Villanova appoints former edtech exec as its new chief information officer

Villanova University announced Friday that it will be welcoming a new chief information officer, Kelly P. Doney, in early February.

Doney was chosen after a national search for the role and will be responsible for the leadership and direction of the university-wide information technology program and infrastructure, including information security, tech support, card systems, communication systems, instructional technology and application development, as well as aligning those areas with the university’s new strategic plan.

She comes to most recently from Virginia-based higher education tech company Ellucian, where she was VP of digital transformation.

Doney said in a statement that she’s joining the Radnor Township-based institution at an exciting time when universities are thinking of how to engage with technological advances such as AI, data analytics and evolving cloud solutions.

“I have seen firsthand how technology can transform the student experience, enhance the research mission and enrich teaching and learning,” she said. “As each generation of students enters the university, they bring with them a new set of digital experiences and expectations.”

Before Ellucian, Doney was associate VP for enterprise applications at Georgetown University, where she created an enterprise tech strategy for the university’s search domains. She’s also had consulting experience with management consultancy firms, including Booz Allen Hamilton and Deloitte Consulting, where she managed complex technology strategy, modernization and software development contracts for the federal government, the university said.

Nearby Temple University also has a similar role in VP of Information Technology Services and CIO Cindy Leavitt, as does Drexel University, with VP and CIO Thomas DeChiaro, and University of Pennsylvania, with VP for Information Technology and University CIO Thomas H. Murphy.

Doney succeeds Stephen Fugale in the role at Villanova.

“The field of information technology continues to evolve, and universities must always have an eye on emerging technologies, best practices and regulatory requirements,” said Kenneth G. Valosky, Villanova’s EVP. “Kelly brings strong leadership, as well as technical knowledge and experience managing the changing technology of higher education.”

She begins in the role on Monday, Feb. 3.