Yigal Arens. Photo/Caitlin Dawson
ISI Intelligent Systems Division Director Yigal Arens has been honored for distinguished service by the Digital Government Society (DGS), which fosters innovative deployment of technology and information to support public policy, upgrade government operations and engage citizens worldwide.
Arens was honored for his digital government contributions “through sustained service and tireless dedication to the creation and long term viability of the professional academic society.”
Also a research professor in the USC Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Arens and former ISI researcher Eduard Hovy, now based at Carnegie Mellon University, were among the society’s founders in 2001. The DGS has blossomed to 120 members in close to 20 nations, and its DGS annual conferences typically draw between 100 and 200 attendees.
Arens served as conference financial manager and in other capacities before the DGS was born, led legal and financial efforts to create the society, and filled multiple roles after its emergence – including treasurer, panelist and Smart Cities conference track co-chair. The honor also cites him as “instrumental in building relationships across Digital Government (DG) disciplines and with researchers in other countries which helped establish DG as an international field of study.”
“ISI was a major force in organizing the interdisciplinary digital government/e-government research community in the US and establishing alliances with researchers around the globe,” says Arens. “It’s gratifying to see how DGS has evolved, and an honor to be recognized for my contributions.”
Published on April 27th, 2017
Last updated on June 3rd, 2021
