Diversity,Equity and Inclusion in the AIS: Challenges and opportunities of remote conferences

With this research opinion article, we aim to contribute to the ongoing conversation concerning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the IS community. Following Windeler et al.'s (2020) research on perceptions of DEI among members of the Association for Information Systems (AIS), we focus on how conferences should be convened in the post-COVID-19 era to maximise inclusivity. What are the benefits, challenges and implications of holding online and hybrid conferences? Informed by feedback from a survey involving IS scholars in the Global South and from a wide array of AIS senior scholars and conference leaders, we identify several challenges and opportunities of online and hybrid conferences (or, more generally, conferences allowing remote access) for the IS community. We weigh these tradeoffs and implications for DEI and provide reflections to generate constructive discussion on the future of AIS conferences.     

New insight into SiOC atomic structure evolution during early stage of pyrolysis

This study focuses on the early stage of polymer-derived SiOC ceramic conversion. We demonstrate that the perceived SiOC phase separation is nonexistent. Instead, SiO₂ and free carbon clusters form first and then carbothermal reduction sets in to induce SiOC formation. Such fundamental understanding is supported by both synchrotron X-ray diffraction study and reactive force field simulation. This work for the first time unifies the understanding of atomic evolution process of polysiloxane-based polymer to ceramic conversion.