On the cutting edge of research and education, Jeff Jenkins is leading the pack. A 2009 master of information systems graduate, Jenkins is now finishing up a doctoral program at the University of Arizona and is set to graduate this spring.
Jenkins credits the Marriott School’s PhD prep track for preparing him for a demanding program.
“My Marriott School training put me two years ahead of anyone else in the program,” he says. “I came into my PhD program with a paper accepted for publication, and I already knew how to do research. I didn’t have the shock some of my classmates did.”
Jenkins’s inquisitive knack has helped him land prestigious research positions. He is a Science Foundation Arizona Fellow and a National Science Foundation Fellowthe latter of which is especially competitive, as Jenkins was chosen from top applicants around the country. He also has projects funded by the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Air Force.
His research focuses on two areas: cybersecurity and health care, both of which are particularly timely.
“If you look at the news, every day there is a story of a company being hacked or having a security breach,” he says. “That influences their customers, from stolen information to financial and reputation losses.” Jenkins hopes to eliminate security breaches by creating programs to train companies in employee security, detect insider threats, and create security strategies for organizations.
His health care work uses technology to encourage healthy habits. “We use things like iPad apps or games that are enjoyable but have an actual purpose to teach people.”
Jenkins’s next career goal is to earn an assistant professorship at a university, allowing him to teach and research.
“I love knowing I am looking at problems that have never been addressed before,” he says. “That challenge really motivates me.”
Aside from his coursework, Jenkins is also an adjunct online professor at BYU–Idaho. He and his wife, Amy, have two children and live in Tucson, Arizona, where they enjoy playing games and being outdoors.
