Posted on March 6, 2015 by KC Gonzalez
Jan Guynes Clark , a retired professor of information systems in the UTSA College of Business, passed away March 2 at age 65. A champion of the college’s cyber security program, Clark was instrumental in leading the college’s doctoral program in information technology.
Jan Clark
“Jan was a dear friend, a respected scholar and one of the most interesting people I will ever know,” said Diane Walz, associate dean of graduate studies in the College of Business.
Clark joined the UTSA faculty in 2000 and served as chair of the Department of Information Systems and Cyber Security from 2011-2013. She was a prolific researcher in her field with over 80 journal and book publications. She was instrumental in securing Department of Defense grants for the department and also was active in the college’s international immersion program leading students to Spain, Morocco and the Emirates.
Her truest pleasure was her role as Ph.D. advisor in which she served from 2005-2011.
“Jan was deeply involved in the Ph.D. program and made a significant commitment to mold Ph.D. candidates into real Ph.D.s,” said Wm. Arthur Conklin, a 2006 graduate of the college’s doctoral program. “She spent time with each of us, tailoring our development to drive success. I would not have been nearly as successful post-UTSA without her counsel and guidance.
“We may not have agreed on everything, but her point of view was poignant, and she was driven to make us become better researchers,” said Conklin, associate professor and director of the Center for Information Security Research and Education at the University of Houston.
Clark began her academic career at the University of Texas Arlington. While there she received numerous distinctions including a Fulbright Scholar for teaching and research at two universities in Lisbon, Portugal. She then joined an academic team to help with the opening of a new Moroccan university, Al Akhawayn in Ifrane, Morocco.
“Jan’s legacy is one of genuine commitment and love for her students, friends and family,” said her husband, Alan Clark. “She is known on four continents for her smile and joyous laughter. Among many interests, Jan most loved her pets, the ocean, Monarch butterflies, art, spontaneous road trips, red wine and Belgian chocolates.”
“I learned of Jan’s passing on the same day I found out that my application for early promotion and tenure was approved,” said Humayun Zafar, Ph.D. ’10, assistant professor at Kennesaw State University. “It would have been wonderful to share that news with her since she mentioned that the early tenure and promotion option is something I should pursue if given the opportunity. Though many at UTSA have played a role in shaping my career. Jan’s advice on many matters continues to assist me today.”
Clark retired from UTSA in 2014. She was residing in Oro Valley, AZ. Services will be held on April 11 in her hometown Evansville, IN.
For those wishing to honor her memory, family and colleagues invite you to contribute to the Jan Guynes Yestingsmeier Clark Memorial Fund in the UTSA College of Business. Funds will be used to support doctoral students in the UTSA Department of Information Systems and Cyber Security, which she played a key role in establishing. Contributions can be sent to the UTSA College of Business Development Office, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249 or made online, designating support In Memory of Jan Clark. Please call Kim West at (210) 458-7307 with any questions.
Wendy Frost—
Please send your comments to: wendy.frost@utsa.edu
— KC Gonzalez
