Contact:
Marc Stith,
Senior Director, Marketing Communications and Media Relations
EDUCAUSE [email protected]
EDUCAUSE, the association for information technology in higher education, has announced two recently appointed board members. Joining the board will be Stan Waddell, Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Carnegie Mellon University, and Jody Couch, Chief Information Officer and Assistant Vice-President of Information Technology Services at Dalhousie University. Both will serve four-year terms starting in January 2027.
"It's a pleasure to welcome Stan and Jody to the EDUCAUSE Board," said John O'Brien, EDUCAUSE President and CEO. "Both bring extensive leadership experience, a deep understanding of the challenges facing higher education, and a strong commitment to the EDUCAUSE community. Their perspectives will be especially valuable as institutions navigate rapid technological change and explore new opportunities to advance their missions."
Stan Waddell is Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Carnegie Mellon University, where he leads Computing Services, an organization of approximately 270 staff responsible for a technology portfolio of roughly $60 million. His priorities include campus-wide adoption of generative AI, cybersecurity, data governance, research computing, and modernization of enterprise systems.
Prior to joining Carnegie Mellon, Waddell served as Chief Information Officer at the University of New Hampshire and held technology leadership roles at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Waddell is an active member of the EDUCAUSE community, regularly contributing as a speaker and participant. He is particularly interested in helping higher education realize the promise of artificial intelligence by empowering students, faculty, and staff to use emerging technologies safely and confidently.
Waddell holds a PhD in Information Systems, has a background in electrical engineering, and is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.
Jody Couch is Chief Information Officer and Assistant Vice-President of Information Technology Services at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, one of Canada's leading research-intensive universities. She leads the university's technology strategy in support of A Rising Tide, Dalhousie's strategic framework, with responsibilities spanning enterprise systems, cybersecurity, digital governance, and artificial intelligence.
Couch brings more than 25 years of experience in higher education technology leadership, having previously held positions at the University of California, Berkeley; the University of California, Santa Cruz; the University of Texas at Austin; and Purdue University.
Couch serves on the boards of the Canadian University Council of Chief Information Officers (CUCCIO) and the Atlantic Canada Organization of Research Networks in Nova Scotia (ACORN-NS). She is also a longtime EDUCAUSE volunteer, speaker, and contributor. Her approach to technology leadership centers on its ability to support students, advance ideas, and strengthen campus communities.
Couch holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business Administration from Purdue University.
Visit the EDUCAUSE Board of Directors web page for information about board member responsibilities, as well as a complete list of EDUCAUSE Board Members.
About EDUCAUSE
EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to lead the way, advancing the strategic use of technology and data to further the promise of higher education. We connect and empower our member community through insights, advocacy, resources, and learning opportunities to anticipate trends and strengthen professional practice.
We believe in inspiring the transformation of higher education in service to a greater good. Visit www.educause.edu.
