The University of Baltimore’s Center for Digital Communication, Commerce and Culture (CD3C) welcomes Dr. Allan Sylvester from the School of Information Management at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, as its newest research fellow. Sylvester’s research interests are digital inclusion in marginalized communities, online security behaviors of individuals and effective use of technology in schools. Over the next month, he will be working closely with Eusebio Scornavacca, Parsons Professor of Digital Innovation and director of the CD3C, on a couple of research projects.

In recent years, one of the central points of collaboration between Scornavacca and Sylvester has been the co-supervision of Balsam Al-Dabbagh, during her doctoral studies. Al-Dabbagh is currently a senior digital workplace consultant at Step Two Designs in Australia. The research focused on understanding the productivity paradox created by a state of constant connectivity created by the ubiquitous availability of Digital Technologies. “Balsam’s thesis investigated the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) self-discipline on the relationship between connectivity and employee productivity,” says Sylvester. “I am pleased to be able to spend part of my sabbatical here at the UB’s Center for Digital Communication, Commerce and Culture and continue collaborating with Eusebio.”

“It is an immense pleasure to have Allan with us,” said Scornavacca. “His presence and research collaboration agenda will undoubtedly contribute to our center’s fundamental role, which is to act as an interdisciplinary catalyst for digital innovation at the University.”

This is part of a bigger picture of global engagement for CD3C. So far this year, Scornavacca has been actively collaborating with universities from Finland, Brazil, France, Egypt, Italy, China and, off course, Sylvester’s home country, New Zealand