Hello,

Curtis C. Cain, Ph.D.

PROFESSOR | RESEACHER | LEADER

Enthusiastic, multifaceted, and result-driven academician with years of ample work experience of teaching, mentoring, organizing scholastic activities, moderating conferences, developing courses & curriculum, conducting & supervising researches for national and international journals. Diligent about researching and developing the content of learning materials for assigned courses within existing frameworks and make modifications in existing curriculum. Persuasive in commitment to students, transforming present potential into future capabilities, and commitment to raising standards of learning through my earned skills. Possess exemplary instructional, pedagogical, leadership, team-building, and excellent students’ conflict resolution abilities and accomplishments honed throughout an impressive career span.

Dissertation: Swimming Upstream: Black Males in Information Technology (IT) Higher Education

Pennsylvania State University, College of Information Sciences and Technology  

Thesis: Social Networking Teaching Tools: A Computer Supported Collaborative Interactive Learning Environment for K-12

Auburn University, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering

Project: Integration of Mobile Computing in Automotive Applications

Major: Information Systems Engineering, Minor: Mathematics

Johnson C. Smith University, College of Computer Science and Engineering

Associate Professor - Howard University

August 2022 – Present
School of Business, Department of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management

Affiliate Professor - Howard University

May 2017 – Present
College of Engineering and Architecture, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Assistant Professor - Howard University

August 2016 – July 2022
School of Business, Department of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management

Google Faculty-in-Residence

June - August 2018

Howard West Summer Faculty

May - August 2017

Teach varied Information Technology modules/subjects to undergraduate and graduate students through lectures, sessions, group discussions, practical execution, competitions, and tutorials.

Adapt and individualize engaging lesson plans, course material, assessments, handouts, exercises, and conduct examinations to expedite their intelligence and create new horizons.

Centralize protocols and procedures for transition into virtual classes for uninterrupted learning through developing inclusion and finding the required resources to attain the learning objectives.

Conduct scholarly & research programs, advise on students' research matters, and support various research projects.

Apply appropriate research methodologies and analyze results/conclusions to formulate new concepts and ideas.

Attend faculty meetings, discussion sessions, and seminars regarding curriculum designing and development.

Participate in diverse professional development sessions focused on transitioning to the common core standards and enforce appropriate and effective methodologies.

Maintain comprehensive classroom management to facilitate the students in a caring environment.

Arrange one-on-one advisory and guidance sessions with the students to recognize their academic progress.

Dr. Cain’s research interests are in Computer Science Education and Broadening Participation in Computing. Specifically, he studies Black people’s pathway into computing and engineering to analyze roadblocks and barriers to entry and to sustain success in the field. His goals are to invoke unique approaches invoking theory to investigate and address the underrepresentation of minority groups in computing. Dr. Cain’s research integrates people, technology, information, policy, and culture to address societal issues. He is an expert in social inclusion, gender and racial theories, and interpretative epistemology.

Cain, C.C. (2022). Black Men in IT: Overcoming Digital Inequality in Pursuit of Career Goals. The International Journal of Diversity in Education, 22(2), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.18848/2327-0020/CGP/v22i02/1-12

Cain, C.C. and Trauth, E.M. (2022). The Pursuit of Tech Degrees for Black Men in the United States: Belonging and Happiness, an Individual Differences Study. Technology in Society, 69, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101835

Cain, C.C., Morgan Bryant, A.J., Buskey, C.D., Myers Ferguson, Y. (2022). Generation Z, Learning Preferences, and Technology: An Academic Technology Framework Based on Enterprise Architecture. The Journal of the Southern Association for Information Systems, 9, 1-14. https://doi.org/doi:10.17705/3JSIS.00019

Cain, C. C. (2022). A Shifting Research Agenda: Historically Black Colleges and Universities Must Prepare Students for Careers in Computing, Informatics, and Engineering. Journal of Information Systems Education, 33(1), 41-50. https://jise.org/-Volume33/n1/JISE2022v33n1pp41-50.html

Cain, C. C. (2021). Establishing a research agenda for broadening participation of Black men in computing, informatics, and engineering. Technology in Society, 67, 101790. https://doi.org/10.1016/-j.techsoc.2021.101790

Cain, C. C. (2021). Beyond the IT Artifact—Studying the Underrepresentation of Black Men and Women in IT. Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 24(3), 157–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/-1097198X.2021.1954315

