Penny Ross has been a Senior Lecturer in information systems at the School of Computing, University of Portsmouth, for seven years. Dr. Ross's teaching areas are information systems management and advanced database concepts (for final-year students), while her main focus is in applied uses of information and information systems. Her research topics have covered a broad range of environments, but the underlying core is analysis, understanding of complex systems, and the application of IS within these environments. Other projects include working with a city council to develop telecare systems to support the vulnerable and elderly within the city and evaluating the principles and procedures for development and implementation of a mobile telecare service. She can be reached at penny.ross@port.ac.uk.