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Kelley School of Business Indiana University Bloomington
MS in Information Systems

Alumni Q&A: Lawrence Nah, MSIS’10

Posted on by Kelley School

“I cannot overstate how the MS in Information Systems degree program has changed my life,” says Kelley School of Business alumnus, Lawrence Nah, as he laughs. “I am not saying this because I’m on the record or because I’m trying to brand the MSIS in any way. It really has written a brand new chapter of my life.”

Nah, MSIS‘10, is not exaggerating. His experience at Kelley has literally helped him write a new career story. His book, What’s Next: The International Student’s Guide to the U.S. College and Job Search Process, reminisces on his past college career, examines his current business success, and propels him into a new future of authorship and advocacy.

Like many international students, Nah aspired to come to the United States. “I felt that studying in the U.S. was a great way to learn from the people at the forefront of business,” he says. Nah chose to attend Kelley as an undergraduate because of its academic excellence and outstanding career services support. (more…)

Alumni Q&A: Kerel Bradford, MSIS’15

Posted on by Kelley School

As a member of the 2012 national champion IU Men’s Soccer team, Kerel Bradford competed in a fast-paced environment. He maintained discipline. He communicated effectively with his teammates.

This team experience, Bradford says, was not unlike the MS in Information Systems program at the Kelley School of Business.

“I was accountable to my MSIS team. I depended on them and they supported me,” says Bradford, who graduated in 2015.

Bradford lives in Chicago and now works at KPMG in the management consulting practice, specifically the CIO Advisory. His one-year training in the MS in Information Systems prepared him to hit the ground running on day one. (more…)

Learning and Applying

Posted on by Kelley School

A few years ago, one of my teachers explained this topic of experiential learning to me. The concept stated that through applying your knowledge and conceptual learning to real-life problems you understand and grasp the initial learning much better. This method of learning really resonated with me as I have always enjoyed experimenting, trying new things and learning from life experiences.

Over the past 2 years, that is just what I have been doing. Through my undergraduate studies in Informatics to my studies in MSIS, I have transplanted my learnings from the classroom to my business, CareBand. CareBand is an innovative wearable technology for seniors suffering from Dementia and Alzheimer’s who are prone to wandering. It provides both caregivers and family members peace of mind and comfort, knowing that their loved ones are safe. Currently, there are about 5.2 million people suffering from Dementia, yet over the next 10 years, due to the baby boomer population, that number is expected to triple. Additionally, over 60% of those with Dementia will wander or get lost during their time with the illness. All of this together creates a big problem for many families looking to provide care for their loved ones. (more…)

Things I Didn’t Expect To Gain From Acquiring a Master’s Degree

Posted on by Kelley School

Andrew Dahm
MSIS class of 2016

When I made the decision to attend graduate school at Indiana University I had a few expectations in mind. I viewed these expectations as somewhat straightforward and commonplace among most students going on to higher education. I first and foremost expected to get a high paying job in the city I wanted to live in after graduation. I believed I was going to have to work harder than I ever had before. I definitely expected to not have much of a social life anymore, or at least the one I had become accustomed to during my undergraduate years. Finally, I thoroughly expected to view this degree as a means to generate a higher singling potential to employers. As I am nearing the end of my program, I am realizing that I should have expanded my expectations quite a bit.

Here is what I did not expect to gain from a master’s degree:

  • An actual education that I can apply to real life scenarios, instead of classes that have no correlation to the working world
  • Improved public speaking skills and confidence in front of employers
  • The ability to multi-task at a level only single mothers and quantum computers can appreciate
  • Employers trying to sell to and impress me and not just the other way around
  • Free time to actually be a human and have friends
  • Finally growing up, even though I have tried to convince myself for years that I was already a real adult
  • Doing social activities around campus that did not involve a party or Greek life
  • Attending more athletic events
  • Making friends with professors during and outside of class
  • Having fun in general as a student

Yes, the expectations I had before attending my graduate program were mostly correct. I, however, did not expect the experiences I listed above to happen. Graduate School is one of the best decisions I have ever made and especially the best decision I have made involving my future and career. I strongly encourage any student struggling over the decision whether or not to take the Graduate plunge to realize there is a lot more to Graduate School than you’re going to expect.

Fall 2015 Semester Reflection

Posted on by Kelley School

Given that this semester is already nearing the halfway point and my 5th year in Bloomington, Indiana is coming to a close, I saw it fitting to jot down some memories and helpful hints for those of you just starting either in undergrad or graduate school.

