Education & Bios

2002 – 2006 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Information Systems
Field: E-Business, Concentration: Mobile Commerce & Usability
DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, Canada
Dissertation: “The Impact of Context on the Usability of Wireless Devices”
Dissertation Committee: Dr. K. Hassanein (Co-Advisor), Dr. M. Head (Co-Advisor), Dr. N. Bontis, Dr. Y. Yuan
 
1999 – 2001 Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Concentration in Electronic Business (e-Business)
DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, Canada
Awarded as Valedictorian Finalist and member of the Dean’s Honour List
 
1992 – 1998 Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering (B.Eng.)
Concentration in Aerodynamics, Propulsion and Vehicle Performance
Carleton University
 
1992 International Baccalaureate
American Community Schools of Athens, Greece

Short-length Bio

Dr. Constantinos K. Coursaris studies user motivations, expectations, and experiences with new media and the consequent design implications with a focus on social systems. He supplements his research expertise with consulting on social media for governance and/or marketing, and has trained diverse organizations in North America, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Follow him @DrCoursaris.

Medium-length Bio

Dr. Constantinos K. Coursaris holds a dual appointment as Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Information and the Department of Advertising and Public Relations. He is also Professor by Courtesy in Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting. His formal training consists of a B.Eng. in Aerospace, an MBA in e-Business, and a Ph.D. in Information Systems with a concentration on electronic business (e-Business) and mobile commerce (m-Commerce).

His doctoral dissertation focused on “Contextual Usability: The Impact of Distraction on User Performance, Satisfaction, and Adoption of Mobile Devices for Wireless Data Services.” During his academic career he has received many accolades in business analysis and e-Business research and development. Constantinos has been involved in the instruction of over 50 university courses over the last 10 years. He has also gained consulting experience in the private sector, focusing on Web content management, Website development and event organizing. Constantinos has also held management positions in retail, hospitality, and information technology (IT).

Constantinos studies user motivations, expectations, and experiences with new media and the consequent design implications with a focus on social systems. His current research interests lie in the intersection of usability and mobile technologies for the purpose of health and/or commercial applications. He supplements his research expertise with consulting on social media for governance and/or marketing, and has trained diverse organizations in North America, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Follow him @DrCoursaris.

Extended-Length Bio

Dr. Constantinos K. Coursaris holds a dual appointment as Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Information and the Department of Advertising and Public Relations. He is also Professor by Courtesy in Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting. His formal training consists of a B.Eng. in Aerospace, an MBA in e-Business, and a Ph.D. in Information Systems with a concentration on electronic business (e-Business) and mobile commerce (m-Commerce).

His doctoral dissertation focused on “Contextual Usability: The Impact of Distraction on User Performance, Satisfaction, and Adoption of Mobile Devices for Wireless Data Services.” During his academic career he has received many accolades in business analysis and e-Business research and development. Constantinos has been involved in the instruction of over 50 university courses over the last 10 years. He has also gained consulting experience in the private sector, focusing on Web content management, Website development and event organizing. Constantinos has also held management positions in retail, hospitality, and information technology (IT).

Constantinos studies user motivations, expectations, and experiences with new media and the consequent design implications with a focus on social systems. His current research interests lie in the intersection of usability and mobile technologies for the purpose of health and/or commercial applications. He supplements his research expertise with consulting on social media for governance and/or marketing, and has trained diverse organizations in North America, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

His international experience was broadened in 2008, when he was the first Faculty to be appointed at Michigan State University Dubai in offering the Media Management concentration of the Media and Communication Technology program and participated in outreach activities focusing on high school students in the U.A.E. While on assignment, he implemented the use of social media and electronic advertising to engage both current and prospective students of Michigan State University Dubai, while also managing the university’s Web presence.

Constantinos also founded a study abroad program on “Technology & Culture: Communication and Games” in Japan seven years ago. The program exposes students to the latest industry research and application in the mobile communication and gaming industries. Since the program’s inception, it has grown steadily, and is currently taking 18 students to eight companies, three universities, and more than a dozen cultural sites across 10 cities every year.

His next international project entails the inaugural Freshman Seminar to the United Arab Emirates next month, co-developed with Jim Lucas from the Office of the Provost for Undergraduate Education. Twelve students will be visiting one university, three companies, and a number of cultural sites in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah over 12 days exploring issues related to globalization and sustainability.

Most recently, Constantinos has been able to leverage this international network for producing scholarship in a cross-cultural context on issues pertaining to mobile and social media.

Constantinos was recently honored by being invited to join the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars. This is the third award in three years; his dedication to service-learning led to his course on I.T. Project Management receiving the ITERA Innovative Course Award at the 2009 ITERA Conference in Atlanta (note: ITERA is the International Telecommunication Education and Research Association). More recently, he received the Outstanding Faculty Award by MSU’s Senior Council for the academic year 2009-2010 for his commitment and achievements in undergraduate education.

Follow him @DrCoursaris.