University of Wisconsin-Madison names new CIO
Georgia Tech this week announced that Didier Contis, executive director of Academic Technology, Innovation and Research Computing, has taken a job as the chief information officer of University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Contis, who’ll begin his new role on July 7, is credited at Georgia Tech with launching the school’s first GPU-enabled virtual computer lab, securing grant funding from Cisco Systems to develop a cybersecurity lab and helping to create a federated private academic cloud. According to press materials, he also “played a central role in the development of the AI Makerspace initiative in the College of Engineering, aimed at empowering faculty and students to explore artificial intelligence in instruction and experimentation.”
“Didier has been a driving force behind some of the most innovative and impactful academic technology initiatives at Georgia Tech,” university CIO Leo Howell said in a press release. “His leadership has helped elevate our approach to research computing and academic innovation, and we are proud to see him take on this prestigious new role at UW–Madison.”
According to Georgia Tech, Contis contributed to national research efforts funded by the National Science Foundation. He also coauthored an Educause white paper on privacy and ethics in extended reality environments.
