Andy Birenzi
Deputy CIO for Enterprise Engagement, Bowdoin College

Information Available Soon

 

Dr. Sherri Braxton Castanzo
Deputy CIO for Digital Innovation at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME

With over 20 years of higher education experience and prior experience as a defense contracting program manager, Dr. Sherri Braxton Castanzo currently serves as the Deputy CIO for Digital Innovation at Bowdoin College.  She is also active in the 1EdTech Consortium, EDUCAUSE, and the Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges (CLAC), all of which focus on effective practices in technology for higher education.  Dr. Braxton Castanzo is also one of the inaugural mentors of the Next Leaders Fellowship, an initiative providing a framework to identify, develop, and advocate for talented Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) information and technology professionals in higher education. She is a national thought leader on digital credentials, microcredentials, and comprehensive learner records and has both presented and authored several articles and book chapters on these topics.\

Dr. Braxton Castanzo earned a Doctor of Science in Computer Science with Minors in Educational Leadership and Management Science from the George Washington University. She also holds a Master of Science in Computer Science with a Math Minor from North Carolina State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science from Wake Forest University. She is also a graduate of both the MOR Associates Information Technology Leadership Program and the EDUCAUSE Learning Technology Leaders Institute, where she also served as a faculty member and co-director.

In her spare time, she enjoys exercising, watching football, riding her horse, Indigo, and spending time visiting local wineries with her husband, Ron.

 

Michael G. Cato
Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Bowdoin College

Information and Technology department, and has spent well over 20 years in Higher Education IT. He is active in a number of professional organizations such as CAUDIT, EDUCAUSE, and NERCOMP, and the Next Leaders Fellowship, with an emphasis on leadership development. He is the 2022 Technology Executive of the Year – Education award winner from the IT Senior Management Forum (ITSMF), and the 2021 recipient of the EDUCAUSE DEI Leadership Award.

Michael holds a B.S. in Zoology from Andrews University and an M.B.A. from Wake Forest University. He loves to learn, read, eat, occasionally cook, and starts most days being humbled by CrossFit. Michael is raising an awesome son with his partner and wife, Heather.
 

Zahraa Fadlalah
Technology Integration Partner, Office of the Chancellor, California State University

Information available soon

 

Tina Pappas
Head of Discovery and Engagement Platforms, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Tina Pappas is a leader in the Higher Education space with masters degrees in organizational communication and business administration. Tina's career includes experience in helpdesk, IT operations management, process optimization, and strategic planning.

She is particularly invested in increasing collegiality, communications, and collective engagement among and between personnel throughout the decentralized and often siloed university systems.  Tina works to build community and create a dynamic organizational culture in which staff can connect professionally and interpersonally. She acts as the interface between individuals and the systems within which they work and fosters the development of both. Some of the professional initiatives at Rutgers University include creating an onboarding program for IT professionals, growing a virtual community for the IT workforce, developing processes and frameworks for IT Governance, and assisting in the enhancement of IT communications.

 

Faye Snowden
Executive Director for Technology Programs & Governance, University of California, Berkeley

Faye Snowden has 21 years in higher education, serving in various information technology leadership and senior project management roles. Faye’s entire career has been focused on the information technology field. Her broad experience includes computer operations, help desk design, implementation and leadership, infrastructure (network and telecom) leadership, project and program management, business analysis, and teaching project management. She is currently the manager of the Technology Program Office for Berkeley IT.

During her career, Faye has designed, implemented, and managed help desks in higher education and private industry, transformed failing teams, developed a portfolio management office, and led projects and programs to replace legacy IT voice, network infrastructure, and enterprise systems.  She has a master’s of English from University of California, Stanislaus, and certifications in project management, Lean Six Sigma, business analysis and ITIL foundations. 

Aside from IT, Faye is a published author of poems, short stories and mysteries. She has received writing fellowships from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and Djerassi.

While her entire career has been focused on information technology, Faye’s mantra is that technology should enable the strategic mission of the institution it serves.