THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGING AND SO IS HIGHER EDUCATION

MARSHALL UNIVERSITY IS HARNESSING THE POWER OF EXCEPTIONAL DATA MANAGEMENT TO ENSURE A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY

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Brian Morgan loves data. When you talk to him about his passion, Marshall University's first-ever chief data officer gives the impression that his ideal vacation would be diving deep into a data lake.

Founded in 1837 and named for Chief Justice John Marshall, the public university serves over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students each year, attracting learners from 47 states and 56 countries.

Morgan is a true son of Marshall. For over 30 years he’s been part of West Virginia’s oldest university, earning his undergrad and master’s degrees and teaching computer science there. “I had been working with our university’s data, and for about 19 years did ad hoc reporting, providing lists for advisors, department chairs, deans, everything at all levels,” he said. “I did this on the side, not in an official capacity. I always had my eyes on the institutional research world, and the CDO job came open and I applied.”

These days, he has a key role in a digital transformation that aims to revolutionize data management at Marshall as well as the whole of higher education in the state. Jodie Penrod, who joined the staff as CIO in 2022, was tasked with creating the sweeping effort. Morgan admitted that when it comes to higher education he likes the bleeding edge, boldly anticipating future advances in technology, but stressed that change requires a significant cultural shift.