AMES, Iowa - James Davis, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and interim director of Iowa State's Office of Academic Information Technologies (AIT), will become the university's chief information officer and director of AIT July 1.
Iowa State University Provost Ben Allen today announced Davis' appointment to a three-year, renewable term. His charge will be to oversee information technology services, special projects and new initiatives for the university. The leadership position is expected to result in greater coordination among the university's technology units, some long-term cost savings and increased IT alignment with Iowa State's strategic goals.
"We are pleased that Jim has agreed to guide this needed transformation in the way we develop and deliver information technology at Iowa State," Allen said. "Our goal is to better coordinate campus IT providers to improve service, satisfy unmet needs and maintain or lower costs."
Davis will represent IT on the President's Cabinet and will define the role of chief information officer at Iowa State. He will work closely with John Kingland, telecommunications director; and Maury Hope, Administrative Technology Services director. The three will lead a committee to study technology needs at Iowa State and will provide a report to Provost Allen, Vice President for Business and Finance Warren Madden, and Vice President for Student Affairs Tom Hill by December 2004. The report will include suggestions for reorganization of the campus IT providers.
In January, Iowa State closed its search for a chief information officer because a consensus candidate did not emerge. However, Allen says, the search process identified the need for a more coordinated, defined IT approach.
Davis, who also has served as interim chair and associate chair of electrical and computer engineering, has been a faculty member since 1984. He teaches graduate courses in computer security and undergraduate courses in software systems. Davis leads Iowa State's $2.6 million National Science Foundation award to develop a cohort of 30 students studying computer security.
Davis earned a bachelor's degree in computer science in 1975, a master's in electrical engineering in 1982, and a doctorate degree in computer science in 1984 - all from Iowa State.
