W. P. Carey spotlights second-year IS faculty achievements and goals

The Department of Information Systems at the W. P. Carey School of Business is celebrating the accomplishments and ambitions of its second-year faculty members.

After a year of teaching, community building, and research, Assistant Professors of Information Systems Xiyang Hu, Che-Wei Liu, and Michael Lewis reflect on surprises from their first year, the challenges of transitioning to ASU, and their goals for the future. As they enter their second year, they remain committed to impactful research, innovative teaching, and a collaborative spirit.

Xiyang Hu

For Assistant Professor Xiyang Hu, ASU’s collaborative spirit was the standout surprise.

“Despite the size of the university, faculty across departments were approachable and open to interdisciplinary conversations,” Hu says. “There’s a genuine spirit of collaboration that makes it easier to explore new ideas and connect with people beyond my immediate area.”

Hu says he is proud of establishing his research direction, building foundational collaborations, and mentoring students. Still, he noted the challenges of securing funding and setting up lab infrastructure while adapting to the scale of a large public research university.

Looking ahead, Hu is directing his efforts on securing external funding, publishing early findings, and scaling up projects at the intersection of technology, humanity, and AI applications. He says he sees ASU’s interdisciplinary environment as a natural fit for his work on algorithmic accountability and data infrastructure.

Che-Wei Liu

For Associate Professor Che-Wei Liu, mentoring students was the most rewarding surprise of year one.

“Serving as a mentor for the MS-AIB capstone project was incredibly rewarding,” Liu says of the master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence in business. “I learned so much from the students — their team chemistry, idea brainstorming, and how to guide them in thinking about commercialization plans while applying the machine learning techniques I teach in class.”

In addition to teaching, Liu launched collaborative projects on the ethics of generative AI, human-AI interactions, and IT labor issues. He describes these initiatives as both opportunities for research impact and moments of personal growth through collaboration.

In his second year, Liu aims to expand these projects into larger initiatives through external funding while refining his machine learning curriculum to meet the needs of students entering the AI-driven workforce.

Michael Lewis

For Clinical Assistant Professor Michael Lewis, W. P. Carey’s agility in evolving curriculum stood out immediately.

“W. P. Carey’s emphasis on practical and relevant degree plans, and the department’s agility in evolving and adapting its curriculum are quite impressive,” Lewis says. “The net result is a better value-proposition for our students (and those who will employ them).”

Lewis's research agenda focuses on machine learning and game theory techniques applied to digital news. He also works to assess the effectiveness of online courses and to help students develop “day one” on-the-job skills. He strives to be an “insanely accessible resource” for industrious students, both in and beyond the classroom.

His student engagement philosophy emphasizes equipping learners with practical skills rather than relying on online shortcuts. “It is inspiring to see how many students eschew these approaches once we tell them our goal is to equip them with skills that will help solve real problems in industry,” Lewis explains.

His upcoming research includes projects on information warranties, news trust, and job application strategies in the age of digital platforms and generative AI. His advice for new faculty? Be proactive with course resources and ruthlessly practical in instruction. “A focus on the practical can ground you,” he says, “because it does not run from challenging questions and gives students the chance to develop into the type of people who can answer them.”

A supportive community

Across the board, second-year faculty members emphasized the strong sense of belonging they’ve found at W. P. Carey as they remain committed to impactful research, innovative teaching, and a collaborative spirit. From mentorship and peer support to collaborative opportunities across disciplines, their reflections show how ASU’s culture fosters exploration, innovation, and growth.

Learn more about the Department of Information Systems — our nationally top-20 ranked programs and innovative curriculum are preparing Sun Devils to excel in real-world AI, analytics, and IS environments.