Joe earned a BSBA from UM-St. Louis in 1992 and an MS in MIS in 1995. In addition, he earned a Doctor of Science in 2002 from Washington University in St. Louis
We sat down with Joe and asked him some questions.
- Why did you decide to come to UM-St. Louis?
- My father passed away and I could no longer afford to go to school away from home.
- Why did you pursue a career in information systems?
- The computer lab at Mizzou was next to the typewriters - poked my head inside and saw the Macintoshes. I was hooked from that second forward.
- What college classes did you find most useful to your career?
- Systems Design: I think that is why I like teaching it so much!
- If you were in college today, what courses would you take?
- As much writing and oral presentation classes I could take. In addition to any class that makes me code - - A lot!
- How did you continue your education after your first degree?
- After my bachelors degree, I worked in collections for a finance company and really did not like repossessing water beds, so I went back for an MBA. Decided to take a couple of extra classes and got the MSIS.
- How did you find your first job?
- My first job was selling ice cream in the mall. My friends dad owned it and I started on my 16th birthday.
- In what non-academic activities did you participate in college that you would recommend to others (and why)?
- I worked full time for all of my degrees - so I did not do much. I did participate in a lot of theatre and that really helped my presentation skills. Once you stand on stage in bright yellow tights for a Shakespeare play - nothing scares you.
- How would you change your career if you had it to do all over again?
- Not one little thing. I am very fortunate to have landed in a teaching position in IT. I could not have planned it any better.
- What advice would you give to someone just starting in the field?
- Concentrate on knowing how your roles/projects etc. impact the company. What is your value - add. If you maximize this, you will go far.
- Look into your crystal ball. What do you see changing in the IS field in the future?
- SaaS: Software as a service will greatly change everything. Why buy and manage when you can rent?
If you would like to ask Joe a question, you can email him at
rottman at umsl.edu.
