University CIO Resigns from Post

Harvard’s Chief Information Officer Daniel D. Moriarty announced Monday his intentions to step down at the end of this month after a decade of leading the University’s technology development efforts.

Moriarty leaves behind a legacy of streamlining IT operations and centralizing procurement—efforts that now save the University over $26 million a year, according to a statement from University Provost Steven E. Hyman.

In Moriarty’s e-mail to his staff announcing his resignation, he did not provide a reason for stepping down, stating only that he is “look[ing] forward to new challenges,” but planned to help Harvard through the transition process as University administrators search for his successor.

Since his arrival at Harvard as an associate dean of the Medical School in 1993, Moriarty has worked to introduce the latest technology at Harvard.

Under his leadership, the University also adopted the iSites platform, which professors and students use to upload course materials or finished assignments online.

“He was always so easy to work with and brought people together,” said John D. Halamka, Moriarty’s successor as Harvard Medical School’s chief information officer. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Dan unhappy or angry—he was very levelheaded.”

Halamka, who worked closely with his predecessor both while he was at the Medical School and most recently in central administration, said that Moriarty centralized Harvard’s telecommunication system and pushed for security measures to decrease the risk of privacy breaches.

His departure follows that of Lawrence M. Levine, former chief information officer of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences who left at the end of last month to head IT at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Moriarty described in the e-mail that his resignation presents Harvard and new leadership with the opportunity to “refresh and refocus” and “take things forward.

Though University administrators have not specified plans related to IT infrastructure and development, Halamka said that it is especially important in this economy for IT units across Harvard to “get together and coordinate approaches” to improve efficiency.

Moriarty, who worked in the software development industry prior to his appointment at Harvard, also launched the faculty Instructional Innovation Funds, the Harvard Academic Computing Committee, and the Presidential Instructional Technology Fellows program during his tenure at Harvard.

His deputy, Susan Walsh, will serve as interim chief information officer while administrators search for a replacement.

Moriarty did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.

—Staff writer Athena Y. Jiang can be reached at ajiang@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer June Q. Wu can be reached at junewu@fas.harvard.edu.