University appoints Betty Leydon V.P. for information technology

Imagine a school devoid of computers, e-mail and the Internet, and one with dormitories lacking telephones or voice mail services. Picture learning or teaching in a place that features classrooms without overhead projector systems or lecture halls without microphones. Most Princetonians probably shudder at the thought of such a world.

The University relies on its Office of Information Technology to keep the school updated on current technology and to help make everyday life as efficient as possible. The administration has recently appointed Betty Leydon as the next vice president for information technology and chief information officer at the University.

It was the University's dedication to improving campus technology that attracted her to the job. "During my visits to Princeton, I was impressed by the commitment to information technology on the part of everyone I spoke with," she said.

Leydon describes her job, saying, "I will have responsibility for academic and administrative computing, networking and telecommunications."

Prior to accepting her position at the University, Leydon served as the top-ranking information technology administrator at Duke University.

"On her own campus, she has been highly praised as an effective and collaborative administrator," University Provost Jeremiah Ostriker said. "We are delighted to have Betty Leydon joining us as CIO."

"She is nationally recognized by her peers as a strong and able leader in information technology," he added.

Besides her work at Duke, Leydon has had a wide range of experiences that add to her qualifications. Computer programmer, systems engineer, marketing representative and English teacher are a few of the positions she has held.

Currently, Leydon is a member of the board of trustees of the Corporation for Research and Educational Networking and a member of the Common Solutions Group, a select group of universities seeking common solutions to information technology challenges in higher education.

She also is a charter member of Internet2, a consortium of more than 180 universities working in partnership with industry and government to accelerate the creation of a second-generation Internet.

"One of the biggest challenges is making sure that the technology does not become an end in itself," Leydon said. "Having done graduate work and teaching, it helps me to see what the end user of technology needs."

Leydon will begin her time at the University with definite goals in mind. "I plan to meet with students, faculty and staff to begin to identify the information technology needs of these different groups," she said.

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"With technology today, everything you do affects so many people. My goal is to set up a process so that everyone can participate in finding solutions that work," she added.

Provost Ostriker highlighted the fact that Leydon shows this type of sensitivity to the different campus constituencies as one of her particular strengths.

In June, Leydon will take over for former vice president Ira Fuchs who is now the vice president for research and information technology at the Andrew Mellon Foundation.

She said she most looks forward to "working with faculty and students at such a prestigious university to imagine the possibilities that technology can bring to teaching and research."