Search Committee for the Vice President and Chief Information Officer

January 25, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

Late last year, we announced that Tracy Schroeder will leave Boston University in May 2024 and that a national search would be launched to identify her replacement. In order to help identify the next leader for this critical University-wide position, I have appointed a Search Committee for the Vice President and Chief Information Officer charged with proposing refinements to the current position description, soliciting nominations from within the University and nationally, and evaluating the qualifications and assessing the strengths of nominees and applicants. This committee will recommend qualified candidates to me, and I will then select a finalist for approval by the Board of Trustees. I am grateful that Derek Howe, Senior Vice President for Operations, and Gloria Waters, Vice President and Associate Provost for Research, have agreed to cochair the search committee. The committee membership is listed below.

Appointed by and reporting directly to the President, the Vice President and Chief Information Officer is the senior technology officer at Boston University and is responsible for providing strategic leadership to identify, develop, and implement information services, systems, and the technical infrastructure that enable the BU community to achieve its education and research mission. The VP oversees a talented team of more than 400 professional staff and works across operational, academic, and functional areas throughout the University, to generate and sustain strategic collaborations and partnerships that drive organizational effectiveness.

The position requires broad organizational and information technology knowledge; expertise in strategic, collaborative, and consultative service; a sophisticated approach to organizational leadership; and experience leading IT teams and implementing large, complex systems renewal projects. The candidate will be a highly accomplished leader with a record of successfully leading and developing effective IT organizations through continuous improvement; a passion for supporting complex, dynamic, and diverse workforces; and a commitment to BU’s institutional values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The candidate will possess the ability to build and sustain a collaborative culture through active relationship building and analytical skills, will think strategically, and will have a strong record of implementing and maintaining effective systems, policies, and practices.

I would like to thank the members of the search committee for their service. I look forward to working with them to identify and recruit an outstanding candidate for this key leadership position at Boston University. On behalf of the BU community, I would also like to thank Tracy again for her years of exemplary service to Boston University.

Sincerely,

Kenneth W. Freeman
President Ad Interim

Boston University Search Committee for the Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Cochairs:

Derek Howe, Senior Vice President for Operations

Gloria Waters, Vice President and Associate Provost for Research

Members:

Azer Bestavros, William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor and Associate Provost for Computing & Data Sciences

Wendy Colby, Vice President and Associate Provost for BU Virtual

Sandro Galea, Dean, School of Public Health

Wayne Gilmore, Executive Director, Research Computing, Information Services & Technology

Erika Jordan, Vice President for Alumni Engagement

Christine McGuire, Vice President and Associate Provost for Enrollment & Student Administration

Janet O’Brien, Senior Associate Vice President, Applications and Enterprise Services, Information Services & Technology

Hee-Young Park, Associate Dean, Faculty Affairs, and Professor and Chair, Department of Medical Sciences & Education, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Christy Talley, Associate General Counsel

Nicole Tirella, Senior Vice President for Financial Affairs, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer

Staff Liaison:

Sarah Flanagan, Executive Assistant, Office of Research

*This message was sent to faculty and staff on 1/25/2024.