New York Institute of Technology Welcomes New VP of IT and CIO

Pennie S. Turgeon, M.B.A., will join New York Institute of Technology as vice president of information technology and chief information officer on October 1. She brings with her more than 25 years of technology-related experience that includes 13 years as a VP/CIO at Clark University as well as positions at Worcester Polytechnic Institute where she directed its Advanced Distance Learning Network and Academic Technology Center, as well as positions with Texas Instruments and IBM.

In her new role, Turgeon will serve as a member of New York Tech’s senior leadership team as she provides vision, leadership, oversight, and management for the institution’s IT services, infrastructure, hardware, and software. Furthermore, she will work closely with faculty, students, and staff to ensure that New York Tech leverages technology to greatly enhance academic and research opportunities, in addition to learning outcomes.

“I look forward to working with Pennie as she leverages her management expertise and technical knowledge to deliver cost-efficient, data-driven strategies fueled by technology that will improve student learning, expand faculty research, and streamline IT operations across all New York Tech campuses,” said New York Institute of Technology President Hank Foley, Ph.D.

At Clark University, Turgeon’s accomplishments included a data management strategy and implementation plan that addressed the university’s need for enhanced data governance and data fluency, a career-focused mentoring program, an admissions management system that resulted in a 100 percent increase in undergraduate applications, and an integrated HR/payroll system that improved data integrity and records management while reducing expenditures. She also led the collaboration of senior faculty with an external biotech company to introduce high-performance computing strategies that supported research, as well as co-developed a digital strategy plan that elevated the university’s academic reputation and recognition.

“What attracted me to New York Tech was its focus on student outcomes, an ongoing commitment to the long-term success of its graduates, and President Foley’s strategic vision,” said Turgeon. “Working in collaboration with faculty, staff, students, and alumni, I am eager to reposition IT at New York Tech as a strategic partner and an agent of institutional transformation.”

At Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Pennie transformed a small media department into the Academic Technology Center, offering a full array of technology services to support faculty teaching. She also designed and implemented a Teaching Technology Fellowship that provided faculty with opportunities to work on projects that focused on improving student learning through technology. As director of the Advanced Distance Learning Network, Pennie worked with academic leadership to create a vision and business plan for online learning that resulted in online enrollment doubling and revenue increasing by 150 percent in the first three years. Furthermore, she developed a marketing strategy to build awareness of online learning that boosted registrations among qualified students, increasing net revenue while decreasing marketing expenses by 30 percent.

Turgeon earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Worcester State University and her M.B.A. from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She is an active member of EDUCAUSE and its regional affiliate, NERCOMP.