After 13 years with American University and a 40-year career in higher education, Dave Swartz, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, informed me of his intention to retire in July 2020. I am deeply grateful to Dave not only for his service and leadership, but also for his open and collaborative approach that makes him a valued partner to our entire community.

As a dynamic, vibrant, and always-on community of changemakers, AU embraces new technologies as a vital component of our many endeavors. Thanks to Dave, our multifaceted information technology enterprise has effectively supported our educational mission, evolved with our needs and growth, and provided critical tools to advance many of our initiatives.  

Under Dave’s guidance, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) connected people and technology to further the goals of the university and support our students, faculty, and staff. Dave was central to many transformations at AU, and his relentless focus on quality produced a more robust, reliable, and secure IT infrastructure.

Highlights of Dave’s tenure include work to modernize the university's web services, expand the campus network, launch and mature cybersecurity programs, introduce business intelligence reporting, and implement best practices such as portfolio and project management and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM).

Dave and his strong team have earned multiple awards from peers and professional associations, but one that stands out is Computerworld’s recognition of AU as one of the Best Places to Work in IT. American University ranked 44th on the list of the top 100 national IT organizations, which span all industries, and was one of only two university technology departments listed.

In 2012, Dave was recognized by EDUCAUSE (the higher education professional IT association) with the Leadership Award, its highest accolade. The award is given annually to individuals whose achievements make a significant and positive impact on advancing the theory and practice of information technology in higher education. Dave was recognized for his contributions to cybersecurity, serving as a faculty member within the EDUCAUSE Leadership Institute (the training ground for new CIOs), and leading the Operations Excellence group within Internet2, a technology consortium of top research universities.

Thanks to Dave’s planning and forethought, and the dedication of his team, OIT is well-positioned to continue supporting our community’s technology needs and advancing our strategic priorities as we commence the search for a new CIO this fall.

Dave was also a critical member of our leadership team at AU, where he made important contributions to many cross-cutting projects, including our enterprise risk management and our new Changemakers strategy. 

All of us at American University are grateful to Dave for his professionalism, partnership, and commitment to excellence. Please join me in thanking Dave for his years of exemplary service and many contributions to our community. We wish him all the best as he enjoys retirement with his family.