Richard A. Mendola (Emory University)

Richard Mendola, Ph.D. is the Vice President of Information Technology and CIO for Emory University. In this role, Dr. Mendola and his team are responsible for creating and sustaining a seamless, agile, innovative and efficient information technology environment that advances the educational, clinical and research activities and aspirations of Emory, across its academic and healthcare components.

Over the past five years, significant enhancements have been made to Emory's IT infrastructure and services. Upgraded networks, messaging systems, and clinical systems are now in place. Prudent financial management has led to fully funded and predictable rates of infrastructure renewal. New enterprise functions are now in place for information security, IT architecture and support for research. With the IT foundation-building nearly complete, increasing proportions of resources are being targeted at innovative applications and process improvements that will support excellence in Emory's core missions.

Prior to assuming his current position, Dr. Mendola spent ten years at the University of Illinois, first as CIO of the UIC Medical Center, and then as Associate VP of Administrative IT for the University of Illinois three-campus system. Under Dr. Mendola's leadership, the UIC Medical Center implemented the core components of their Electronic Medical Record, which would later receive the Nicholas E. Davies award and CIO Magazine's Enterprise Value award. As Associate VP, Dr. Mendola was the executive responsible for the successful implementation of a single ERP system across the entire University of Illinois system.

In addition to his administrative roles, Dr. Mendola has served as a faculty member in the health sciences at the University of Illinois and the University of Connecticut. Dr. Mendola currently serves on the board of the OpenEAI software foundation and is a member of several corporate advisory boards.