Remembering Jessica Pye, assistant professor in the Department of Information Systems

Jessica Pye, assistant professor in the W. P. Carey School of Business in the Department of Information Systems, passed away on Friday, July 28, after a hard battle fighting a rare disease.

After earning her master’s in economics and a doctorate in information systems at Georgia State University, Jessica served as an assistant professor of information systems at the W. P. Carey School of Business. Her research investigated the business value of IT in large institutional settings undergoing regulatory change. In her work, she drew on a diverse set of theories to investigate how firms use IT capabilities to achieve simultaneous outcomes that are in tension, while also experiencing change in their institutional environment. Jessica’s research has been published in leading peer-reviewed scholarly journals, including MIS Quarterly and Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Jessica was an incredible faculty member, colleague, and friend within the Information Systems Department, serving on various committees and working to continuously improve our programs and department for students and colleagues. According to her students, she was "extremely knowledgeable about the subject matter and found unique ways to help us understand the new concepts we were learning. She was always super responsive, and took her time to help with any questions."

"Jessica had a great heart, maintained a positive attitude, and was always willing to help both within the department and in the IS field," says Pei-yu Chen, chair of the Department of Information Systems. "She organized a happy hour for junior faculty in the IS department to share and support each other, she helped mentor many undergraduate and graduate students, and was an enthusiastic leader in the doctoral student college programs at the Association of Information Systems. Her services have been greatly appreciated by everyone in the department and in the IS field. Jessica will be deeply missed."

Jessica is survived by her husband, Justin, and her son, Ethan. Our deep condolences go to Jessica’s family, as well as the IS department. A local celebration of life is being held Friday, Aug. 18 from 4:45 to 6:30 p.m. at ASU SkySong. Please RSVP.