 1987 – 1995

Article reviewer for:

• MIS Quarterly
• European Journal of Information Systems 
• Journal of Management Information Systems
• International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS)
• Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS)

Conference Program Associate Editor

• International Conference on Information Systems
• Americas Conference on Information Systems

Grant Review for:

• National Science Foundation

Leadership Activities:

• 2017: President, Information Systems Doctoral Students Association, The PhD Project
• 2016: Secretary, Information Systems Doctoral Students Association, The PhD Project
• 2012-2018: Executive Board Member, World Trade Center Denver
• 2010-2018: Board Member, Rocky Mountain District Export Council
• 2011-2014: Member of the Board of Directors, Denver Sister Cities International
• 2010-2012: Member of the Board of Directors, Denver Coalition for Integration

• International Business Development Specialist, Office of Economic Development, City and County of Denver, 2014-2018
• Senior Research Analyst, Office of the Independent Monitor, City and County of Denver, 2012-2014
• Senior Policy Analyst, Office of Economic Development, City and County of Denver, 2002-2012
• Housing Development Consultant, Prior & Associates, 1997-2002
• President and Co-Owner, Datawise Solutions, 2006-2013