We’re excited to introduce you to one of our new professors, Dr. Jeremy St. John, coming to ACU from East Texas (Texas A&M University – Commerce). Jeremy grew up and attended school in Denton, Texas and Munich, Germany traveling every year between the US and Germany. He is fluent in German. Through junior high and beyond high school he worked in residential housing construction (non-management, all manual labor). Over the years he also worked as a property manager managing family rental properties (his family founded Chris Craft which was at one time the largest privately owned company in the U.S., but was sold in the late 60s).
Dr. Jeremy St. John
In the early 90s he began serving on the Denton Chamber of Commerce as the 21 year old owner and manager of a retail pet store. Isaac Asimov and the importance of the computer for a small retail store were major factors for Jeremy’s choice of MIS as a major. He went on to earn a BBA in Business Computer Information Systems from the University of North Texas, a Master of Science degree in Information Technology, and a PhD in Business Computer Information Systems from the University of North Texas. Jeremy (and his future wife Karen) were instructors for the Treasury Department’s Computer Audit Specialist training program for five years. Instruction was on auditing large organizations with a focus on COBOL, computer forensics and the mainframe environment. In 2008 – 2009 he worked at Tyler Junior College as the program development manager for Science and Technology where he developed a petroleum Landman training program. From 2009 – 2011 he taught at the University of Texas at Tyler. He has served as an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University – Commerce from 2011-2016 including a stint as interim department head from 2013-2014.
Courses Dr. St. John has taught include information systems and programming at the University of North Texas (six years). Managerial Decision Making, Operations Management, Quantitative Analysis, Database Information Systems and Management Information Systems at the University of Texas at Tyler (two years) and Business Research, Process Analysis & Design, Networking & Security at Texas A&M University Commerce (five years). Recent projects include writing the textbook Excel for Landmen and the design & manufacture of the Critter Cutter, a unique multi-tasking tool . The Critter Cutter reflects a new research interest into Crowdfunding. Recent research includes two articles published in the top MIS journal Information Systems Management.
Jeremy volunteers as the faculty sponsor for Weekend Campaigns at Abilene Christian University. This is a student volunteer group on campus who have a desire to serve other communities. They travel to many children’s homes and to disability communities over the semester, spend time with the residents there and help build different things, as well as complete any other tasks their host needs them to do. They recently traveled to the Boles Children’s Home to help build a fence and driveway for their new nursery, and to spend time with the kids there.
The Boles Children’s Home is a Christian not for profit organization that provides a safe haven for children and single mothers in need. They also reach disadvantaged children in their neighborhoods through their outreach ministry programs. They help families and orphaned children avoid homelessness, poverty, abuse and neglect and lead them to sustainable and productive lives where they can attend public school, universities, trade schools, and participate in church and school activities. They do not receive state or federal grants but rely on donations and volunteers.
Jeremy stated that the Weekend Campaigns organization is a great group because it helps students get connected with other students, and learn to enjoy volunteering and helping others during a time where most people think about themselves. He said the students at Abilene Christian have been able to be a friend, helper and mentor to kids and adults in need. Jeremy is looking forward to the next Weekend Campaign trip which will be a Thanksgiving trip to Oklahoma to hand out food to the poor.
The St. John Family
Jeremy’s wife of 17 years, Karen, will start in the spring at ACU as an IT Instructor and is currently teaching at A&M Commerce. They have six children who attend Abilene Christian Schools and live on 158 acres in North Abilene. Please help us welcome the St. John family to COBA!