Biography

Cole W. Camplese serves as the Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer for Northeastern University. As Chief Information Officer, Camplese is charged with the creation of strategic IT initiatives that align with Northeastern 2025, Institutional culture, and long-term goals. He works closely across the campus community with the Provost, Deans, students, faculty, and campus partners to deliver innovative programs and services that enhance teaching, learning, research, and student activities.

Previously he served as the Associate Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at the University of Chicago. In this role, he oversaw Information Technology Services which provides, operates, and maintains computing and telecommunication facilities, equipment, and services that meet the needs of the educational, research, and administrative programs of the University.

Prior to joining the University of Chicago, Camplese served as Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Stony Brook University. In this role, he served on the President’s senior leadership team and oversaw the Division of Information Technology. During his tenure, he engineered a number of important changes to IT at Stony Brook. Among these were substantial upgrades to the University’s IT infrastructure, marked improvements in the approach to cybersecurity, advances in the utilization of social media and collaborative tools, and critical innovations in the use of technology for teaching and learning. He led the University’s Mobile/Digital Now initiative, working to reinvent both physical and virtual learning environments, optimizing wireless access, inspiring instructors to transition to digital content, and leveraging mobile access across the lifecycle of student experiences.

In addition to his administrative tasks, Camplese taught Disruptive Technologies at Stony Brook University. The course, modeled after a course he co-taught and designed at The Pennsylvania State University, was reimagined for undergraduates in the Consortium for Digital Arts, Culture, and Technology department where he held affiliate status. Additionally, he served as chair of the Project 50 Forward Operational Excellence Steering Committee and on several University-wide committees.

Camplese came to Stony Brook after fifteen years at Penn State, most recently serving as the Senior Director for Teaching and Learning with Technology from 2010-13. In that role, he provided strategic direction to enhance Penn State’s use of technology in teaching, learning, and research. He oversaw classroom and lab design and management, guided ongoing training initiatives, and worked to establish innovative approaches to support the integration of technologies into learning environments. He also served as Co-Director in the Center for Online Innovations in Learning at Penn State and was a member of Penn State’s Faculty Senate.

He is an Apple Distinguished Educator, selected for his innovative uses of technology in support of his teaching and administrative work. He has served on many industry advisory boards including both the NYERSERNet.org and .net boards, the Apple Digital Campus, and Junior Achievement. Camplese is an established public speaker who strives to provide practical insight into the use of technologies to drive greater classroom engagement. He is also an established consultant, helping organizations integrate technology into their business practices, education and training programs, and their internal and external communication processes. He is a published author and has presented both practical and theoretical concepts at regional and national conferences.

Camplese is married and the father of two children who do an amazing job of keeping him both busy and very engaged in technology and the overall state of our educational system. He received a Masters of Science in Instructional Technology from Bloomsburg University and is a 1994 graduate of West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.