Cain, C. C., and Trauth, E.M. (2017). Black Men in IT: Theorizing an Autoethnography of a Black Man’s Journey into IT within the United States of America. ACM SIGMIS Database: The DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems, 48(2), 35–51. https://doi.org/10.1145/-3084179.3084184

Trauth, E. M., Cain, C. C., Joshi, K. D., Kvasny, L., & Booth, K. M. (2016). The Influence of Gender-Ethnic Intersectionality on Gender Stereotypes about IT Skills and Knowledge. ACM SIGMIS Database: The DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems, 47(3), 9–39. https://doi.org/10.1145/-2980783.2980785

Cain, C.C. (Forthcoming). Education and Research Strategies for Addressing the Underrepresentation of Black Men in Computing. Handbook of Gender & Technology: Environment, Identity, Individual. Edward Elgar Publishing

Trauth, E., Bryant, A., Cain, C., Potter, L. E., Quesenberry, J. L., Trauth, S., & van Slyke, C. (2019, June). Addressing Social Inclusion in the IS Field through Theatre. Proceedings of the 2019 on Computers and People Research Conference. https://doi.org/-10.1145/3322385.3322412

Cain, C.C., Bryant Morgan, A., Buskey, C.D., Washington, G., and Burge, L. (2019). Research Implications of the Tech Exchange: Immersion of Howard University Computer Science and Informatics Students in Silicon Valley. Proceedings of the 25th Americas Conference on Information Systems, (Cancun, Mexico). https://aisel.aisnet.org/-amcis2019/social_inclusion/-social_inclusion/9

Buskey, C.D., Goel, R., and Cain, C.C. (2019). Establishing a framework to Measure Strategic Social Value of Online Engagements: A Model for Determining Social Identity. Proceedings of the ACM SIGMIS Computers and People Research Conference (Nashville, TN). https://doi.org/-10.1145/3322385.3322404

Cain, C.C., Morgan Bryant, A.J., Buskey, C.D. & Goel, R. (2018). The Role of Tech Corporations at Historically Black Colleges and Universities in American STEM Education. Proceedings of the 24th Americas Conference on Information Systems (New Orleans, LA). https://aisel.aisnet.org/-amcis2018/SocialInclusion/-Presentations/6

Cain, C.C., Morgan Bryant, A.J. & Buskey, C.D. (2018). The Role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in American STEM Education. Proceedings of the ACM SIGMIS Computers and People Research Conference (Buffalo, NY). https://doi.org/10.1145/-3209626.3209712

Cain, C.C., Trauth, E.M. (2016). Black Lives Matter: The Journey of a Black IT Scholar. Proceedings of the ACM SIGMIS Computers and People Research Conference (Washington, D.C.). Best Paper Nominee. https://doi.org/10.1145/-2890602.2890623

Cain, C.C. and Trauth, E.M. (2015). Theorizing the Underrepresentation of Black Males in Information Technology (IT). Proceedings of the 21th Americas Conference on Information Systems (Puerto Rico). https://aisel.aisnet.org-/amcis2015/SocTech/-GeneralPresentations/22

Cain, C.C. and Trauth, E.M. (2013). The Underrepresentation of Black Males in IT Higher Education: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Individual Differences. Proceedings of the 19th Americas Conference on Information Systems (Chicago, IL). https://aisel.aisnet.org-/amcis2013/SocialTechnicalIssues/-RoundTablePresentations/4

Cain, C.C. and Trauth, E.M. (2013). Stereotype Threat: The Case of Black Males in the IT Profession. Proceedings of the ACM SIGMIS Computers and People Research Conference (Cincinnati, OH). https://doi.org/10.1145-/2487294.2487305

Cain, C.C. and Trauth, E.M. (2012). Black Males in IT Higher Education in The USA: The Digital Divide in the Academic Pipeline Re-visited. Proceedings of the 18th Americas Conference on Information Systems (Seattle, WA). https://aisel.aisnet.org/-amcis2012/proceedings/-SocialIssues/7

Cain, C.C. (2012). Underrepresented Groups in Gender and STEM: The Case of Black Males in CISE. Proceedings of the ACM SIGMIS Computers and People Research Conference (Milwaukee, WI). https://doi.org/10.1145/-2214091.2214118

