John Gorgone
ACM Karl V. Karlstrom Outstanding Educator Award
USA - 2002
citation
For outstanding contributions to computing education through exceptional teaching and mentorship and for dedicated leadership and contributions in developing model curricula and accreditation standards in Information Systems.
John Gorgone is recognized as an outstanding teacher, a caring mentor, and a leader in curriculum development for programs in Information Systems. As professor and founding member of the Computer Information Systems Department at Bentley College, he has developed the program and seen it grow to one of the largest and best known in the U.S.
Dr. Gorgone's influence extends far beyond his home department. As an active, dedicated member of ACM, he has been instrumental, often the key player, in numerous curriculum efforts. These include IS 90, IS 97, IS 2002, and the graduate program recommendation, MSIS 2002. Any review of these works will show Dr. Gorgone's commitment to thoroughness and careful development of recommendations that are widely adopted and influential in designing and supporting outstanding programs in Information Systems.
Dr. Gorgone has extended his work in curriculum development to include development of criteria for accreditation. Dr. Gorgone participated in the development of the first criteria for accrediting programs in information systems, served as an ACM representative to CSAB, and was appointed to the executive committee of the Computing Accreditation Commission to represent the interest of the information systems community. With reference to the development of the IS criteria, a nominator said it well: "If it were not for his dogged persistence over many years, this might not have happened."
Dr. Gorgone has served the ACM on the Education Board, the SIG Board, and as Education Advisor and Chair of the Accreditation Committee. He has chairs numerous conferences, has over 170 publications and presentations, has extensive experience as a consultant to Fortune 500 companies, state boards of higher education, and colleges and universities.
As the nomination letter concluded, "Professor Gorgone is truly an outstanding educator, a teacher-scholar who has served the interest of students at the local level through his teaching and curricula development, and at the national and international level through his efforts and work on curricula models and accreditation criteria standards."