The University of Colorado Boulder has appointed Todd Shechter as vice chancellor for information technology, effective Nov. 16, following a national search.
Shechter, who has served as chief technology officer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2019, will oversee CU Boulder’s Office of Information Technology and provide campuswide leadership for technology services supporting more than 38,000 students and approximately 10,000 faculty and staff.
Senior Vice Chancellor for Operations Janel Forde announced the appointment Oct. 7.
Shechter succeeds Marin Stanek, who retired in May after 25 years at CU Boulder. Orrie Gartner, who has served as interim vice chancellor since Stanek’s departure, will continue leading the department until Shechter assumes his new position.
Shechter brings more than 25 years of experience in higher education technology administration, including work involving research computing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, enterprise architecture and administrative systems.
Before joining Wisconsin-Madison, he spent nearly two decades at Oregon State University, where he began his career as a student employee and eventually led technology services for the College of Engineering.
In his new position, Shechter will report to Forde and serve on both the Chancellor’s Cabinet and the University Executive Leadership Team.
“Technology is integral to everything our campus community does, and OIT’s dedicated people make it work,” Forde said. She cited Shechter’s experience in higher education technology and operational management as factors in his selection.
Shechter emphasized collaboration among university departments as a priority for his new role.
“Technology works best when people from across the university help shape it,” he said. “I have spent my career bringing folks together around a shared goal, and I look forward to doing that with the OIT team and our partners in every college and unit.”
Shechter earned his bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University.
Outside his professional responsibilities, he volunteers with the Mountain Rescue Association and has participated in several hundred missions involving searches for missing people and assistance to injured individuals.