Get to know five new W. P. Carey IS faculty
Professors look forward to meeting their colleagues, students, and contributing to the information systems field.
This fall, W. P. Carey welcomed five new faculty members — Marios Papachristou, Meilin Gu, Feiran Xu, John Boersma, and Nahid Hossain — to the Department of Information Systems. As new and returning Sun Devils, they are eager to advance research in this ever-changing field and teach about AI-related discoveries that will push IS to new heights.
“There's nothing more rewarding than equipping students with tools to navigate this dynamic field and watching them grow into the innovators of tomorrow,” says Gu, assistant professor of information systems.
Marios Papachristou
Question: What is your new role at W. P. Carey?
Answer: As an assistant professor of information systems, I will conduct research at the intersection of information systems, networks, and machine learning. During the fall semester, I will also be teaching courses in machine learning with a focus on business applications.
Q: What are you most excited about in this new role?
A: Collaborating with my IS colleagues and students to explore how emerging technologies, such as large-scale AI systems and collectives of AI agents, impact businesses and society. W. P. Carey provides a unique interdisciplinary environment, and I look forward to contributing to both research and teaching!
Q: What do you think is most exciting about your field?
A: How rapidly evolving technologies, like large language models, can be harnessed to simulate, understand, and improve complex social and economic systems. We now have tools that can model markets, predict failures in supply chains, or simulate how opinions spread across networks; all in ways that were unimaginable a few years ago.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working with students?
A: I love seeing students make connections between abstract concepts and real-world challenges. Whether it’s during office hours, a project presentation, or a spontaneous discussion, I have found those moments to be energizing. I also enjoy mentoring students on research ideas and helping them think critically about the systems shaping our world.
Q: What were you doing before coming to W. P. Carey, and where are you from?
A: I’m originally from Athens, Greece, and I studied at the National Technical University of Athens before completing my PhD in computer science at Cornell University. I’ve also worked on research teams at Microsoft's Office of Applied Research and the User Modeling Research team at X (formerly Twitter on projects related to AI and information networks.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
A: I enjoy the gym and cycling!
Q: What are you currently reading?
A: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Beyond its literary beauty, the novel raises fascinating questions about identity, perception, and the consequences of hidden actions, all themes that resonate with my research.
In my work, I study how information flows through networks and how individual behaviors can shape large-scale outcomes. Wilde’s exploration of the contrast between appearance and reality mirrors some of the challenges we face when designing algorithms that interact with human systems, where surface-level signals can mask deeper dynamics.
Q: What is an interesting fact about you?
A: I’ve mentored several students through the Google Summer of Code program, helping them contribute to open-source scientific projects. It’s been a fulfilling experience to guide young developers and see their code used by others around the world.
John Boersma
Q: What is your new role at W. P. Carey?
A: I am an associate clinical professor in the information systems department. The "clinical" part means that my primary focus is teaching.
Q: What are you most excited about in this new role?
A: Working with students! It’s exciting to picture what they will do over the coming decades with what they learn here.
Q: What do you think is most exciting about your field?
A: My primary field is AI and machine learning, so recent developments have been super exciting. The new AI coding tools are truly astonishing.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working with students?
A: Their good questions. I like it most when a student makes me think.
Q: What were you doing before coming to W. P. Carey, and where are you from?
A: I’ve been consulting in AI practice, customer training, and data analytics. Before that, I was director of education at DataRobot, a proprietary machine learning platform provider. I mostly grew up in the suburbs of Boston.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
A: I read widely, enjoy travel, and exercise. I also enjoy fine dining. Recommendations welcome!
Q: What are you currently reading?
A: Some travelogues of, let’s say, rather exotic perspectives.
Q: What is an interesting fact about you?
A: At DataRobot, I led technical and executive workshops in 18 countries.
Meilin Gu
Q: What is your new role at W. P. Carey?
A: I am an assistant professor of information systems. My research focuses on how technology transforms business models, consumer behavior, and societal welfare. Using analytical modeling, I aim to uncover the mechanisms behind business innovations and provide actionable insights for industry practitioners.
Q: What are you most excited about in this new role?
A: I’m thrilled to begin my career in such an innovative and vibrant environment. I’m eager to work with excellent colleagues and students — and, of course, to explore everything this new chapter brings, from the local culture and cuisine to the desert sunsets!
Q: What do you think is most exciting about your field?
A: Information systems is evolving at an incredible pace. Every few years, breakthroughs like AI, completely reshape industries and redefine how we live and work. It’s exciting to research and teach in such a dynamic field.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working with students?
A: I love learning and growing with students. They can bring fresh perspectives that challenge and refine my thinking. Also, there’s nothing more rewarding than equipping students with tools to navigate this dynamic field and watching them grow into the innovators of tomorrow.
