About Ed

Dr. Ed Aractingi is the Chief Information Officer at William & Mary, a role he has held since June 2020. He leads Information Technology, a critical partner in every aspect of learning and work at the university, and brings together diverse groups to identify and implement strategic, university-wide IT solutions for teaching, learning, research and operations.

He believes technology empowers people to reach their goals, and that collaboration and teamwork are the strongest tools for facing uncertainty and driving innovation.

Marshall University

Before joining William & Mary, Dr. Aractingi was the Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Marshall University, where he led the division of Information Technology, around 80 professional staff serving the entire university. He first joined Marshall University as a graduate research assistant and later served as director of IT infrastructure systems and as deputy CIO. Between those roles, he worked in healthcare at Cabell Huntington Hospital. Earlier, he ran a private consulting practice.

From the day he became Marshall University’s CIO, he committed to transforming the IT department into a service-oriented organization. He established the department’s guiding principles and worked with the IT leadership team to develop its strategic goals. He engaged with faculty and students, spoke often at student clubs, and received the University’s Dedication to Student Life Award, selected by the student body.

Education and teaching

Dr. Aractingi earned a Ph.D. in information technology from Capella University, an M.S. in information systems from Marshall University and a B.A. from Damascus University. At Marshall University, he also served on the graduate faculty of the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences as an assistant professor of practice, teaching subjects in computer science and information systems such as Cloud Computing, Internet of Things and Visual Analytics.

Professional community

Dr. Aractingi is active in the professional community. He has served as co-chair of the Collaborative Innovation Program Advisory Group and of the Internet of Things Working Group at Internet2. He has also been a member of the CIO Advisory Council for the Smart Campus, the strategic planning and service management working groups at EDUCAUSE, the EDUCAUSE IT Governance, Risk and Compliance Advisory Committee, and the Leadership Board of CIOs (LBCIO).

Earlier in his career, he served the IEEE West Virginia chapter as chair of consulting, the Association for College and University Technology Advancement (ACUTA) as state coordinator, and the Marshall University Student Chapter of the Computer Society as chair and vice-chair.

He advocates for data analytics in student success and for project-based learning. He speaks regularly about using AI and ML in cybersecurity, innovation, cloud computing and identity management in higher education. He has served as a review panelist on National Science Foundation research panels and has taken part in workshops on cybersecurity and cyberinfrastructure improvements.

He is also active in the community. He has served on local non-profit boards, including the St. Joseph Catholic School advisory board and the Holy Spirit Church parish council in Huntington, West Virginia.