Education

Ph.D. - University of Pittsburgh, School of Information Science, 1979

M.S.I.S. - University of Pittsburgh, School of Information Science, 1976

B.S. - University of Dayton, School of Education, English, Speech Communications and Theology, Magna Cum Laude, 1972

Research Interests

Dr. Trauth’s research interests comprise the intersection of socio-cultural and organizational influences on Information Technology and the IT profession. She also consults and lectures on the impact of IT on organizations, societies, and people worldwide. Her teaching interests include qualitative research, the human context of information processing, diversity in the global knowledge economy, global informatics, and national information policy.

Biographical Information

Eileen M. Trauth is Professor of Information Sciences and Technology and Director of the Center for the Information Society and The Pennsylvania State University.  Her research is concerned with societal, cultural, and organizational influences on information technology and the information technology professions with a special focus on the role of diversity within the field. As a Fulbright Scholar in Ireland, Dr. Trauth undertook a multi-year investigation of socio-cultural influences on the emergence of Ireland’s information economy. Her book, The Culture of an Information Economy: Influences and Impacts in the Republic of Ireland was published in 2000. She has continued that research by investigating cultural, economic, infrastructure and public policy influences on the development of information technology occupational clusters in the U.S. In 2000 Dr. Trauth began an investigation of the under representation of women in the information technology professions by research women in Australia and New Zealand. She has continued that research with grants fro the National Science Foundation and Science Foundation Ireland. In 2008 will hold the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Gender Studies at Klagenfurt University, Austria. She is editor of the Encyclopedia of Gender and Information Technology that was published in 2006. Dr. Trauth has also published papers and books in qualitative research methods, global informatics, information policy, information management and information systems skills. She is author/editor of Information and Organization and serves on the editorial boards of several international journals.

Dr. Trauth received her Ph.D. and Masters degrees in information science form the University of Pittsburgh and her Bachelors degree in education from the University of Dayton.