Biography
Barbara Hewitt, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Health Informatics and Information Management at Texas State University, where her work sits at the intersection of information security, AI-enabled healthcare systems, and the human side of technology adoption. She holds a Ph.D. in Information Technology and a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and an MBA from Texas State University.
Before entering academia, Dr. Hewitt brought substantial industry experience as a software developer and systems analyst, a background that shapes her research focus on how people and organizations actually adopt, resist, and work around technology rather than how designers intend them to. Her scholarship on digital health adoption, patient portal trust, telehealth security, and AI in healthcare has appeared in leading journals including Information Systems Frontiers, Health Promotion International, and the Journal of Computer Information Systems.
Dr. Hewitt is a collaborator on two active NSF-funded interdisciplinary projects: ExpandAI, which has built AI curriculum and training infrastructure reaching over 900 learners across 17 departments at Texas State, and STEM-CLEAR, a $2.6 million initiative creating learning pathways across academic and cultural boundaries. She teaches courses in health information security, privacy, risk assessment, and project management, and serves as Graduate Clinical Coordinator for the Masters in Health Information Management.
A nationally recognized advocate for women in computing, she founded San Antonio Women in Information Technology, actively participates as a member of Women in Cyber Security, coordinated the NCWIT Aspiration Award for the San Antonio region for over a decade, and was named Woman of the Year by the Women in IT Awards Silicon Valley.
Before entering academia, Dr. Hewitt brought substantial industry experience as a software developer and systems analyst, a background that shapes her research focus on how people and organizations actually adopt, resist, and work around technology rather than how designers intend them to. Her scholarship on digital health adoption, patient portal trust, telehealth security, and AI in healthcare has appeared in leading journals including Information Systems Frontiers, Health Promotion International, and the Journal of Computer Information Systems.
Dr. Hewitt is a collaborator on two active NSF-funded interdisciplinary projects: ExpandAI, which has built AI curriculum and training infrastructure reaching over 900 learners across 17 departments at Texas State, and STEM-CLEAR, a $2.6 million initiative creating learning pathways across academic and cultural boundaries. She teaches courses in health information security, privacy, risk assessment, and project management, and serves as Graduate Clinical Coordinator for the Masters in Health Information Management.
A nationally recognized advocate for women in computing, she founded San Antonio Women in Information Technology, actively participates as a member of Women in Cyber Security, coordinated the NCWIT Aspiration Award for the San Antonio region for over a decade, and was named Woman of the Year by the Women in IT Awards Silicon Valley.
Research Interests
My research focuses on sociotechnical systems in healthcare, with particular emphasis on how individuals adopt, use, and trust digital technologies. I study the behavioral, organizational, and contextual factors that shape technology engagement, including digital literacy, privacy and security concerns, and perceptions of risk. A significant portion of my work examines what motivates individuals to adopt protective security measures when using personal computers for both personal and hybrid work environments.
In the healthcare domain, I investigate how security, privacy, literacy, and trust influence decisions to use digital health tools such as telehealth, patient portals, and AI‑enabled systems. I have also explored knowledge sharing, ethics, and health‑related behaviors, including the use of wearable devices, considerations around genetic testing, and technology use among individuals managing chronic conditions such as diabetes.
My research extends to interdisciplinary collaborations that examine how digitalization shapes professional practice and learning. In a recent qualitative study, we explored how collaboration between HIM and PT faculty supported the integration of health informatics concepts into a Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum. In ongoing work, a colleague and I are examining how digital tools and digital maturity influence knowledge sharing and collaboration among supply chain workers operating in hybrid environments.
Across these projects, I apply mixed‑methods approaches to understand how technology, people, and organizational contexts interact—and how these insights can inform the design of more equitable, usable, and trustworthy digital systems.
In the healthcare domain, I investigate how security, privacy, literacy, and trust influence decisions to use digital health tools such as telehealth, patient portals, and AI‑enabled systems. I have also explored knowledge sharing, ethics, and health‑related behaviors, including the use of wearable devices, considerations around genetic testing, and technology use among individuals managing chronic conditions such as diabetes.
My research extends to interdisciplinary collaborations that examine how digitalization shapes professional practice and learning. In a recent qualitative study, we explored how collaboration between HIM and PT faculty supported the integration of health informatics concepts into a Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum. In ongoing work, a colleague and I are examining how digital tools and digital maturity influence knowledge sharing and collaboration among supply chain workers operating in hybrid environments.
Across these projects, I apply mixed‑methods approaches to understand how technology, people, and organizational contexts interact—and how these insights can inform the design of more equitable, usable, and trustworthy digital systems.
Teaching Interests
Computer Security
Project Management
Risk Assessment
Computers in healthcare
Project Management
Risk Assessment
Computers in healthcare