November 22, 2015

Cornell Names Lifka Interim V.P. for Information Technology, CIO

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David Lifka, director of the Cornell Center for Advanced Computing and associate chief information officer, will take on the role of interim vice president for information technology and CIO on Dec. 6.

Lifka will replace current vice president Ted Dodds, who plans to retire at the end of the fall semester after five years at Cornell, according to the University.

As vice president for information technology and CIO, Dodds advanced the University’s strategic goals by pursuing sound information technology investments. He was also responsible for the entire IT@Cornell community and organized IT support groups — duties which will now be transferred to Lifka.

Several administrators expressed their confidence in Lifka and his ability to successfully assume the additional responsibilities of his new position.

LIFKA

LIFKA

“David has many years of experience at Cornell and in the field of information technology at both the Weill Cornell and Ithaca campuses,” said Joanne DeStefano, executive vice president and chief financial officer, in a statement announcing the appointment. “He has led the IT service units, as well as providing the CIO and CIT leadership team with insights on faculty and research requirements to align current and future service offerings.”

Lifka graduated with a Ph.D. in computer science from the Illinois Institute of Technology and served as Cornell’s director of the Center for Advanced Computing since 2007. In 2010, he assumed further responsibility as the director of research computing for Weill Cornell Medicine. He has also taught upper-level courses in computing and information science as an adjunct professor.

Lifka said he is honored to have been selected as Dodd’s interim replacement and stressed that he is eager to promote cooperation within the IT leadership team and continue to pursue Dodd’s lofty goals for the program.

“I am honored and excited to have been asked to be the interim CIO for Cornell,” Lifka said in a statement. “My goal is to work closely with the executive vice president, provost and CIT leadership to ensure continuity and continued progress on the important initiatives started under Ted Dodds’ leadership.”

Lifka will continue in his new position until a permanent replacement for Dodds is selected.