I am currently in the MSIS graduate program at IU. I majored in Economics as an undergrad and am originally from Fort Wayne. I am headed to Chicago this summer to start a new leg of my journey at Hitachi Consulting.

I want to reflect a little on my last (almost) 5 years. I started this journey on the doorsteps of Phi Gamma Delta, as freshman are inclined to live in the house in their freshman year. I then begin a spree of joining clubs and rushing to get involved before I really even knew what was out there. Luckily for me, I joined the right ones. But I suggest taking a little while to figure out what you enjoy and want to do in life before you starting showing up to call out meetings. From there, I spent the next several years enjoying fraternity life, dance marathons, and a Marine Corps Officer program. It wasn’t until towards the end of my junior year that life became a little derailed. (more…)

3+1 MSIS Case Competition 2015 Experience

Posted on by Kelley School

Joanne Wang
MSIS Student & 3+1 Case Competition 2015 Participant
It was my pleasure to participate in the MSIS 3+1 case competition last year. Team HunJoVa, formed by Kelley undergraduate students Hunter Ye, Vara Zhang, and I, experienced an intense yet exciting week with our coach and MSIS graduate, Jason Yang.
We were given merely three and a half days to analyze the technological problems within a hypothetical company and present the recommendations to MSIS professors. Winning the competition was definitely satisfying, but the friendships developed and knowledge learned throughout the process was invaluable. By applying theories learned in the classroom to real-world problems, I obtained fuller understandings of the business knowledge I have acquired throughout my undergraduate career. Finally, the best part of the case was how I was able to explore the world of technology consulting, a field I have always been interested in.
The positive case experience was definitely a deciding factor in my decision to study information systems.

My MSIS Experience

Posted on by Kelley School

Nadia Naoumoff

My undergraduate degree is in Arts Management from the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Although I took some Kelley business classes, I had little to no experience in IT prior to joining the program; my work experiences were in music management, music publicity, and event management.

But I was inspired because I knew the MSIS program was going to shape and prepare me for a wide range of roles and positions in the business world.

When I took time to really think about the usefulness of this type of degree, I remembered that IT is involved (whether strategically or operationally) with every industry and sector, and therefore, a degree in Business and IT would make me more valuable to a more broad range of businesses. (more…)

The Beginning of my MSIS journey

Posted on by Kelley School

“I want you to get into your teams and explain to your teammates your biggest fear”. My first thoughts were, “Wait…isn’t this orientation?  Shouldn’t we be receiving pertinent information about the start of the semester?”

In any event, I graciously waited for each of my teammates to share their biggest fear in hopes of running out of time for this exercise. We were given plenty of time to share our thoughts. So I hesitantly shared with the group my biggest fear.

After experiencing the judgment-free atmosphere and learning more about each of my teammates, I appreciated the exercise and others like it throughout the week of orientation. To learn my teammates’ backgrounds, strengths, and opportunities, and goals provided a beneficial understanding and appreciation as to why we all decided to commit to the MSIS program as well as, what we hope to gain from the program. Orientation also provided us an opportunity to get to know each other and the other students in the MSIS program.  Reflecting back on this experience, I was glad we had that time to get to know one another. (more…)

The eureka moment that led to my MSIS

Posted on by Kelley School

You’re an out-of-state student. Why in the world would you spend another year and more money to earn a master’s degree? Can’t it wait a few years?

Several family members and friends pebbled these questions at me when I decided to pursue a master’s degree in Information Science. Instead of rebutting with my school’s top rankings, I detailed my rationale and future value for this degree. My tale began with a “light bulb” moment during my summer internship.

While interning, I became well aware of a common problem. Key business decision-makers relied heavily on technology without fully understanding the constraints. Much of the discussion in meetings focused on clarifying the technology’s capabilities. What I discovered was not an issue with functionality, but in how users perceived the technologies available to them.

The business managers understood the technology to do far more than its capacity, leaving the firm exposed to possible internal and external risks. I knew then that the firm needed a person to understand both the business objectives and articulate the technology competence and value.

I wanted to be that person. The person management would consult before deciding the strategic direction for the firm.

Kelley’s MSIS program prepares students with the ability to bridge the gap between business and technology. It was a natural fit with my career goal. The program would equip me with the technical and analytical skills required to solve the problem at hand.

I couldn’t wait on that.


Ivana Payne is an MSIS student at the Kelley School of Business. She also earned a BS in Business Economics and Technology Management at the Kelley School. Her internship experiences range from IT internal audit to IT advisory at JP Morgan Chase, PwC, and PNC Bank. Ivana has accepted a full-time position with JP Morgan Chase.
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