The College of William & Mary Appoints Edward Aractingi as its CIO

Edward Aractingi named Chief Information Officer for the College of William & Mary. He will lead the Information Technology department, being a critical partner in all aspects of learning and work at the university

FREMONT, CA: Edward Aractingi named Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the College of William & Mary, where he will lead the Information Technology department, being a critical partner in all aspects of learning and work at the university.

Aractingi currently works as a chief information officer at Marshall University in West Virginia, where he has also functioned as an interim professor. As W&M’s CIO, he will take the Information Technology forwards, as a critical partner in all aspects of learning and work at the university.

“We welcome Ed Aractingi and his arrival to William & Mary during this critical time. We sought a technology leader with a deep commitment to our educational and research mission — who would be a great partner for faculty and staff leaders, and someone with a strong strategic orientation towards the future,” said W&M President Katherine A. Rowe. “Ed is someone who I am confident will advance Berni Kenney’s terrific work as interim CIO. On behalf of the whole university — our students, faculty and staff — it is a pleasure to be able to thank Berni for her true and inspiring leadership in this essential role.”

Aractingi, as the chief information officer for W&M, will report to Amy Sebring, whose own role extends to the chief operating officer. He will also be in charge of the strategic reporting line to the president and function as a part of the president’s cabinet. Among his responsibilities, Aractingi will integrate diverse groups to recognize and implement strategic IT solutions for teaching, learning, research, and operations university-wide.

“After an extensive search with high interest nationally, Ed emerged as an exceptional leader, with a deep knowledge of the transformational capabilities that technology has on the way that we teach, learn, communicate and work,” said Sebring, who led the search committee and currently serves as vice president for finance and technology. “His commitment to higher education, passion for students, firsthand knowledge of the challenges faculty face, and his thoughtful communication style will serve him and the university well as we look to meet our strategic goals.”

“We are excited to begin working with Ed in support of teaching and learning innovation,” said search committee member Mark Hofer, a professor of education and director of the Studio for Teaching & Learning innovation. “His experience at Marshall building teams and structures that enable innovation through exploration and design thinking will provide excellent collaborative opportunities with the studio to support faculty and students as we explore new possibilities at William & Mary.

“His empathy for both students and faculty uniquely positions him to provide leadership and proactive support of teaching and learning with emerging learning technologies.”

Before his term at Marshall, Aractingi also led and founded ACS Consulting Services. This company provided clients with easy network installation, systems administration, web design and development, systems analysis, and support.

He has participated at several conferences around the country and has worked as a member of multiple professional organizations and committees. He fulfilled work as co-chair of the Internet2 collaborative innovation program advisory group, also a member of the CIO advisory council for the smart campus, co-chair of the Internet of Things working group for Internet2, a member of Educause IT Governance, Risk & Compliance Advisory Committee, and a member of the Leadership Board of CIOs.

Aractingi has a bachelor’s degree from Damascus University, a master’s degree in Marshall, and a Ph. D. from Capella University.

“It is exciting to know how much William & Mary values technology as a key strategic asset and as a transformative power for advancing the institution’s teaching, learning and research,” said Aractingi. “I look forward to partnering with colleagues across all areas and collaborating with the leadership team, deans, faculty, staff and students.”