Randall K. Minas, Jr.

Randall K. Minas, Jr. is the Hon Kau and Alice Lee Distinguished Professor of Information Technology Management at the Shidler College of Business, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He serves as Faculty Director of the MSIS Program, Director of the Hawaiʻi Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral and Technology Lab, and Faculty Advisor to the student Information Technology Management Association (ITMA).

Education

• Ph.D. in Information Systems, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University
• Master of Business in Information Systems, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University
• MBA (Finance), Indiana State University
• BS in Psychology – Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University

Research Interests

Professor Minas’ scholarship lies at the intersection of cognitive neuroscience and information systems. His work explores how subtle cognitive mechanisms—such as priming, cognitive biases, and neurophysiological signals—shape human interaction with technology. Core domains include:

• Understanding and mitigating belief in fake news on social media platforms.
• Harnessing augmented cognition and NeuroIS methods (EEG, fMRI) to enhance virtual-team creativity and decision-making.
• Designing creativity support systems that use visual and auditory primes to boost individual and group innovation.
• Investigating health IT interventions that employ subliminal cues to promote healthier eating behaviors.

Publication Trends

Across more than two dozen peer-reviewed articles, Professor Minas exhibits a consistent trajectory toward blending rigorous experimental neuroscience with pressing IS phenomena. Recent work (2019-2022) gravitates toward misinformation and social media credibility, while earlier studies (2013-2018) emphasize brainstorming creativity, virtual-team cognition, and cyber-security behavior. Methodologically, his papers integrate laboratory experiments, EEG/ERP data, and large-scale social-media field studies, reflecting a hybrid neuro-behavioral approach.

Honors & Awards

• Professor of the Semester (BBA Core & Electives), Shidler College, multiple years
• Shirley M. Lee Research Award (2016, 2019, 2020)
• Chancellor’s Citation for Meritorious Teaching, University of Hawaiʻi, 2018
• Dennis Ching Teaching Award, 2018
• Paper of the Year 2018, DATA BASE for Advances in Information Systems
• Best Paper Awards: HCI International 2016 (Augmented Cognition Track) & HICSS-45 2012 (Collaboration Systems Track)

Advising & Grants

As Faculty Director of the MSIS Program, Professor Minas mentors master’s and doctoral students across information-systems, neuroscience, and behavioral-research tracks. He has secured University Research Council travel grants and participates in National Science Foundation–aligned Doctoral Consortiums. His lab routinely supports graduate research assistants in collecting EEG, eye-tracking, and behavioral data.

Laboratory & Teams

He directs the Hawaiʻi Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral and Technology (HINT) Lab, a cross-disciplinary facility housing EEG, eye-tracking, and VR/AR equipment used to study cognition, creativity, and decision-making in digital environments.