Dear Faculty and Staff,
I am writing to share the news that Helen Norris, our vice president of Information Systems & Technology (IS&T) and chief information officer, has made the decision to retire from Chapman this fall, following more than a decade with the university and an impressive 40-plus-year career in technology. Helen’s last day will be Sept. 1. In the months ahead, we will develop and communicate a transition plan and launch a national search for a successor.
Helen joined Chapman in June 2014, having previously held IT leadership roles at California State University, Sacramento and UC Berkeley and other technology roles spanning numerous industries including advertising, law and the U.S. military.
As head of IS&T, Helen is responsible for leading the university’s IT organization, including oversight of cybersecurity, AI initiatives, eLearning and the University Library. Over the years, Helen has brought many improvements to IS&T, such as enhancing overall performance and professionalism, increasing strategic thinking and building a leadership team that will continue to thrive long after her retirement.
Harold Hewitt, EVP and chief operating officer, noted, “Chapman was ready for transformation of its IT operations when Helen accepted our invitation to become CIO. IT is such a critical function for a university. We needed someone who could reach out to all areas of campus and, in particular, the academic area which, up to then had been underserved, develop partnerships and expand IT services. Helen has accomplished that and more during her tenure.”
Among other notable achievements, Helen:
- Oversaw the development a world-class information security operation at Chapman, protecting the university in an ever more challenging security environment.
- Developed and implemented a plan to modernize the campus technology infrastructure, focusing on enhancing the performance of campus WiFi and building a strategy to move many campus services to the cloud, improving stability and resilience.
- Created a team to support research computing on campus as Chapman moved to R2 status.
- Partnered with the Leatherby Libraries to develop and implement a plan for the Library of the Future, adding offerings such as the Library Research and Data Services (LRDS) service and SOARS, a program to support Open Access and Research Scholarship.
Additionally, Helen has developed a culture of collaboration within and outside of IS&T and has established herself as someone who builds and nurtures strong relationships across campus and makes meaningful connections. This collaborative spirit was acknowledged by the Faculty Senate in 2020 when it recognized IS&T and its Remote Teaching Support team for its strong contributions to Chapman’s COVID response effort. During the pandemic, IS&T oversaw the rapid transition to online teaching, learning and working; added technology to more than 200 classrooms in a short timeframe; and moved the campus from a legacy Blackboard learning management system (LMS) to a modern LMS, Canvas, increasing the adoption rate from under 50% to nearly 100%.
Matt Parlow, EVP/chief advancement officer and president-elect, added: “Helen has had an important impact on Chapman’s technology strategy, operations and enterprise systems and has helped to elevate Chapman’s reputation in the technology and higher education communities through her thought leadership and board service. And, importantly, she has been a leader of and role model in her field, paving the way for so many who come after her.”
Among Helen’s external activities, she has served as the chair of the board of EDUCAUSE, a leading higher education IT association, and in regional and national leadership roles with the Society for Information Management, the world’s foremost nonprofit membership association for technology executives and industry leaders. Additionally, she has testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions on the topic of cybersecurity in education and is an active participant in nonprofit work benefiting the American Cancer Society of Orange County and others.
In retirement, Helen is looking forward to spending time with her family including her five grandchildren and traveling to her home in Ireland. She also plans to continue her board service and volunteer work.
Please join me in congratulating and recognizing Helen as she plans her next act. She will be missed. Plans for Helen’s retirement party will be shared at a later time.
Sincerely,
Daniele C. Struppa
President