Biography

Dr. Bunton is the Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer at New Mexico State University. 

In this role, he is responsible for providing both leadership and support in information technology throughout the entire NMSU System. The Office of the CIO promotes IT solutions that improve the teaching, learning, research, and administrative environment of the university.

Current initiatives of the office of the CIO include statewide networking collaborations, improving IT project management, improving communication of IT costs and value to the university community, upgrading internal campus network infrastructure to support IPv6, and recognizing innovative IT solutions coming from the IT campus community.

Prior to this role, Thomas was the Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock where he was responsible for the strategic vision and leadership of information technology initiatives across the University of Arkansas at Little Rock enterprise.  He oversaw the planning and implementation of enterprise IT systems in support of the university mission in order to improve cost effectiveness, service quality, and customer experience.  

Thomas also held various leadership roles at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and Purdue University where he led large scale technological and organizational transformations that included implementing centers of excellence, drafting and executing IT strategic plans, and rationalizing and integrating complex IT portfolios.

Thomas is deeply passionate about higher education, the role it plays in society, and in particular social mobility.  He spearheads efforts and outreach to increase affordability, access, and student success.  His outreach efforts include mentoring high school students with interests in information technology careers to being a regular lecturer to incoming first-generation students.  He’s strongly committed to illuminating and providing frictionless educational pathways for students who may otherwise lack experience navigating the sometimes confusing and unfamiliar environments associated with higher education.