iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
Villanova University has appointed an Indian American as the Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (CIO), effective Sept. 9. The appointment follows a comprehensive national search that yielded a strong pool of candidates.
“The importance of a strong IT strategy and infrastructure on university campuses cannot be overstated, which is why I am delighted to have someone with Tej’s experience and vision at the helm of our IT department,” said University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD. “Tej’s extensive and varied IT knowledge will be invaluable to Villanova as we seek to enhance all aspects of our IT infrastructure and governance. I look forward to working with him as a member of my university leadership team.”
Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community where students learn to think critically and act compassionately. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University’s six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation’s top universities, Villanova supports its students’ intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders.
As Villanova’s Vice President for Information Technology and CIO, Tej Patel will oversee the University’s overall technology strategy to support teaching, learning, research, operations, and student experience. His responsibilities include enhanced coordination across all IT services, engaging with Villanova stakeholders to identify technological needs and opportunities to further the University’s strategic priorities, and leveraging technology to create intuitive, consistent service experiences for all constituents.
Patel will also be responsible for expanding opportunities to facilitate the use of technology in teaching and research, as well as completing the University’s transition to a new learning management system, upgrading classroom technology, and expanding research computing capabilities. Additionally, he will work to enhance IT planning and governance processes to support Villanova’s commitment to shared governance.
“Villanova is a vibrant and forward-thinking institution, and I’m truly honored to become a part of this remarkable community,” said Patel. “I am excited to represent and work alongside the talented technology team at Villanova, and I look forward to collaborating with colleagues across campus—from Father Peter and the leadership team to the board of trustees, deans, alumni, faculty, staff, and students.”
Patel joined Villanova from Stevens Institute of Technology, where he served as vice president and chief information officer. During his tenure, he led a comprehensive improvement of Stevens’ IT organization—improving processes, defining shared values and culture, and investing in new capabilities. Patel guided multiple University-wide initiatives, including deploying an identity and access management system, instituting new data governance and reporting capabilities, and overseeing enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations. He also enhanced communication between the IT department and its university users, in addition to spearheading the comprehensive redevelopment of infrastructure and security strategies.
Before his tenure at Stevens, Patel was the Chief Information Officer for Penn Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania and held various IT roles at UPenn’s Annenberg School for Communication. Patel earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Management Information Systems from Montclair State University and a Wharton Executive Global C-Suite Diploma from the University of Pennsylvania.
“I am thrilled to welcome Tej to Villanova and look forward to working closely with him as he guides the University’s information technology strategy into the future,” said Roger Demareski, Villanova University Executive Vice President, who led the search. “Throughout the process, we were extremely impressed with Tej’s background and experience, his proven ability to build strong teams and deliver high customer service, and his knowledge of best practices, regulatory requirements and emerging technologies.”
