USU VP heads for job at Georgia
Utah State University’s Vice President for Information Technology/Chief Information Officer has accepted a position at The University of Georgia.
Barbara A. White accepted the offer this week to serve as chief information officer and associate provost at the 33,000-student flagship university in Athens, Ga. She starts October 1.
“The University of Georgia is an institution that’s really moving in the area of information technology,” White said. “It’s clearly an opportunity to apply many of the things I’ve learned throughout my career.”
Utah State President Kermit L. Hall praised White for her efforts and leadership in the areas of information technology.
“Barb White has made an outstanding contribution to the development of information technology at Utah State University, especially in leading the implementation of the Banner system,” Hall said. “She will be missed, although all of us take real pride in her professional success.”
White said although UGA is about one-third larger than Utah State, the two universities share many common attributes as land-grant institutions. The challenges she has dealt with at Utah State, such as developing a model for integrating voice, data, video and enterprise planning in a decentralized environment, will not be new to her.
“I will be working in a leadership and management role to provide clear, strategic direction for information technology,” she said.
During the nearly six years White has been at Utah State, the university has experienced a tremendous shift in awareness and use of information technology. On July 1, under White’s direction, the university implemented the first phase of a new multi-million dollar administrative data management system, SCT Banner. She said this new system brings the university advanced financial management capabilities, such as grants and contracts, requisitions and financial record keeping, into a 21st century business environment.
The campus has also completed a major enhancement to its fiber optic cable system that enables an upgrade in connection speeds. This translates into much improved quality, flexibility and delivery speed of video and data services. Utah State also played a leadership role with the community in working to bring fiber optic redundancy and improved telecommunications service to Cache Valley communities, particularly those areas where bandwidth or capacity is limited.
The university, under White’s direction, has reorganized and integrated its communication process. As a result, voice, data and video systems that formerly operated in separate communication areas, now function under one system. In addition, an estimated $2 million has been saved since 2001 when the university established campus-wide licensing. This has enabled students and faculty to purchase computer product licenses at substantial cost savings through the university instead of having to purchase them at a higher rate off the shelf.
White said these accomplishments leave her feeling good about where the university has come and is heading in terms of information technology. She said much credit goes to Hall, who has placed a great deal of emphasis on information technology and who has expected the university to step up to the plate.
“I think we have,” she said.
White joined the university in 1999 as dean of information and learning resources and chief information officer. During this time, she has also been a professor of instructional technology in the university’s College of Education.
She received a doctorate of education from Montana State University, Bozeman, Mont., in 1988 and a master’s degree from Utah State in 1970. Prior to coming to Utah State, she was deputy administrator, Senior Executive Services, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.
In July 2003, she successfully completed the Institute for Educational Management through the Harvard Graduate School of Education. During that same year, she received the Faculty Service Award from the associated students of Utah State.
White is author or co-author of chapters in five books on adult learning and distance education, and of numerous articles, position papers and other publications.
Ron Godfrey, Business and Finance vice president at Utah State, will lead the search for her successor.