Chief Information Officer, California State University, Office of the Chancellor

A. Michael Berman is the Chief Innovation Officer for the Information Technology Services Division of the Office of the Chancellor, California State University (CSU). In this role he works in partnership with 23 campus CIOs to advance the impact and effectiveness of information technology to support the success of CSU students. His division comprises nearly 200 IT professionals and support staff who operate the enterprise management systems for the campuses, as well as overseeing wide-area and campus networking infrastructure. The CSU is the largest public university in the United States, serving more 480,000 students; more than half are students of color, 43% receive the Pell Grant reserved for the most economically-needy students, and one-third are the first in their families to attend college.

Berman has more than 20 years information technology management experience in higher education, and has been the CIO at 5 institutions of higher education. He earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Rutgers University, and has worked as a professor, consultant, author, and software developer. He is a member of the Board of Directors for EDUCAUSE, the largest community of technology, academic, industry, and campus leaders advancing higher education through the use of IT. He also serves on the Board of Directors for CENIC, the non-profit entity that operates the California Research and Education Network, connecting all public and many private universities in California as well as community colleges, K-12 school districts, and public libraries. In addition, he is a member of the steering committee for InCommon and on the Higher Ed Steering Committee for IMS Global. In the past he chaired the Board of Directors for NMC, publisher of the annual NMC Horizon Report.

Berman has participated in and consulted with start-ups, and served as advisor to the Michelson-Runway Accelerator. He has made over a hundred presentations at professional conferences and events, written a textbook and many articles, and edited the New Horizons column for EDUCAUSE Review in 2018-19. He is passionate about promoting equity, inclusion, and greater gender balance in technology and leadership. His active Twitter feed can be found at @amichaelberman.