Officials say the new position will create cost savings through enterprise-scale contracts.
Henry Torres has been appointed the inaugural vice president for information technology and chief information officer for the Arkansas State University System. Charles L. Welch, ASU system president made the announcement yesterday.
“Henry Torres is an incredible asset to the ASU System, and our system chancellors have long voiced their desire to see him in this role,” Welch said. “I am ecstatic about the leadership he will provide to our seven member institutions and the resulting cost savings that will emerge from a more collaborative approach.”
Creating greater synergies among campus networks and achieving additional cost savings through enterprise-scale contracts is one of the primary goals of establishing the new position within the system, according to a press release. Some of those efforts are already under way.
“One of the recommendations of our recent Accelerate ASU study by Huron Consulting Group was to seek out opportunities for both efficiency and savings,” Welch said. “As an example of one of those perfect opportunities, Henry has been leading our systemwide effort to bring all of our ASU System campuses into the same Enterprise Resource Platform for student records and financial software called Banner. It will give us both savings and greater ability to coordinate when students want to transfer among our member universities.”
Torres currently serves as the assistant vice chancellor and chief information officer at Arkansas State University. He will continue to serve in that role for A-State with his primary office location on the Jonesboro campus.
“Henry has been a progressive force in our on-campus technology usage, and we’re looking ahead to his continued leadership for our work here on campus and across the entire system,” ASU Chancellor Kelly Damphousse said.
Torres joined A-State in his current role in February 2013 to oversee the operations of more than 60 information technology professionals. Along with initiating traditional on-campus computing, he has worked closely with the campus Academic Affairs and Research division to standardize, upgrade and streamline classroom technology. His area also worked to improve and extend telecommunications and internet capacity for University Housing and assist with other upgrades in Student Services.
Prior to becoming the administrator of Information and Technology Services, Torres was a faculty member and lecturer in the Neil Griffin College of Business. He started teaching at ASU in the fall of 2002 and became a full-time member with the college as the director of the Interactive Teaching Technology Center in November 2007.
He has extensive private sector IT administrative experience, notably in the Northeast Arkansas area as the director of the high-tech start-up, Rural Sourcing. Prior to moving to the region, he was an information technology executive working with major American brands including Walmart, Sam’s Club and Neiman-Marcus.
After earning his bachelor’s at Texas Tech University, Torres earned his master’s from Henderson State University and is completing his PhD in business information systems at Kennesaw State University.