The University has announced Kelly P. Doney as the new Chief Information Officer (CIO). Doney will take the position on Feb. 3. She received her Master of Science in Experimental Psychology from Syracuse University and spent her undergraduate at Ithaca College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Psychology.

Doney will take on the responsibility of leading and directing the University’s information technology program. The role of CIO at the university develops a foundation for a program that can accommodate all needs for the entire school. Areas of oversight include: technology infrastructure, information security, network, tech support, Wildcard systems, communication systems, instructional technology and application development.

“The CIO position requires a visionary leader with expertise in both the business and technical practices of the University, and Kelly has that vision, along with the expertise, to lead Villanova in this area as we move into the next decade,” University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D said.

At the University, Doney will focus her work on executing the new Strategic Plan. The plan aims to advance the institution’s mission and values through updated technology. Areas of focus include: shifting demographics of prospective students, changing economics with focus on return investment for students, new learning opportunities through digital options, globalization of higher education, and campus activism. The plan was developed through collaboration of faculty, students, alumni, parents, friends and employers. The University’s commitment to community-based inclusion was essential to the planning process.

Doney’s appointment is especially impressive as she was chosen from a competitive pool of candidates from all areas of the nation. The University collaborated with Koya Leadership Partners to develop a list of well-qualified candidates. Koya Leadership is a well-known executive search and strategic advising firm whose mission is to connect talented employees with meaningful, mission-driven clients.

“The right person in the right place can change the world,” Koya Leadership said.

Doney’s experience includes 20 years in the information technology field. Her most recent employment was at Ellucian, a global market leader in higher education technology. There, Doney served as Vice President and developed a management consulting practice. Her achievements in this position include: creating Ellucian’s first global strategic delivery partner program and the company’s first Collaboration Lab for the California Community College System. Doney joined forces with a handful of higher education industry leaders to provide more valuable relationships between corporates and EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit organization that aims to advance higher education through technology. She represented Ellucian on EDUCAUSE’s Corporate Member Advisory Committee.

Doney also worked for Georgetown University as an Associate Vice President for Enterprise Applications. There, she established and executed strategic technology to advance Georgetown University’s administrative, student, teacher and learning, constituent relationship management, institutional reporting and research domains. Georgetown University, with Doney as a leading associate, received industry recognition for introducing one of the first administrative, teaching and learning systems to the cloud.

“As a leader in higher education technology, I have seen firsthand how technology can transform the student experience, enhance the research mission and enrich teaching and learning,” Doney said. As each generation of students enters the University, they bring with them a new set of digital experiences and expectations.”

Management consultancy firms, including Booz Allen Hamilton and Deloitte Consulting, were among other employers of Doney where she managed complex technology strategies, modernization and software development contracts for the federal government.