By Lara Bloom. On August 15, 2022, UC Santa Barbara welcomed Josh Bright as their third Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology (IT) and Chief Information Officer (CIO).
Bright is deeply committed to the University of California (UC) and its mission, coming to Santa Barbara from UC Riverside where he received his Ph.D. and served in a variety of IT positions during the 20 years he worked there, including his most recent position as Interim CIO. Through leading UC Riverside’s effort to establish IT governance, he is well-versed in partnering with campus leaders to identify and advocate for strategic IT priorities. While he has held a variety of roles across the IT enterprise, much of Bright’s career has focused on program and project management, bringing valuable experiences and skills to partner effectively in UC Santa Barbara’s current decentralized IT structure.
With his highly collaborative leadership style and people-oriented focus, Bright looks forward to working together with both the central Information Technology Services (ITS) organization’s staff and the broader UC Santa Barbara IT community, a combined group of 400+ staff members on the campus. He aims to develop and deliver strategies that use advanced processes and technology to enable the campus’ continued and increased success in research, instruction and service.
Bright describes UC Santa Barbara’s IT staff as “a group of very dedicated and talented individuals who bring tremendous value to the campus through their deep experience and skill with technology. I really have sensed a strong level of camaraderie and pride in providing quality services to support the campus’ needs.” Throughout the next several months Bright views himself in “learning mode” as he meets with each member of ITS, along with faculty and various campus leaders.
Bright and his family are excited to be relocating to the beautiful Santa Barbara area and he is looking forward to exploring all the central coast has to offer, including, he says, “popping down to the beach at lunch for a swim in the ocean.”
About the author
Communications Coordinator,
UC Santa Barbara Information Technology Services