By Derek Shue. UC IT Blog is now celebrating its 10th birthday. The first story for the newsletter was written in October, 2013, and has grown enormously in many ways – from the number of stories you share (news is up 10x), to the audience size (+ 20% year-over-year alone).The UC Tech blog news team looks forward to another decade of connecting the UC Tech community in support of tech employee careers and educating the broader community about technology developments at the University. This article provides words of gratitude and a look back at the last 10 years, a fascinating review of UC Tech community achievements over the past decade.
UC Tech community members – thank you
Thank you to the amazing community of contributors, advisors and readers and all who generate/read news and help spread-the-word. Today, there are dozens of news stories each week and about 4,000 subscribers. To learn more about the blog and this remarkable community, please visit the UC Tech News “About” page.
UC Tech news leaders – a decade of people realizing powerful vision
The newsletter was founded by Tom Andriola, chief information officer (CIO) from 2013-2019, who wrote the first blog post on October 17, 2013 and who committed to building a UC-wide community who could gather online, between annual conferences, via this weekly newsletter. The vision included providing access to the unique resources that are fundamental to a systemwide perspective on technology. Andriola worked with Yvonne Tevis, the editor-in-chief for 9 years (2013-2022), who established the blog’s reputation as a critical source of tech news that spans the system. (As one community member put it at a recent UC Tech conference, “The UC IT Blog is the only systematic way I can hear what’s going on across the UC in IT.”) Tevis also collaborated with Marc Cianca (Interim CIO from 2019-2021) and then with Van Williams (CIO 2021-present). Today, the UC IT blog newsletter editor, Laurel Skurko (2022-present), works with advisors and contributors to expand upon the success established by the blog’s founding team. In addition, she collaborates with the “InfoTech” at the UC Office of the President, who established the initial website and maintain it. This team includes Ken Lumnaokrut and Gerlando Termini. Beyond these individuals, the daily initiative of those who contribute their knowledge and skills are deeply appreciated. If you read the newsletter visit our “About us” page, you’ll see recent contributors acknowledged.
Eleven stories representing the last 10 years
This review includes one highlight article per year for 10 years, helping tell the story of the growth of the UC Tech community over the last decade. The line-up is a great window into the history of tech and helps demonstrate the types of value the blog works to provide: (1) informative news, (2) important resources, (3) the opportunity to learn new skills, and (4) occasions to network with colleagues.
1) The UC IT Blog is born: October 17, 2013: ePay Virtual Cashier
The first UC Tech news post, written by Tom Andriola. It highlighted the new addition of the ePay virtual cashier at UC Merced.
2) December 8, 2014: A blog for IT collaboration
Tom Andriola published this blog in 2014, describing the blog’s mission to serve as a source of information for those working in IT across the UC. This holds true today.
3) September 9, 2015: Inaugural UC IT Leadership, Innovation and Collaboration Program
An article highlighting the creation of the UC IT Leadership, Innovation, and Collaboration program, a professional development program for emerging IT leaders across the UC system.
4) April 28, 2016: Join the UC IT Professionals Network on LinkedIn
An article describing the creation of the UC IT Professionals Network on LinkedIn. Today, this group serves 1300+ members as a source of information exchange and networking across IT professionals in the UC network.
5) November 1, 2017: Learn all about the UC Tech Slack workspace
The creation of the UC Tech Slack channel in 2017 was another important moment in UC Tech’s history. With over 21,000 members, the channel is a key resource for the UC Tech community.
6) July 24, 2018: CIO Survey reveals top issues for UC Leaders (both “health” and “campus”)
UC Santa Barbara Chief Information Officer (CIO) Matthew Hall conducted a survey of 12 UC location CIOs, asking them to prioritize issues for IT leadership at the university. The survey presented several key issues compiled by EDUCAUSE, a national association for the higher education IT community, and by the Healthcare Executive Group, among other sources. The goal of the survey was to assess how to align the CIOs’ focus in the coming year, with results profiling clear “campus” and “health” CIO priorities.
7) January 30, 2019: Save the Date: Feb. 20, 2019 UC IT Town Hall
The announcement of the 2019 UC IT Town Hall is a testament to the UC’s commitment to fostering collaboration, both during the UC Tech conference, and throughout the year.
8) August 12, 2020: Facilitating teaching and learning in a COVID-19 environment
As a global pandemic swept across the globe in 2020, the UC faced its own series of challenges. Thanks to the UC procurement team, the transition online was seamless as the UC signed a license with Zoom.
9) September 29, 2021: Meet the new UC CIO: Van Williams
In 2021, Van Williams became the new chief information officer at UC. Read his introduction to the UC Tech community, his story, and his mission statement.
10) August 17, 2022: 2022 UC Tech Awards winners: Celebrating collaboration, innovation, and more
The 2022 UC Tech Awards expanded for the first time since it was founded in 2001 to include six new awards categories, recognizing individuals and teams in the UC Tech community for advancing the university’s mission. Read more about the awards, nominees, and winners of 2022 UC Tech awards program.
11) August 23, 2023: Announcing new resources for Women in Tech
This year, we saw the UC Women in Tech (WIT) Committee launch its website to allow women technologists and allies to connect in new ways.
We would like to thank our weekly newsletter readers, advisors and contributors for supporting the UC Tech news team and providing us with resources, interviews, and survey submissions. We look forward to spreading-the-word about the remarkable work being done and the careers of those in tech across the UC.
Author
Derek Shue
Marketing and communications Intern
UC Office of the President