2025 Leadership Award Recipient

Elias G. Eldayrie

Sr. Vice President and Chief Information Officer, University of Florida

The 2025 EDUCAUSE Leadership Award recognizes Elias Eldayrie for his commitment to innovation in higher education, leading pioneering projects to bring the power of technology to institutions and communities, elevating the role of IT in education and beyond.

Elias G. Eldayrie has been the Vice President and Chief Information Officer for the University of Florida (UF) since 2010. In this capacity, he has played a key role in supporting UF's ascent to being one of the nation's top five public universities and establishing its leadership in AI in higher education. Elias’s tenure has been defined by the modernization and expansion of UF's research, student, and institutional computing systems. He provides leadership and direction to the University of Florida Information Technology (UFIT) division, an operation with an annual budget of over $120 million and more than 700 employees, and works closely with the campus community to develop a broad vision for the role of information and educational technologies. He also partners with academic and other campus units to implement this vision in support of institutional goals.

A major achievement under his leadership is the creation of HiPerGator, a groundbreaking AI supercomputer built in collaboration with NVIDIA. HiPerGator is HITRUST certified and is pivotal to UF's unique AI workforce education initiative. HiPerGator also supports a significant portion of UF's $1.3 billion research portfolio. Elias’s commitment to advancing the university's technological infrastructure also led to the implementation of one of the first 400-gigabit Ethernet networks in the nation and a unified Wi-Fi system that spans UF locations across all sixty-seven counties in Florida.

His influence extends beyond the university, as he serves on various boards, including Florida LambdaRail, Internet2, and Unizin, helping to shape the future of IT for the broader education sector. He also plays a crucial role on the State of Florida Cybersecurity Advisory Council, where he contributes to the development of IT policies, procedures, and standards to ensure the protection of enterprise IT assets and the integrity, security, and privacy of university information. He holds both an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University at Buffalo. Throughout his career, Elias has been recognized with numerous accolades for his significant contributions to higher education technology, including Constellation Research’s 2025–2026 AI150, the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service, Milton Plesur Excellence in Teaching Award, and multiple Service Excellence Awards. When he is not working, he enjoys cheering for the Gators and the Buffalo Bills with his family.

This EDUCAUSE Award is sponsored by Moran Technology Consulting, Mission Partner.