UC Tech News is excited to launch the UC Tech Leaders Q&A Series in 2026—a series designed to spotlight the voices shaping technology across UC.
What Is Your Name?
Kevin Chou
What Is Your Title? UC Location?
Chief Information Officer, UC San Diego
What Are Your Top IT/Security Priorities in 2026?
Launching a new Student Information System, TritonAI adoption, and supporting campus compliance with evolving legal and regulatory requirements.
What Emerging Tech Excites You for Higher Ed?
AI, of course, will be a game changer for higher education but what’s exciting is how it will change the way we work and what work means to each of us in the IT field. What are things you wish AI could do for you so you can focus on more interesting and meaningful work? Like all of you, I’m excited (and a bit anxious) to see what lies ahead.
What Emerging Tech Worries You?
Emerging tech always brings new and different things to worry about. From more sophisticated social engineering leveraging generative AI to the defeat of industry-standard cryptography by quantum computing, emerging tech is what keeps us all on our feet.
How Do You Balance Innovation with Security?
By making sure both perspectives are represented and thoughtfully considered. At one point, I was both the interim leader implementing Network Access Control and the acting Chief Information Security Officer. Debating with yourself all day is really not as exciting as it seems.
What Principles/Values Shape Your Leadership?
I believe leadership is measured by the performance of the team. The leader isn’t always the supervisor—it’s someone who shapes the culture and brings out the best in everyone.
What Books Are You Currently Reading?
I enjoy reading stories about places I’ve visited. The last book I read was Pappyland when I visited Kentucky, and the next one will be about Yellowstone National Park.
What’s Your Favorite Thing to Do Outside of Work?
We have two elementary school-age kids who are growing up way too fast. Beyond spending time with them, I enjoy exploring new places, trying new food, and driving along scenic routes.
Anything Else You’d Like to Add?
It’s hard to believe that I’ve been a staff member at UC San Diego for over two decades. From being an undergrad meeting my spouse in the dorms, to welcoming two kids at UC San Diego Health, to serving in a wide variety of roles in IT, this really is an incredible place to live and learn.
Thank you for the conversation, Kevin!
Kevin Chou
Chief Information Officer
UC San Diego
Tech Leader Spotlights
UC Tech News is excited to launch the UC Tech Leaders Q&A Series in 2026—designed to spotlight the voices shaping technology across UC. The UC tech community values hearing directly from its leaders, and this series aims to be both inspiring and informative.
Are you a tech leader at UC? We’d love to hear from you! To participate, please complete the short Q&A form and please include a photo.
