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Personal Summary

Patricia holds a Ph.D. in Information Technology with a research focus on Information & Cybersecurity from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), completed under the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. Prio to this, she earned a Graduate Certificate in Technology Commercialization, along with a Master of Science (from the University of Texas, San Antonio), and a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Computer Science from Makerere University, one of Africa's oldest and most esteemed institutions 

Hailing From Northern Uganda, and with over 12 years of professional experience in the United States, Patricia has made significant contributions to both the non-profit sector and academia. From 2011 to 2014, she was a dedicated peace activist and a motivational speaker, advocating for causes close to her heart through organizations such as Invisible Children, Friends of Refugees, and UNHCR. These advocacy campaigns, including lobbying the U.S. Congress, were transformative experiences that ignited her passion for making a difference.

She transitioned into academia in 2015, beginning her doctoral journey at the University of Texas, San Antonio Alvarez College of Business, where she conducted research in Information Systems and Cybersecurity and taught classes in these areas.  This marked a pivotal shift in her career. During her time at UTSA, she also served as an academic observer at the European Innovation Academy in Turin, Italy, and co-led two international immersion trips to Italy (2017, 2018) and Israel (2019, 2020). The main themes of these trips included technology & product development, and cybersecurity innovations. At the ÀÏ»¢»ú¹¥ÂÔ, where Patricia joined the faculty in 2022, she teaches MIS and Cybersecurity classes. She takes great pleasure in connecting with students in the classroom, fostering an engaging learning environment, and creating a supportive atmosphere that helps them succeed both academically and beyond.

Patricia's primary research interests are Information Systems, Information and Cybersecurity, Privacy, Emerging Technologies For Security, The Insider Threat, Unsanctioned Applications/Artificial Intelligence in the Remote/Hybrid Workplace, The intersection of AI & Security, Cloud Security and Privacy Compliance, Behavioral Cyber Security cybersecurity and privacy compliance. Her diverse research portfolio includes cloud security, privacy compliance, social media analytics for crisis communication, blockchain applications for information integrity, Unsanctioned Applications and their security risks, and the insider threat. Her work has been published in leading academic conferences and journals International Journal of Information Management, ACM Transactions on Management Information Systems, and Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS). 

Education

Ph.D. Information Technology 

Masters of Science

Graduate Certificate

Bachelors of Science (Hons)

Research Interests

• Information and Cybersecurity e.g Cloud Security and Privacy Complaince, Unsanctioned Applications/Artificial Intelligence in the Remote/Hybrid Workplace, 
• Emerging Technologies For Information Security and Integirty, e.g Blockchain, AI & Security, etc
• Behavioural Cyber Security
• Privacy
• Information Systems e.g Social Media Analytics
• etc..

Publications

Journals and peer reviewed conferences

Akello, P. (2022). Understanding Security Threats in Cloud-Based Shadow It Work-from-Home Applications Using the General Strain Theory Lens [PhD Thesis, The University of Texas at San Antonio]. https://search.proquest.com/openview/e0e0854a32d123d6fdcec6d499facea8/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

Akello, P., Beebe, N. L., & Choo, K.-K. R. (2022). A literature survey of security issues in Cloud, Fog, and Edge IT infrastructure. Electronic Commerce Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-022-09615-y

Akello, P., Vemprala, N., Lang Beebe, N., & Raymond Choo, K.-K. (2023). Blockchain Use Case in Ballistics and Crime Gun Tracing and Intelligence: Toward Overcoming Gun Violence. ACM Transactions on Management Information Systems, 14(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1145/3571290

Akello, P. (2021). Volitional Non-Malicious Insider Threats: At The Intersection of COVID-19, WFH and Cloud-Facilitated Shadow-Apps. AMCIS 2021 Proceedings. https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2021/info_security/info_security/9

Akello, P., & Akanfe, O. (2019). Information Security in Non-Corporate Cloud Services: The Challenge of Engaging Consumers in Security Behavior Change. AMCIS 2019 Proceedings. https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2019/info_security_privacy/info_security_privacy/13

Denzler, T., Enders, M., & Akello, P. (2021). Towards a Semi-Automated Approach for Systematic Literature Reviews. AMCIS 2021 Proceedings. https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2021/art_intel_sem_tech_intelligent_systems/art_intel_sem_tech_intelligent_systems/4

Rao, H. R., Vemprala, N., Akello, P., & Valecha, R. (2020). Retweets of officials’ alarming vs reassuring messages during the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for crisis management. International Journal of Information Management, 55, 102187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102187

Vemprala, N., Akello, P., Valecha, R., & Rao, H. R. (2020). An Exploratory Analysis of Alarming and Reassuring Messages in Twitterverse during the Coronavirus Epidemic. AMCIS 2020 Proceedings. https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2020/social_computing/social_computing/4

PAPERS- UNDER REVIEW

At EJIS: Exploring the Interplay of Cognitive and Environmental Factors in Shaping Security Behaviors in Non-Traditional Workplaces: A Focus on Shadow IT & AI Adoption & Utilization in Remote & Hybrid Work Settings

Patricia Akello, Nicole L. Beebe, Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo

At IJIM: Social Media as a Social System Justifier in the wake of #MeToo movement: Examining nuances and challenges in the Entertainment Industry.

Harsh Parekh, Shriya Thakkar, Paras Bhatt, Patricia Akello