ECAR Expands International Research Coverage

The EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research (ECAR) has announced a major international research effort.

In June 2007, Richard N. Katz, vice president of EDUCAUSE and founding director of ECAR, will begin a four-month research effort in Europe. He will be joined by Ted Dodds, chief information officer and associate vice president for information technology at the University of British Columbia. Dodds is also an ECAR Fellow.

In Europe, Katz and Dodds will work with a variety of national and pan-European organizations to study how European universities are addressing information technology (IT) security, identity management, e-scholarship, and academic analytics. In addition, they will conduct case studies of exemplary university IT efforts.

In early 2008, ECAR will turn its attention to the Asia-Pacific region where Katz and Dodds will be joined by ECAR Fellow David Damassa, professor and dean for information technology at the Tufts University School of Medicine. Damassa in particular will study the use of simulation in medical education. Katz, Dodds, and Damassa will also conduct research into how universities in Australia, New Zealand, and select parts of Asia integrate IT into their missions. In Australia and New Zealand, ECAR will work closely with a host of longtime partner organizations.

ECAR will publish a variety of research studies, bulletins, and case studies from this work for the benefit of its subscribers. From July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008, ECAR Fellow Ron Yanosky will serve as interim director of ECAR, reporting to Katz.

Katz has been a vice president of EDUCAUSE since 1996, following a successful 14-year career at the University of California. Dodds has served as CIO and associate vice president at the University of British Columbia since 1997. He is active in Canadian national IT efforts and has served as chair of the board of CANARIE, Canada’s advanced Internet development organization. Damassa, a professor of anatomy and cellular biology at Tufts University, also directs IT efforts on behalf of the university’s School of Medicine. His research focuses on androgen action as a model for understanding complex endocrine signaling systems in mammals. Yanosky, the author of two major ECAR studies, served on the faculty of Harvard University and as a research analyst at Gartner, Inc. He holds a doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley.

EDUCAUSE President Brian L. Hawkins remarked that “EDUCAUSE has a longstanding commitment to an international membership. This effort and others reflect a deepening of this commitment and an acknowledgment of the rapid globalization of higher education.”

Katz added, “This project and these colleagues will make it possible for ECAR to become a truly international organization. It also marks another milestone in the maturation of ECAR. I am grateful to Brian Hawkins and the EDUCAUSE board for their support, and to Ron Yanosky, who will lead ECAR in my absence. For me, this is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I am eager to work with the many friends and colleagues I have made throughout the world.”

Dodds agreed: “From my perspective as a Canadian CIO, I have long admired EDUCAUSE and ECAR. The opportunity to research IT in higher education on an international scale is exciting. I am honored to have this opportunity to work with the ECAR Fellows and colleagues throughout the world.”

About ECAR

The EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research (ECAR) was established in 2001 to promote effective IT decisions in higher education. To date, ECAR has published more than 325 research studies and bulletins, roadmaps, case studies, and occasional papers. ECAR has organized a dozen symposia, and in 2006, ECAR and the North East Regional Computing Program (NERCOMP) delivered the first ECAR Academy. Today, 430 colleges and university subscribe to ECAR. Learn more about ECAR at www.educause.edu/ecar.

About EDUCAUSE

EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. The current membership comprises more than 2,200 colleges, universities, and educational organizations, including 250 corporations, with 17,000 active members. Learn more about EDUCAUSE at www.educause.edu.