UF’s Vice President and CIO named to higher education board

A top UF administrator will represent the university in a higher education technology association.

Elias Eldayrie, UF’s vice president and chief information officer, became the first UF affiliate to join the board of directors of EDUCAUSE, the largest network of higher education information technology leaders, when he was appointed on Sept. 25, he wrote in an email. He is one of 13 board members.

The university announced his appointment on Oct. 25.

“It is an honor and a privilege to serve with some of the nation’s best information technology leaders on such a prestigious board,” he said.

The importance of IT in higher education is a national hot topic, Eldayrie said. For the next four years, his responsibilities will include discussing the role of IT in colleges and universities.

He said his new position proves UF’s leadership in IT in higher education.

Eldayrie’s additional responsibilities include helping the board monitor IT issues nationwide and providing EDUCAUSE members with data for their own IT policies, he said.

“Representing the University of Florida in service of higher education nationally and globally is one of the highlights of my 30 years’ career,” he said.

Eldayrie has worked with some of the best professionals at UF to build a world-class IT environment, he said. Eldayrie said he was involved with connecting faculty to the HiPerGator, one of the top five supercomputers among higher education institutions in the U.S.

The university is proud to have an administrator be appointed to the board, UF spokesperson Steve Orlando said.

“Elias’ vast experience and knowledge of the IT world makes him the perfect person to represent UF,” Orlando said.

Contact McKenna Beery at mbeery@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @mckennabeery