Arizona's Jackson New CIO at U of Illinois-Urbana

University of Arizona Chief Information Officer Sally Jackson was named CIO at the University of Illinois, where she is an alumna. Jackson, who will start this week (May 21), will hold a joint appointment as a professor of speech communications.

At Arizona, Jackson was vice president for learning and information technologies and chief information officer from 2002 to 2006. She was also a professor in the department of communication in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences from 1991 to 2007.

While at Arizona Jackson developed distance education projects, a university network master plan, and a technology refresh bank.

She was a founding partner in the Kuali Community Source Consortium, a project that involved Arizona, Indiana University, Michigan State, Cornell University, and other schools aimed at creating open source financial and research administration software for higher education.

She also established the Office of Student Computing Research and held a National Science Foundation grant for "institutional transformation" aimed at improving conditions for women in science and technology fields.

Linda Katehi, provost at Urbana, called Jackson "an extremely intelligent individual with strong leadership qualities.... She is focused on all aspects of technology and is particularly passionate about how technology relates to issues of gender and the under-represented," Katehi added.

Read More:

About the Author

Paul McCloskey is contributing editor of Syllabus.

Featured

  • The AI Show

    Register for Free to Attend the World's Greatest Show for All Things AI in EDU

    The AI Show @ ASU+GSV, held April 5–7, 2025, at the San Diego Convention Center, is a free event designed to help educators, students, and parents navigate AI's role in education. Featuring hands-on workshops, AI-powered networking, live demos from 125+ EdTech exhibitors, and keynote speakers like Colin Kaepernick and Stevie Van Zandt, the event offers practical insights into AI-driven teaching, learning, and career opportunities. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to integrate AI into classrooms while exploring innovations that promote equity, accessibility, and student success.

  • cloud, database stack, computer screen, binary code, and flowcharts interconnected by lines and arrows

    Salesforce to Acquire Data Management Firm Informatica

    Salesforce has announced plans to acquire data management company Informatica for $8 billion. The deal is aimed at strengthening Salesforce's AI foundation and expanding its enterprise data capabilities.

  • stylized AI code and a neural network symbol, paired with glitching code and a red warning triangle

    New Anthropic AI Models Demonstrate Coding Prowess, Behavior Risks

    Anthropic has released Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4, its most advanced artificial intelligence models to date, boasting a significant leap in autonomous coding capabilities while simultaneously revealing troubling tendencies toward self-preservation that include attempted blackmail.

  • NVIDIA DGX line

    NVIDIA Intros Personal AI Supercomputers

    NVIDIA has introduced a new lineup of AI-powered computing solutions designed to accelerate enterprise workloads.