Robert Howard

Robert has spent most of his career as a change agent within university IT. His background in cellular & microbiology focused on how living organisms developed adaptive mechanisms to survive & thrive in changing environments. This directly translates to the open systems model for organizational success, and makes him an awesome teammate for trivia nights. He has a Masters of Science degree in leadership & organizational change that helps him put proven, scientific principles of managing organizational change to practice within higher education, specifically managing the disruptive forces of technology in a campus environment. In theory & practice, Robert knows the specific technologies in play, & has been a leader that balances stability & innovation through the lifecycle of technologies. He believes that the value of IT is in increasing competitive advantage. By focusing on the people side of change, he has been able to achieve better outcomes for the university & a much more satisfied constituency. He also has experience in improving existing services & making business models sustainable while in a declining budget environment. He is a team player who can lead & get things done by involvement & inclusion, not only direct line of authority. Along with his IT administrator role, he is a faculty member in the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences & teaches senior level courses on a variety of topics including mobility, business intelligence, data visualization, digital marketing & publishing, entrepreneurship, & innovation & disruptive thinking. He teaches at the graduate level regarding sentiment analysis in social media networks for informed business decisions. His personal mission in life is to passionately create a healthy environment where others can reach their full potential to excel at life & contribute positively to humanity. To maintain sanity & energy, he loves learning at least two new things a year & stretching out of his comfort zones, which requires he not take himself too seriously. Hobbies include SCUBA, ballroom dancing, racquetball, running, rock climbing, hiking, wood working, making soups & cooking, especially if it involves fire. He currently resides in West Chester, OH with his lovely wife & two beautiful children.