Vice Provost for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer Lois Brooks was a featured guest on a recent episode of EdScoop’s “The Cutting EDge” podcast. With new episodes released every other Tuesday, the podcast talks with higher education decision makers on what’s next in higher education learning and IT.
Throughout the podcast, Brooks talked with host Jake Williams about how IT staff had a large responsibility in keeping the many facets of the university running when most operations became virtual. She applauded DoIT employees’ exemplary ability balancing an influx of high-demand projects with the day-to-day complexities of life.
The need to shift from an in-person work model to a model that supports employees working remotely was another topic of conversation. Williams and Brooks spent some time talking about the benefits and challenges of a remote or hybrid work environment, and Brooks explained some of the efforts happening across the division to address those challenges.
Cybersecurity and research computing were also discussed. They conversed in depth about the latest advancements in cybersecurity and the pros and cons of multi-layered security. With the quantity of research data growing by 50% each year, research computing will continue to be an area of focus. Brooks wraps up the podcast by giving a preview into upcoming campus IT projects and investments.
You can listen to the full podcast episode on EdScoop’s website or on SoundCloud.