UNT System names new chief technology officer

Thursday, January 28, 2016 - 16:32
Category:
Kendra Ketchum
Kendra Ketchum

DENTON (UNT), Texas -- Kendra Ketchum, who has more than 22 years of technology experience in higher education and government organizations, has been named the new University of North Texas Information Technology Shared Services (ITSS) chief technology officer. Ketchum also has 14 years of leadership experience at the university level.

In her new role, Ketchum will be responsible for overseeing Enterprise Technology Services that consist of enterprise architecture and planning, IT service management, infrastructure and customer service support.

Ketchum will work with Rama Dhuwaraha, associate vice chancellor and chief information officer, to help lead oversight of enterprise technology services within ITSS. Key projects Ketchum will contribute to include converged infrastructure, desktop virtualization, data center modernization and software defined networking.

"We are very excited that Kendra has joined the ITSS team," said Dhuwaraha. "Kendra's higher education experience will help us continue to deliver resourceful IT solutions to all UNT campuses. Her participation in key IT initiatives across campuses will propel us towards better delivery of services to students, faculty and staff."

Throughout her career, Kendra has focused on developing high-performing teams and partnerships to solve institutional challenges with technology, including modernizing infrastructure. She also has worked to increase staff development, improve IT budgeting and sourcing strategies, enhance business procedures around infrastructure as a service and cultivate relationships with faculty, staff and students. In 2013, Ketchum gained national recognition at the 2013 Gartner International Data Center Conference for her work.

Prior to joining the University of North Texas, Ketchum served as the director of infrastructure services and enterprise architecture at Texas Wesleyan University for five years. Kendra also spent two years as the assistant director of technology at Bowling Green State University, and served as the department chair of technology at the University of Northwestern Ohio from 2001 to 2008.

"I am genuinely excited to join this high-performing university setting," Ketchum said. "The innovative synergy is inspiring and it is refreshing to witness a collaborative spirit while ITSS prepares to deliver new products and services to our faculty, staff and students. I look forward to serving our community with integrity, accountability and humility."

ITSS helps provide more than 60 essential services for UNT System institutions. The ITSS staff is charged with many technology services from maintaining the UNT System's infrastructure and hardware, to supporting software for faculty and staff and helping students run software on their mobile devices and computers.

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