Q: What were you doing before coming to W. P. Carey, and where are you from?
A: I am from Harbin, China — a city nicknamed the “Paris of the East” for its European-style architecture. Located near Russia, it’s famous for its long, icy winters (quite the contrast to Phoenix). Before joining W. P. Carey, I earned my PhD from the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
A: I’m a big fan of board games, but Werewolf tops my list with its perfect blend of strategy and psychology. I also enjoy swimming and watching comedy shows to relax and recharge.
Q: What is an interesting fact about you?
A: I can handle extremely spicy food, but my real hidden talent is wiggling my ears.
Nahid Hossain
Q: What is your new role at W. P. Carey?
A: I am a clinical assistant professor of information systems. My teaching expertise centers around database management, programming, data science, and business analytics. As a researcher, I am currently working on the areas of knowledge management, including, health care, the philosophy of science, and AI ethics. Specifically, my research investigates how the emergence of AI tools, like generative AI, creates new opportunities and challenges for traditional knowledge management. Additionally, my research investigates the ground truth and ethics of AI based on the theory from the philosophy of science.
Q: What are you most excited about in this new role?
A: To be a member of the reputed IS department that houses highly accomplished faculty members. I look forward to collaborating with them and the brilliant students who may become future leaders in academia or industry.
Q: What do you think is most exciting about your field?
A: Information systems are in constant evolution — the technologies of yesterday differ from those we use today, and tomorrow’s will be different still. The rise of AI technologies and self-learning algorithms is making IS more practical, dynamic, and exciting than ever. IS has always been the pioneer of the “digital” revolution.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working with students?
A: I enjoy the learning and growth opportunities that come from working with students — observing how their ideas take shape and their skills develop. I appreciate their thoughtful questions that challenge my thinking.
Q: What were you doing before coming to W. P. Carey, and where are you from?
A: Originally, I am from Bangladesh, and I just finished my PhD in Management Information Systems from the University of Houston. During my PhD, I was a teaching fellow at UH for three years and an MIS instructor at Lamar University for a year. One interesting fact about my country is that it has six seasons — two more than what we have in the US.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
A: Fishing and travelling with my wife, Sawda. I occasionally play board games.
Q: What are you currently reading?
A: As a fresh PhD graduate, I spend most of my time reading research articles. However, I like to dive into detective novels when I have spare time — I love the twists, puzzles, and surprise endings.
Q: What is an interesting fact about you?
A: I can cook. While I don’t cook much these days, I used to be very popular among my friends for my cooking.
Feiran Xu
Q: What is your new role at W. P. Carey?
A: I’m joining the information systems department as a clinical assistant professor, where I’ll be teaching undergraduate courses and working to create a classroom that is inclusive, accessible, and innovative for W. P. Carey Sun Devils.
Q: What are you most excited about in this new role?
A: Returning to ASU, where my academic journey in the U.S. began, and contributing to the W. P. Carey community. I look forward to inspiring students to see data not as something scary, but as a powerful tool they can use to solve real business problems and create impact.
Q: What do you think is most exciting about your field?
A: We live in an era where AI rises like an unstoppable tide, powered by the heartbeat of information (and/or data). In this world, data has become the most valuable currency of our time. Data doesn’t just hold value; it multiplies it, creating new opportunities and possibilities. Those who can turn data and technology into real impact are the ones who will shape the future.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working with students?
A: I enjoy seeing the “aha!” moments when students realize they can apply what they’ve learned to real-life situations. Watching their confidence grow as they tame the “data monster” and use it to their advantage is incredibly rewarding.
Q: What were you doing before coming to W. P. Carey, and where are you from?
A: Before joining W. P. Carey, I was a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Business Analytics at the University of Iowa. I was born and raised in Anyang, one of China’s renowned ancient capitals, where scholars discovered the earliest oracle bone inscriptions, marking the origins of Chinese written history.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
A: I enjoy yoga, traveling, hiking, and photography. I love exploring new perspectives through art and nature, which keeps me inspired. I’m also a big foodie, and I enjoy both cooking and discovering new restaurants. Overall, I try to maintain balance between indoors and outdoors, and activity and stillness, a philosophy that yoga has instilled in me.
Q: What are you currently reading?
A: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. It’s a powerful exploration of how we approach aging, illness, and the end of life, not just from a medical perspective but also from a deeply human one. I find it thought-provoking because it reframes difficult conversations around mortality, encouraging us to think less about the length of life but more about the quality of our remaining time.
Q: What is an interesting fact about you?
A: I love challenging hikes. I’ve made it to the top of Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park, and Half Dome is next on my list.
Learn more about the Department of Information Systems — our nationally top-20 ranked programs and innovative curriculum are preparing Sun Devils to excel in real-world AI, analytics, and IS environments.
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