Alumni Newsletter Fall 2021

businesses, governments, and individuals. The ultimate goal is to obtain a more lucid understanding of the phenomena that exist at the intersections of society and technology. Upon her receipt of this honor, VT President Tim Sands noted; “Professor Bélanger is an influential researcher and leader in information systems and technologymanagement, having earnedmanydistinguishedhonors and recognitions throughout her career.” He further notes that Dr. Bélanger is “One of the top 100 most cited information systems researchers, she continues to make innovative contributions to her field and others through her research on information privacy and cybersecurity.” ACIS Department Head, Dr. Jack Maher notes that France is “a pioneer in research on digital interactions. Her work in the mid-2000s focused on the protection of children from online exploitation, the findings of which were widely distributed to parents to assist them with practical knowledge.” A recent research project she has started since the onset of the pandemic has been a delve into how information privacy preferences amongst individuals can lead to tensions within family units. A similar outcome was discovered in a previous research study on smart home speakers conducted by Dr. Bélanger and Katherine Allen, professor of Human Development and Family Science in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech. The duo noted that as a tool for controlling the spread of Covid-19, mobile contact tracing applications are at their peak effectiveness when they are widely adopted and left running indefinitely. A conclusion drawn from this study was adoption rates of this technology is in part low due to privacy concerns. After receiving a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), they commenced a new research study to posit how an individual and family preferences surrounding privacy issues could result in household tension and ultimately suppress adoption of contact tracing tools. Dr. Bélanger joined the faculty of Virginia Tech in 1997 and con- currently serves as an affiliate faculty member of the Hume Center for National Security and Technology and of the Center for Ger- ontology at Virginia Tech. While her scholarly achievements are certainly worthy of praise, she is also a beloved and respected class- room teacher for scores of ACIS students each semester. Several current Junior ACIS faculty were fortunate enough to have France as a professor during their undergraduate days at Virginia Tech and all have fond memories of her classroom presence and note what a tremendous colleague and advocate for the ACIS department she has been. “Very importantly, Professor Bélanger has been an out- standing teacher and mentor to our information systems Ph.D. stu- dents,” Maher said, noting that “many of these students have gone on to develop highly successful careers in academia.” Bélanger earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce at McGill University and a Ph.D. in business administration, information systems, and deci- sion sciences at the University of South Florida.

France Bélanger

France Bélanger Named University Distinguished Professor

To say that France Bélanger had a fruitful and meritorious past year despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic might just be the understatement of the year. Dr. France Bélanger, R.B. Pamplin Professor and Tom and Daisy Byrd Senior Faculty Fellow in the Pamplin College of Business (Department of Accounting and Information Systems), has added to her list of career accomplishments by being named as a University Distinguished Professor at the March 21, 2021 Board of Visitor’s meeting. The University Distinguished Professor is the preeminent faculty rank at Virginia Tech. This achievement is only bestowed by the Board of Visitors upon deserving faculty who have demonstrated scholarly attainments that have consistently received national or international recognition. As a foundation to receiving this distinction, Dr. Bélanger has been ranked in the top 1 percent of information systems researchers worldwide and has authored or co-authored in excess of 200 papers and book chapters on the topic. Her primary research interests focus on information and security privacy issues with an emphasis on digital interactions amongst

4 | VIRGINIA TECH ACCOUNTING