Professor profile: Dr. Jerry Braun, Management Information Systems

Xavier Newswire sat down with Associate Professor of Management Information Systems Dr. Jerry Braun.
Xavier Newswire: What classes do you teach? Dr. Jerry Braun: I have taught introductory informa- tion technology classes and web development classes during the summer sessions.
XN: What drew you to Xavier? JB: This is my sixth decade at Xavier. I was an undergraduate here in the 1960s, a graduate stu- dent in the 1970s and came back
to work at Xavier in the 1980s. As an undergraduate at Xavier, I was a physics major and then came back as a math major. My three children are also Xavier graduates - two were information systems ma- jors and one majored in montes- sori education.
XN: What has been your expe- rience with the increase of technology used in education today? JB: I have taught and used technology for a long time. As an early adopter of technical tools for teaching, I think tech- nology is a very important as- pect in the educational field and that it impacts everyone. Even if it is just a delivery mechanism to move away from a lot of pa- perwork, it has great potential. I have designed a hybrid blended information systems course that incorporates both online and "face to face" (F2F) learning. We also offer some complete- ly online courses that are popu- lar with graduate students for the convenience factor.
XN: What inspired your choice to study information technology? JB: I was a first generation college student and got a job working at an insurance com- pany as a programmer. I had to take an aptitude test and did well on it and enjoyed the work, so it started from there. XN: Where did you grow up? JB: I am a Cincinnati na- tive and graduated from Roger Bacon High School. My father owned a local bakery.
XN: What is something most people do not know about you? JB: I am a Vietnam War vet- eran. I was drafted and finished my graduate degrees through the G.I. Bill. Also, I like projects that you can do yourself. Thirty seven years ago, my brother helped me build my own house.
XN: What do you enjoy to do in your free time? JB: I really enjoy being out- doors and have worked with the NEXUS community garden and Xavier's Outdoor Club. I'm involved with service as- pects of the community, and I am very impressed with the stu- dents and their commitment to helping others. As a faculty leader, I'm go- ing on my second Alternative Breaks trip to Florida this year. I also like to hike, bike and camp. Anything that isn't sit- ting and watching TV, except for Xavier basketball games. I've been a fan since the 1950s even though I finished my graduate degree at another Cincinnati university.