Hope Koch, PhD, CPA

Professional Summary

Hope Koch is the Godfrey Sullivan Endowed Chair and Professor of Information Systems and Business Analytics at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business. Her teaching, research and public engagement focus on artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, organizational adaptation and the future of business.

Dr. Koch brings academic insight into the decisions facing business leaders, boards, policymakers and communities. In 2026, the Lieutenant Governor of Texas appointed her to the Texas Artificial Intelligence Council. That same year, Baylor’s President appointed her to the University’s IT Governance Council, where she contributes to university-wide technology strategy, priorities, risk and governance. She also serves as a director of First National Bank Texas, where she chairs the Audit Committee, and as an elected Trustee of Temple College. A licensed CPA with industry experience, she brings expertise in financial oversight, technology strategy, risk and governance to these roles.

Her scholarship has appeared in leading business journals, including MIS Quarterly, the Journal of Strategic Information Systems and Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. Her work on digital transformation and organizational resilience has received international recognition. Dr. Koch is also a frequent speaker to business leaders, professional associations and civic and faith-based organizations. She speaks on emerging technology, AI governance, the future of work and responsible innovation, combining research, practical examples and humor to make complex technology issues understandable and actionable.

A first-generation college graduate who grew up in a rural Central Texas trailer park, Dr. Koch is deeply committed to expanding educational and economic opportunity. Since 2002, she has chaired the Callaway Foundation, which awards approximately $500,000 in scholarships annually. She has dedicated much of her Baylor career to connecting students with business and professional opportunities. Outside of work, Dr. Koch is an endurance athlete who has completed marathons, Ironman 70.3 triathlons and mountain climbs, including Mount Kilimanjaro.

Education

• 2003 – Doctor of Philosophy in Information and Operations Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
• 1997 – Master of Business Administration in Information Systems Management, Baylor University, Waco, TX
• 1992 – Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, TX  

Courses

• MIS 3305 – Management of Information Systems
• MIS 5355 – Management of Information Systems - Emerging Technologies and the Future of Business 
• MIS 6V99 – Dissertation
• MIS 5V99 – Thesis

Research Interests

• Emerging technologies and the future of business
• Engaged scholarship with a real-world impact
• Technology Governance and Board Oversight

Boards, Governance and Public Service

• Member, Texas Artificial Intelligence Council
  • 2026–Present. Appointed by the Texas Lieutenant Governor; advises state leadership on AI innovation, governance, risk mitigation and ethical guardrails.
• Director, First National Bank Texas
  • July 2023–Present | Audit Committee Chair, 2025–Present
• Trustee, Temple College
  • Elected April 2023–Present
• Senior Editor, MIS Quarterly Executive
  • 2015–Present
• Chair, The Callaway Foundation
  • 2003-Present

Certification

• Certified Public Accountant

Selected Publications

• Dwyer, Sean; Browder, Russ; and Koch, Hope. "Resilience Seeking: How Leaders Can Expect the Unexpected," EIX (Entrepreneur and Innovation Exchange), July 2025, https://eiexchange.com/content/resilience-seeking-how-leaders-can-expect-the-unexpected
• Browder, Russ; Dwyer, Sean; and Koch, Hope. "Upgrading Adaptation: How Digital Transformation Promotes Organizational Resilience," Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, Special Issue on Leading the Digital Transformation of Incumbent Firms, 18(1) 2023, pp. 128-164.
  • Most Widely Read and Top Cited article – April 2025
  • Winner of the 2025 Strategic Management Society Journals Best Video Abstract
• Building Resiliency in an Age of Crisis - Baylor Business Review | Fall 2024 Issue
• Browder, Russ; Koch, Hope; Long, Anna; and Hernandez, James. (2022). Learning to Innovate with Big Data in Inter-Organizational Relationships. Academy of Management Discoveries, 8(1). 139-166.
• Green, Gina; Koch, Hope; Kulaba, Peter; Garner, Shelby; George, Carolin; Hitchcock, Julia; and Norman, Gift. (2021). Implementing an mHealth App to Combat Hypertension in India's Vulnerable Populations. IT&People, 35(4).
• Koch, Hope; Chipidza, Wallace; and Kayworth, Tim. (2021). Realizing Value from Shadow Analytics:  A Case Study. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 30(2).
  Journal of Strategic Information Systems 2021 Best Paper Award
  • The Association for Information Systems, its Senior Scholars, and the International Conference on Information Systems recognized this paper as a Best Publication of 2021
• Leidner, Dorothy; Gonzalez, Ester; and Koch, Hope. (2018). An Affordance Perspective on Enterprise Social Media and Organizational Socialization. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 27(2). 117-138.
  Journal of Strategic Information Systems 2018 Best Paper Runner-Up
• Koch, Hope; Gonzalez, Ester; and Leidner, Dorothy. (2012)  Bridging the Work/Social Divide: The Emotional Response to Organizational Social Networking Sites. European Journal of Information Systems, 21(6). 699-717. 
  2013 Stafford Operations Society Award for Best Paper Published in 2012

Selected Speaking and Media

• “The Future of Business, Technology and AI,” Upcoming Closing Keynote at the YouXAI Conference, September 2026.
• “HOPE:  Human Opportunity in a Period of Exponential Change,” Welcome speech at Baylor MBA Orientation, July 2026.
• “Intelligent Agents and the Rise of the Agent Economy,” Waco Economic Development Group, February 2026.
• “The AI Scares Me… But It's Helpful,” Bell County Museum Spring Speaker Series, April 2025.
• “Artificial Intelligence, Technology, and Global Relations: Why the World Needs Strong Democracies,” World Affairs Council of South Texas, Corpus Christi, Texas, November 14, 2024.

Awards

• Association for Information Systems Leadership Team Award, 2026
• Hankamer School of Business Research Advancement Award, 2026
• Distinguished Professor, Baylor University Hankamer School of Business, 2023
• Distinguished Baylor Woman of Central Texas, 2023
• Lifetime Leopard Award. Temple College 2022
• Beta Gamma Sigma External Honoree, Texas State University, 2021

Videos

“Upgrading Adaptation: How Digital Transformation Promotes Organizational Resilience,” Winner Strategic Management Society Best Video Abstract Award, October 2025.