Francis MacCrory

Professor Francis MacCrory, Assistant Professor of Teaching at the Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, passed away in February 2025. Frank's journey to academia was as distinguished as it was unique, beginning with his dedicated service to our nation in the armed forces, including a tour of duty in Iraq, before entering our doctoral program in 2007.

Born with a passion for service and a thirst for knowledge, Dr. MacCrory earned his B.S. in Communications & Applied Technology, Summa cum Laude, from Drexel University in 2005. He continued his education at UC Irvine, receiving his Ph.D. in Management with a concentration in Management Information Systems in 2012. His doctoral dissertation, titled "Explaining the Exceptions: Theory and Evidence on the Economic Behavior of IT Professionals," provided an insightful economic analysis into the unique motivations that govern the IT professional workforce and reflected his deep understanding and concern for the human aspects of technology.

Dr. MacCrory's academic career was nothing short of impressive. After completing his doctorate at UC Irvine, he served as a postdoctoral associate at MIT's Sloan School of Management from 2013-2016 and as an Assistant Professor at Fordham University's Gabelli School of Business from 2016-2020. In 2020, we were fortunate to welcome him back to the Merage School as an Assistant Professor of Teaching. His research, spanning crucial areas such as retention of IT professionals, digital platform economics, and digital media market disputes, left a lasting impact on the field. Notable among his contributions was his collaboration with UCI colleague Vidyanand Choudhary and Alain Pinsonneault on "Designing Promotion Tournaments to Mitigate Turnover of IT Professionals," published in Information Systems Research (2016). In 2014, Frank's exceptional work was recognized with the prestigious Best Paper Award for "Racing with and Against the Machine: Changes in Occupational Skill Composition in an Era of Rapid Technological Advance," by the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) – the premier conference in the field of Information Systems. As an educator, he was beloved by students for his passionate teaching of courses such as "Competing with Digital" in both MBA and undergraduate programs, where his ability to bridge theory and practice made complex concepts accessible and engaging. As one student noted, "The instructor is exceptionally passionate, and it shows in his lectures." His colleagues remember him for his kindness, generosity, and incredibly dry wit, always ready to lend a helping hand or share a nerdy story.

Frank was not just an exceptional academic and colleague; he was also a devoted family man. He leaves behind his loving wife, Cynthia, and their two sons, Matthew and Michael. Beyond his research and teaching excellence, Frank served our institution with distinction on the Council for Educational Policy, Faculty Honors Committee, and various faculty search committees, demonstrating his commitment to our institution's growth and development. Frank MacCrory was truly an Anteater through and through, and his contributions to our academic community will be remembered and cherished for years to come.

Vidyanand (VC) Choudhary, Professor of Information Systems and Director of International Programs and Strategy
Paul Merage School of Business