Scholar · Educator · Practitioner

Information systems scholar shaping responsible AI, digital health, and cybersecurity governance.

Assistant Professor of Management Information SystemsUniversity of Memphis

Explore research
20+journal articles
$312Kfunded research
15+years across industry & academia

Recent & upcoming activity

What’s happening

Selected research, publications, and public impact

August 14, 2026Community workshop

Don’t Let AI Fool You!

Presenting a free, interactive community workshop at the PAC at 1:00 PM on recognizing and defending against AI-powered scams, including voice cloning, deepfakes, fraudulent emails, and deceptive text messages.

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August 27, 2026Conference

AI + Cybersecurity Conference at FIT

Attending the AI + Cybersecurity Conference at FIT from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

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August 20, 2026Panel discussion

The Beginning: Thriving in Year One

Panelist for New Faculty Orientation from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

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July 2026Research impact

State-level AI regulation research featured in Forbes

The article highlighted findings from the Communications of the ACM study on the rapid growth and uneven enforcement of U.S. state AI laws.

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View all activity

Research agenda

Technology is only as consequential as the systems around it.

My research examines how emerging technologies become embedded in organizations and society. I combine design science, qualitative inquiry, and empirical analysis to move from technical possibility toward responsible, workable practice.

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Responsible AI & governance

How organizations design, evaluate, and govern AI systems—connecting policy, ethical controls, innovation capability, and day-to-day managerial practice.

02

Digital health & design science

Human-centered digital interventions for complex health journeys, including telemedicine, online health communities, patient safety, and information needs.

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Cybersecurity leadership

The organizational realities of cybersecurity: CISO burnout, executive power, adversarial AI, security governance, and resilient leadership systems.

Pavankumar Mulgund
Pavankumar MulgundInformation Systems Scholar

About

Academic insight informed by industry experience.

Pavankumar Mulgund is an Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems at the University of Memphis, where his work sits at the intersection of responsible AI, digital health, cybersecurity, and organizational innovation.

Before joining academia, he worked across product ownership, software development, quality engineering, and public-sector health innovation. That practitioner foundation continues to shape a research program focused on consequential problems and usable solutions.

Ph.D.Management Science & Systems
University at Buffalo
M.S.Management Information Systems
University at Buffalo

Professional biographies

For introductions, programs, and publications

Select the length that best fits your format

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50-word bio

Dr. Pavankumar Mulgund is an Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems at the University of Memphis. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, healthcare IT, and design science. Bridging academic research with industry experience, his work examines how emerging technologies can be designed, governed, and implemented responsibly in organizations.

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100-word bio

Dr. Pavankumar Mulgund is an Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems at the University of Memphis. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, healthcare information systems, and design science. His work has appeared in leading academic outlets including Information Systems Journal, Decision Support Systems, Communications of the ACM, and Journal of Medical Internet Research. Before joining academia, Dr. Mulgund held technology- and product-focused industry roles, giving him a practitioner-informed perspective on digital innovation. His current research examines responsible AI governance, generative AI, cybersecurity leadership, and the design and evaluation of AI-enabled systems for healthcare and organizational decision-making.

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200-word bio

Dr. Pavankumar Mulgund is an Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems in the Fogelman College of Business and Economics at the University of Memphis. He earned his Ph.D. in Management Science and Systems and M.S. in Management Information Systems from the University at Buffalo. Before joining the University of Memphis, he served as a Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the MS in MIS program at the University at Buffalo.

Dr. Mulgund's research lies at the intersection of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, healthcare information systems, and design science. His work examines how emerging technologies can be designed, evaluated, governed, and deployed responsibly in complex organizational environments. His research has been published in outlets including Information Systems Journal, Decision Support Systems, Communications of the ACM, Journal of Medical Internet Research, and International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction.

His current research addresses responsible AI governance and evaluation, generative AI, cybersecurity leadership, digital health, and human–AI collaboration. He also brings extensive technology industry experience to his academic work, including roles in software development, product ownership, and technology consulting. Dr. Mulgund regularly teaches courses in AI, business analytics, cybersecurity, and information systems.

Selected publications

Ideas in print

Peer-reviewed journal articles · 2021–2026

2026

Mulgund, P., Singh, R., Li, Y., Chew, S. L., & Higgins, K.

A qualitative examination of stressors contributing to burnout among chief information security officers (CISOs).

Information Systems Journal, 36(4), 556–581.

Cybersecurity
2026

Agrawal, L., Mulgund, P., DaSouza, R. O., Bhaya, K., & Singh, R.

AI Regulation in US States: Lessons Learned and Key Takeaways.

Communications of the ACM, 69(6), 68–77.

AI Governance
2026

Mulgund, P., Colville, S., Purao, S., Ostern, N., Bandara, W., Agrawal, L., et al.

Problem space exploration for wicked psychosocial problems: Insights from two cases.

Decision Support Systems, 114697.

Design Science
2026

Gillenson, M. L., Mulgund, P., & Arora, A.

Benchmarking Software Test Cases Produced by Generative AI Against Traditional Methods: A Design Science Approach.

Journal of Database Management, 37(1), 1–32.

Generative AI
2026

Mulgund, P., Singh, R., Venkatesan, S., Thimmanayakanapalya, S. S., & Venkatesan, S.

Designing a curriculum for AI prompting strategy for business decision-makers—A qualitative approach.

Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 24(1–2), e7002.

AI Education
2025

Mulgund, P., Li, Y., Singh, R., Purao, S., & Agrawal, L.

The Design and Evaluation of a Mental Health Educational App for Paternal Postpartum Depression.

International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 41(20), 13192–13211.

Digital Health
2024

Sun, Y. C., Cosgun, O., Sharman, R., Mulgund, P., & Delen, D.

A stochastic production frontier model for evaluating the performance efficiency of artificial intelligence investment worldwide.

Decision Analytics Journal, 100504.

AI Investment
2021

Mulgund, P., Sharman, R., Purao, S., Thimmanayakanapalya, S. S., & Winkelstein, P.

Mapping information needs of patients with sexually transmitted infections using web-based data sources: Grounded theory investigation.

Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(11), e30125.

Digital Health

Teaching & mentorship

Preparing leaders to make better technology decisions.

My teaching connects analytical depth with managerial judgment. I design learning experiences that help students move confidently from concepts to decisions, prototypes, and organizational action.

University of Memphis

Current courses

  • Advanced AI Prompt Engineering for Business
  • Information Security Management
  • Advanced Business Analytics for Managers
  • Directed Study in Information Systems Security
Areas of instruction

Teaching interests

  • AI prompting and machine learning
  • Data visualization and analytics
  • Database and systems analysis
  • IT governance, security, and auditing

Career

Scholarship grounded in practice

2022—Present

Assistant Professor

University of Memphis · Fogelman College of Business and Economics

2015—2022

Clinical Assistant Professor & MS MIS Program Director

University at Buffalo · School of Management

2006—2015

Technology & product leadership

ActioNet, IBM, Obopay, and MindTree

Recognition

Awards & academic service

  • 2026Outstanding Reviewer Award, AMCIS
  • 2024Outstanding Reviewer Award, AMCIS
  • 2020InfoTech WNY BETA Award, Educator in Tech
  • 2020PhD Student Achievement Award
  • 2018UB Excellence in Research Certificate

Editorial service

Contributing to the field

Area Editor, Design Science group, Health Systems

Editorial Board, Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education

Reviewer for ISJ, EJIS, IEEE TEM, JBA, BMC MIDM, and HPT

In the media

Research beyond the journal