Inner Source Adoption Professors and Supervisors

Brian FitzgeraldView profile

Professor

Max Planck Institute for Security and PrivacyGermany

Brian Fitzgerald holds the Frederick A Krehbiel II Chair in Innovation in Business and Technology at the University of Limerick and serves as Director of Lero - the Irish Software Research Centre. He is a globally recognized leader in software engineering and information systems research with significant contributions to open source, agile methodologies, and global software development. His research interests focus on software development methodologies, particularly in open source, inner source, crowdsourcing, agile, lean, BizDevOps, and continuous software engineering. Fitzgerald's work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications in global software engineering contexts. The trends in his recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on empirical studies of software development practices, with increasing attention to large language models, community dynamics in open source, and scaling agile methodologies in enterprise environments. His research spans both theoretical frameworks and practical applications across multiple software development domains. AIS Fellow award recipient LEO Award for outstanding lifetime contribution to the IS discipline (2024) President of the Association for Information Systems (2020) Fitzgerald has secured over €115 million in peer-reviewed research funding, including a notable €6 million project with Huawei. He serves as General Chair for major conferences including the 49th International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE) in Dublin 2027 and previously chaired the 37th International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) in 2016. His leadership extends to directing Lero, Ireland's national software research center that coordinates researchers across nine third-level institutions. As Director of Lero, Fitzgerald oversees a major research center focused on critical software domains including driverless cars, automation, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. His work connects academic research with industry applications through collaborations with major technology companies and government initiatives.

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Klaas-Jan StolView profile

Senior Lecturer

University College CorkIreland

Klaas-Jan Stol is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Computer Science and Information Technology, University College Cork. His research focuses on software development methods, open source practices, and improving research methodologies in software engineering. He leads projects funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and industry, with grants totaling over €1.5 million. Notable roles include SFI Principal Investigator on open source and agile projects. Education: PhD (Computer Science, University of Limerick), MSc (University of Groningen), B.ICT (Hanzehogeschool Groningen). Former Research Fellow at Lero - Irish Software Research Centre. Research interests span open source adoption, inner source frameworks, crowdsourcing, and theory development. Key publications include Adopting InnerSource: Principles and Case Studies (2018) and Scaling a Software Business (2017). Awards include the Lero Director’s Research Excellence Award (2019). Grant leadership includes SODAW (€464k), HUSRAI (€353k), and Security-Centered Developers (€91k). Guides PhD/postdoc researchers in areas like secure coding and open source ecosystems. Editorial roles: Empirical Software Engineering, Journal of Systems and Software. Labs/Teams: Active in Lero as a Funded Investigator, contributing to industry-academia collaborations.

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Brian FitzgeraldView profile

Professor

Copenhagen Business SchoolDenmark

Professor Brian Fitzgerald is a leading academic in software engineering and information systems. He holds the Frederick A Krehbiel II Chair in Innovation in Business and Technology at the University of Limerick and serves as Director of Lero – the Irish Software Research Centre. His work bridges academic research and industry collaboration, with a focus on global software development practices and innovation. University: University of Limerick Role: Director of Lero (Irish Software Research Centre) Rank: Professor His research interests span software engineering methodologies, including agile and lean approaches, open source/inner source development, global software engineering, and the impact of software on societal values through the TREES programme. He has contributed extensively to top-tier journals like MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, and IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering. Key Trends: Agile methods, open source adaptation, global collaboration frameworks, and ethical software engineering Recent Focus: Trustworthy, responsible, and efficient software engineering (TREES) with Huawei Professor Fitzgerald has received prestigious accolades such as the AIS Fellow award and best paper awards at ICIS and Open Source Software Conferences. He currently leads large-scale funded projects like the €6m Huawei collaboration and has served as President-Elect of the Association for Information Systems (AIS). Scientific Awards: AIS Fellow award (2017) ICIS Best Conference Theme Paper award (2000) Best Conference paper award (2005) He has mentored numerous researchers and contributed to editorial boards of leading journals, while maintaining a strong focus on translating academic research into industry impact through Lero’s initiatives.

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Samuel AtchersonView profile

Professor

University of Arkansas for Medical SciencesUnited States

Samuel Atcherson, Ph.D., is a Professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in both the College of Health Professions Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology and the College of Medicine Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery. His research spans audiologic rehabilitation, auditory electrophysiology, and health literacy, with a focus on addressing challenges faced by individuals with hearing loss, particularly in healthcare communication during mask use and accessibility for people with disabilities. Research Interests: Atcherson's work integrates audiologic rehabilitation through innovations like transparent face masks and amplified stethoscopes, auditory electrophysiology using evoked potential systems, and health literacy research examining readability of medical materials, especially for those with disabilities. Publications: With over 60 peer-reviewed articles, his recent publications explore AI integration in audiology, masked speech challenges, and health disparities. A recurring theme is the intersection of technology, accessibility, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Grants & Awards: He has secured over $477,000 in grants, including NIH funding, and holds the Distinguished Scholar Fellow title from the National Academies of Practice. Leadership: Atcherson serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of the American Academy of Audiology and has contributed to textbooks like Auditory Electrophysiology: A Clinical Guide .

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Mario SchaarschmidtView profile

Professor

University of Duisburg-EssenGermany

Mario Schaarschmidt is a Professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen , holding the Chair of Business Informatics and Application Management. He previously served as a junior professor at the University of Koblenz-Landau and held visiting positions at the University of Cologne, University of Paderborn, and international institutions including Harvard Kennedy School. PhD in Economics (Dr. rer. pol.) with a focus on open source software Habilitation at University of Koblenz-Landau Senior Lecturer at Newcastle Business School His research emphasizes digital innovation through interdisciplinary lenses combining technical systems and human behavior, with specific interests in: Open source software ecosystems Generative AI applications Sustainable business models Customer engagement in digital platforms Employee behavior in digitized environments Recent publications analyze: AI's impact on innovation contests Psychological drivers of digital service adoption Open source developer retention Corporate social responsibility through digital co-creation Honors include: 2024 : Best Associate Editor (ECIS) 2021 : Best Paper Proceedings (Academy of Management) 2019 : Best Paper Award (IRSSM) He serves on the Faculty Council of Computer Science and Business Informatics Examination Board . With €2.7M+ in secured funding from BMBF and BMWi, he bridges academic research with practical implementation as a former Senior Vice President at Groupon and active consultant.

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