Josie DeBaere
Director of Technology Architecture, Information Services and Technology
Tell us about your current role at Boston University.
I am the Director of Technology Architecture in Information Services and Technology. In this capacity, I lead a group responsible for the strategic planning and design of computing services such as Authentication and Directory Services. I also serve on a Technology Architecture Board which oversees the IS&T Enterprise Architecture practice and reviews IS&T budget proposals.
What is your background and experience prior to working at BU?
My first role at BU was as a PhD candidate in the just-founded (1983) Computer Science department. I was fortunate to study with a great group of graduate students and to write my dissertation with the guidance of Computer Science professor William Henneman. During my graduate studies, I also had other roles: as a teaching fellow, I taught a number of undergraduate classes and as a systems programmer at the Academic Computing Center (now known as IS&T), I contributed to the development of VPS, the time-sharing system which served 20,000+ faculty, staff and students until the mid-1990s.
How has your BU career evolved?
Long after earning my PhD, I remained in the Systems Programming department at BU as it gave me an opportunity to do innovative work and to collaborate with many talented colleagues, led by Dr. John Porter and Ms. Marjorie Orr. Over the years, we supported the continuing evolution of technology services at BU — from those early time-sharing systems, to Unix-based email and computational platforms, to today’s cloud-based computing services. Keeping current with technology and matching it to the needs of BU is both demanding and rewarding.
What would you tell someone considering a career at Boston University?
I can recommend the work environment. While employed full-time, I raised two children and was able to enjoy everything from their early steps to their college hockey performances. At BU, I am able to combine a challenging career with work-life-family balance and active community service. I served as the President of the Alumnae Association and Trustee of the Winsor School, and I held leadership positions on the Board of Trustees of the Boston Biomedical Research Institute.