After 30 years at Syracuse University, Associate Chief Information Officer (ACIO) for Academic Technology Services Jenny Gluck has announced her retirement, effective at the end of January. Mike O’Mara, director of Learning Environments and Media Production, will serve as interim ACIO for Academic Technology Services, reporting directly to Interim Chief Information Officer and Vice President for Technology Eric Sedore.
Jenny Gluck
“If you have had the pleasure of interacting with Jenny Gluck, then you know the essence of a passionate technology leader,” Sedore says. “Over the two decades I have had the privilege to work alongside Jenny, I have observed the profound impact she has had at Syracuse University. Jenny is a staunch ally for the underrepresented members of our community, striving daily to include the needs of all when making decisions.”
Gluck joined Syracuse University as a senior computer systems engineer in 1992. Prior to joining the University, her career included more than 10 years at General Electric in roles spanning aerospace information technology, sonar systems, robotics and more.
During her tenure at Syracuse, she gained a campuswide perspective and helped shape the evolution of technology across the University in such roles as UNIX system administrator, manager of Research and Development, director of Networking Systems and Services and director of Academic Applications and Service Centers before beginning her current role in 2011.
At all times, Gluck strived to improve technology to enable effective teaching and learning, communication, safe experimenting and collaboration. Her approach emphasized inclusion and accessibility for the University’s diverse communities.
With a well-established track record of increasing responsibility, Gluck has never been one to take on a light workload.
“As a woman in technology,” she says, “you feel like you’re always trying to prove that you know what you’re doing.”
By building consensus with campus partners and assembling teams, Gluck helped deliver exceptional results for the University. Some of her accomplishments include the following:
Gluck’s campus partners are as quick to praise her collegiality and respect for diverse communities as they are thankful for her technological expertise and guidance.
“Jenny has been a remarkable leader in creatively integrating technology with innovative teaching practices. Her determination to provide support wherever it’s needed has always been remarkable, particularly given the scope of her responsibilities and the increasing need for attention to technology in the classroom,” says Lois Agnew, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of writing and rhetoric. “Jenny’s keen expertise, generosity, accessibility and kindness have made her a respected colleague and valued collaborator. She will be greatly missed.”
Another colleague, Kira Reed, associate professor of management, says, “Jenny has been a great friend and mentor since we co-chaired the Standard III team for the last Syracuse University Middle States Accreditation Self-Study. She is an expert in her field and the highest-ranking woman in IT I’ve met. She continues to inspire me.”
“Jenny has been a champion of meeting student academic needs for information and community technology with a strong emphasis on equal access to technology for members of our disability community,” says William Myhill, director of disability access and ADA coordinator for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. “Jenny is highly collegial, collaborative, and an ally to historically marginalized communities, putting others first time and time again.”
Looking forward, Gluck offers a word of advice to the Syracuse University community: “Persist. If you know in your heart that it’s right, persist.”
With respect to striving for digital accessibility, in particular, she adds, “it may be hard, and it might not happen right away, but you are removing barriers. No matter how difficult something is, and no matter how many nay-sayers you get, you can never go wrong doing what’s right.”