Trauth, E.M., Cain, C.C., Joshi, K.D., Kvasny, L., and Booth, K. (2012). Embracing Intersectionality in Gender and IT Career Choice Research. Proceedings of the ACM SIGMIS Computers and People Research Conference (Milwaukee, WI, May-June). https://doi.org/10.1145-/2214091.2214141

Trauth, E.M., Cain, C.C., Joshi, K.D., Kvasny, L. and Booth, K. (2012). Understanding Underrepresentation in IT through Intersectionality. Proceedings of the 2012 iConference (Toronto, CA). https://doi.org/10.1145/-2132176.2132184

Overcoming Obstacles, Building Community, and Broadening Participation: A Qualitative Analysis of the Experiences and Career Decisions of Black Men in Computing, Howard University

2021 - 2026
P.I.: Curtis C. Cain
CAREER, National Science Foundation (Funding Rate < 5%)
Award #2047292
Total - $695,014

Cybersecurity Education Innovation, Howard University

2021 - 2022
P.I.: Curtis C. Cain, Rajni Goel, and Danda B. Rawat
National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, National Security Agency (Funding Rate < 10%)
Total - $300,000

Dr. Cain’s teaching philosophy is derived from lived experiences inside the classroom as a student, observations within the classroom as a researcher, and industry experience. His philosophy is formed by two educational principles:

Students learn best when they can connect the information to what is meaningful to them, to what they care about; and

Concepts are learned best through exposure to their application. Dr. Cain believes in a shared sense of ownership when it comes to student learning and employs a mixed teaching style approach to accomplish the philosophies that are critical to converting data to information and knowledge.

Management Information Systems

Database Management

Quantitative Business Analysis

Introduction to Java

Software Engineering

Management Statistics & Data Analysis

Principles of Information Systems

Seminar in Information Systems

Member

Howard University-IBM Data Science Team

Member

Center for Applied Data Science

Member

Interdisciplinary Faculty Consortium

Member

Executive Committee

Co-Chair

Technology Committee

Member

Judiciary Committee

Developer

Graduate Principles of Information Systems Course Redesign (Online MBA Program)

Developer

Graduate Management Statistics and Data Analysis Course Redesign (Executive MBA Program)

Member

Library, Facility, and Technology Committee

Member

Dean’s Technology Trust

Chair

Faculty-Student Relations Committee

Member

Faculty-Student Relations Committee

Member

Community Relations Committee

Faculty Advisor

Emerging Coders

Faculty Advisor

Computer Based Information Systems Society (COBISS)

Co-Founder

BLKGENIUS 501(c)3 Nonprofit Organization

Advisory Board Member

Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation

Editorial Board

Technology in Society

Reviewer

ACM SIGCHI, ACM SIGMIS-CPR, Information Technology & People, Information Systems Research, Information Systems Journal, AMCIS, National Science Foundation

Summer Externship

Faculty-in-Residence, Google LLC

Alumni Member

The PhD Project

Cloud Computing Degree Programs Help Fill Workforce Gaps (EdTech Magazine) – https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/k12/article/2022/08/cloud-computing-degree-programs-help-fill-workforce-gaps

Black Men and Computing: Howard University Emerging Researcher Gets Major Boost From the National Science Foundation – https://thedig.howard.edu/all-stories/black-men-and-computing-howard-university-emerging-researcher-gets-major-boost-national-science

Google’s program for Black college students suffered disorganization and culture clashes, former participants say – https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/21/google-howard-west-program-faced-disorganization-culture-clashes.html

Course Hero-WW Fellows Named for 2019 – https://woodrow.org/news/course-hero-fellows-2019/

Google FIR 2018 – https://youtu.be/j1cRjrez0BQ

Black Men and Computing: Howard University Emerging Researcher Gets Major Boost From the National Science Foundation

For Howard business professor Curtis C. Cain, the big wake-up call about diversity and computing came during his initial week in graduate school at Auburn University.

Challenging Technology

School of Business Professor Doubles Down on Prepping More Black Men for Computing Careers.

On the precipice of the new millennium, when Curtis Cain, PhD, was still an inquisitive middle school student, his grandmother bought him what was then a top-of-the-line computer from a home shopping network. He promptly dissected it to figure out how it worked. “I was big on taking things apart, but sometimes the reassembly didn’t go as planned,” he says, chuckling.