Management

The 13 Most Social Higher Education CIOs on Twitter

Technology leaders are making a name for IT on social media.

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IT departments are often early adopters of new technology, but that hasn’t necessarily been the case for social media. However, it has become abundantly clear that social media is a vitally important platform for communication, networking and marketing, and CIOs have joined the movement.

The same transformation has occurred at all levels of government, business and higher education. Twitter, in particular, has become a source for gaining valuable insight from peers and customers as well as a place to disseminate important news:

Beyond providing a platform for increasing transparency about IT operations and plans, social media offers CIOs a unique opportunity to learn and grow professionally. Casey Coleman, CIO of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is an avid Twitter and Facebook user; she describes Twitter as “a primary source to gather information about changes in my industry. It helps the organization stay current with the latest trends and thinking.”

Interacting with thought leaders is a common benefit that CIOs express when discussing social media. Ben Haines, CIO of Pabst Brewing Co., echoes Casey Coleman, saying, “The greatest value of social media is gaining access to thought leaders in the industry. Frankly, you would otherwise pay a lot of money for that information.”

Read Social Media for the Innovative CIO on The Wall Street Journal.

Recently, The Huffington Post published a list of the most social CIOs on Twitter. Among the 70 listed were 13 higher education CIOs who are pioneering a new way to communicate. They are also building a case for IT as a key player in the future of education. Here are the higher education CIOs from the list:

Kelly Walsh - The College of Westchester

Walsh is the creator of EmergingEdTech.com. His Twitter feed features links to edtech resources from his site and others. @EmergingEdTech

Phil Komarny - Seton Hill University

Komarny’s Twitter feed provides insight based on his role as Seton Hill University’s CIO. Topics of interest for the self-proclaimed “Edupunk” include big data, mobile computing and BYOD. @PhilKomarny

Brian Miller - Davenport University

Miller is the CIO of Davenport University, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Follow him to keep up with his thoughts on technology, pop culture and, of course, the Detroit Tigers. @suydam

Stephen diFilipo - Cecil College

DiFilipo is a self-proclaimed "early adopter," whose Twitter feed is home to commentary on technology trends and education. @S_dF

Stephen Lamb - British Columbia Institute of Technology

Lamb is a “SEE EYE OH” with a sense of humor. Follow him on Twitter for commentary on technology, business, and pop culture. @SEE_EYE_OH

Ganesan Ravishanker - Wellesley College

Ravishanker’s Twitter feed features his daily observations about higher education technology along with sports commentary. @ravishan

Bruce Maas - University of Wisconsin

Maas’ bio says it all: “Unofficial commentary about events in my world.” Follow him on Twitter for his thoughts on technology, design and education. @UWMadisonCIO

Baz Abouelenein - Kansas City Kansas Community College

Look for inspirational quotes and links to educational resources in Abouelenein’s Twitter feed. @CIO_Baz

A. Michael Berman - California State University, Channel Islands

MOOCs, technology news and education are topics of interest in Berman’s Twitter feed. @amichaelberman

Raechelle Clemmons - St. Norbert College

Clemmons shares commentary on her work with St. Norbert’s Information Technology Services team along with links to edtech news and events. @rclemmons

David Hinson - Hendrix College

Hinson’s Twitter feed is home to his humorous daily observations and sports commentary along with links to education and technology articles. @davidjhinson

Joanna Young - University of New Hampshire

Follow Young on Twitter to get the latest on opportunities, resources and IT at UNH as well as advice on leadership and discussions about technology. @unhcio