Associate Professor, Information Systems/Operations Management Education
Ph.D., Indiana University
M.B.A., Indiana University
Post-Baccalaureate, Georgia Southern University
B.A., Florida State University Research Interests: Information technology investment and measurement
Teaching Interests: Information and strategy; systems analysis and design; human-computer interaction Professionally speaking “Loyola’s MBA programs teach students to look at business problems as a strategic whole and to lead their team to appropriate resolutions.” Personally speaking “The network of Loyola MBA alumni across the region and the country is a wonderful resource for our students and our graduates.” Spotlight
As Executive Director of Loyola’s Lattanze Center for Executive Studies in Information Technology, Ellen Hoadley has a unique vantage point from which to observe the exchange of ideas between faculty, students, and the business community. “It is always important for faculty and students to have fruitful exchanges with Information Systems professionals,” explains Hoadley. “The Lattanze Center creates opportunities for this to happen in ways that are academically rigorous and technically relevant to the industry today.” Formed in 1987 as a joint venture designed to create a partnership between the information technology community and Loyola’s Sellinger School of Business and Management, the Center supports funded research, symposia, and working papers to facilitate the sharing of new knowledge. It also recognizes an IT Executive of the Year and coordinates a day-long series of events that engages the honoree with local industry leadership, Loyola students, and local business professionals. Past winners include executives from Adobe Systems, Home Depot, Wal-mart Stores, Inc., and Northrop Grumman. Hoadley herself is particularly interested in exploring how to share new knowledge in meaningful ways. From her research interests to her approach to classroom instruction, she emphasizes return on investment. “I am very aware of the time I spend with students in the classroom,” she says. “That experience must be worth their time and money. The personal interaction is a big differentiator for Loyola’s MBA programs and as faculty, we take it very seriously.” Connecting students to the material from different perspectives is one way that Hoadley encourages them to integrate the new information they are learning. For example, she may lead the class in a review of a Civil War battle, its strategy, information requirements, and outcome; then ask how the battle would have been fought and won differently using today’s technology; and finally apply the example to a current business situation and ask students to draw parallels that highlight what can and cannot be accomplished strategically and operationally through the addition of technology. While Hoadley brings 25 years of academic experience to her classes, there is much that she learns from her students, who are frequently subject matter experts in their own fields. And she enjoys the collegial interaction and assessment as much as her students do. “Loyola students are smart, motivated and very plugged in to what is relevant now. They insist on learning why every piece of new content is important and applicable to what they are doing today and will be doing tomorrow,” she says. “However, they also recognize the long-term value of the knowledge they gain in their program. It’s education – not training.”
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