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Office of Information Technology VP Accepts UT System Role

David Crain

David Crain

David Crain, vice president for the Office of Information Technology and chief information officer at UT Dallas, has accepted the position of associate vice chancellor for shared information services for The University of Texas System.

As vice president since early 2015, Crain has been responsible for the overall leadership of the University’s Office of Information Technology function and staff, including architecture and infrastructure services, enterprise application services, networking and telecommunication services, and technology customer service.

While at UT Dallas, Crain oversaw the creation of a research computing support group, which is installing a shared high-performance computing cluster. In addition, he initiated upgrades to the campus data network to add performance and resiliency while also tripling the campuses internet bandwidth and increasing campus connectivity overall by 600 percent. Crain’s team is in the process of adding all of the residence halls to the campus network. In addition, the Office of Information Technology rolled out a new service management system, upgraded faculty and staff email, and expanded the wireless networks on campus.

In his new role, Crain will lead The University of Texas SystemShared Information Services (SIS) department, which has more than 100 staff members at an Irving-based facility. The department is engaged in the development and management of shared systemwide information technology solutions in support of the academic and health institutions in The University of Texas System.

“David Crain has been a valuable asset to UT Dallas,” said Dr. Richard Benson, president of UT Dallas. “He developed a comprehensive IT strategy and built an accomplished team that has overseen significant improvement to our aging infrastructure. David also has made tremendous progress in improving PeopleSoft across many areas of the campus. While his expertise and leadership will be missed, we all wish him the best as his career moves to The UT System level.”

Crain has more than 20 years of experience in information technology management. He previously held senior leadership positions at the University of Missouri, Southern Illinois University and the Missouri House of Representatives.

“The time that I have spent at The University of Texas at Dallas has been the most enjoyable and rewarding of my career,” Crain said. “I’ve never worked with a finer group of people, including the presidents that I’ve reported to, my fellow Cabinet members, the Office of Information Technology staff and the rest of the campus.

“I had no intention of leaving UT Dallas, but The UT System has presented me a great opportunity to provide technology services to the entire university system. As excited as I am about this new opportunity, it is bittersweet because I could have easily seen myself finishing my career at UT Dallas.”

Media Contact: The Office of Media Relations, UT Dallas, (972) 883-2155, [email protected].

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