Edwin-Michael Cortez

Edwin-Michael Cortez (December 16, 1951 – October 6, 2018) was a library science professor and director of the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee.

Early life Cortez was born in New York City the son of Michael and Cecilia (Vasquez) Cortez. He graduated from Wagner College in 1972, received his Master of Library Science from University of Arizona in 1973 and Doctor of Philosophy in Information Science and Management Communication from the University of Southern California in 1980.

He was an early automation consultant, helping library systems such as Ann Arbor Public Library, California State Library and the Connecticut State University System, evaluate and implement circulation, database and online catalog systems in the 1980s.

Research Cortez worked on the overlapping of information technology, organizational communication, and organizational effectiveness. He used ethnographic and social network theories to inform information technology design and management. He was the principal investigator for three years on the USDA's project, the REEIS initiative (Research, Education & Economic Information Systems) which aimed to "build a comprehensive web-based information system in the field of agriculture."