Farnaz Ghashami is an incoming information systems professor at Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics this fall. She comes with an interdisciplinary set of research interests, recently co-authoring a study about school-based telemedicine programs. While still earning her doctorate in operations and business analytics at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business last year, Ghashami was the co-author of the study, “The Role of Parents’ Mores on Their Intention to Enroll Their Children in a School-based Telemedicine Program,” published in the journal Communications of the Association for Information Systems.

Ghashami on Understanding Why Some Are Hesitant to Adopt AI

“On the surface, the answer should have been obvious: faster and easier access to health care for children, especially in communities where resources are scarce,” explains Ghashami about her study. “But as we listened to parents, we discovered their hesitation wasn’t driven by convenience or logistics, but by their moral compass. The decision was more than a healthcare choice, it was about doing what felt right, for their families and communities. That realization opened a fascinating window: Even in an age overflowing with data, algorithms, and innovation, human decisions are rarely purely rational. They may also be rooted in values, ethics, and the invisible ties that bind communities together.”

This realization resulted in a broader question about what it takes to overcome trust issues with technology. One discovery was trust grew in AI-based mental health support when people sensed that ethical responsibility was built into the design.

The Choice to Join Cal State Fullerton

After earning her master’s degree in economics and computer science and her doctorate both from Drexel University, Ghashami selected Cal State Fullerton for her teaching career for both personal and academic motivations. “Academically, I find inspiration in CSUF’s emphasis on teaching that makes an impact and on research that addresses pressing real-world challenges. What I look forward to most is engaging with the dynamic and diverse student body and contributing to an environment where students are supported in their growth,” she says. “Being part of CSUF means joining a community where teaching, discovery, and shared values come together to prepare students for purposeful and meaningful contributions to society.”

Ghashami Outside of the Classroom

On her free time, Ghashami is an explorer, whether discovering a new city or country or trying new food or learning about the distant reaches of the universe. She is also drawn to poetry, psychology and space science and enjoys building detailed LEGO models, watching science fiction or historical documentaries, and swimming.

For More on Information Systems

From an award-winning fully-online M.S. in Information Technology program to versatile undergraduate coursework that synthesizes business, technology, decision sciences and engineering, the Department of Information Systems and Decision Sciences (ISDS) at Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics is at the cutting edge of preparing a new generation of information technology professionals for the AI age.

For more on ISDS research, teaching and alumni stories, read more of our articles on information systems.