Faculty Profile: Dr. Ant Ozok

“My students should learn something today, then go and use it in their job…the same day.”

Dr. Ant Ozok is both an industrial engineer and information systems professor and enjoys the level of conviction his online students bring to the courses he teaches. “I know for a fact that students in our online MS program have a clear set of expectations to take away from my electronic commerce class as well as the program in general, and these expectations, in my opinion, have a lot to do with improving their applied knowledge of information systems,” says Ozok.

In today’s evolving, competitive technology and business environments Dr. Ozok believes being innovative and creative are key. He says, “I constantly challenge my students to come up with new ideas for solutions in all layers of e-business, including but not limited to supply chain, personnel management, business practices, security, exchanges, and much, much more. I always approach my class with the philosophy that my students should learn something today, then go and use it in their job, their business or another facet of life the same day.” Ant Ozok’s teaching philosophy revolves around finding the right balance between theory and practice. Commenting specifically on classes in UMBC’s online MSIS program, he believes, “practical application of knowledge is of utmost importance…students in class get the opportunity to interact with me and each other on a constant basis, which, believe it or not, can be more intense than a face-to-face class.” Dr. Ozok’s goal is to sharpen the minds of students and train them for real-life scenarios and challenges.

Ozok’s five years of being part of the online program has taught him to frame the class with the help of the students, to help them improve the class with their own ideas and opinions every step of the way. “Through discussion boards and other electronic and traditional means, the idea is to have students participate and interact with their peers as well as the instructor,” he says, “resulting in a unique learning experience.”

Recognizing the obvious advantages the online programs provides its students with flexibility in work and study times and a range of curriculum options from which to choose, Dr. Ozok is quite adamant when discussing the academic quality of UMBC’s online master’s program in Information Systems. He states, “Without a doubt, the online degree carries the exact same weight and rigorous expectations for completion of a traditional face-to-face program. It’s a degree I think our graduates will undoubtedly take advantage of and appreciate for a long time to come.”

Additional information about Dr. Ozok can be found at http://userpages.umbc.edu/~ozok.