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Steve Smith
Chief Information Technology Officer
PO Box 755320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5320
Butrovich Building, Suite 103
907-450-8383(v) 907-450-8375(f)
steve.smith@alaska.edu
Steve Smith has over thirty years experience in all aspects of information technology in higher education. His educational background includes an undergraduate degree with an emphasis in broadcasting and filmmaking from the University of Iowa and a graduate degree in telecommunications from the University of Hawaii.
His professional experience includes campus computing, library systems, public broadcasting, distance delivery, and extensive experience in network operations and design including satellite systems to remote areas and high speed Internet2 optical networks. In his role as CITO for the University of Alaska he has worked on policy, regulation, IT investment strategy, and public-private partnerships. He was a founder of the Fairbanks Community Network and is one of three U.S. representatives on the Information Communications Technology Network for the Arctic Council, comprised of the eight arctic nations. He is on the executive board of the Northwest Academic Computing Consortium, past Chair of the Pacific Northwest Gigapop Advisory Council, a board member of ResearchChannel, and the executive liaison for the University of Alaska for Internet2. His most recent major accomplishment was leading the consolidation of the statewide IT departments with the University of Alaska Fairbanks IT departments, now known as the Office of Information Technology. |
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Karl Kowalski
Executive Director, OIT User Services
PO Box 757700, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7700
Bunnell Building, Room 319A
907-450-8440(v) 907-474-5910(f)
karl.kowalski@alaska.edu
Kowalski is the Executive Director of User Services for the Statewide Office of Information Technology. He comes to the University with 20 years experience in public education and technology integration in Rural Alaskan schools. Kowalski is a UAF graduate, holding degrees in Education and Biology. He earned a Master’s degree in Educational Technology Leadership from George Washington University. Most recently, he served as Director of Technology and Information Services for the Northwest Arctic Borough School District. He has also served as adjunct professor for Chukchi College designing and implementing technology courses for K-12 educators and as consultant to the State of Alaska Department of Education, reviewing statewide technology plans. He teamed with state and local agencies and the Lt. Governor’s office to design and help pass the Alaska Waiver of the Federal E-Rate Program. He was appointed member of the Alaska Information Infrastructure Policy Task Force, State of Alaska UNITY project and is a founding member of the Alaska Distance Learning Partnership. |
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Rory O'Neill
Executive Director, OIT Applications Services
PO Box 755320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5320
Butrovich Building, Suite 105
907-450-8348(v) 907-450-8381(f)
rory.oneill@alaska.edu
Rory O'Neill became the executive director for Applications Services in 2006 after serving as an interim director and manager since joining in 2004. He came to the Statewide unit after serving six years as a principal systems engineer at the Alaska Satellite Facility operated by the UAF Geophysical Institute. Immediately prior to joining the university O'Neill was operations and maintenance manager for a Denali Park resort located just twenty miles from the base of Mt. McKinley. He and his wife spent a winter care-taking all the lodges as well the National Park airstrip in the Kantishna mining district, cementing friendships with mountaineers, park rangers and numerous species of animals revealed by the first snowfall.
Prior to migrating to Alaska O’Neill held staff and faculty positions in biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University, and worked as an electrical engineer for E.I. DuPont’s Instrumentation and Process Controls Consulting Group. He is an alumnus of UAF’s graduate school (M.S. Engineering Management, 2001) and Virginia Tech (B.S. Electrical Engineering, 1987), and lives with his wife and four daughters in the hills northwest of Fairbanks. Always on the look out for a small town in need of a mayor, O’Neill’s administrative appetite is on hold pending the successful preparation and release into society of four educated, rational women. |
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Fred Smits
Executive Director, OIT Infrastructure Technology Services
PO Box 755320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5320
Butrovich Building, Suite 101
907-450-8330(v) 907-450-8381(f)
fred.smits@alaska.edu
Fred Smits was appointed as the Executive Director of OIT Infrastructure Technology Services on 12/22/06. He had been serving as the Interim Director since the OIT reorganization was announced on 12/12/05. Prior to then, he had been the Executive Director of Systems Servers in the pre-merged organization. He joined the University on 11/01/97 as the Manager of Technical Services. His current job is similar to what he has been doing at the University for nearly ten years only more intense. He supervises 50+ employees in seven departments (Data Center Operations, Network Engineering, Network Operations, Telephone Services, Technical Services, Security Administration, and Windows Server Administration). Areas of responsibility include hardware and operating systems for e-mail, databases, and computer networks systemwide.
He was born to Latvian parents in Germany. He later emigrated to the United States, arriving in the US on a troop ship when he was 5. He grew up mainly in New York and California. He served in Panama and Vietnam with the US Army. He has a business degree from Pepperdine Univeristy. He has worked with computers since the late 1960s. Previously, he worked for several defense contractors and came to the University after working as a civilian contractor in IT for the Saudi Arabian Air Force for five years. |
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Jim Durkee
Executive Director, OIT Technology Oversight Services
PO Box 755320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5320
Butrovich Building, Suite 105
907-450-8315(v) 907-450-8381(f)
jim.durkee@alaska.edu
Jim Durkee came to the University of Alaska as the Office of Information Technology Executive Director of Technology Oversight Services in May 2007. He has over 30 years of experience with information technology in higher education and private industry including work in the 1980’s at the University of Alaska.
His education includes a bachelor in Computer Science and a masters in Anthropology from the University of Wyoming. He has taught courses in Computer Science, Sociology and Anthropology. He has provided management and strategic planning for colleges in the United States and Canada. Jim was the computing director at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs and on the board of directors for the Colorado Higher Education Computing Organization. During this time, he worked with librarians in Colorado to set up a statewide library network. |
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Julie Larweth
Executive Officer, OIT Central Operations
PO Box 755320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5320
Butrovich Building, Suite 102
907-450-8388(v) 907-450-8381(f)
julie.larweth@alaska.edu
Julie Larweth joined the Office of Information Technology as the Executive Officer in October 2006. Julie serves as OIT’s Chief Financial Officer and is responsible for financial management, strategic planning and fiscal alignment, and management of the OIT Business Office. Julie has implemented new business processes and workflow efficiencies in OIT travel, human resources, recharge centers, and purchasing. One of Julie’s interests is in exploring OIT’s quality of service, and measuring and improving the level of service provided by the department to the university community. Julie earned her Masters in Business Administration from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with an emphasis in capital markets and her Bachelors in Business Administration with a minor in Fine Art from Pepperdine University. Julie’s previous work at UA under the UAF Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services and Provost, includes analysis and reporting on the UAF Performance Based Budgeting processes, campus based initiatives, and strategic plans in partnership with UAF executive management and academic deans. Julie brings a strong campus perspective to OIT and has been able to integrate her background into her system-wide role as the OIT Executive Officer. |
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Lacy Mitchell
Assistant to the Chief Information Technology Officer
PO Box 755320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5320
Butrovich Building, Suite 103
907-450-8383(v) 907-450-8375(f)
lacy@alaska.edu
In 1999, Lacy Mitchell joined the IT team at the University of Alaska. Her first role included travel, procurement, and general administrative support. In 2001, Mitchell was promoted to the role of Coordinator where she quickly learned the skills needed to supervise staff, manage administrative support functions, and support the CITO. In 2004, Mitchell participated in the effort to reorganize administrative support for the newly consolidated OIT department. In 2006-07, Mitchell filled in for key vacant administrative and fiscal positions. In 2007, Mitchell was promoted to Assistant to the Chief Information Technology Officer. |
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