Seth J. Kinnett, Ph.D., is Clinical Professor of Computer Information Systems in the College of Business at Colorado State University. Professor Kinnett received his Ph.D. in Computer & Information Sciences from the Jarvis College of Computing & Digital Media at DePaul University in Chicago and holds master's and bachelor's degrees from Illinois Institute of Technology and DePauw University.
Professor Kinnett's research seeks to address a variety of questions surrounding information systems pedagogy, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and the optimal skills and competencies of Information Technology professionals. His recent publications examine game-based approaches to teaching introductory Java programming, the use of writing prompts to identify at-risk students in early computing courses, and the manifestation of classic software metrics in student programming assignments. His co-authored paper An Analysis of Natural Language and Java Program Complexity was recognized with a Meritorious Paper Award at the 2025 Information Systems & Computing Academic Professionals (ISCAP) Conference.
Prior to earning his Ph.D., Professor Kinnett spent 15 years in industry, holding business analyst, project management, and consulting roles focused on the implementation, administration, and adoption of enterprise CRM platforms across the financial services, professional services, and technology sectors. He maintains two Salesforce certifications and is the author of the professional handbook How to Win at CRM: Strategy, Implementation, Management, published in 2017 by CRC Press.
Teaching Interests:
- CIS 200 – Business Information Systems
- CIS 240 – Application Design and Development
- CIS 410 – Web Application Development
- CIS 415 – Customer Relationship Management Systems
- CIS 665 – E-Business Application Technologies